#and a large chunk are light novels

[baked-hylian]

buys another four books like I don't already have thirteen waiting to be read

[hell-drabbles]

Tw:Gore?

Itching itching itching

This was agonising

You didn't know what those damn angels

Did

But it was agonising

Itching itching itching

Blunt nails scratching and digging into flesh

Trying to get rid of the discomfort

Tears dripping down your face as you grit your teeth in a silent scream

Itching itching-

Tearing

Clawing at your skin and flesh in agony as you feel your spine pop and crack

Something tries to dig and scratch it's way out of your flesh like maggots it writhes underneath the skin and flesh

Sharp needle like as it rips through flesh

Spine cracking and popping open

Breaking and reforming to accommodate something

If you could crack your skull open and die right now you would

The head breaking pain as if something was trying to erupt from your mind

Your skin constantly ripples as if it is keeping something living within it as the flesh underneath desperately tries to keep something within

Something pushes and rips and stabs through muscles and veins until-

Pop

You can't tell if the screaming was from you or not

The world didn't feel real

You couldn't feel you back

As whatever was beneath the skin forces it's way out with sickening cracks and pops

Squelching through the blood as it pours down your back like a river

A horrifying sight for the angels watching this

Two bare bloodied wing like bones ripping through your back tearing open like a nest of parasites ripping out of a host flesh and veins tear out with the wings hanging from the bare bones staining them in crimson

You scream and scratch till your skin is raw and your voice is sputtering as your flesh reforms trying to grow and cover the wings and great white feathers sprout and split from the skin pushing through the raw flesh but it is barely moment before they fall in large clumps of useless white material not even clinging to the newly generated flesh

Fingers dig into your skull as you slam your head into the ground

Bright golden white visions bombard the inside of your skull

Echoing like whispers moving too fast

And being too much

You see too much

Yet too little all the same

When will this end

.

.

.

.

Itching itching scratching

Silence

Sorry this is shitty

Dante anon

(Tis fine, tis fine, I've endured many a shitty writing, fanfiction or published, so this is fine by all means. The YA novel industry is in shambles.)

Past the pain, in small spots, you can see it.

The sunlight, in all its orange and comforting light.

When your wings have stopped falling off in chunks, when, for a moment, you see something other than that blinding and most holy light that burns your vision white, you can see that beautiful, temporary orange.

A sunrise. A dawn shared with your home, with your earth.

When the sun comes, you're pulled from everything. From your commands, from your intoxicating love for a god you do not know, from your existence something that should have been, but is not.

The sun comes and you're you again, if only for a few precious moments. You don't hear prayers whispering in your ears compelling you to join, you only hear the wind as it caresses you. You don't feel the need to itch and deliver this pain onto everything else that lives happily without god, you only feel compelled to fall into the sun's hands.

You want to be carried away in that warmth. To be surrounded in it.

And as you sit on the ground, surrounded by your own bleeding flesh, you wish to be burned into the sun you wake up to every morning.

But, as with all days, they fade.

And so do you.

[fictionadventurer]

If you're still taking them: 7 & 14-16 for Emma M. Lion; 3, 10, & 20 for The Hunger Games; and 3, 4, and 7-10 for the Victorian (Edwardian?) novel about the sisters who get jobs whose title I cannot remember, please?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

I was surprised that it lived up to the hype. When reading The Q, a large chunk of the reviews were like, "I love Emma M. Lion so I started reading this." I expected to find something fun and frothy but ultimately forgettable. I didn't expect such a sprawling and detailed cast and world, or to love exploring it that much.

14. how likely do you think this story is to break a reader's heart? If you're not done with the story, just guess.

Already answered. Pretty likely to get mildly broken in several ways.

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

July through September, because that's when I first discovered this author's books.

16. do you think this story has broad appeal, or is it meant for a very specific audience? if it's more "niche", what kind of person would most enjoy this story?

Broad appeal within a very specific niche? That niche being people who like vintage light fiction. If you like Austen, Wodehouse, Jean Webster, Oscar Wilde, etc., love novels-in-diary form, slice-of-life, and humor, or are in to the late Victorian era, there's a pretty good chance that you'll like these stories.

The Hunger Games

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The pro-life message, the family bonds, the love story

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

Something from the soundtrack?

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

That scene in Catching Fire when the force field stops Peeta's heart, Finnick does CPR for like, two minutes, and Peeta gets up and walks away and is totally fine like nothing has happened.

The Romance of a Shop (I assume that's what you're talking about?)

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The sisterly relationship, all the details about the photography business in the 1880s, how fun and easy it was to read

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name

Victorian slice-of-life domestic drama social commentary romance

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

I did not expect such a light, humorous family atmosphere (these girls were much more modern than expected), and there was a plot twist in the end that (coming with Austen expectations) shocked me with the direction it took.

8. what questions are or were you most excited to learn the answers to while experiencing the story for the first time?

I liked learning about the characters of the various love interests and getting the resolution to the romances, but honestly, I just liked learning all the daily-life details of running a photography studio.

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

Climbing down the social ladder works out pretty well if you're in a Levy novel.

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

I'm sorry, my brain just doesn't work in that direction.

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Chapter 6 Part 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 6 - The Newly Reborn Kingdom of Zofia

Part 1 - His Name is Zeke

Princess Anthiese, the only successor of the Zofian royal family, was alive. That news reached the entire continent, spreading throughout not only Zofia, but also north to Rigel. The people sensed that it would have a large effect on both governments.

But though they knew Princess Anthiese was alive, that did not necessarily mean that the info passed onto them was correct. Grieth's brigand kingdom had now changed and become a mercenary kingdom led by the young mercenary Jesse. 

The information came from the easternmost village in Zofia - Atlas's village, which had become the go-between for Jesse's nation and Zofia. As it traveled from the villagers to peddlers to travelers, the details became distorted from the truth. According to the version most people believed, Grieth had been plotting to take over Zofia, imprisoning the princess and her gold circlet in his desert castle. Then, a group of holy fighters came from Novis Island, and worked with young mercenary king Jesse and his soldiers to free her.

The fact spread quickly that the holy fighters were known as Mila's Restoration Army and were led by Celica, but that fact that she was also Princess Anthiese was so far beyond what anyone could reasonably believe, that it was left out. It was proof of just how ingenious Mycen's plan had been from the very start, when he had taken her with him as a baby from the castle to safety.

And there was possibly a very specific reason why the princess's rescue was passed along as an epic hero's tale of Jesse's rather than giving Mila's Restoration Army the credit - it was all because of Jesse's spin on the story as a top-notch strategist.

But regardless of the exact details, Princess Anthiese was alive. That truth of course made Desaix tremble in fear. With this, the remaining members of the Knight of Zofia were fulou revitalized as the Deliverance. Now that Desaix had lost the castle, so long as he still had the western stronghold, the army that was once not even the smallest of threats to him was no longer just a thorn in his side, but a tumor that could prove fatal. And now that the people knew an heir to the throne was alive, they all passionately supported the Deliverance, multiplying those tumors to become countless in number.

And if Desaix was quaking in fear, then it was no exaggeration to imagine there were other people who felt that they were in danger as well - and those people were none other than those of the Rigel Empire, supporting Desaix from behind the scenes. If Desaix fell, the momentum would cause Rigel's entire plot to invade Zofia to unravel. The group that reacted the strongest to that danger was Rigel's border army, because they were the group at the greatest immediate risk.

-

A deep ravine filled with water separated the north and south of Valentia, forming the border between Zofia and Rigel. A single sturdy stone bridge was the only path that connected the two countries. At the northern end of the bridge was Rigel's border defense base, where a light shined bright in the strategy room. While their soldiers were fast asleep, two generals were still up, continuing their strategy meeting.

"The princess's survival has sharply increased the rebel army's morale. Desaix must be careful.” Said Jerome, a Gold Knight and the general of the border guard. He’d cut off a chunk of his own earlobe so that his helmet would fit on his head, creating his ghastly appearance and proving just how far he would go to climb the ranks of Rigel's army. His desire for a promotion was also why he volunteered to serve in the border guard.

