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aviiarie · 5 months ago

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⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ FLESH AND BLOOD — platonic douma & reader !

synopsis. douma’s child knows there is only one way to truly escape: killing their father. warnings. kny-typical blood, death & yknow... eating people. knives, threats of violence. unhealthy family dynamics. douma is his own warning tbh. notes. PLATONIC. (terrible) father figure!douma. gn!reader. they/them used. angst. 3.6k words. read warnings pls! @romaritimeharbor you were right, i couldn't write a happy ending. this man was made for horror, not fluff.

Every step [Name] takes is heavy.

There’s a knife strapped to their belt, hidden under several layers of clothing. They swiped in from the kitchens one night on a whim, sneaking behind two chefs who were too engrossed in an argument about spices to notice them. Once they left—with neither chef noticing them at all—they took to work fashioning a strap to attach it to their belt, and tucked it under their clothes. When they were finished, it swung on their hip, occasionally bumping against their thigh if they ran too quickly. Secure, but still accessible; exactly how they wanted it.

It isn’t the most ideal weapon. They haven’t had enough experience wielding it to even know what to do with it if their situation called for a fight, but it hangs by their side like an anchor. The slight pressure, with the glint of metal separated from their skin by a single layer of fabric, grounds them.

Every night, they make sure the edge is sharpened, before tucking it under their pillow with one hand slotted underneath. Idly, their fingers trace the edge of the handle, prepared to close around it should they wake up to an attack.

And yet, even with the care they have to make sure the knife is always close to their side, they have never once used it. It’s a safeguard more than anything else; a reminder that no matter what happens in the lion’s den they call a home, they are ready and prepared to fight their way out to safety. It didn’t need to be withdrawn; a simple pat to their side to make sure the weapon was still safely attached to their belt was enough to steady their nerves.

As they walk through the halls with feather-light footsteps, their heartbeat pounds with the wings of a hummingbird. They force their breath to even out into a steady pattern, squeezing their hands into fists to stop them from shaking. They were not the apex predator in this place, but they’d be damned if they were reduced to mere prey.

Through the halls of their home, they pass countless faces that greet them with big smiles and waves. They don’t stop for a single one, only nodding slightly and murmuring a greeting for each. One woman in particular gasps as she sees them, peeling away from her group to catch their arm as they walk by.

“Ah, [Name]! I was speaking with Lord Douma earlier, and he requested that you join him for dinner tonight!” The woman smiles brightly at them. They bite back a sharp retort, instead forcing a smile.

“If you see him again, tell my father that I might be late,” they say smoothly. The words feel like poison on their tongue, but they spit them out anyway.

Father was once a word they used with pride. It was babbled through lips that barely knew the sounds they were making, but the title was met with a blinding smile. Douma seemed to take pride in the word as well, if the way he scooped them into his arms every time they called him it was any indication. He’d press his cheek to their hair, squeezing them against his chest like they were a stuffed toy. A laugh, brimming with almost childlike glee, and an excited, “Yes, yes, that’s it! I’m your father, and you’re my darling little child.”

They were happy as his child, for a long time. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t their family by blood; he was the one to take them in when they were only a baby, giving them all they could ever want or need and spoiling them beyond comprehension. He adored them, more than anything. That was what he promised, at least.

Their childhood was happy, as happy one can be when raised in a cult. The followers loved them as much as they loved Douma himself, showering them with attention and gifts when he wasn’t there to give them it instead. [Name] learned to look past the smiles, to not get attached to the voices that spoke their name with reverence, because it was almost never the same face that greeted them twice. It didn’t matter too much, because Douma was always there to fill the gaps with his warm embraces.

But they grew older, as children do, and the haze of paradise slowly cleared. The mysteries of their youth that once felt like exciting secrets to unearth began to weigh on them, and they found themself pestering Douma with endless questions. Questions like ‘Why do people keep disappearing?’ and ‘What’s beyond the Eternal Paradise?’

To their frustration, his responses were vague and dismissive, never leaving them satisfied. The only answers they received were ‘They’ve achieved Paradise.’ and ‘Nothing. There is nothing worth seeing beyond here.’

Douma always said they were naturally inquisitive, but that burning desire for answers only brewed a frustration in their chest that never seemed to be quelled by his distant answers. He was hiding things, they could see it on his face. There were too many things that he kept secret to be coincidence, too many details that didn’t add up.

Their fervent pursuit of answers led to one place: the door at the end of main hall. It was locked at all times, the only place they were forbidden from entering. Douma was especially serious when he informed them the room was off limits, his eyes turning sharp when he questioned him about it.

