#as in they look like the characters and have a pug (well. a pug has them)

[schwirrymartz]

Also: there are two characters' birthdays! Stated in the manga! It's two more than in FMA!

Of course, the only ones who have birthdays (a year, a month, and a day!) are background characters, but still.

Makoto's birthday is (I'm 90% sure) a Star Wars reference, because Arakawa couldn't pass up the chance to include a Star Wars reference (valid and respectable). But is Kenichi's birthday a reference to anything? Or a wordplay in Japanese?

[hotvintagepoll]

Margaret Rutherford (Murder, She Said, Blithe Spirit)—I watched Blithe Spirit recently where she reprises the role she played in the play the film's based on and her character Madame Arcati just feels scrungly to me. Is it the performance that gets chosen as the textbook definition of scrungly? Maybe not. But she is engrossing, hence why she was the first scrungler I thought of when I saw the tournament theme.

Lon Chaney Sr. (The Phantom of the Opera)—ray bradbury worshipped this guy and I can see why. a horror icon known as "the man of a thousand faces," he was a master of using makeup and prosthetics to conjure characters who look nothing like each other. his erik is TRULY fucked up [photos under the cut], to circle back to bradbury, i think he says it best: "He somehow got into the shadows inside our bodies; he was able to nail down some of our secret fears and put them on-screen. The history of Lon Chaney is the history of unrequited loves. He brings that part of you out into the open, because you fear that you are not loved, you fear that you never will be loved, you fear there is some part of you that's grotesque, that the world will turn away from." Some of his work has not aged well, but much of it is still found in the way we depict horror, the strange, and the uncanny in cinema.

This is round 1 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you're confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Margaret Rutherford:

Lon Chaney Sr.:

Oh my God. Let me just focus on Erik for a sec (like i don't do that every day of my life). Pug nose, crooked tooth little mess man. He put on his big cunty feathered hat for the ball but underneath it he's got that stupid, stupid hair. The evening suit that kinda doesn't fit. In what way is Lon Chaney--in this role specifically-- not the ultimate scrungo? Granted, they edited out his very scrungliest of moments (WE WERE ROBBED) but WE HAVE THE STILLS!!!

This man played depressed outsiders, sometimes depressed clowns, the most pathetic losers ever (affectionately) and his faces and gestures always were so funny!

[blorger]

I have a confession to make: I love Pansy Parkinson.

I love her little snub nose, I love her big DH moment (even though as readers we're supposed to hate it) but, most of all, I love her because jkr hates her.

I'm not being hyperbolic when I say this either, we have it straight from the horse's mouth:

I loathe Pansy Parkinson. I don't love Draco but I really dislike her. She's every girl who ever teased me at school. She's the Anti-Hermione. I loathe her. Yeah, sorry! Sidetracked there by my latent bitterness.

("PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part two." PotterCast #131, 24 December 2007)

I recently found myself wondering how, for a self-professed Pansy stan, I sure know very little about her as a character. If we take aside the fact that I derive psychic joy from being a contrarian (especially when it comes to jkr and her garbage views), is book Pansy actually an interesting character or do I just like the Pansy that the fandom's collective unconscious created? Who even is Pansy, really?

Because I'm me and there's no problem that can't be answered by amassing huge amounts of informations, I went ahead and prepared

a Persuasive Primer to Pansy Parkinson

PART 1: PANSY'S PERSONAGE

The character of Pansy Parkinson has been present in the Harry Potter series since book 1. Her name shows up briefly during Harry's sorting since she's close to him in the class list but her first real appearance occurs during the Remembrall Incident, where jkr sets up two of her character's mainstays: her looks and her meanness.

This very first description of Pansy's face as severe and pitiless-looking is perhaps the kindest one we get in the books, since the only other times Harry, our narrator, bothers to describe her appearance he calls her pug-faced, which incidentally is where we as a fandom (and, clearly, the HP movies casting directors) got the idea that she has a snub nose.

Other than these vague and unkind descriptors, Pansy's looks are left to our imagination; the brunette bob she is well known for is a movie creation and the only other description relating to her appearance is that of the robes she wears for the Yule Ball in book 4, which are very frilly and pale pink.

As any scholar of JKR Studies worth their salt can tell you, jkr is a consummate misogynist who loathes pink and only uses it in order to give a negative connotation to something/someone; pink=girly, which is bad, and frilly=superfluously, ostentatiously girly, which is the worst possible thing a female character in the jkr extended universe can be. jkr has a lot of opinions on what constitutes an acceptable performance of femininity and the character of Pansy Parkinson exists to exemplify the complete opposite of that.

PART 2: A PERNICIOUS PERSONALITY

What can we learn from Pansy's tone? Firstly that she is shrill and annoying, as she shrieks and screeches; in her role as part of Draco's entourage she's both a mindless follower who simpers and an active participant who spreads gossip and maligns by whispering and giggling mean-spiritedly.

jkr created Pansy in the image of the girls who bullied her in her youth so Pansy has an entourage all of her own, an unnamed gang of Slytherin girls (they're always referred to as such, no further description provided) who appear in a greek chorus-like fashion to herald the bullying of Hermione (Ideal Woman and self-insert supreme).

So, what can we learn from Pansy's insults? well, for one that she doesn't like "fat little crybabies", as shown in the excerpt above. Furthermore, when she's not parroting Draco's insults, Pansy shows a single minded preoccupation with the life and looks of one Hermione Jean Granger

(from GoF, Pansy has Opinions of Rita's Skeeter's aricle)

(from GoF, Pansy is there to show us that Hermione was Beautiful All Along)

(from GoF, Pansy helps Rita Skeeter with her character piece)

(from GoF, Hermione suffers the fallout from Rita's article, Pansy is vigilant to any and all Hermione news)

We'll look more closely at Pansy and Hermione's relationship in a short while but for now let us focus on more of Pansy's barbs; I would like to take to this moment to highlight the following:

(from OoTP, Draco's gang shows up to the Gryffindor quidditch practice to do some heckling)

I find it notable that the only time Pansy insults the looks of someone who isn't Hermione it's when she makes a racist microaggression towards Angelina Johnson, one of the very few black characters in the books. While this is unquestionably vile behaviour, I struggle with interpreting jkr's intentions: does jkr even know and/or understand microaggressions? Is Pansy's insult even meant to be interpreted as racist? Does racism as we know it even exist in the hp universe?

Personally, I've always gotten the impression that the wizarding world was meant to represent a post-racial society in a very United Colors of Benetton, "I don't see race" kind of way that is very typical of nineties pseudo-liberalism, no doubt to give more space to her blood purity system (and because someone like jkr has no interest in even mentioning the pervasive effects of racism in society). Still, let's not discount what is no doubt one of Pansy's lowest moments in the books, regardless of the reading we choose vis à vis jkr's intent.

To cleanse our palates, here's a more benign insult:

(from OoTP, Harry and Cho's date is but a collection of unfortunate moments)

While I'd put the Cedric reference pretty high on the Insensitivity Scale, I find myself reluctantly entertained by Pansy's drive-by read, especially because Harry IS a garbage boyfriend to Cho.

What else do we know about Pansy's personality from the books? For one, that she likes unicorns but considers showing it outright to be undignified:

(from PoA)

We know that Pansy is made a Prefect in OotP and, while the books never specify the parameters used to choose Prefects and Hermione implies Pansy wasn't chosen for her smarts ("she's thicker than a concussed troll" is the actual quote, though Hermione's objectivity is questionable), we can assume that, at the very least, she is somewhat of a leader among the Slytherin girls (on account of the aforementioned gang).

Finally, we never hear Pansy's opinion on blood purity although it's safe to assume that it's not terribly progressive on account of the company she keeps.

PART 3: PASSIONATE PARAMOUR

While the books never state conclusively wether Pansy and Draco are ever a couple (in fact, neither of them says a word about the other in the books), we know both from statements jkr has made irl and from the in-universe characters' opinions that we are supposed to treat them as a couple of sorts. The evidence for that is as follows:

Draco is implied to exagerate the extent of his Buckbeak injury in order to garner sympathy from Pansy in PoA:

Pansy is Draco's date to GoF's Yule Ball

the infamous carriage scene in HBP:

and

and

Ron assumes that the boasting witnessed by Harry on the train was done in order to impress Pansy.

and

Regardless of wether you want to read their relationship as romantic or not, Draco and Pansy clearly hang out together a lot from the ages of 13 onwards; Pansy is often mentioned as part of Draco's posse together with Crabbe and Goyle and she's further shown as an active participant in his various schemes, most notably in the popularisation of Weasley is Our King:

(from OotP)

Pansy appears to have a genuine interest in Draco's wellbeing as shown by her concern when Draco is injured by Buckbeak in PoA:

and

Pansy if further shown to be understandably upset when Harry guts Draco like a fish in HBP:

So we can conclude that, although we have no idea of Draco's feelings, Pansy feels authentic affection for Draco.

PART 4: HERMIONE HATER?

Pansy is positioned as sort of the Female Draco: while Draco's job is to antagonize Harry and Ron, Pansy is there to deliver the Girl insults to Hermione, the Girl One of the trio. While jkr's intention was no doubt to paint Pansy as a straightforward bully, her singleminded interest in Hermione displays the same pigtail-pulling connotations as Draco's behaviour throughout the books.