Zeke, the second general in command of the border guard, having discussed most everything he had to talk about, was now sitting across from Jerome. He looked down at his glass. He had his hands around it, but had not drank even a single sip, staring at the corner of the room until this moment, appearing to be deep in thought.

Jerome hated Zeke. He hated that Emperor Rudolf favored this man so, and he hated that the emperor thought so little of him he went out of his way to appoint a second in command, even when Jerome said that he would be fine on his own.

And most of all, he hated that Zeke was a Gold Knight, yet of an utterly different beauty than him. Zeke had luscious, wavy blond hair that earned him the nickname "the Golden General," smooth cheeks that showed not a scar even after countless battles, and a mysterious air that hung around him like a thick dark forest and drew others in. But what was most alluring of all were his eyes that would look like that of a goddess', even though he was of the opposite sex.

Jerome hated all of it.

'If he was a girl, he'd be cute.' Jerome cursed in his head before saying, "What's the matter, Zeke? Something seems to be troubling you."

Zeke raised his head, finally snapping out of his dreamlike trance and taking a sip of his drink. He did not look at Jerome, but did speak. "I cannot help but feel that this battle is futile. Even more so now that we know the princess is alive."

Zeke had been skeptical about the invasion of Zofia from the first step of Emperor Rudolf's plot. Though he would never say it aloud, he felt that this invasion would not unify Valentia, but lead it towards utter destruction. 'If the princess is alive, shouldn't that change our plans?' He thought. 'Right now, couldn't we still successfully start over, and lay the foundation for friendly relations between our two nations? After all, isn't that what the people wish for? Not unification, but true coexistence?'

"Jerome, I think we should write a report to Emperor Rudolf and request he order Desaix to fall back within Rigel territory, so that he may join the border guard with us.” Zeke proposed.

Jerome twisted his battle-scarred lips into a smile. "What, have you lost your nerves? Are you afraid of Alm and his gang? Sugar-coating things won't help you now." Jerome said. "Perhaps you have forgotten what Emperor Rudolf said. He told us one thing, and one thing only. Crush Zofia. Nothing more, nothing less than those two exhilarating words."

Zeke had not forgotten that, of course. When Desaix decided to switch sides and was summoned to Rigel Castle, Emperor Rudolf showed his appreciation for Desaix's willingness to go this far for him by ordering him the honor of slaughtering every single member of the royal family. He did not even hesitate when he spoke the word to cut off all their heads, including the infants. Zeke remembered the moment in his head as if it had just happened yesterday, down to the cruel smile on Emperor Rudolf's face.

'But is that truly his will?' That question was the cause of all Zeke's doubts.

Zeke was not a unit originally from Rigel, nor Zofia. He mysteriously woke up one day in Rigel territory, injured and lying on the ground. He had no memory of anything before that moment.

With his head now slightly dizzy from the alcohol, he thought, '...The emperor is so kind, yet so cruel… It does not add up to me. I have memory loss so severe that I have no memories of Rigel, or even where I came from. Yet Emperor Rudolf believed in my abilities, and even trained me to become one of his generals. It does not add up to me that he could be so kind, yet so cruel. So much so that I cannot simply hate Zofia like Jerome does.

Still…' Zeke cleared his head and finished the rest of his drink in one fluid motion. 'When I swore my loyalty to him and all of his kindness, I also swore my loyalty to his cruelty…'

"It means nothing for my resolve to waver now. We will march tomorrow morning when the first thrush starts chirping." Zeke said and put down his glass, then looked back at the model of Valentia in the middle of the room, specifically the section that depicted a battle in Zofian territory. 

The border guard was to wait until dawn, invade the Zofian border, then immediately run to Desaix to serve as his reinforcements. He and Jerome received the message just before sunset ordering them to start an all out war. The word came suddenly, but they had already suspected that they would have to be ready for war, preparing their troops and devising a strategy to do so. They were in position to be able to rush into battle at any time.

"This is it." Zeke said, and stood in front of the model of the battlefield. "If the worst case scenario does occur and Desaix's stronghold falls, our Cavalier units will work together to guard all of the locks."

Jerome looked at Zeke's wide back. He decided to get up from his chair to go up to the model, and finalize the strategy together with Zeke.

But that was not what he actually ended up doing. He simply stood up to take the liquor bottle, refilled his glass, then sat back down and said, "You have no reason to worry about me. My knights will not go to Zofia. Only your knights will."

Zeke doubted his ears for a moment. The entire border army was supposed to move together, and provide reinforcements for Desaix. That was exactly what the emperor's message said. And wasn't the strategy they'd been preparing until now based entirely around the assumption that both their armies would support Desaix's army?

"What do you mean?" Zeke asked, though he did not turn around. He already felt Jerome's loathing of him, even from behind. If he did turn around, he knew he would see Jerome's ugly smile, and he'd rather avoid that.

"There's really nothing else we can do." Jerome said. "Desaix is already likely a lost cause. Even if we do go to him. I will not send my knights into a losing battle, so only you should go. Only you should make this mistake, and at best, die an honorable death."

Desaix's fall would mean nothing to Jerome. He had no interest in such minor details, like the foundation of their invasion of Zofia crumbling. All he wished for right now was for Zeke to fall.

'If the emperor learns that Desaix fell because Zeke wasn't strong enough, then he will leave the border entirely to me. I haven't needed Zeke here once since the beginning. If my cavaliers win the battle without Zeke, no matter how hard a fight it becomes, then everyone will know I defended the border valiantly on my own, and the glory my Cavaliers earn will finally earn me a position in the government.' That was how Jerome felt, and came to plot his evil plan.

And if Zeke died, no other result could be better than that.

"Are you turning your back on the emperor's orders?" Zeke asked.

Jerome laughed out loud. "Not if you keep your mouth shut."

"Are you making fun of me?!" Zeke shouted and got right up in his face, but Jerome simply took another swig of his drink, his face not even flinching. 

Jerome looked back at him out of the corner of his eyes, with his true feelings for Zeke on full display.

In that moment, Zeke realized just how evil Jerome's plan was.

"Where do you think your cute little Tatiana is right now?" Jerome's words were far more threatening than they implied. 

Zeke understood exactly what they meant. Jerome had laid a hand on his beloved Tatiana, taking her hostage from the small village on the Rigelian plains she lived a modest life in, where she was waiting patiently for his return. And with that, Jerome had also taken his freedom.

Tatiana, a Saint unit, was the person Zeke owed his life to. When he was injured, near death, and unable to remember anything about himself, she stayed up all night to heal him. What her magic could not do, she made up for with her tender kindness, even taking off her robe to cover him when he was losing body heat, and continuing to care for him naked. That was simply the kind of person she was. As she spent many days and months nursing him back to health, she fell in love with him, and Zeke reciprocated not just because he was gracious for all she had done, but also because he genuinely loved her in return.

Zeke was so angry that sweat dripped from his clenched fists down to the stone floor. But he did not have the luxury of making his own choice. He even had to suppress his desire to punch Jerome and send the man flying as his imagination flashed an image of her, captured and suffering, before his eyes.

"Remember that I am not going because of your despicable plot." Zeke bit his beautiful rose-colored lips and said. "I am going only because of my undying loyalty to Emperor Rudolf!" He shouted. As he exited the room, he remembered how much he had loathed sharing a bottle of liquor with the vile man behind him, picked up his glass, and smashed it against the floor.

[emeryleewho]

Just out of curiosity, why did you decide to write A Flair of Fate as a comic, rather than prose?

Hi!

So this is actually a really complicated answer, but I'm gonna try to break it down into the key points.

A Flair of Fate is largely in conversation with shounen anime, so I wanted it to be in a medium that would allow it to embody the tropes it deploys, but also where it could be in open conversation with similar stories.