“This is my home and yours, and you are free to roam everywhere else, but that place isn’t for you, little one.”

The words might have deterred them as a child, but they couldn’t let their curiosity fester any longer.

There was one key that opened every lock in the cult, hidden in a secret compartment in the main room that Douma didn’t think they knew about. One night as slipped through the door and locked it behind him, they stole the key, slipping it in the lock and turning the handle.

The first thing they noticed was red. It covered the room, spilling across his table, dripping steadily on his tiled floors and splattering across the walls in an angry scarlet. The second thing they noticed was that their father was covered in it. The colour was smeared across his face, trickling from his lips and down his chin. It stained his robes and coated his hands, but he barely noticed; he was too busy swiping his tongue across his lips to soak up the excess droplets.

Among the carnage was the lifeless figure of a woman, her body mangled and thrown carelessly at his feet. Douma himself was lounging on a chair, his legs crossed, unbothered by the nightmarish scene surrounding him. One of his hands clasped a severed arm, bringing it to his teeth and tearing off a chunk of flesh. He hummed as he ate, licking his lips like he was savouring the taste.

In all their years of growing up by his side, they’d watched as Douma had ignored the gifts of food his followers brought him, yet now, now he seemed to find his appetite. Their skin crawled, memories of rejected meals and his claims of already eating echoing in their ears. When he locked himself in the room, was this what he was doing? Was this where their missing followers ended up?

They clutched their arm, pressing their nails hard enough to leave marks against their skin. The sight was something out of their worst nightmares, yet the sting of pain was a sharp reminder that it was reality. Nausea bubbled up in their stomach, but they forced it down long enough to close the door with a quiet click and lock it again.

They never confronted him after that day. They could barely look him in the eye long enough to do so. But one thing was clear: as long as he lived, they and all of the followers of the Eternal Paradise faith were in danger.

Their hand brushed against their hip. The cold press of metal through their clothes eased their nerves.

A proper fighter would have a sword, and use it to slice his head clean off, but they would have to make do with a simple kitchen knife. Eventually the moment would present itself, eventually he would be off his guard, and they would have the chance to ambush him. The edge of the blade was sharp, all it would take is one slice across his throat and his life would be snuffed out.

They ignored the nagging part of them that told them it wouldn’t be enough, that Douma had to be something inhuman, something powerful, something that took more than a slit throat to kill. It whispered that a creature so heartless that it would slaughter and consume innocent humans couldn’t possibly be an ordinary mortal being.

They especially ignored the part of them that blanched at even the thought of harming him, the man that brought them in and doted on them every day of their life. That was the part that wished they could go back and never look through the door, maintaining a fragile bliss that wasn’t wrought with fear and uncertainty; the part that urged them to forget, to close their eyes and let him be their adoring father again.

Their footsteps haltered as they approached the open doorway that led to the main room of the building. Even the entrance was ornately decorated, with delicately painted screens separating it from the rest of the rooms.

“Is someone there?” A voice called out sharply. Their breath caught in their throat, and they patted their side instinctively. With a careful glance around the door, they saw him, sitting in the centre of the elaborate room on his usual cushioned seat.

“Are you hiding?” Douma asks, his eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable. He leans his head on his hand, smiling at where they are half-concealed behind the doorway. “My child, is that you? Come on out, don’t be shy.”

There was no point trying to pretend they weren’t there. With a deep breath, they step into the light.

“It is my child!” He laughs, in a voice that could be mistaken for delight. If they were a little younger they would have beamed at the sound, but their maturity had earned them the skill of seeing right through his cheery demeanour. “[Name], have you come to visit me?”

“Yes.” They say stiffly, forcing a neutral expression. They ignored the way his smile softened; it was a lie, it had to be.

“Aren’t I a lucky father?” Douma pauses to wipe away a fake tear, the sight making something curl uncomfortably in their gut. He pats the area beside his chair. “Come, sit down.”

When they were a baby—back when the brightness of his smile felt genuine—he would sit them on his lap, letting them play with his fans while he spoke to his followers. They were too old for that now, so instead they tiptoe inside and settle beside the chair, sitting with their knees tucked to their chest.

“How are you today, [Name]? It feels like forever since we’ve caught up.” Douma asks them as they sit, smiling over at them. They pick at the edge of their clothing, not meeting his eye.

“What does the writing in your eyes mean?” They suddenly ask, instead of answering.

“Curious today, are we?” Douma chuckles. He taps his nail just below his right eye. “I’m sure you know what this one is.”

They nod, recognizing the numeral. “It’s… two, right?”