Their first exchange comes by courtesy of Hermione, who hits her with her trademark condescension, which seems to specifically drive Slytherins mad like nothing else (the first "mudblood of the books comes as a direct response to one such occasion):

(from GoF, Pansy enjoys the potter stinks badges, hermione begs to disagree)

Following this exchange, we start to see Pansy engage in your typical Mean Girl behavior, which, apart from the preoccupation with her looks shown above, also includes laughing at Hermione's expense:

(from GoF, Hermione was hit by a stray curse and her teeth grew to a comical size)

and

(from GoF, Pansy shows hermione the infamous "harry is in love with Hermione" article by Rita Skeeter, which features a quote from her)

While we never see Hermione respond in kind (since her preferred method of dealing with bullies is the could shoulder), we know that this behavior definitely colors her opinion of Pansy

(from OotP, Hermione is displeased when Pansy is made Prefect)

and

(from OotP, Fred and George's departure from school left a vacuum in the prankster hierarchy and all manners of students jumped up to fill the spot)

All in all, we don't have a very precise read on the relationship between the two: do Pansy and Hermione exchange barbs whenever they meet? are they enemies or is Hermione a sainted martyr suffering in silence (on account of her moral superiority)? Just how closely do they parallel Harry and Draco's rivalry? You decide.

PART 5: PANSY'S POLEMICAL POSITION

Finally, we come to Pansy's Big Moment

(from DH, Pansy says the quiet part out loud and is banished for it)

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Pansy displays the ultimate act of Evil (in jkr's eyes) by not behaving Bravely when faced with an impossible decision. To give context, Voldemort has just given the students of Hogwarts a way out of the whole mess:

Personally, I hate this scene. Pansy doesn't know shit about just how essential Harry is to ending the whole shebang; furthermore, she's just a scared student living out her own version of the trolley problem and yet the narrative frames her (imho) understandable reaction not only as unforgivable cowardice on her part but has a condemnation of Slytherin house as a whole.

I hate how the Hogwarts student body is alternatively portrayed as a mindless horde whose opinion can be swayed by the faintest of rumors (as seen by public opinion turning on Harry in CoS, GoF and OotP) and as a prop to show the Right Way. The Hogwarts student body is essentially pulling a Spartacus moment except their reactions are somehow neatly divided into Houses: it's not some individuals who choose to react bravely and motivate the rest, its the Gryffindors as a whole, moving like a single-minded hive, who influence the other single-minded hives of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw. The individuality of all of these people is ignored in service of an impactful scene and the one person who shows a dissenting thought is summarily removed (together with the Evil Slytherin hive, which did not express any opinions but is nonetheless blackened by association).

jkr's bullshit black-and-white worldview rears its ugly head here and what could have been a genuinely moving moment of student solidarity - showing people from different backgrounds coming to the defense of Hogwarts together - becomes a condemnation of those who dare oppose the righteous horde instead.

In a moment in the books that feels very biblical, the non-believer who dares doubt the Savior is shunned and summarily dealt with (which opens up a whole can of worms about the Jesus-ification of Harry that I'm not prepared to go into). Pansy is merely a prop in this scene, a stand-in for the whole of her house, yet I appreciate her very human reaction: she's the only person in that room to show individuality, expressing the fear and doubt that most people would feel when placed in a similar situation.

I appreciate how Pansy goes against the grain in one of my least favorite scenes in the whole books but I acknowledge that her big moment is not really about her, nor does it tell us anything about her character that we didn't already know: All Slytherins Are Evil and the best they can hope for is to just be slimy and opportunistic (à la Slughorn) instead of straight up villains.

PART 6: PERSONAL PERORATION (or: I really shot myself in the leg with the whole alliteration thing)

So, what did we learn kids? First of all that the Pansy in the books, as intend by jkr, is an irredeemable, uninteresting shitstain, less of a fully-formed character and more like a vaguely defined caricature of a Mean Girl.

While my instinct is to go against this cartoonish portrayal and attempt to read some complexity in her thoughts and motivations, I acknowledge that, to some, Pansy is forever tainted by the harsh way in which she's depicted and therefore will forever remain unlikeable. Personally, I find myself drawn by characters with seemingly nebulous motivations and, since I don't share jkr's shitty deterministic worldview, I can see scenarios where she grows as a person; I enjoy seeing different explorations of her characters in fics just like I enjoy reading about her fellow b-team villains in general.

Choose the path that sparks the most joy for you and live your truths my friends, ignore this primer completely or allow it to change (or reinforce) your opinion of Pansy, your feelings are valid regardless.

xoxo

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 3 thoughts!!

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7, PART 3 OF THE MAIN STORY AND MALLEUS’S DORM UNIFORM VIGNETTES.***

If you’d like to watch a rough part-by-part summarized translation, please check out this archived stream!

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

LOL???? We start this part in Ignihyde 😂 with Idia getting a phone call from (OG/grown-up) Ortho??? Ortho says he’s enrolled at RSA and it’s Idia’s first year as a dorm leader????? What sorcery is this???? I-Is this Ortho’s dream…? Or is it Idia’s dream???

cnn kdveienskebe Okay, it’s Idia’s dream??? Oh gosh, he pictures Ortho as being the kind of heroic and kind-hearted person who would attend RSA if he were still alive… 😭

NOT THAT IMPORTANT but Idia games with Lilia and it’s cute :>

Idia is happy to go along with the call but then notices weird little discrepancies like how NRC’s opening ceremonies are at night (but Ortho called him during the day and Ortho is excited about NRC even though he himself is going to RSA)? He feels like something bad is going to happen…

AND SUDDENLY A WILD MALLEUS GREETS HIM???? Wow, he finally got invited— Gao-Gao Dragon-kun returns as a motif throughout episode 7, Idia seems super hype about it. Interestingly, it looks like Gap-Gao has evolved into a full-fledged dragon when Malleus shows it to Idia 🥺 The set-up is very similar to Idia’s + Ortho’s ceremonial robes stories, but in the original vignettes, Idia meets Malleus on the way to the ceremony and gets too scared, so Idia heads back to his dorm.

OMINOUS??????? Malleus is all like, “Gao-Gao was broken many tomes, but I fixed it and I intend to keep it this way for a long time”. This, of course, is him actually talking about what he’s done to prevent everyone from leaving him :)))

OMG WILD LILIA TOO

Entrance ceremony~ The characters repeat the exact same lines spoken during the prologue!! Deja vu~ Cool little easter egg there, this really is a redux but with nothing bad happening and Malleus actually invited and Idia physically present instead of just being a tablet— Something else weird is that Yuu and Grim don’t seem to be at the ceremony.

RSA is confirmed to have dorms and dorm leaders as well! No specific dorms are referenced though.

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something very important…” — Idia

Back to Diasomnia we go… and the expected Sleeping Beauty dream sequence from Yuu… Then Yuu wakes up to what seems to be the room Mickey described to them (from the animated short 1936 Thru the Mirror) but mirrored/flipped (the date on a calendar is written as 51), Also???? Yuu and Grim seem to remember the “real world”; they recall Malleus casting magic before they passed out. UHHHH they’re locked in the room and there are ghosts drawn on the windows. That’s weird, that’s suspicious 😳

THE FOOT STOOL (ottoman?) IS A DOG WITH A PUG FACE???? Wait… THIS IS MICKEY’S ROOM, ISN’T IT??? He literally described a foot stool thing that barks like a dog the last time he talked to Yuu.

WHAT everything is alive??? Beauty and the Beasting it… Grim eats a sketchy nut and temporarily becomes big (a la Alice in Wonderland), they mention there are mushrooms in the Queendom of Roses that have a similar effect.

OH MY GOD MEETING MICHARD REAL GONE WILD NOT CLICKBAIT

Mickey makes more Thru the Mirror references (he squirts ink at playing cards)? Then he mentions dancing about the queen (of Hearts!?) and the king getting mad about it… ordering the card soldiers to attack him. “I feel bad for the card soldiers.”

Mickey weirdly says something like. Their consciousnesses are in this place but their bodies are elsewhere. Mickey is going to help them look for their friends!! They sort of imply this is Mickey’s dream world, he starts vanishing because now it's morning... and now he is "waking" from the dream.

Blot??????????? They punch a monster thing????

HUH???? ??? ? ???? ? SILVER PULLS UP TO SAVE OUR ASSES???? 😭 We get his UM reveal as well! It's called "Meet in a Dream" (written as "Let's see the same dream") but we don't immediately get to see what it does because we cut away to the real world. The incantation for "Meet in a Dream" is roughly, "For the person/people I met before, for the person/people I will meet soon". IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING AURORA WOULD SAY WHILE WAITING FOR HER PRINCE THAT SHE DREAMED OF

Back at Diasomnia, Malleus is creepily humming over everyone sleeping...DHBFIYODSBFIOIOAF MORE IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, ORTHO'S CONSCIOUSNESS IS IN CYPERSPACE AND HE ACCESSES THE LAST MEMORIES HE HAD STORED BEFORE GETTING KNOCKED OUT (something, something... emergency protocols activated because Malleus emitted a high amount of blot)👁️ His hologram goes and tries to wake Idia up (lol I guess he did end up getting affected by Fae of Maleficence), then tries to connect to his spare bodies but their circuits are not working. He also tries playing music of Idia's favorite girl group to wake him (Idia usually wakes up and dances), but Idia still doesn't.

The time also seems to have not moved, just like during Endless Halloween Night. Wow, Malleus really decided to reject any and all change, even the passage of time...

Ortho realizes just how wide Malleus's spell has been cast (like, it seems to extend even to RSA which is on the other side of Sage's Island). That's... scary... x_x Guess no heroes are coming to save them, huh?

OMINOUS COMMENT: Ortho says that if people continue to dream like this without waking, they will miss out on food and water that their bodies need... and so they will DIE. They got like a week tops without water 🤡 and then their consciousnesses will remain forever trapped in the dream worlds????