Prose is a really limited medium in a couple of different ways. It's hard to have really large casts in prose novels because it's hard for people to remember all of the characters when all you have is a name to remember them by, and bc prose typically follows a limited number of POVs, you can only keep up with so many characters in their own time, plus you're limited to only seeing that which your POV characters see/know. In a Flair of Fate, this would be a major issue because Javi is a REALLY unreliable narrator. [Mild spoilers to follow], BUT a recurring theme in this comic is normalizing things that are NOT normal. One example is here in the prologue:

This is just an establishing shot of Javi's best friend's house, but there are all these security cameras everywhere. They live in a dystopian police state, where there's hyper-vigilance, but that's normal to them, so if we were navigating all of this through Javi's head, it would be a lot harder to drop these details that he genuinely doesn't notice. Visually, I can establish these subtle cues throughout as the story builds, which is really important because this story has A LOT to explore that Javi is oblivious to at the beginning LOL.

3. The story is long form, kind of like old TV used to be, in that it's one long story that can be divided into arcs or seasons, but the big villain is consistent until we finally confront them at the end. In prose novels, each book is supposed to be able to stand [mostly] on it's own, with a full plot arc per installment, and that would absolutely not work for this story!

4. The fluidity of an illustrated medium detaches readers from a tendency to take things too seriously or too literally. It adds a sort of inherent humor that allows stories like, say, Avatar the Last Airbender, which deals with war and genocide, to still be incredibly light-hearted and funny most of the time. This was super pivotal for this story too because it does have some really dark moments and some very heavy plotlines. It's a dystopian, anticapitalist story at it's core, BUT most of it is a sort of slap-stick humor/friendship/romance story about all the shenanigans that go down in this superhero sports league, so being able to manipulate the tone of a scene through the artwork makes a HUGE difference!

Ex:

5. And the last big reason is because I have ADHD and reading prose sometimes can feel kind of insurmountable, but the bite-size, visual heavy chunks of webcomic format gives my brain the happy hum feeling, so when I decided that I wanted to tell as story that would embody everything *I* the fanboi would want in a story, I realized it only made sense to let it be a webcomic!

Anyway, thanks for asking! Sorry this was the longest response ever LOL

[bluemooniegif]

besides bungo stray dogs, can u rcm me some manga having thought-provoking theme like that

ABSOLUTELY I CAN!! here are some manga, book and movie recs for you, cause I couldn't help myself :>

MANGA RECS:

1: The Case Study of Vanitas (Vanitas no Carte)

I knowww it's a cliche that BSD fans must also enjoy VNC, but it's genuinely just AHH so good!! it currently sits at 62.5 chapters (10 volumes & 9 uncollected chapters) and it has a 2-season anime adaptation. it's the second manga series by Jun Mochizuki, who's also well-known for her series Pandora Hearts, and is still ongoing.

set in 19th-century France, our story begins with Noe, a young vampire, who's excitedly travelling to Paris for the first time. in his travels, he encounters the strange and enigmatic Vanitas, a human who somehow possesses the power of the Vampire of the Blue Moon- a feared being shunned by the rest of the vampire world.

we learn from the very beginning that Noe is recounting this story to us, and that he kills Vanitas with his own hands- but why? how? nobody knows, but we're bound to find out!

2. Attack on Titan

I doubt anyone was expecting me to mention this one, because it has quite a reputation for being gore-filled and action-packed, but when I say this literally changed my life I'm really not kidding (I wouldn't have this blog or be into anime at all if not for AOT!). it's a completed story, with a four-season anime (including 3 OVA episodes) and 139 manga chapters (in the main storyline; there are multiple spin-offs and 2 bonus mangas/light novels).

many years ago, the final remnants of humanity were forced to flee into a city surrounded by three giant walls. these walls are the only things keeping humanity from perishing at the hand of the titans, giant humanoid figures who hunt and eat them. but a young boy, Eren, wants nothing more than to see the world beyond the wall- until a titan taller than their walls breaks into the city, throwing humanity (and Eren's life) into disarray.

though it's true that a large chunk of this animanga is action, the lore is incredible. I can't say too much without spoiling, but the thought-provoking aspects aren't talked about nearly as much as I think they should be. once you've finished watching or reading, I highly recommend you watch this video, which is one of my favourite video essays of all time!

BOOK RECS:

1. Slaughterhouse Five

this is one of my favourite books of all time, and it's only 177 pages, so it's a super quick read! not only is it severely anti-war, but it's deeply though-provoking. I think about it every day. I quote it regularly. I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially now, with everything happening in the world.

I honestly don't have words for how much I love it, so here's the synopsis on Goodreads:

Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller - these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse. Slaughterhouse 5 is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centring on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

2. No Longer Human

there are so many editions of this, and I would recommend all of them- this is my other favourite book of all time, by the way. I may be barking up the wrong tree when I tell a BSD fan to read Dazai, one of the most accessible and relatable Japanese authors for a Western audience, but hey, I've got to remind you just in case you haven't given it a shot.

No Longer Human follows the life of Yozo Oba, a boy born into a big rich family, who constantly feels at-odds with the world around him. it's an exploration of mental illness, social isolation, self-expression, and compassion. I actually have an entire youtube video talking about it and how BSD-Dazai reflects Yozo as much as irl-Dazai, and it's my pride and joy so please go watch it!

MOVIE RECS:

Okay, I only have one rec for you, but this movie haunts me (in the best way possible):

Forgotten (기억의 밤)

I really need more people to watch this actually because holy shit it was amazing and nobody talks about it!! WATCH IT!!! PLEASE!!!!

Jinseok watches his brother get kidnapped right before his eyes, and it powerless to do anything. 19 days later, he returns, and... something is different about him. Jinseok is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding his kidnapping.

the twists in this are actually insane. I can't tell you anything aside from the synopsis without spoiling major plot points. if you only take one recommendation I bed you to take this one.

okay that's all bye!!

[sureuncertainty]

I haven't shared new OC art on here in awhile, but I just finished refs for two of the main characters from my new project, a ghost story about a haunted apartment building!

Vivian Bentley is a recent graduate with an English degree, several unfinished vampire novels, and a new job at a local bookstore that doesn't pay them enough to live in their current place.

So they move into a shitty studio apartment in a renovated apartment building downtown. Vivian's not expecting the place to be five-star, since they're paying way less than the market rate for rent, but the annoyances start to add up quickly: weird sounds at all times of day from thumping upstairs to scratching from the walls, weird smells, faucets that don't work, the fact that the office is literally NEVER open, and one of the elevators never works. Either they're just getting their money's worth, or the whole building is actually haunted.

Image description under the cut!

[ID: Top image: a digital sketch of Vivian Bentley, my protagonist, on a green background. They are a tall thin white person with an undercut and dark brown/reddish hair pulled back in a ponytail. They're wearing a black tank top and brown flannel, denim jeans with cuffed ankles, black low-top converse, and blue striped socks. They have one hand in their pocket, and look vaguely bored. They have purple earrings and oval glasses. Large handwritten text reads: "Vivian Bentley, 26, they/them" along with a list of bullet points about them: - bookseller - recent college grad with an English degree - aspiring writer - Autistic/ADHD/Anxiety/Depression - has a pet cat named Titania - does not wish to be perceived A small note next to their head reads "dyed hair, naturally brown", and there are two small notes reading "cuffed jeans" and "striped socks" pointing out those elements of their design. There are three small pride flags in the top left corner: aromantic, asexual, and nonbinary.

Bottom image: a digital sketch of Lake Bishop, on a blue background, a short thin androgynous person with light brown skin and light pink curly hair styled in a mullet with black roots showing. They're wearing a short-sleeved purple checkered shirt that's partially tucked in to blue shorts, and black lace up boots with light blue laces. They're standing with their arms out, gesturing like they're explaining something, with an easy smile on their face. They have gold round glasses, and are wearing several bracelets on each wrist. Large handwritten text reads "Lake Bishop, 27, they/them" along with a list of bullet points about them: - bookseller with Vivian - special interest in paranormal research and true crime - autistic/ADHD - excitable, talkative, outgoing - masks their insecurities with humor Small chunks of text point to various aspects of their design: "dyes hair frequently" pointing to their hair, "pine tree tattoo on bicep" pointing to their right arm, mostly covered by their sleeve, "shirt never tucked in" pointing to their partially untucked shirt, and "wears a lot of vintage clothes" pointing to them in general. There is also a small nonbinary pride flag in the upper right corner. End ID]

[fellshot]

I am not really looking forwards to the Ashoka Tano series for a few reasons.

First I don’t like the character that much. But it seems like I’m really supposed to. On the surface, I feel like I should like a woman Jedi badass. But I don’t and considering how often she pops up in other characters’ story arcs and that each time she supersedes the other characters rather than taking a back seat, it feels like Rose Tyler from Doctor Who all over again. The “I’m a Jedi, but only when it’s convenient” is very frustrating. I feel like if you have a Light Side Force adept who isn’t a Jedi, you should really lean into it because it sounds like an interesting development for character and worldbuilding.

Second, I haven’t been able to get through Clone Wars partially because the Tartovsky series exists and I have it in its original narrative format, but also because who in their right mind would ever give Anakin Skywalker, walking disaster a padawan? For me, it is beyond my suspension of disbelief. I can’t do it. It doesn’t help that people tell me that the first 3ish seasons are rough going. That is emphatically not encouraging. Rebels season 1 was rough going too but at least it was funny and at least one of those idiots (usually Hera) had a working brain cell at any given time.

Third, it kind of looks like they are going in an Heir to the Empire direction. Which is okay I suppose, but feels like overly eager fanboys who never bothered with any Thrawn novels after the first three, if they even read past the first one. Later there’s an imposterThrawn storyline that seems like it would make a hell of a lot more sense in the current canon (such as it is). But it also seems like we are approaching a major point of no return divergence between bookThrawn and tvThrawn. Timothy Zahn has done a really awesome job of reconciling the two as much as possible, but I don’t think that Filoni is up to continuing it at all. Zahn made a very clear and fundamental difference between Empire/Republic space and the Unknown Regions and how they see their Force sensitives which I find very interesting and great, but given how Ashoka is usually written will probably get overlooked or hijacked to grow her journey to being something or other. Does she have any personal goals at all? To be fair, this seems like a generic Jedi character issue, but I don’t see it getting addressed on screen in any meaningful way.

Fourth, Ezra deciding that he had to stay to help someone (or several very young someones) in the Unknown Regions makes way more sense for his character than hers. A large chunk of the Rebels storyline is him fighting to free his home from Imperial control. Ashoka doesn’t have that kind of connection to place or people and it would be fine for her character if it was left that way , but it very much looks like Ezra’s motives (and Sabine’s) are being hijacked and reassigned to Ashoka. Which is really frustrating if you want to have development for both characters that is different. She needs to do her own work and not crib off someone else’s.

All that being said, if I end up hearing that Ar’Alani shows up and kicks all of the ass (as she fucking should), I will probably give the Ashoka series a shot. There will probably be another delighted squeefest of “it’s Chissmas!!” on social media if such a thing happens. I am totally here for that.

[anne-bsd-bibliophile]

I was showing a coworker pictures of what I bought to decorate my library (when the shelves are finally made and delivered) when another coworker joined the conversation. They were joking around and asked if my library will be full of anime. It actually shocked them that I have mostly classic literature, Shakespeare plays, and novels. Sure, there will be one bookshelf of manga and light novels, but that makes up roughly one fourth of the books I own. I guess the fact that my coworkers are surprised shows how easily they fit me into the weird-anime-fan category and they never bothered to see me as anything else. (I neglected to tell them that a large chunk of my classic literature section is only Japanese authors... I'd rather not be teased for liking Dazai-sensei.)

But I have a blue/gold ginkgo leaf theme in most of what I have bought for my personal library. I've already hung all the wall decor and have cute things to put on the shelves. Now all I need is for the bookshelves and couch to be delivered.

[lemedy]

I ended up really liking Magirevo, even though it was screaming of 'we're cramming a large chunk of light novel story into these twelve episodes'.

[nikibogwater]

...The cauldron was cold. There was a fire in the hearth--a decidedly normal, non-magical fire that cast the room in a warm, comforting light. Villina sat in a black wingback chair, weaving a scarf out of thorns, with a large black toad lounging contentedly in her lap. Her fingers froze, and she looked up from her work. 

��...Horatio,” she addressed the toad. “Do not be alarmed, but I think the door is about to--”

BANG!

The toad jumped out of her lap with a startled croak. A cold, wet wind swept through the room, causing the fire to flicker and sputter. The young man from earlier stood in her doorway, rain streaming down his long platinum hair like streaks of moonlight. Rage burned in his bloodshot eyes as he raised his head to meet her gaze. In one hand, he clutched a sword. In the other, an empty vial. He tossed the vial to the floor, where it landed with a clink and rolled to a stop at Villina’s feet.

“Something tells me this visit was not born of unbridled joy and gratitude,” she said slowly.

“You killed her.” Felix spoke in a low, dangerous rasp. “You killed my mother.”

Had my first big writing session of 2023 and I have....no idea where this came from. I also don’t know whether to be happy that I finally got a good solid chunk of writing done, or upset that it’s not part of ANY of my current WIPs. Anyways, I’m posting this little bit just for Horatio. I’m still trying to decide if I want to turn this idea into a proper book someday or post it here on Tumblr as sort of a Practice Novel. 

[regarding-stories]

The Ever-Changing Story (Part 1): About Sword Art Online's (lack of) continuity

I'm a big fan of Sword Art Online (SAO), and I came to the series through watching the first three seasons on Netflix. It was on a whim, basically, but I became hooked, and in the last 2 1/2 months I have watched four seasons, one movie, read 28 books, and even several mangas - all works (or based on works) of Reki Kawahara, the original author.

Let's start with a simplified synopsis of the story, and from hereon there will be spoilers.

The plot of the original SAO story is set in an MMORPG world called Aincrad, composed of 100 floors. After the first 10,000 players have logged in, they are told that they can't log out anymore and that the game will kill them if they die in game or somebody removes the VR gear that completely immerses them in this world. Their only choice is to beat all 100 floors, after which the survivors will be automatically logged out.

The story then skips forward to floor 74, there's a fast-paced romance between the protagonist and a girl, and after some dramatic reveals after a battle against the boss of floor 75, our hero Kirito unmasks one of the most prominent players in the game to be the genius/villain that trapped them there to begin with, there's a final showdown with several tear-jerking twists, and then the game is beaten. All survivors get logged out.

Seems like I must've missed something? If you've watched the anime, I seem to have left big chunks out, right? But that's the "original story" as published as a light novel ("Sword Art Online 1 - Aincrad"). I put "original" in quotes because the true "original story" was first published on the web, then edited and lightly rewritten before being published as an actual book.

And it has changed ever since.

Retcons on top of retcons

From here on it gets weird. Even in the anime series, Aincrad gets a comparatively short treatment, 14 episodes of the 25 episodes comprising the first season. This is because the story of beating Aincrad is dispersed over many books by now, and most of it was written as stories inserted into an existing but also vague and largely empty timeline, typically involving some form of retconning.

The story I provided the synopsis for was SAO volume 1. Volume 2 added side stories, introducing several characters not seen before. Further side stories were added in volumes 8 and 22, and Kawahara started a series describing beating Aincrad floor by floor, called Sword Art Online Progressive (SAOP), which now comprises its own 8 volumes. In addition there are various side stories, published online, in magazines, as bonus material for example for other media including manga and anime, plus computer games. (But as far as I can tell you can largely ignore the computer games - they willy-nilly change canon anyway to attract as many players as possible.)