STYX becomes relevant again! They get alerted to the blot levels on Sage's Island.

KJBLDVITUFUQFWOVYQFEOBAFIBAFI DIRECTOR SHROUD AND HiS WIFE SHOW UP???????? THEY GOT ON FULL-ON CYBERpUNK HELMETs ON TOO??? Mrs. Shroud sounds so young 😭 and she acts surprisingly cutesy???? She calls her husband “papa” and serves at STYX's technical director.

STYX forces on Sage's Island can't seem to penetrate it... UM IT SOUNDS LIKE MALLEUS'S MAGIC FIELD IS EXPANDING, STYX is going to evacuate people close to Sage's Island.

WEIRDLY, IDIA'S DAD COMMENTS THAT HE FEELS LIKE HE HAS SEEN THIS SCENE OF SPRAWLING THORNS BEFORE???? Mr. Shroud remarks that he has seen it in stories of the Thorn Witch. I-Is history… repeating itself?

Ortho gets in contact with STYX and Mrs. Shroud is soooo cute 😭 She calls him “Or-kun” and worriedly asks him about his older brother and if Ortho is hurt, etc.

So Malleus used ancient magic (regional dominion?) to control everything in that field?? Mr. Shroud says fairies in general have always historically had the magic to “change” the world/nature, like land forms and the weather.

Uhhhh so??? They that Malleus’s magic won’t ever run out because he can absorb power from the natural elements to fuel his magic??? His magic field will keep expanding… so Twisted Wonderland is pretty much fucked if they can’t stop him 💀

OH MAN Mrs. Shroud says they’re going to try and contact Briar Valley 🤡 though Grandma Shroud tried to in the past and it was difficult?

Aww, sort of sad?? Mr. Shroud implies he’s a normal person and that he’s dealing with geniuses that try to do things that he can’t.

The Briar Valley actually responded and try to help them break the barrier around Sage’s Island!! But it sounds like even they could not get past it…

Ortho transfers his consciousness to the Cerberus Gear body!! (Mrs. Shroud makes it for him!) It can last ~20 minutes inside the field. Two dogs will follow him; they have the Cerberus security system in them.

He’s the best suited for this investigation (it’s NOT meant to be a rescue, just a mission to collect info) because his existence defies nature itself; he is the culmination of human ingenuity and Malleus can’t overwrite that. Ortho promises to come back and to save his big brother, he doesn’t want the Shroud parents to lose “another son” 😢

LOL all the researchers are passed out on the floor, even Mr. Shroud was like. Sleeping under a table 😂

Not Mrs. Shroud joking about peeking at Idia’s password protected folders 💀 and not Idia leeching off of STYX’s wifi cuz he’ll die without high-speed internet to do his dailies…

Mrs. Shroud continues to be so wholesome and worried for her children, she encourages Ortho to come back if he’s scared or feels like he’s in danger. It’s so moe of her 🥺

Hmmm 🤔 the Shroud parents are definitely a lot different than what I thought they’d be?? They’re very warm and accepting of Ortho, especially Mrs. Shroud. I didn’t get that impression from book 6 and Idia’s post-OB flashback, it seemed like the Shroud parents were very hands-off and work oriented. Of the two, Mr. Shroud is definitely quieter and more stand-offish, so it seems like Idia takes after the dad and Ortho after the mom. It’s not a bad thing, I’m just surprised!! I’ll definitely keep this in mind while writing them moving forward.

Back to Mickey's world!! ... Suddenly, they're in the sky and comedically falling out of it???? They land outside of Diasomnia dorm.

HMMMMMM so Silver says that the “blot” he fought earlier is like… the darkness that appears in dreams. He has seen it many times. If the darkness catches you, it will drag you into an even deeper dream… and it seems like they fell into a new dream because Mickey woke up (so Mickey’s dream crumbled).

“Meet in a Dream” allows him to enter the dream world of people who have a bond with him. So… there is a preexisting connection Silver has with Mickey????

Silver has??? Met Mickey before in his dreams?? This confirms the story Mickey told us before of seeing a silver-haired boy. Usually the dreamer does not remember him being there, but Mickey for some reason COULD remember Silver. (When Silver himself wakes up from the dreams, he doesn’t remember them.)

bcsksbiexbkss OMG POOR LAD????? Silver has tried to wake up before by punching himself and by bashing his head against rocks (to no success).

He doesn’t 100% understand his power or dreams yet, but he describes each dream to us as its own landscape? It’s an oddly artistic way of describing it but I guess without the context of Malleus trapping them all there it calling them “landscapes” is nice!!

Silver says he somehow stumbled into Mickey’s dream while following a bird that shone with rainbow colors. Ho-Oh is that you (A bird that gives the illusion of rainbow colors… It sounds similar to the white birds Kalim borrowed in his dorm story vignettes from Silver.)

There are other stipulations to using his UM; Silver has to be sleeping AND be aware that he is dreaming in order for him to dream walk. He also can’t decide whose dreams he ends up in. Silver eerily mentions that he cannot escape from dream worlds, not unless the dreamer wakes up or the dreamer/Silver gets a large enough shock.

Silver falls through the sky to get to new dreams? He calls these transitions “dream corridors”. He describes dreams as places of memories and wishes, making up one’s greatest desires… but also meaning different things to different people.

They enter Diasomnia and IN COMES SEBEK SHOUTING AT THEM??? Apparently there's a party going on at Diasomnia to send Malleus and Lilia off for their internships. (There is a little glowing fairy thing flying around Sebek which indicates that Sebek is the dreamer. We did not previously see this light around Mickey.) Sebek rushes them to the party where everyone else is waiting!!

Oooh, we hear what Lilia’s internship might have been! He would be going into a company that specializes in making magical tools for medicine/health; his reasoning is that the Briar Valley has people who are not used to technology, and Lilia wants to be able to make their lives easier by introducing these technologies to them. Malleus’s archeological internship would be in the Land of Crimson Long.

BRUH 😭 Dream!Lilia says he will stay in their forest cottage where he raised Silver for the rest of his life, he’s not leaving.

Silver calls them out on the bullcrap, calling the situation for what it truly is. “This is just a convenient dream!” It’s fake, it’s all wrong. He shouts at on point, which is something be rarely ever does; the last time I can recall him shouting is back at the end of Endless Halloween Night.

ERRRRR (real) Malleus is monitoring all of their dream worlds, that’s 100x more creepy than anything Rook can do 💀 Malleus is justifying this by using his position as to-be king; “it’s only natural for a king to watch over his subjects”, that kind of thing. Leona would be hella pissed—

Eh? EH????? WE'RE PUNCHING SEBEK NOW (he’s protecting Malleus). And so we beat him up and Sebek finally remembers reality. (I think the implication is that by beating him up, they’re “shocking” the dreamer awake.) Sebek begrudgingly joins our party!! ✨

bhlBFYUVAIFAIAFDIL I OH NO, MALLEUS IS MAD THAT SILVER IS “AWAKE”

AYO OB MALLEUS BATTLE, HIS PHANTOM IS MALEFICENT'S DRAGON FORM, IT’S TIME TO GASLIGHT, GATEKEEP, GIRLBOSS (before revealing his OB form, he was really trying to convince us it’s not a dream when we said it was one + confused Grim with his claims, then lowkey threatened us by saying “if you keep talking, I won’t forgive you”.) That’s… scarily accurate for how real emotional manipulators act 😬

I kept being reminded of Malleus’s dorm uniform vignettes around this point in the main story. In the vignettes, Malleus teleports the dorm leaders (without consent) to Diasomnia to hold a meeting, and they become upset with him for treating them like objects. Malleus is STILL treating living beings like objects (even if he does care for them). Look at what he’s doing: he doesn’t think about what they want, he’s manipulating them again, and even earlier he implied they and Gao-Gao were the same… Broken things that have been repaired, and that he intends to keep this way forever.

Silver grabs their hands and says they’ll jump into another dream!! LOL 😂 Sebek’s being tsundere at the worst of times… “I WOULD NEVER HOLD YOUR HAND!!!” SEBEK PLEASE, NOT NOW!?????? We’RE GonNA DiE

Malleus tries to force them back under, but a sparkling light "like an aurora" compels Silver to not succumb. Silver asks his father to give him power while clutching onto the ring on a chain that Lilia imparted to him. AWWW SILVER 😭

This time they wake up in a forest and get surrounded by masked people who speak in... animal sounds??? It may be a fairy language; in Fairy Gala: If we learn that different kinds of fae communicate in different ways (for example, the diurnal fae speak in like bell chimes). Sebek seems to understand what they are saying... so maybe the language of the nocturnal fae????

AYO THE MIDDLE ONE KINDA LOOKS LIKE CROWLEY... EVEN THE EYES GLOW YELLOW LIKE HIS DO???? IS IT JUST THE MASK SHAPE???? OR WAS CROWLEY A WAR VET??????? ??????? ?? ?? ? (Side note: I think these masked NPCs are meant to resemble Maleficient's minions!)

There is also what appears to be the sound effects of canon fire??? Is this… a battleground?? The human-fairy war?????? (The masked men are soldiers that report to Lilia!)

FKJLADFIHLAFSLIHAFLIADFILETasasutvfetoqevb WHAT WHAT WHAT???!?!?!?!?!?!?!? LONG HAIR LILIA SHOWS UP IN A MASK AND SAVES THEM???? HE’S USING HIS CLEAVER TOO (this is his dream for sure now 😭)

So in Lilia’s new design, we see that there are green gems hanging off of him; these may be magical gems or the special ore he mentioned his weapon is made from (which is very rare in modern times).