In other words, if you'd watched the anime, you would have seen, roughly in this order:

SAO 1 - Aincrad

SAOP 1 - Aria of the Starless Night

SAO 2 - Aincrad

SAO 8 - Early and Late

SAO 2 - Aincrad

SAO 1 - Aincrad

SAO 2 - Aincrad

SAO 1 - Aincrad

So, the anime is basically woven from four different books, one written in response to flesh out the anime a bit (SAOP 1). If you liked Yui, Liz, or Silica, they were all late additions.

The retcons in the anime are sometimes nice little details. For example, when Kirito publicly displays his Dual Wielding unique skill, he hides out in Agil's shop. In the anime, Liz walks by and teases him about letting out what was their secret. This actually happened in the second volume, while the scene actually stems from volume 1, so Liz did not exist to feature in that scene. But she fits like a glove here.

Retro-continuity

So, as a viewer of the anime, or using the anime as timeline, you come to a continuous, coherent story. This is not true for the novels, though, as Kawahara readily admitted whenever he published a new one. Each volume contains apologies for the inconsistencies he introduced when shoving new stories in.

His approach, however, is very pragmatic. Whatever he wrote last is basically true. This can be minor, like his admission from Volume 8 regarding his short-story "The Safe Haven Incident". So, for example in an earlier volume he wrote that Kirito had never taken Asuna to a restaurant run by an NPC before. This is exactly what Kirito does in this story, which in turn is set - but only within the world chronology! - before the story it modifies.

By the way, that's exactly the same detail Kawahara then contradicts again in SAOP, but SAOP is special...

You see, whenever somebody asks (on social media) if SAOP is a rewrite or reboot, there's a lively discussion where people go to great lengths to say that's it is not. I wholeheartedly disagree - SAOP is a huge reboot camouflaged behind lip service to existing continuity. And it heavily depends on which SAO or SAOP book you've read or media you've watched last as to what your conclusion might be.

And mine is - yes, the story has been rebooted. We might never see absolute proof for this as the story will likely never be finished. It took eight volumes to describe the beating of seven floors so far, casting doubt on the doability (or desirability) of doing this for the total of 75 floors mentioned in the original outline. But the longer the story progresses, the more heavily it deviates not only from the original plot points, but it also starts to rewrite characters - at least regarding their motivations and traits. And then they no longer fit their roles assigned to them in plot points alluded to in earlier novels.

A concrete example of how retro-continuity works

SAO Volume 22 contains the short story "The Day Before" - an account of what happened shortly before Kirito and Asuna got married in-game. It barely carries on for a page before it introduces us to what Kirito knew of Asuna or had experienced so far:

He had her as "impromptu party member".

She joined the Knights of Blood guild and took part in "our boss raids".

She "helped investigate mysterious safe-zone murders"

She "cooked S-ranked ingredients into meals for me".

The way he describes these events, including the connecting words, imply they happened in this order. This implies they were taken from the following books:

SAO Progressive Volume 1 onward.

Not actually depicted in any books, but mentioned since SAO volume 1. (When Asuna appears in SAO Vol. 1 she's the sub-commander of the KoB and takes part in the two boss encounters featured in the novel.)

SAO Vol. 8.

And back to SAO Vol. 1.

It is heavily implied that the term "impromptu party member" refers to SAOP Vol. 1 because she joined KoB after. (Not to be confused with them partying up in the middle stretch of SAO Vol. 1.)

In other words, within this story, published as Vol. 22 of the main line, events happening in some early SAO Progressive novels are confirmed as canon that overrides earlier canon. Whenever this volume or side stories introduce additional facts or change them, they are treated as if they had always been true. (You could say the new "normal" is whatever Kawahara wrote most recently, no matter if the information stems from the SAO or the SAOP series.)

This becomes especially noticeable if you actually read the light novels last, in a reverse order, after watching the anime, etc. There wasn't a grand master plan later novels slot into. Each new one is crammed in, and as that is done, it displaces some of the original story.

More things are then casually introduced: "Field bosses," a concept only present in SAOP. Further along, it is established that "we" (Asuna and Kiroto? The frontrunners?) typically ignore side quests - which is funny as this will be later contradicted again and overridden by further SAOP installments to follow, and quite drastically so. (In SAOP it becomes imperative to do quests to get potential info about floor bosses and how to beat them. It probably helped filling these books and making them the entertaining reads they are.)

We also get to meet Argo, who is characterized pretty much the same as in SAOP throughout. (And Argo existed only as a name drop before SAOP was written.) So Argo didn't exist until SAO 2, gets fleshed out as character much later in the SAOP novels, and she "returned" to the mainline novels volume 21 and forward. In 21 she only appears in the final scene, and in 22 we get side stories supposedly telling events from Aincrad - featuring Argo, probably so that main series readers can get used to her, she technically being an addition to the cast of that series.

We're also told about the great tragedy that befell Kibaou and the Aincrad Liberation Squad - which is greatly expanded on (in SAO 1 the "Aincrad Liberation Force" simply "got burned" on the 25th floor. In the SAO mainline novels before that Kibaou was only mentioned once, as a villain. Now he's made sympathetic. This is a major change, but if you've read SAOP you'll find that Kibaou is a character you can empathize with more and more the longer that series progressed. This change will be discussed further in part 2 of this article.

Growing backwards in time

Additions from volumes 2 onward fall into two categories: Those taking place before the main events of floor 74 forward in the first novel. And those taking place within the period between Kirito proposing to Asuna and their return to the frontline to fight the boss of floor 75.

In the first category we find:

The Black Swordsman (SAO 2)

Warmth of the Heart (SAO 2)

Red-Nosed Reindeer (SAO 2)

The Safe Haven Incident (SAO 8)

The Day of Beginning (SAO 8)

Day of Beginnings (in a tweet)

Hopeful Chant (bonus story as backstory for "Ordinal Scale" movie)

All "Sword Art Online Progressive" novels (SAOP 1-8)

In the second category we find:

The Girl in the Morning Dew (SAO 2)

Sugary Days (online side stories)

The Day Before (SAO 22)

Now that I went to the trouble of listing also "Hopeful Chant", it's another wonderful example of a retcon. Here Asuna meets Kirito during his darkest days in Aincrad - and suppresses her heart-felt wish to partner up with him again. (Which of course can only be an again at this point in time if everything within the SAOP series is canon.)

The original SAO 1 was the story of a girl who chased a boy she'd fallen in love with, until he wizens up and they become a couple. This point was reiterated in SAO 2 where Asuna talks to Lisbeth about her supposedly unrequited love for Kirito (without naming in). By the time "Hopeful Chant" was written, however, it has become the story of a girl that had a deeply trusting partnership with a boy that somehow (we don't know exactly how nor has this part been written) got torn apart and the mysterious magic happens and this somehow leads us back to the events from floor 74 forward. More recently written things invalidate things written earlier in SAO.

So it would be wrong to say SAO "grows backwards in time." SAO grows on top of SAO. It's like one of these ancient cities where you dig out layer that rests on top of another layer, or like Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork which is described on having been built on, well, Ankh-Morpork.

If these were just "facts" or "factoids" this might not be so important. In fact, most people ignore this altogether and go with the assumed continuity, or with a continuity that exists in their own heads after having consumed the various SAO media in whatever order suited them (and ignoring any contradictions as long as they are not too glaring). In fact, if you read SAO novels in their publishing order, you might not notice it so much. Each story in itself seems consistent, and you tend to forget the exact details of former stories.

And so the ground shifts beneath you and you don't notice that you're now in a different story than you started with. This becomes apparent if we less focus on the supposed outlines (the top-down aspects of the story, its plot point framework) and focus more on the characters, their traits, arcs, values, etc, and what stories derive from them (the bottom-up aspects of the story).

Which we'll do in the second part of this article, to be posted soon.

[gertlushgaming]

Ebenezer And The Invisible World Review (PlayStation 4)

For this Ebenezer And The Invisible World Review, we play a story-rich 2D Metroidvania adventure with breathtaking hand-drawn art, playing as miser-turned-hero Ebenezer Scrooge in a reimagined Victorian-fantasy based on Charles Dickens’s classic novel, A Christmas Carol. Enlist the help of ghosts to save the people of London before it’s too late.

Ebenezer And The Invisible World Review Pros:

- Decent graphics. - 2.78GB download size. - Platinum trophy. - Works on Playstation 5. - Metroidvania platformer gameplay. - Four save slots. - In-game cutscenes with character portrait interactions. - Tutorial pop-ups as you play. - The map fills in as you explore. - Save rooms can be found and act as a respawning point. - Many hidden areas and routes are not always shown on the map. - Signposts are littered around. - Locations on the map are color-coded. - Fully animated background. - All set in a wintery London England. - Befriend ghosts and have them join you by completing their side quest. - Each ghost either grants a new ability or does a certain attack when equipped. - You run around with a cane and have a spirit bar for using ghost attacks. (bar fills when fighting) - Big boss encounters. many breakable objects like boxes, crates, lampposts, etc. - Damage numbers pop as you attack. - Many enemy types with some needing timing and countering. - Coins drop from enemies and breakables and are used for buying from traveling vendors. - A colorful cast of characters. - The game on the whole moves at a fast pace. - Beautiful art. - Breaking a light makes the level darker. - Heirlooms can be found and these do things like increase run speed or do more damage etc. - Find and equip many unique and quirky weapons that change your stats and how they work so a spirit chain allows you to hit multiple enemies but can't hit the smaller floor-based enemies. - many different biome types with unique monsters and enemies. - I really love the art and design of all the characters. - When the game is flowing and combat is good then the game really shines. - It could be argued that this is a Castlevania SOTN love letter with slight reskinning. Ebenezer And The Invisible World Review Cons: - Got stuck in menus unable to back out and lost a load of progress. - The Flow of the game is slow. - You don't get much help with guidance and with so much open you do spend the first hour just roaming around aimlessly. - Hit detection feels a bit off at times. - Finding health items is very rare. - Save rooms and fast travel points are so far apart and hard to find that you end up repeating large chunks of the game. - Having to pick up items is less than ideal. - Buying from the shop isn't just money, it's also items that randomly drop. - I lost faith in the saving system working so I will sit at the saving door and do it like 50 times. - The map doesn't fill in with useful information like vendors. - Had so many crashes and shutdowns that I feared moving rooms and still to this day I haven't spoken to a particular character as the game crashes every time I initiate a chat. - It could do with a lot more help with guidance. Related Post: UFC 5 Video Review (PlayStation 5) Ebenezer And The Invisible World: Official website. Developer: Play On Worlds Publisher: Orbit Studio Store Links -  PlayStation Read the full article

[ask-the-opal-crown]

Synopsis: An AU of my own OCs where a good chunk of the ones who don’t get as much attention/fanfic creation all work/live at a fancy hotel together. Hotel is complete with a built in coffee shop, restaurant, bar, rooftop pool and casino.

Hotel name: The Opal Crown

Coffee shop name: Sweet Spoon Coffee

Restaurant name: Quartz d'ange

Casino name: The Black Cherry

Bar name: Satin Swigs

Character roster:

Name: Lakhi Agarwal

Job: Hotel owner

Age: 37

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Indian-American

Appearance: Thick black hair, often curled and coated in spray to be sure not a single strand is out of place. Sharp, angular gold/amber eyes. Petite, but slightly frightening in how muscular she is. Beige skin.

Often seen wearing: Black, three piece ladies’ suits and black stiletto heels

Quote: “One more smart mouthed comment out of you and I will feed you to my birds.”

Name: Antoinette (Annie) Cailteux

Job: Hotel manager

Age: 30

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Mexican-French

Appearance: Choppy black hair that hangs just past her chin. Brown, almond shaped eyes with gold flecks. Large nose, piercings in eyebrow, ceptum, ears, lip and tongue. Very tall, pear shaped figure. Olive skin.

Often seen wearing: Red button down shirts, black slacks, black suit jacket left unbuttoned and low heel shoes or flats.

Quote: “Hey, she’s got money and I’ve got a mouth to feed. I don’t see how I’m losing here.”

Name: Sofie/Tomarre Schmid

Job: Bartender

Age: 29

Pronouns: He/she

Ethnicity: Swiss-French

Appearance: Taller than average, but shorter than Annie. Short, neat borderline black hair. Smiling, doe brown eyes. Softer facial features. Very slender, lacking in curves. Porcelain skin.

Often seen wearing: The bar staff’s uniform. Cream button down, maroon vest, black bow tie. Black slacks when masculine, black skirt when feminine. Ballet flats regardless of gender.

Quote: “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. You’ll be a pro in no time. I promise.”

Name: Fabiana Alvarez

Job: Assistant bartender

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Peruvian-American

Disability: Deaf (Sign language user)

Appearance: Long, thinner brown hair. Wavy when down, but normally tied up into twin buns on top of her head. Ice green streaks. Almond shaped, turquoise eyes. Sprightly and small, rather short, constant look of a mischief maker. Heavily tanned skin.

Often seen wearing: The feminine version of the bar staff uniform, but with dark gray tights under the skirt and the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows. Bow tie is often crooked. Low heel shoes.

Quote: (Signed) “I’ll do my best, and I’ll blow your mind while I’m at it!”

Name: Malinda (Mindy) Campbell

Job: Coffee shop barista

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Cocasian-American

Appearance: Bob of light brown curls with blonde highlights. Large, round, hazel-green eyes. Rosy cheeks, small nose, thin lips. Taller than Fabiana, but still on the shorter side. Peachy skin. Rose gold, cat eye glasses.

Often seen wearing: The standard barista uniform. Caramel colored button down, dark brown slacks, pastel yellow apron with a nametag. Petal pink ballet flats.

Quote: “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything for you.”

Name: Nezumi Fujiyama

Job: Coffee shop barista

Age: 19

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Japanese-American

Disability: Both legs amputated below the knee (Replaced by prosthetics)

Appearance: Shoulder length, dyed blonde hair, often pinned back from her face with decorative clips. Large, upturned eyes, dark with hints of red. Very conventionally attractive. Average height, hourglass figure. Lighter beige skin.

Often seen wearing: The standard barista uniform top and apron, but with a frilly, dark brown skirt decorated with little red rosettes. Noticeable heart above the I in her name on nametag.

Quote: “I’m living like a character from a romance novel. Maybe my life can be the plot!”

Name: Emily Flowers

Job: Waitress

Age: 23

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Cocasian-American

Disability: Spasmodic dysphonia

Appearance: Thick, wavy, platinum blonde hair tied into two Dutch braids that hang over her shoulders. Large, round, shiny gray eyes. Very obvious blush. Slightly above average height, unremarkable figure. Porcelain skin. Round, black glasses

Often seen wearing: The standard waitress uniform. Frilly, pale gray blouse with elbow length sleeves and a high collar, both trimmed with white lace. Dark gray slacks. Embroidered detailing of green ivy down the left side of the torso. Green ballet flats. Green butterfly clips used to tie off her braids.

Quote: “Hey fuck stain, you do NOT, I repeat, do NOT talk to her like that. Now get out.”

Name: Desmond (Des) Wentworth

Job: Waitress

Age: 19

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: British-American

Appearance: Dark mahogany hair tied into two low buns behind her ears. Small, almond shaped, hazel-yellow eyes. Very pink cheeks and lips. Light brown freckles across bridge of her nose and cheeks. Slightly above average height, rectangular figure. Very pink peach skin.

Often seen wearing: The same uniform as the other waitresses, but with the collar scrunched down and the sleeves rolled up slightly. Dark brown belt, black sneakers.

Quote: “I’m trying my hardest, I really am. Please don’t fire me.”