If you look closely, his hair streaks are dark red instead of bright magenta. This lines up with one of Lilia’s voice lines in which he expresses dying his hair different colors depending on his whims.

Every warrior seems to be wearing a mask? And we can see their eyes glow (I wonder if this is a trait of nocturnal fae)? The masks may be there as s cultural thing or maybe as a tactic to obscure their faces from their enemies.

It’s odd that Lilia’s dream seems to be of war time??? Because Malleus’s magic is meant to give them happy dreams, but surely Lilia doesn’t think of war time as a happy period of his life???? Maybe that will be better explained in the next update??

AAAAAAAHAHHHHHHHH??????? ? ?????? ? ? ? ? ? ? THAT'S THE END OF THE PART 3 UPDATE???? ? ?? ??? ? TWST, YOU REALLY GONNA CUT US OFF LIKE THIS?? ???? ? ? ? ???????? ? ? 🫠 WE’RE ONLY At PART 55 AnD SO MUcH SHiT hAS GONE dOWN…………………..,,..,,, …….. ….. … . .. . .. . . .

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

What are the characters favorite/least favorite food.

I'm sure they aren't picky after being starved for 10 years, but I'm sure that Angel said it was okay to dislike something

Oof, it's about time I answered this!

Poppy loves desserts, but brownies and cakes are her favorites. She detests dragon fruit – so pretty, and it tastes like that? Horrendous!

Huggy has a hard time eating salads in general thanks to his teeth and poor control over his movements. Loves gummy bears, though! They're SUPER squishy and nice to munch on.

Kissy doesn't like eating meat or anything crunchy, as it reminds her too much of what she had to eat at Playtime Co. She however loves soups since the day Angel first made one, which was two nights after the rescue!

Mommy Long Legs loves spicy food. She's tearing up and her mouth feels like burning but she WILL keep on eating whatever spicy food there is until it's all over. Also really likes pumpkins! But please don't let her even near beets. She thinks it tastes like dirt. Also doesn't like overly sweet things.

DogDay, unlike MLL, has a huge sweet tooth and can and WILL eat anything sweet he gets his hands on. He likes chocolate the most! Hates having to eat anything spicy, as well as fried foods because his hands always feel icky afterwards.

CatNap takes a long time before he finds any preferences, because to him food is food, but he does love sushi and fish in general. He avoids eating anything that isn't dry and he can hold in his hands at first because he can't move his hands very well, but after some months of training he stops avoiding. Has no food he refuses to eat or dislikes.

Picky Piggy goes vegan. She can't even smell meat for the first few months without risking a panic attack! Loves anything that has potatoes in it though, it's always a 10/10 to her.

Bubba loves curry. He doesn't know why, but it sure makes him happy! Hates beans in general, though, because he always eats them on groups of 4 and he has to make some mental math in order to see if he should add more or not.

Kickin likes pastel. Angel managed to make some and told him it's a brazilian food. Kickin fell in love and can't get enough of it. Also really likes sushi! Hates spicy food and plates that are just green. Spicy because of sensory overload, green because he likes more variety.

Craftycorn LOVES pie, it's the best food ever to her. Hates anything that takes too much work for her to chew or cut because it reminds her a bit of how things were back at the factory.

Bobby Bearhug loves bacon and eggs. And just eggs in general. Also salad. salad with eggs added is something she adores, girl can't get enough. Just please don't ask her to eat fish, she hates those!

Hoppy loves corn and burguers in general. She's stimming everytime she has the opportunity to do so. Hates soup though.

Miss Delight avoids meat in general, but doesn't refuse to eat it. She loves jelly though! She thinks it looks and tastes SO good, she's stimming every time she can eat one, much like how Hoppy is with her food.

Boxy Boo still likes meat, but is horrified at the things Picky makes that LOOK like meat but AREN'T. He feels like a fool, staring at her in disbelief while Hoppy is laughing her ass off.

Bunzo Bunny isn't allowed to be alone near corn or candy anymore because he can and will eat even if not hungry. Ironically doesn't like carrots at all.

PJ Pug-a-Pillar loves cooked veggies and is often following Picky around when she's cooking. He doesn't like chocolate, though.

Angel loves cooked veggies and pasta. They're used to making them because it was easy to do and super tasty, but after becoming a parent it's just comfort instead of "I have no energy to do more" food. Also hates dragon fruit, same reasons as Poppy.

Prototype, like Bubba, LOVES curry. Doesn't have a least favorite food though!

[saturnbellfromhell]

VENUSIAN ENERGY

Finally a youthful,playful and fiery planet Venus at our doorstep! She never shys away from her beliefs and power. The Moons daughter and the complete depiction of feminine beauty. She emerges from the shell of life only to show us her glowing skin, soft facial features, breathtaking hair, plump breasts and firm hips.

⚪Venus is the second planet furthest from the Sun, making her character and motives not so secretive since a lot of light shines above her. She's the young female planet of the solar system, sure of her looks and power but also in need of guidance so her energy doesn't get taken away. Youthfulness always has a touch of naivness to it, attracting despicable people to one's table.

⚪Venus is also the planet of riches and romance, sex and power, fortune and prosperity! The Godess of good energy and hopefulness. She finds her home with two signs in the zodiac: a feminine Taurus and a masculine Libra. These two are the brother and sister created by Venus to show other signs how to live a hedonistic life filled with luxurious items, fine dining and passionate sex. These two know how to indulge, that's for sure!

The difference between Taurus and Libra in my perspective is huge. So here are some core differences:

◽Taurus is a fixed sign, meaning it doesn't like adapting to anything new really. It's also the only fixed earth sign. So not only do Taurses hate change, but they are also gifted the stubbornness from being a sign ruled by the element earth. Also Taurus rules the second house, which is the house of movable goods asessts, income and financial possesions. To put it into one word money. This house also shows which activitie/projects move you towards earning said money. So Taurus, like all the earth sign has all ears and eyes on wealth. But, our fellow Taurus does love to dabble in the extra extvagant lifestyle filled with cozy food, a warm house and substances to indulge.

◽Libra on the other hand is a cardinal sign, this meaning it is more flexible to new happenings and more outgoing. This openness amplifies with this sign being an air sign. So Libra is the practical, diplomatic, energetic and of course balanced sign. This sign is all about partnerships as well. You won't really catch Libra happily single honestly. This also goes hand in hand when looking into the house Libra rules: the 7th house. This house is known as the house of partnerships, marriage, sweethearts, business partnerships and visible enemies. It also is a house of your grandfather. It's main purpose is to show where you'll need to bend your personality to accomplish duties with others. Libras such as Tauruses love the finer things in life, enjoy dressing good and having a good reputation aswell. There not as cold and introverted as there beloved sister Taurus.

◽Their style of clothes, friends, interior differ in a sense. Both have expensive taste, don't get me wrong. But...a homebody Taurus loves coziness over all. Their style will be more bohemian, laid back. They are the crystal girlies who love drinking tea by their bedside in a room filled with intriguing art and plants. Libra on the other hand loves to stand out. They live for high fashion, nice heels, a comfortable but trendy coat followed by a designer purse. Their house has to have a furry companion, expensive wine and Tiffany lamps.

Libra also loves hosting dinner parties and brunches! They love to cook and prepare for others or just organize a nice outing with their big friend group! Tauruses on the other hand like a more surine gathering. They don't enjoy a lot of people, to be quite frank they love a one on one the most. Their ideal hanging out strategy are one's in nature surrounded by creeks, ponds, little animals and a nice rolled up joint. To pug it shortly think of Libras friends as a buffet and Taurus as a picnic! It's the same concept put a completely different outcome.

Now what to we have with our observations! Their will be a more than per usual since Venusian energy follows me wherever I go. I've had at least 3 relationships with a fellow Taurus and was born into a household by two Libras. So in that sense, I've seen/felt a lot of Venusian energy!

⚪ Libra sun's need a partner, they just never want to live alone or do anything without the help of a partner. Especially if your chart doesn't have any earth, you die for romance and partnership. Libra sun's also don't get mad that easy, they truly are pacifists and diplomatic creatures most of the times. This doesn't apply if you have a fire moon though, forget any nice wording from that Libra than.

⚪ Libra men with a gemini venus is a complete disaster. I said what I said, stay away from that man. He's a good one night stand/friends with benefits type,not going to lie, but in my perspective not really boyfriend material. Sorry not sorry. Also if he has a lot of earth/water signs, of course it can help with not being a complete demon to my fellow lover girls.

⚪ Libra risings, as you all know are just stunning. Of course, there ruled by Venus. The girls are always angelic looking with a fierce bubbly attitude and the men have amazing style. Think of Harry Styles, Kate Winslet, Doja Cat and Beyonce. They embody femininity and have this constant glow to them! Chefs kiss really.

⚪ Libra moons are in my perspective the easiest air sign to have. They aren't really amazing in the feeling emotions department, but they are fearly reliable when in need! Not clingy nor detached.

⚪ Chiron in Libra can be such a heartbreaking placement in my eyes. These natives constitley seek partnerships with others, but see themselves as worthless partners. Not worthy of love nor passion. This wound must be healed by understanding imperfection in both parties and expressing love to yourself the most!

⚪ Libra Mars, ugh. I have a difficult relationship with this placement. In one way Mars is at its fall in this sign, but again people with this placement hate conflicts and really try to sort it out the right way. Again if your Mercury is in a fire sign, forget I said anything. But their actions can be seen as "passive". They also looooove dirty talk, being experimental in the bedroom and love a passionate/cute sexual experience.

⚪ Taurus men. I mean I can write a whole ass post about this theme. I've seen quite similar patterns in Taurus men. Firstly they love stable relationships and find new girlfriends very easily. Secondly they love to smoke weed, pardon me...they are absolute potheads and want to grow their own plants, take care of them etc. They really enjoy being high and doing everything while being high. They also are very jealous but also passionate. All they want is a calm girlfriend who they can travel with, eat cozy meals with and take shrooms in the forest. Don't forget to give them back massages and head rubs, they really are such princesses.

⚪ Taurus Venus...also one of my favorites. They are just so damn stunning without a shirt on. They love to be put on their stomach and caressed all night. Also, some of them love getting gently choked. They really are the pillow princess and the submissive boy.

⚪ Venus in the 1st house, damn. They are beautiful no matter what. The girls have the typical Venus body, hips, boobies, booty. The hourglass figure if you will. The boys have these magnetic eyes with lashes to the ceiling. Their smile will make anyone stare and drowl. The girls with this placement love a guy with soft features, plump lips and ideally curly hair. The guys love fruity perfumes, nicely done nails and silk hair. They both have to look put together for the guy/girl.

⚪ Venus in the 2nd house means the native will inharit money based of of their looks, sexuality, feminine power. It's a good placement to the native since Venus is at home!

⚪ Venus in the 10th house can mean your career can be based on your looks aswell. For example I know some girls who are burlesque dancers with this placement.

⚪ Venus in the 5 house can mean you indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle a little too often. Like a one night stand? Like museums? Like fine dining? All at once?

[nerdieforpedro]

Weekend Update 02/11/2024

Nerdie! It's the middle of the month, how are you?

Good. Nothing to complain about. Mainly relaxed and then worked Thursday and Friday. My orientee made me laugh.

Oh? How so?

She said that now that she's had some different preceptors she enjoys my balances of being a bit hands off since I know she's experienced, but still checking in during the shift to see how things are going. (Puffs out chest and also wonders if that's a good or bad thing.)

I mean, if she said it's fine, it should be fine right? Now did you do anything writing this week?

I did a bit. Not as much as I normally do. I'm gearing up for projects I have either agreed to or planned for myself.

My two fics are quite different. One was silly and sweet and the other was filth. Nerdie in a nutshell really:

Is it for the wallet of the shoebox? (Tim Rockford x plus size female reader) Tim being silly in a bookstore leads to a serious conversation and a partial photoshoot at home. Comedy and domestic fluff with slight spice.

One Pass for the both of Us (Lucian Flores x female reader x Benny Miller) You and your boyfriend Lucian have the same hall pass. All smut with sweatpants and gold chains.

Working on two things I promised people. One requested fluff and the other action and smut.

I decided to start a new series (because clearly I don't have enough - Dieter, Frankie and Tim give Nerdie a death glare) 👀 because this Pedro character was in my WIPs way before the three of you! Might even help me brainstorm…

Two Hearts by the Ocean will feature Javier Gutierrez x Abigail (plus size OFC). The vibe is sweet summer romance. Mainly fluff every Wednesday, not sure how many parts, at least five. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for it. I have a few people in mind but if you'd like to be added, let me know. 😆

Roc & Doc and Weddings 101 with Dieter are still ongoing, no worries. Tim and Dieter have calmed. Frankie is a bit pissed still but you have the longest masterlist Fish! You don’t care…well. Okay. 🫡

I might be trying to figure out how to write Ezra. I love reading fics with the man, but his speech patterns have so many nuances to it. I've been studying @morallyinept aka Jett's Pedro Pascal Character Database that she's been compiling and her entry on Ezra from Prospect has been invaluable. It's an excellent reference for Pedro character fic writers or if you just wanna know more. She also has one specifically on Ezra’s speech patterns that I swear I’ve read at least four times.

It's me, I'm the problem. 😭 I’m either overthinking or not focusing on the right parts. Ugh…

Fics I read this week: ( I took time off work and had plenty of time to read - still didn't get to everything. 🥸)

Movie Night by @munsonownsmyass (Zach Ellison x reader)

No game at all (but I can do this) by @for-a-longlongtime (Marcus Pike x Tim Rockford - Frankie Morales floating in thots)

Wouldn't It Be Nice - Chapter one by @lady-pug (Agent Whiskey x female reader)

02 x birds - Frankie Morales x reader by @trulybetty

Mon Amour by @saturn-rings-writes (Jake Lockley x black female reader)

The Stars by @youvebeenlivingfictional (Poe Dameron x reader)

Mutual by @morallyinept (Ezra x female reader)

Dinner Party by @lavendertales (Steven Grant x fem reader)

The Mercenary and the Whore by @absurdthirst and @storiesofthefandomlovers

Comedy of Errors (MK Spring Bingo #3) by @soft-girl-musings (Steven Grant x GN reader)

03 x snowfall - Marcus Pike x reader by @trulybetty

Ambrosial by @spacecowboyhotch (Din Djarin x fem. black reader)

Half of you - part 1 and part 2 by @foxilayde (Santiago Garcia x female reader)

God Speed by @magpiepills (Tim Rockford x female reader)

Not for nothing @magpiepills (Ezra x female reader)

Perfect Fit by @lowlights (Frankie Morales x plus size reader)

To the Flame - chapter 5 by @pedroshotwifey (Dark Javier Peña x female reader)

Come back to me by @reallyrallyauthor (Poe Dameron x female reader)

If you’re not looking at @immarocketman ‘s art, then I feel sad for you. It’s beautiful 🤗 They put out a sketch of Din/Cobb this week that’s apparently going to have a fanfic written about it by @theywhowriteandknowthings

There was also an excellent head cannon about Sarah’s younger years by @clickergossip that resonated with me on Black girlhood. ☺️

That's about it until next week! 🥰

Stay hydrated and safe!

Love Nerdie 💜

[astronomergrump]

unsure if people have ask you this but like have tips (or tutorial) for draw grumpuses? /nf

Nope! I've never had anyone ask how I draw grumps ur the first! :3

ill try my best to explain how I draw grumps and some tips, even though I'm not very good at explaining stuff.

But also, fair warning there are headcanons of grumpus biology and other things. :P

But I have...2-3 ways I draw grumpuses, more animalistic or more of a cartoonish way.

But I'd have to say that you'd have to really study the cast we've got in bugsnax, study their body types. Such as with eggabell and my drawing of her.

Her original body shape is eggie, such with her name hehe.

But with more rounder grumpuses (especially more in the stomach and hips area), I've interpreted their round side with fat. In eggabell's body shape you can see how her bottom area is more big than the rest of her body. In the drawing that I made, her body is large in the bottom but makes it way to be thinner just like in her og body. But with more plump grumps they have dewlaps. (Which if I remember properly are made of fat and fur for nesting)

Even with grumpuses like floofty (including other rounder grumps such as snorpy and beffica) >>

In their original yk body and proportions, hips are big, but slowly move up to become thinner. But unlike eggabell they're not yk egg shaped.

But ofc their are....thinner grumpuses, such as wambus or wiggle. Unfortunately I've not drawn them, but I will show my skinnier ocs I've drawn before.

These two grumpuses (even tho they're both undead might I add) have similar proportions as a human would. Mostly with the ratio hips to chest.

But I draw their bodies segmented, say with my skinny grumps you can see how both of their bodies/torsos are made up of three shapes. But with grumpuses like Beffica and Floofty, their bodies are segmented into two main shapes.

But getting into faces and jaw lines...thats always threw me off a bit. But generally speaking I mostly draw faces for grumpuses to be more canine like, either that or to be an animal that more or so fits the characters's.

While I don't really and truly draw much of the actually cast, I fully believe that a character like uh... Say lizbert, if I'm writing this down incorrectly please tell me, but with her I'd imagine she'd more or so look like a seal in the face. A buff seal.

But in general, either more canine or feline like.

With jawlines tho, grumpuses without over/underbites are flat faced. So take that into consideration especially, as their snout would probably point out a bit it wouldn't point out as far as a grumpus with an under/overbite. Say like a pug or smth, they're faces are mostly flat and not as long as dogs with long snouts. Grumpuses with over bites as we all know have teeth that rest above the bottom jaw, causing their teeth/tusks to poke out from their lip. Ditto with underbites, but their bottom jaw goes out more than the top jaw. (Poodles is meant to look like a poodle so that's why her snout points out, BUT I PROMISE THAT'S NOT HOW I USUALLY DRAW IT)

Oh and hair! And eyes as well. Hair, as I assume for grumpuses, can grow on their heads. But it would have to majorly have to deal with genes if a grumpus baby does have hair or fur that grows similarly to fur.

Such as with my two grumpus ocs, one has fur, the other has hair. Again as I've stated, I believe that a grumpus probably needs some type of recessive gene from both parents to successfully grow hair. But it's not really and truly a very rare thing to have. Like I'd assume 45 out of 100 grumps have hair that does differ from long fur.

With eeeyyyeeesss thooo, I imagine it's very similar to what humans have. Such as different eye shapes, sometimes even different patterns of pupils, but that would depend on where the grumpus originates from and how far they we're in the food chain. So yes again, genes. In my own hc I believe grumpuses have 3 different pupils that depend on their gene origin, round pupils (like humans), slit pupils (like cats), and squared pupils (like horses or goats).

We could also get into fur. But again like everything else I've stated before, genes and origins play a huge role in that

But um... For tips, I'd say mostly try and study their anatomy. As well facial structure especially with animals.

As well, take in consideration of characters body shape and anatomy. Even ur own characters.