Name: Violetta (Vio) DeLuka

Job: Receptionist

Age: 26

Pronouns: Any (Seriously, Vio does not care)

Ethnicity: Southern Italian

Appearance: Dark brown hair that hangs to xir hips, styled in large, bouncy ringlets. Expressive silver eyes, thick, bushy eyebrows, very broad smile. Slightly shorter than Sofie. Wide hips, thick thighs, smaller bust. Rich, dark brown skin.

Often seen wearing: Frilly, feminine clothing. Most commonly a periwinkle sundress with a large, white bow tied around the waist and white, sandal heel wedges. Hair occasionally tied back with a gray or violet ribbon.

Quote: “Now now, there’s not a single thing for you to worry about. Vio will take care of it.”

Name: Corie Grady

Job: Janitor

Age: 21

Pronouns: They/them

Ethnicity: Cocasian-American

Appearance: A person with albinism. Fluffy, white hair often tied up into a ponytail. Light brown eyes with faint laugh lines around them. Average height, rectangular build. White skin, calloused hands.

Often seen wearing: Standard janitor’s uniform. Cobalt blue jumpsuit, short black boots, occasionally yellow latex gloves. Sometimes has their ponytail pulled through the back of a blue baseball cap.

Quote: “Well I’ll be. What’s a pretty thing like you doin’ so far from heaven?”

Name: Vincent (Vince) MacDonnal

Job: Bellhop

Age: 21

Pronouns: He/Him

Ethnicity: Scottish-American

Appearance: Long, auburn hair in tight curls that reaches his waist. Sharp, dark green eyes with lighter green inner rings. Resting suspicious face. Straight brows, covered in brown freckles from head to toe. Slightly below average height for a guy, rectangular build with very faint hintings at curves. Peach skin.

Often seen wearing: The standard bellhop uniform. Sharp, dark red suit with gold shoulder pads, a black tie, buttons adorned with opal stones and matching cufflinks. Miniature black top hat with a red band around it. Shiny black shoes.

Quote: “You do everything they tell ya, and this is where you end up, eh Vinny?”

Name: Bougainvillia (Bo) DeSilva

Job: Housekeeper

Age: 30

Pronouns: She/they

Ethnicity: Brazilian-American

Disability: Partial mutism

Appearance: Long, dark brown hair worn in locs. Beady, dark hazel-green eyes. Pointy nose, beakish face. Willowy build, ridiculously flexible. Muscular frame, strong shoulders. Dark brown skin. Calloused hands.

Quote: (Written) “No, I didn’t steal anything. I’m a magpie, not a cleptomaniac.”

Name: Coco Galanis

Job: Lobby pianist

Age: 25

Pronouns: She/they

Ethnicity: (Mixed) 1/2 Spanish, 1/2Greek

Disability: Sensitive heartbeat (Takes pills to slow if eart rate gets too fast)

Appearance: Chocolate brown hair that hangs straight and reaches upper chest. A large swath on the left side of their head was previously dyed aquamarine, but has since faded to a sickly pale greenish color. Soft, warm brown eyes. Round face, baby cheeks. Plus sized person, all soft lines and not hard edges. Tanned skin.

Often seen wearing: A bright red dress that hangs down to just above the knee. Low V in the back, thin straps, lowish round neckline. Thick, dark red sash belted around their waist. Mary Jane shoes the same red as the sash.

Quote: “I’d like to be on my own stage if I’m honest, but this’ll do for now.”

Name: Jubilee Blum

Job: Casino dealer (Part time entertainer)

Age: 27

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Cocasian-American (Partial Hebrew descent)

Appearance: Wavy, honey blonde hair that falls just past shoulders, usually pulled back into a bun or high ponytail. Intelligent, ice blue eyes, full lips, often wearing coral lipstick. Tall, slender build. Flexible, impeccable posture, very defined legs. Sunkissed skin.

Often seen wearing: A high collared, sleeveless powder blue blouse with lighter blue ruffles over the chest. High waisted midnight blue skirt with black lace tights under it. Elbow length, black velvet gloves and matching hair ribbon. White stiletto heels with straps around the ankles.

Quote: “Whomever said the house always wins was, fortunately for us, very correct.”

Name: Zorya Seagrass

Job: Pool lifeguard

Age: 34

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity: Russian-American

Appearance: Long, thick, dark brown hair that hangs to her thighs. Sharp, fierce violet eyes. Full, pouty lips. Slightly above average height, long limbs. Larger bust, smaller hips. Defined muscles in arms and legs. Peachy skin.

Often seen wearing: A pale green bikini with a slightly high waisted bottom. Whistle on lanyard around her neck. Hair regularly piled up into a large bun on top of her head. Either white flip flops or no shoes at all.

Quote: “If I didn’t have these stupid morals, I would quit today and apply to be a lounge singer.”

[the-witch-of-merrigod]

HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE BANICA CONCHITA THE LADY DUKE OF BEELZENIA AND DEMON OF GLUTTONY

Because of the actions of her parents, her family lost the claim to dukedom of the Conchita territory. She reclaimed it by traveling the world to taste the various cuisines of each region, then bringing that knowledge back to her home to help with crop growth after a famine broke out. She also invented her own signature wine, called the Blood Grave, which became a staple of the region.

She contracted with the Demon of Gluttony in order to save her life, but primarily to try the various flavors she hadn't experienced yet--namely, inedible things. She's out here to try out the flavors of poison and she's having FUN with it!

She uses the powers of the Demon of Gluttony to also create zombie soldiers to use at her command. That's just cool as fuck.

Her 15th personal chef ended up being her ex-betrothed Carlos from when they were young, who sought her out under a disguise in order to see what she'd been up to since. He'd been horrified by an incident she was involved in at a party in their youth, but he liked her before that incident (even though at first he thought she was just an ugly fat girl) and sought her out once rumors of her bizarre eating habits had come to light.

(Also, this isn't related to Banica at all directly, but a good chunk of the novel involving the past relationship of these two when they were kids takes place in Fantasy England, and the author uses it to dunk on British cuisine.)

Carlos tries to poison the both of them in order to save her from herself (and take himself out with her), but the poison only kills him and she survives. After this, she has her remaining servants prepare him and she eats him as a meal. (It's surprisingly portrayed in a rather melancholic light in the novel, even though it is her first foray into cannibalism.) Unlike her future victims, which end up going to reincarnate or go to the afterlife, Carlos stays with her forever in death, which the author has stated was specifically because he loved her and voluntarily chose to do that.

She eventually runs out of other food in the mansion and eats the other remaining servants as well, leaving there nothing left beside herself--and her newborn child, that she conceived with said first love that she ate. The demon offers her an ultimatum--die, or eat the baby to cure yourself. She goes "fuck that false dichotomy" and instead chooses to eat herself, which destroys the demon of gluttony and causes her to usurp his mantle. She is the only person in the entire series who takes over a demon's role like this!

Because she vanished from the mansion without a trace, the government concludes that she must have escaped to another region somewhere. To the public at large, the end of Banica Conchita is a mystery, though rumors abound (and her story later becomes a myth under the alias Vampiress Vanika).

After this, she continues her actions as the Demon of Gluttony, by possessing various people throughout later eras (anyone here remember those songs The Daughter of Evil and The Servant of Evil? She was involved in that whole extended storyline!) and working on reclaiming her two twin servants from when she was alive, as they later reincarnated and she reclaimed them upon their next deaths as her two familiars, and they happily continue to work for her afterwards.