[badbedforbedding]

Beauty standards in Westeros: wild beauty is beautiful?

Beauty is a huge topic in this fandom, specially in relation to some female characters. And different from the male characters, their physical traits are often put on higher ground than other aspects.

I know that we live in a society obsessed with ~aesthetics~ and with an ideal of beauty that is Eurocentric, ableist, and youthful; so it makes sense that the people (and their opinions) in this fandom reflects these ideals too.

(sigh) Anyway… Westeros is a fictional fantastical world set in a medieval era and this world too holds its sets of standards and ideals regarding beauty, and we can see how they affect the story/journey of some important characters; here I want to focus on the idea of the wild beauty associated with Arya and Lyanna Stark because it's a subjective enough word to cause a lot of confusion.

Now; suppose we all know how detrimental to women these beauty standards are, we cannot ignore that fact that they matter, they were made for a reason, and they serve a purpose in westerosi society:

First, it separates noble from commoners;

A Feast for Crows - Cersei III, Cersei compares Margaerys features to those of common people.

"Even peasant girls are pretty at a certain age, when they are still fresh and innocent and unspoiled, and most of them have the same brown hair and brown eyes as she does."

A Storm of Swords - Jon II, Jon's first impression of Ygritte.

"At a lord's court the girl would never have been considered anything but common, he knew. She had a round peasant face, a pug nose, and slightly crooked teeth, and her eyes were too far apart. Jon had noticed all that the first time he'd seen her, when his dirk had been at her throat."

By these recollections only, it seems like peasants have a certain look that is recognizable and sets them apart from noble people.

Without a deep analyses, we can already conclude that no Stark woman is common looking or plain. Their looks can be set apart from peasants and from among most other houses such as the Tyrell, its pretty signifying of their old noble blood:

Arya Stark - long face, gray eyes, brown hair, skinny and athletic body. Arya has the "wolf blood".

Sansa Stark - high cheekbones, blue eyes and "auburn hair lighter than her mother's".

Catelyn Stark - fair skin, blue eyes and auburn hair.

Lyanna Stark - Long face, gray eyes and brown hair. Slim body and tomboyish. Lyanna had too much of the wolf blood.

Edited: I’m not saying that peasants and common people are ugly, what I’m saying (what I deduced from reading the excerpts) is that compared to noble woman, common women are considered plain by noble people standards.

And the fact that most of these ladies are tied to one of the most traditional and old lineages in Westeros means that they don’t fit the common or plain category by Westeros beauty standards.

Second, it increases women's chance at a good marriage;

A Storm of Swords - Catelyn VI - Edmure and Catelyn talk about his betrothal to Roslin Frey.

"She's prettier than I dared hope." Edmure raised a hand before she could speak. "I know there are more important things, spare me the sermon, septa. Even so . . . did you see some of those other maids Frey trotted out? The one with the twitch? Was that the shaking sickness? And those twins had more craters and eruptions on their faces than Petyr Pimple. When I saw that lot, I knew Roslin would be bald and one-eyed, with Jinglebell's wits and Black Walder's temper. But she seems gentle as well as fair." He looked perplexed. "Why would the old weasel refuse to let me choose unless he meant to foist off someone hideous?"

"Your fondness for a pretty face is well known," Catelyn reminded him.

During the entire ordeal of a betrothal between a Frey daughter and Lord Edmure Tully, the latter complained about being denied of choice.

This is important because it shows exactly how it works for them: High lords who inherit castles and land can choose whichever lady they want, while ladies need to compete among themselves to try and get a good proposal, from where they can find security.

Robert Baratheon was to be Warden of the Stormlands at the time he was entertaining a marriage to Lyanna. Let's be honest now; do you think this asshole, the guy who fucks any pretty thing with a pair of tits without thinking, would settle for anything but a comely lady for a wife?

Of course there is the matter of her name and noble blood at play but just like Edmure, "his fondness for a pretty face was well known" and his feelings for Lyanna too:

"You never knew Lyanna as I did, Robert," Ned told him. "You saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath."

A Game of Thrones - Eddard VII

Edited: I’m not even questioning the physical characteristics that women need to have to be seen as beautiful. I think Edmure Tully’s speech at the quote I picked says a lot already, but in short: the preference that these privileged men show towards certain ladies is enough to know what is the standard held by Westeros society as a whole.

At last and most important, it reinforces the gender roles assigned to woman:

This is not supposed to be a critic to any of the women mentioned or their ways, but a critic of the people who praise certain traits and vilify others less soft ones.

About Elia:

"...the Stark girl, who was by all reports a wild and boyish young thing with none of the Princess Elia's delicate beauty."

"Princess Elia was a good woman, Your Grace. She was kind and clever, with a gentle heart and a sweet wit."

About Margaery:

"The girl no older than Robb, very pretty, with a doe's soft eyes and a mane of curling brown hair that fell about her shoulders in lazy ringlets. Her smile was shy and sweet."

About Sansa:

"Soft-spoken sweet-smelling Sansa, who loved silks, songs, chivalry and tall gallant knights with handsome faces."

Gentle, delicate, sweet, soft-spoken and other variants of these adjectives are used to describe these ladies in particular when mentioning their beauty. All these adjectives are found at the appearance section of their pages on Wiki of westeros.

Westerosy woman have little to no say in the decisions regarding their own lives, noble women are always at the mercy of a father, husband, or another man. They are raised to become two things only: a wife and a mother and again gentle, delicate, sweet, soft-spoken are words often related to motherhood and romance.

Wild, willful, stubborn and outspoken are completely different things from gentle, delicate, sweet and soft-spoken. In fact, they are opposite, and that's where the concept of "Wild beauty" draws so much confusion.

Edited: I’ve seen people interpret wild as unkept, savage, plain and/or ugly. The word in itself is not typically used to refer to one’s appearance, but to landscape or actions. But when the wild beauty idea come in George’s text is always to highlight Lyanna/Arya’s different look as well as character compared to southern ladies.

To use someone else’s perspective that is not their loving brother/father (since this means he is biased and unreliable as a narrator, *sarcasm*):

In The World of Ice and Fire - The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring

“The crowning of the Stark girl, who was by all reports a wild and boyish young thing with none of the Princess Elia's delicate beauty, could only have been meant to win the allegiance of Winterfell to Prince Rhaegar's cause, Symond Staunton suggested to the king.”

The juxtaposition of the descriptors Wild x Delicate makes the case stronger when we remember that the delicate quality that Elia had comes from her frail and fragile health.

In conclusion:

Lyanna Stark was a beautiful woman with beautiful attributes, her beauty was well known and no one could deny. On the other hand, she lacked the womanly shape desired from most men and had too much force of will to be accepted by the southern court.

Arya Stark is a girl still growing into her features, her looks, and personality are similar to her aunt's even as a young girl. It's not hard to see that she will become as beautiful as Lyanna was said to be.

The wild beauty is in their physical traits but something else too, more ethereal and impalpable, the wolf blood.

Their wild beauty it's a set of all that Westeros holds as beautiful, added to what they fear the most: a strong, willed mind.

That's it, if anyone read so far: thank you for your patience. I am incapable of being brief. I wrote this with my own memory and research, so if I missed something, feel free to add to it. Also, if you are one of those stans who complain about others calling Arya beautiful: fuck you.

[waterloggedsoliloquy]

@theluckoftheclaws said: How do you determine the right animal [for a character's dæmon] (genuine question)

You have unleashed levels of autism the likes of which the world has never seen, jsyk!

Dæmons are not really "this character is sarcastic and lithe and finnicky so they'd be symbolized with a cat". Dæmons are largely determined by their role and symbolism in *art*, and what art it's drawn from depends on where in the story Lyra is. It also depends on their role in the story as a character somebody invented for a purpose. They say that dæmons are your soul that reveals your inner nature, but that's in-universe conjecture. One widely accepted as fact, but one that the narrator never fully claims is true. It's important to remember that characters are tools in a story, and dæmons are signifiers of that role, much in the same way that medieval paintings depicted animal companions alongside humans, to evoke a cultural, spiritual and historical context. To quote Pullman himself: don't make a metaphor do the work of a fact.

For example, in the medieval Oxford, the dæmons all take the form of animals that would have been known to medieval scholars, and their implications carry their symbolic meanings of the time. Jordan college is full of ravens, moths ermines, cats, hawks, setters, and serpents-- and also there are a few creatures, such as basilisks and small dragons-- that would have been imaginary to us but very real to medieval scholars. The only dæmon not of European origin is Lord Asriel's dæmon Stelmaria, who is in the form of a snow leopard,  evoking Asriel's infatuation with the North and giving us a subtle clue about the fact that he fits poorly in Jordan society. It's not until Lyra meets Mrs. Coulter and goes to London that the variety of dæmons expands, and when it does it expands into the art of the rennaissance and Flemish art. Pugs, parrots, monkeys, and butterflies are found in London. When Lyra travels north, she meets people with wolf and snow goose and snowshoe hare dæmons.

Ermines represent young girls born into nobility and their spiritual purity, so Lyra, who is innocent and nobleborn, often has Pantalaimon in the shape of an ermine. The fact that weasels are considered sneaky liars (as Lyra is) comes secondary to me, in my personal opinion. The servants in The Golden Compass are described as all having dog dæmons, because Lyra's world operates on a strict hierarchy of class, and the Butler and Chamberlain are all servants of a story, not really fully-fleshed characters in their own right. Conversely the characters like Asriel and Coulter have very "noble" animals associated with high class and exoticism: the aforementioned snow leopard and golden monkey. Dæmons are also amoral-- they don't indicate heroism or villainy. If Pullman made every bad guy's dæmon an animal that we have negative association with, loaded them with snakes and bugs, then everyone in the world could immediate clock who a "bad person" is just by the shape of their dæmon, and life just does not work like that.