At the end of the world, she takes up the mantle Master of the Graveyard as someone who haunts the haunted cinema in a spooky forest, eating trespassers who don't make it inside the building. After the world ends and the next world is presented, Banica looks at the available options and decides "hmm, nah. I still haven't experienced everything there is to taste yet!" and gathers up her gang to travel in a flying recreation of the cinema which can travel to parallel worlds. All the members of her entourage end up becoming furries in order to continue survival because shenanigans--the two twin servants become bunny rabbits, Carlos finally returns as a dog, and her twink butler and his chef husband come back as a crow and a bear. This storyline is effectively a spin-off of the main Evillious Chronicles story and is currently ongoing!

tl;dr - Banica Conchita grew up in a desolate situation and fought her way out of it to reclaim her family's honor, she continued to utilize unfavorable situations to her benefit, and when presented with false dichotomies she found a third answer, all for the sake of continuing to find new flavorful foods she's never had before.

Vote Banica.

Oh hey, you're still here? Here's the bonus round. Banica got indirectly featured on CNN in 2021, because a western member of the fandom edited the Bernie Mittens meme onto her song illustration and that edit got featured in a news segment on the meme.

mothy (the creator of Evillious and Banica) is aware of this.

GIRLBOSS TOURNEY ROUND FOUR: NOTHING SUPERNATURAL ABOUT THESE LADIES, I PROMISE

Select which one you think is GIRLBOSSIER, i.e., which one is the better girlboss

Propaganda

Lup Taaco

She's an undead lich and an alien with a husband who is a BORING man. Iconic of her. :); She's cool as fuck ok?

Banica Conchita:

girl duke, cannibal, demon of gluttony, ate her employees, master of the graveyard, her boyfriend and employees still work for her after she ate them

[fullscoreshenanigans]

#Introduction Arc #Escape Arc #<-- I'm still new to all the arcs #(Apparently my brain liked the way the first season/first arc of the manga went and decided to hyperfixate on just that #and maybe I'll start the post-escape arcs later?? #IDK

You, a decent chunk of the fanbase, and TPN Committee with how much of the merchandise focuses on that lmao

A number of things about the TPN Wiki are contested, but I do follow its lead on how it splits up the story into eleven arcs, including the designation between the introduction and escape arcs for my own organizing purposes, though for simplicity the majority of people will refer to it all as the escape arc. With how short the introduction is and how similar it is to the escape arc, the distinction is pretty negligible.

Let it never be said that I hide my biases on this blog.

(And Krone was definitely my least favorite part of the series, she was a good antagonist… and she helped showcase a few other important worldbuilding details, but she got a bit annoying to me?)

With Krone purposely being portrayed to contrast with Isabella and hype her up as the more terrifying foe, I can understand this, though things like the inclusion of her doll in the anime I didn't see as her being annoying so much as "oh great this is going to be a quick cheat to play up fears of mental illness because CrEePy DoLl to converse with since the anime did away with internal monologues 🙃" that came with the added bonus of playing into racial stereotypes of Black women being more masculine and brutish than white women. My mind is unable to separate that aspect of her depiction from the meta conversation around it, but even without getting into the extensive sordid history of poc's portrayal in Western media, it does make me more sympathetic to her. All that internalized rage at the systemic injustice she and countless other children experienced while knowing she as an individual is powerless to end it; a deep self-loathing of buying into said system that we comparatively only see surface briefly during her conversation with the kids in chapter 20/episode 7 and in her final moments in chapter 23/episode 8 but must have always been present in the very back of her mind. An awful, agonizing existence, without excusing the cruelty she perpetrated in the name of it.

AND THE ISABELLA NOVEL??? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EXISTED!

I don't think most people on the English-speaking side of the fandom do unless they're really in the thick of the brainrot so you're good lol

But yes, there are four light novels for the series! I've talked about the first one here, the second and third ones here (spoilers for post-escape), and have a very brief general overview of most of the stories in all four here (more spoilers). You'd probably get a lot out of Isabella's story in the second one and the stories in the first one.

It lends sooo much to Emma and Isabella's dynamic, which I found just as heartbreaking as Norman's 'death'. Her whole 'you should give up' speech seemed genuine from her, and Isabella attempting to get Emma to conform to the system she couldn't beat>>> amazing character writing.

The dynamic and complicated balance of Isabella wanting to empower her daughter and provide her with the tools she would need to survive while also wanting to squash out her hope of upending the system to both save her from the wretched heartbreak of attempting and failing at a nigh impossible feat, and for petty reaffirmation that the choice she made to survive over a decade ago was the only one she could make; the optimism and stubbornness of her own youth reflected in Emma simultaneously so endearing and so painful. Beautiful stuff, and a large factor in what endeared the series to me so deeply.

AND YES RAY'S LACK OF INFANTILE AMNESIA WAS KIND OF WEIRD. I assumed it was one of those 'suspend your disbelief pretty please' sort of moments. And usually I'm willing to ignore any plot problems if I love the characters (which I do) and yet, Ray's whole reveal was completely off-putting and weird. If I were to try to rework that plot point, where Ray would still know about the farm beforehand, but it wouldn't be soo... 'dues es machina'?

The dmotta3 "ooo I'm Ray I'm not like other boys I remember when I was a fetus" quote lives rent free in my head klfdgjkdsfj

For me the weight of the suffering and sacrifice he endured is commensurate with how incredibly lucky him lacking that was. Combined with the fantastical nature of them inhabiting a world with demons is and how egregious later beats happen toward the end of the series (but especially in the penultimate arc, oof), going back to it doesn't both me too much (and I also just really love the way the anime portrayed the reveal in general), though it could have been strengthened if it had been explicitly emphasized in relation to certain aspects of the ending.

I would do something where Isabella tries to slowly leak the information to Ray, as an almost 'last, fleeting hope'. She might see his high scores and wonder if she could save anyone, it might as well be her biological child. (Not entirely sure about this, it might oppose her characterization of validating her decision to comply with the system. Perhaps a better motivation would be Isabella wanting to love him normally. And thus, she wants him to know. This could create internal conflict, because she would also want to keep him ignorant, for his ~amazing brain~) For example, Isabella could mention to Ray that 'this child would only do x if they died. How silly, you know this child isn't like that' When that child is shipped out, they are forced by Isabella to do x, and Ray pieces it together along with the other clues. It breaks him for a while. He pours over books in the library and stops playing with the others as much, becoming more withdrawn. Isabella fears that Ray might have become ~traumatized~ and his brain might not be good anymore, and this might be a mess- Ray instead offers Isabella a deal. (IDK, something like that)

I'm firmly in the camp that if Isabella had to pick a favorite and prioritize the survival of one child, it would be Emma. Again, seeing so much of herself in her, so much potential, but without the extra reminder of one of the worst horrors visited upon her under this system. Ray's relationship with Isabella receives the most amount of focus within the fandom, and I'd be lying if I said it doesn't grip me too (hence the entire existence of the Isabella and Ray's Incredibly Fraught and Complicated Relationship Tag on this blog lol), but I get very hung-up on her consciously prioritizing his survival on the basis of their biological connection.

To plagiarize myself from this post:

I continue to debate how much of her maintaining her deal with Ray was strictly for pragmatic reasons and how much was due to wanting to keep him close out of some painfully complicated mess of emotions that was constantly oscillating between a tainted affection and spiteful hatred. Any time she would find herself falling into the former, forgetting the circumstances of their relationship, him being the living, breathing reminder of one of the worst things HQ forced her to endure would resurface and how they chose to put him in her plant as if to silently mock her and unknowingly rub in how pitiful the life of a Mom would always be under this system. To openly love him would be one step further in giving in than she’d already done by accepting the Mom position and loving all the other cattle children she raised for slaughter, and she hated to give that much more of herself than she already had when she wasn’t aware of his origins. So she would dutifully do what was tasked of her, but on her terms, as petty as they were. And once Ray was gone, hopefully she could finally put these turbulent feelings to rest.

But that constant oscillation between wanting to know him and wishing he didn't exist factoring into how she would drip feed information to him in your scenario is interesting.

The Promised Neverland Caves In

~ The World Caves In || The Promised Neverland AMV ~

The edit audio I edited into the song:

Emma's screams>>>> everything else /j

(This is the depth of my hyperfixated frenzy, I was supposed to do schoolwork today and instead speedran this in a day)