If you want to choose a dæmon for a character, you have to take into account the genre you're working in. Poetry (The creator of the Dæmorphing series) utilizes a more scientific approach, matching characters' dæmons to observed animal behavior and biology. This works very well for Animorphs fanfiction, which has a huge emphasis on zoology and the natural talents and traits of animals... and very little to do with art and history and fantasy. But if your work is more on the historical or fantasy side, I'd suggest looking into the symbolic meanings of animals in specific cultures and periods of time to inform your choices. This historical and cultural context is why I'd find it ludicrously difficult to make dæmons for, say, the Star Wars cast, because all the animals in that universe are Imaginary, and even the ones based on real-life animals lack the social+historical+cultural context of dæmons. So I could give them earth animals, but is that immersion breaking? Probably. Same goes for Pokémon.

This level of involvement and research and intertext is usually too complicated for your average ao3 chud though, so you open a fic and you're more than likely to see dæmons pulled from a pool of the same 15 or so animals. So many wolves.... so many big cats........

If it's a series and character i'm familiar with, i'm more than willing to offer suggestions for potential forms! I literally possess several bestiaries and books on animal symbolism.

[theroachsankles]

in ur opinion, what makes a robot truly sexy? or just who are ur top 5 hot robots

WOOF well my friend, I like to be very detailed when it comes to explaining robot design! So strap in!

We'll start with a face!

A slightly or even heavily inhuman face is what really packs a punch! The fun work around with expression due to a lack of the normal human face is something fun and challenging! And I'm really into that!

I also think using real life helmets and masks are really great for figuring out a robot's visage. There are so many out there! It'd be cool to use those as inspo!

Lights for eyes are a favorite of mine! Especially if the glow changes based on intensity of mood!

Which is great if you combine that with an inhuman face!

Next is body!

Really shape language is the way to go! Pick a shape and go nuts! I do love verity in robot bodies just like with human ones, but in robot cases you can go HAM on the augmented body which is super fun, especially if you over exagerate! They don't have to have organs so again you can go HAM on design!

Referencing real life armor, just like masks, is a fun one as well! I even enjoy when a robot character pulls from human musculature systems! Especially with the idea that you can SEE each muscle at work when they move! I eat that shit up!

EXTRA LIMBS!!! This is fun in design because of the idea of how that would work with movement and also gestures when at rest! It's like a puzzle especially if you plan on drawing robots!

This isn't a requirement but a specific things I've noticed. If the robot can wear clothes, it makes them instantly more interesting. Why do they wear them? How do they feel about them? Do they even need clothes? Who cares!? It's hot XD

Lastly are just a few things that I find hot and fun!

Steam. Nothing hotter than literally showing signs of high body temp! Especially if this robot is in a fight! Talk about HOT XDD

LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS! I adore the different colors and placement of things like biolights and the glowing eyes and even glowing teeth if you're feeling spicy! (Almost all my robot Ocs have glowing teeth and steam up alot)

Also I don't have to draw actual feet. I hate drawing feet XD

If they get to have a developed personality outside of just "I am a machine I do not feel" cause that lacks alot of the fun to be had with the kinds of questions you can ask with robot characters!

Augmented voices are a MUST! I wanna hear that bass! The weird electricity to the voice! It's so much fun!

As far as top five hottest robots? WOOF that's a toughy but l'd say probably in no specific order

Megatron from tfp- his design is PEAK transformers design! Just the right amount of inhuman and human so that he's readable! I love how expressive his face and really all of the tfp robots faces are! I think his shape language comes across perfectly alien, especially versus the rest of the cast! He also has scaring from his times as a gladiator and I think that's AWESOME! Also HE GOT A WALK AND WAIST WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?

The Giant from Iron Giant- while I wouldn't say he's hot and sexy, he's adorable and was my first robot crush uu. He's a true sweetie and his story is a tear jerker for so many reasons. His design is also CLASSIC and I love that about him! (It helps that he went crazy with grief and had all those weapons. Was really into that XDD)

X-49 from Samurai Jack- look him and his episode up! He's got everything I love about a robot design! He wears a cool 30's hat and coat and only wanted to find his pug Lulu! Very much loved him and his episode and thought his design was sleek as hell!

Zima from Zima Blue- while he is more human looking than the rest, I was so enamored with his powerful story and seeing him evolve from a little pool cleaner to a tall stoic artist looking for purpose! His last scene was also a favorite because of the way you could SEE how he was put together!

Ultron from Avengers Age of Ultron- To be blunt, I'm NOT a big fan of marvel movies and Ultron was the last movie I saw. It wasn't a great movie but ULTRON DUDE!? GAWD you wanna talk about HOT? He follows all my attractive robot bullet points and then some! I don't remember anything from that movie outside of his scenes and I think a character death who I didn't care about since he was under developed. BUT I TELL YA WHAT I'll watch that movie just for him.

I could go on for hours about this and honestly would've listed alot more robots but I wanted to add a bit of verity to the list!

I appreciate your time! I hope that answers some things for you! (Also if you wanna see some of my robot designs, check out my Instagram @theroachankles1997 I post alot of robots there uwu)

[madame-cookie]

Ranger Pets

I have been wanting to make a post about the different ranger pets I liked from GW1, since there have been a couple thought here and there I have had while interacting with GW2 pets. There are more than a couple homages to the skills, locations, and designs of pets in GW2 in relation to pets from the first game.

Ranger was my main for most PvE content in Gw1, and I think I ran with the original phoenix the most out of any pets there were available at the time. It had a simplicity to its design that I really liked, and I loved how it would screech as it flew around and attacked. I do really like how it got a little makeover though. Those colors are gorgeous! Ever since I first saw the redesign for them in GW2, I have thought about making a character centered around this colorful palette. I tried some stuff out but didn't care for it much. I think it would be super cool if they did more reintroductions of pets like this because it feels like a great opportunity that they've already done a couple times in Cantha.

They don't even have to have originally been pets either, because the wallows that you can tame as pets now were originally just some bumpy guys rolling around in the maps between Echovald and the Jade Sea. Here's them side-by-side, with the older one on the left:

Definitely had some work done and is very much cuter, but a part of me wishes I could have this cute wallow as a pet while still having the chubby necromantic rat that looks like a pug a bit to me hahaha.

I also think it would be cool if there were achievements to get some pets. I love how they do quests in this game and enjoyed a lot of the little prerequisites to charming animals, because it made it feel more immersive. Not to knock on the convenience of "press F to love forever <3", but I'm a lore fiend. This alternate, fancier version of the phoenix from GW1 that I posted above could only be obtained after doing the final mission in the campaign in Cantha where you would face off against Shiro Tagachi:

Do I hear breathtaking? The feathers render in such a way that they are almost transparent like silk and like I said already-- breathtaking. There was also a popular series of sidequests and collections in which you could acquire a rare moa bird egg that would hatch into this:

(I would kill for a minipet anet pls) But you would take care of the little guy through a series of quests and over time they would become this rare full-grown moa that you could charm. There is a GW2 version available through the Hall of Monuments for veteran players, and both are pictured below. Gw1, and GW2 respectively.

I like the sleek black look more personally. But I love that they kept his hot topic look because we deserve it.

But as far as quests go, there was a fun one available to people in Ascalon after the searing where they would track down the remaining members of a species and found a small sanctuary to protect them moving forward. They were called Melandru's Stalkers and looked like this:

Kitty <3 And it has been a long time, so I'm not sure if the jungle stalkers pictured just below here are supposed to be their successors or not. but I always thought it would be a very sweet collection to have in Grothmar Valley or maybe even the Secluded Glen in the Fields of Ruin. Jungle Stalker:

Most of all, though, I really missed this map called the Zaishen Menagerie, where you could go and visit all of the pets that you've charmed before in these curated little biomes across a small map. It was a convenient place to go on new ranger characters to tame harder-to-get pets, as well as my favorite place in the game that I would just hang out with my friends at.

This google image i grabbed real quick doesn't do it much justice because it was expansive. They even had caves by the water to house these little guys:

I don't know what directions they will go moving forward with pets, but I have enjoyed all of what has been added so far, and you KNOW I'm making plans to snag those new Wizard's Tower pets as. we. speak! Below are some other pets that aren't in the game yet that I would personally love to see. By no means an inclusive list, I just find them charming.

[hotvintagepoll]

Chico Marx (Duck Soup, Animal Crackers, The Big Store)— A true pinnacle of scrungly guy, both on and off screen. On screen in movies with his brothers, he is frequently in scenes with his brother Groucho negotiating and sparring in wordplay, and when he is in scenes with mute brother Harpo he is translating for a third party. Never the love interest in the movies like Zeppo sometimes is, not even as a joke the way Groucho is or chasing girls the way Harpo does, Chico is just the guy that's kind of around and that's partially what makes him so scrungly is that he stands out from his brothers. By himself he is a weird little man that plays the piano and gambles. He has a unique way of playing piano that was largely self taught, his signature move is making his hand into a gun shape and "shooting" the keys.

Lon Chaney Sr. (The Phantom of the Opera)—ray bradbury worshipped this guy and I can see why. a horror icon known as "the man of a thousand faces," he was a master of using makeup and prosthetics to conjure characters who look nothing like each other. his erik is TRULY fucked up [photos under the cut], to circle back to bradbury, i think he says it best: "He somehow got into the shadows inside our bodies; he was able to nail down some of our secret fears and put them on-screen. The history of Lon Chaney is the history of unrequited loves. He brings that part of you out into the open, because you fear that you are not loved, you fear that you never will be loved, you fear there is some part of you that's grotesque, that the world will turn away from." Some of his work has not aged well, but much of it is still found in the way we depict horror, the strange, and the uncanny in cinema.

This is round 2 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you’re confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Chico Marx:

Lon Chaney Sr.:

Oh my God. Let me just focus on Erik for a sec (like i don't do that every day of my life). Pug nose, crooked tooth little mess man. He put on his big cunty feathered hat for the ball but underneath it he's got that stupid, stupid hair. The evening suit that kinda doesn't fit. In what way is Lon Chaney--in this role specifically-- not the ultimate scrungo? Granted, they edited out his very scrungliest of moments (WE WERE ROBBED) but WE HAVE THE STILLS!!!

This man played depressed outsiders, sometimes depressed clowns, the most pathetic losers ever (affectionately) and his faces and gestures always were so funny!

[kichimiangra]

Okay, I've got to know more about "Loo", please.

I think I explained Loo recently but I can't remember if it was on here so keeping things all in one place:

Creation of Loo:

Around 2015 when working on Nannersverse 2015 version I sent a joke comic to my friend at the time that took an eternity to find:

((Look at dream!Specter he's a frigging giant!))

That was the first instance of Loo. When I was in college I was working on a comic idea for after I graduated and for one of the side characters called "The Lottery Man" I was having trouble placing his mask without a head behind it. Once again as a Joke, I drew an adult version of the little fanbaby and sent it to my friend for the lols

((I couldn't find the original .psd that has the head in the sketch without the mask...))

I ended up liking the design enough that The Lottery Man ended up becoming my gallery mascot and I drew him more frequently.

((More often than not Squatting on his haunches))

From there Loo ended up stretching out into a few other things, existing separately as the Lottery Man in my shelved comic "Quest for Dark Axe", a Vaneer character in my Hiatus'd comic "Faeredoux", a shelved solo run where he goes on an adventure looking for his lost human sister Primo, and his potential existence in Nannersverse with his original as the joke fanbaby.

Loo in connection to Nannersverse:

Loo, or Specimen #100 would have been the only surviving specimen of Specter's 500,000 specimen attempt in creating a hybrid in the same way he was created. As the tank lights go out and the computer reads a 100% failure rate, Specter having to face the fact that he had become more attached to the idea of his project succeeding than he had intended beyond "Academic". Spike notices the 100% occasionally dropping to 99.9998% and questions Specter what 0.0002% of 500,000 is, realizing the answer is 1 and running off to find the singular green lit pod that survived beyond the critical point. The pod makes it to the end of the gestation period and Loo is born, taking his name from his Specimen Number.

His design is intentionally ambiguous that is intended to leave the question rolling of which exact DNA cocktail he came from. His coloration is intentionally guided by Specter to have turned out like Spike's own. Like Specter he was designed to have large eyes with White Sclera but the cute-effect is lessened by inheriting small black pupils that give him an unsettling mile long stare. He distinctly has a long prehensile tail like SwapAU!Spike. If Specter is made fun of by Blue for having a "Flat Face" Loo would look more like a Pug, having a flatter face than even Specter and no known latent Psychic powers.

As an infant he just has whiny baby personality, though as a child he is mostly silent and outwardly well behaved... but is also that little shit who will dump an entire jar of chilly powder into your soup when nobody's looking and watch you eat it with the that blank mile long stare, but with a slight twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Despite his outwardly quiet nature in his youth the older he gets the more "Little Shit" he becomes, having the personality to monkey's paw people and cheat for his own gain, such as challenging White to chess to get out of lessons knowing well that he's prepared everything he needs to cheat.

Though initially content to be the "Prince of the Apes" he develops wander lust and makes himself scarce to just.. wander off.

--------------------------

I don't have a full biography on him because he kinda just exists as four potential story's character and most of what I use is his adult variant, which is a bit different than his quieter child variant

[bunzobunny]

🎉 CHARACTER INFO!

-As a character, Bunzo is very similar to his mascot form. Hes optimistic and happy, always looking to play and have fun with the kids. He enjoys his job a lot. He tries to be kid friendly, which means he will reprimand you if you cuss, and has a self imposed rule against swearing. Bunzo is kind, and can be naive in some places. Though he will not allow himself to be pushed around, and will snap occasionally, usually at staff. He gets cranky when he has to go down to the labs or when he comes back up after. Bunzo tries not to let his spirit be broken by all the awful things that have happened, even after the Hour of Joy. In his isolation he has grown fiercely lonely, and desperate for companionship. Despite this, hes very skittish and jumpy, too paranoid to venture too far out. Hes also scared of many of the other mascots. -Bunzo Bunny is a Bigger Body, and stands about 6 feet tall. Even though he is taller than most humans, he is small compared to the other mascots. Because of this, he looks to Mommy Long Legs for protection, knowing he would make a good meal for someone much larger than him.

-Bunzo is a plush toy, but inside of him are bones and flesh and organs, protected by a layer of stuffing. Despite his physically soft nature, he is not unarmed. Bunzo has a mouth full of sharp teeth, as well as powerful legs for kicking. Hes learned to use his cymbols, which are removeable, as a weapons.

-Bunzo doesn't remember his old life, whatever it was before he became a toy. He has a hard time even remembering things that happened while the factory was still active. As such, he doesn't really have a connection with his past human life anymore, though he still mourns what he lost.

-In my interpretation, the toys don't need to eat to survive. They feel hunger, but if they don't eat they won't die from it. Hunger does however make them more aggressive and hostile, which makes them more dangerous. It makes them start losing their common sense, and become more feral the hungrier they get, until they can only think about tearing flesh to eat. Eating helps keep them docile. But after they ate all the employees, they started turning on and eating each other, with nothing left to do. Thats why most smaller toys are dead, because they were the easiest to hunt and catch. The remaining toys had to adapt and group together to survive.

-Bunzo is not particularly aggressive. He just follows what Mommy tells him to do. He was a participant in the Hour of Joy, but feels guilt and embarrassment over the fact he acted that way. Though he still thinks the scientists deserved it. He doesn't like attacking people or other toys, because it makes him feel like a wild animal, and hes losing his humanity. -Bunzo has literally become a part of Musical Memory, as to correct the mistakes made with his predecessor. When renovating Musical Memory, they took him down to the labs and added a new feature to his body. They added a mechanical part to him, allowing him to be directly hooked up to the Musical Memory machine via a circular metal port on his back. This port connects to a tube of machinery, which allows him to be connected to the machine both mentally and physically, and be lowered down. Both Musical Memory toys had their bodies altered to fit the vision of the scientists, with Daisy the worse off of the two. Bunzo holds resentment towards the scientists because of what they did to him. He now suffers from consistent back pain and headaches, and is prone to illness. -He is friends with Kissy Missy, Bron, Mommy Long Legs, and PJ-Pug-A-Pillar. He doesn't see them as much anymore, but they still visit each other sometimes. Hes scared of Huggy, the Prototype, and all the Playcare toys. Hes a bit scared of Mommy too, even though hes close to her.

[yurisorcerer]

I normally love Dowman Sayman but this is a miss.

It has all of the guy's hallmarks; really unique art, good character designs, a particular bizarre and wacky sensibility, etc. But it doesn't really work in this format and with this subject matter. I can think of a couple problems here.

For one, isekai as a genre is so ridiculous already that it's hard to parody. Despite clearly *actively trying* to present as unhinged and off-the-wall as possible, this is still markedly less stupid than something like My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered That No One In The Other World Stands a Chance Against Me (which I believe is that anime's actual title), because it's clearly trying to have actual like, structure and shit. There is an intentionality to the jokes. Mostly in service to Saymans' very gonzo sense of humor, sure, but it's still there. Dowman Sayman is almost *too competent* to make a convincing narou-style isekai; he understands the basics of plot and composition too well.

For another, and maybe I'm projecting here but I don't *think* I am, I kind of just get the sense that he doesn't really want to be writing this? Again, I could be reading my own intentions onto the work, but there is a notable air of resentment coming off of this, and this is the first thing I've ever read by Sayman that did not seem entirely 100% the product of his own deranged mind specifically. A lot of the humor comes off as more meanspirited than is the norm for him, and that's keeping in mind that the guy's comedies don't tend to be sunshine and rainbows at the best of times. Also a good chunk of it just really isn't that funny; some of it pushes so far into "god, what??" territory that it successfully crosses the line twice, like a bit about a sweet magician girl named Hime getting her face shredded off (it reads better in-context, I swear), but a lot of it either doesn't go far enough or just lands with a thud. Jokes about how terribly isekai tends to treat its non-human fantasy races would have more of an impact if the joke wasn't just that these characters also treat them terribly. (It's admittedly a *little* funny that the kobolds look like pugs instead of the usual kinds of dog-person, but only a little.) And then, as said, some of it just fumbles the execution. There's a literal dead baby joke in here, and while you can have all sorts of reactions to that, the one thing it should NOT make me feel is "nothing," which is exactly how I feel about this one.

So is there anything of worth here? Eh, maybe? Tracking the development of Sayman's art style is always interesting---it's more cartoony than ever, here---and as mentioned, I like the character designs, and the two leads have a fun dynamic. But this is perhaps the least essential serial he's ever penned, which is pretty sad as a longtime fan.

The good news of course is that Sayman rarely sticks with any single manga for super long, so he will probably be onto something else in a year or two at most.