“Yes, it is! Such a smart child I have.” Douma’s grin widens, and he points the other one. “What about this one?”

They squint at his eye, observing the thin brushstrokes over the rainbow-coloured iris. It wasn’t a character they recognized, even after their studies. “I don’t know.”

“This one—” Douma tapped his nail against his skin. “Is a combination of two characters. Together it means Upper Rank.”

“Upper Rank…?” They echo. “Upper Rank Two? What does that mean?”

“It’s my ranking.” Douma hums, not bothering to explain further. “Is it my turn to ask a question now?”

Their posture stiffens. “If you want.”

Douma clapped his hands together. “Oh, how fun! What to ask… what to ask…”

He pauses to think, tapping his finger on his chin. “Oh, I have one! What have you been doing with your days?” Douma leans his head on his hand with a smile. “I’ve barely seen you recently. You used to spend so much time with me.”

They swallow down the anxiety that bubbled up at his question. The truthful answer was that they had been carefully avoiding his room, not bothering to stop by unless they were called specifically. The rest of their days were spent sneaking around, scoping out potential escape routes, or making sure their knife was sharp and ready to kill.

“Just… things.” They say vaguely.

Douma stares at them with a pleasantly puzzled expression. “Things…?”

“Yes.”

“How fascinatingly mundane!”

“I guess I’m just a boring person.” They shrug.

“And what about that knife you’ve been carrying around, hm?” Douma asks, his smile not faltering, even as their heart stopped. “I would love to know what you’re planning with that one!”

His eyes are crinkling with the force of his smile, but there is no warmth behind it. They narrow their own eyes, quickly rising to their feet and taking a step backwards. His gaze tracks their every movement, following their hand as they fumble at their belt to pull out the knife from their makeshift sheath.

“Guess.” Their hands shake, but the ready the weapon anyway. “Take a guess as to what I’m planning with it.”

One slice at his throat. One slit, and he’s dead. One cut, and this whole nightmare will end, and he will never be able to hurt anyone again. This was what they'd been preparing for.

“Are you going to kill me?” Douma coos, standing from his chair and grinning. “How adorable!”

“Sh-Shut up!” They hiss, gripping the handle tighter. “I know what you did! I know about that poor woman, the one you murdered and devoured! How many followers have you killed, huh? Was I next? Have you just been raising me like a pig for slaughter?”

“Oh.” A tilt of his head, and a saddened expression that looked… almost real. Almost. They tighten their grip on the blade, reprimanding themself for nearly falling for his act. It wasn’t real, none of it was. They couldn’t forget that, no matter how hurt his expression looked. “I don’t want to kill you, my child.”

“I don’t believe you!” They yell back.

Douma tilts his head to look at them, his face still twisted in that same mask of pity. He took one step towards them, then another, until they were face to face. Before they could blink, his hand was gripping their wrist tight enough to bruise.

“I’m not going to kill you, [Name].” He says sadly, twisting their wrist to seize the knife and holding it up out of their reach. “I am not going to hurt you, nor am I going to let anything else hurt you. It makes me sad that you can’t see that.”

“You’re a monster.” They hiss, their eyes filled with tears. They stumble a few steps back, putting some semblance of distance between them.

Douma chuckles slightly. “And you’re my child. What does that make you?”

They flinch as if he had struck them, stumbling back even further at his words. “I am nothing like you!”

“Aren’t you?” Douma says, his voice thick and sweet like honey. “Oh, we aren’t related by blood but I raised you from birth. Why do you think I would spare such a frail creature like yourself, if I didn’t see a part of myself in you? We’re cut from the same cloth, you and I. You’re my child, through and through.”

“I’m nothing like you!” They cry out. “You’re a murderer!”

“Yet you’re the one who was plotting my death.” He waves the kitchen knife in front of their face with amusement dancing on his lips. “That sounds an awful lot like the work of a murderer to me.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it though? It’s still homicide.”

“It was self-defence!”

Douma chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. “Killing me isn’t self-defence if I haven’t laid a hand on you. I’m afraid that’s just called murder.”

“You’re—” Their words died in their throat. No matter how cruel he sounded saying them, he was right. They were planning to kill him. Maybe they were no better than him after all. “You’re… you’re a monster… I had to kill you. Before… you killed me. That was why I had the knife.”

“Oh, I’m afraid this little thing wouldn’t do much,” Douma laughs as he waves the weapon. With a smile, he drew back the sleeve of his robe and pressed the edge of the knife to the back of his arm. He drags the blade across it, smiling serenely as a line of bright red blood drips down his skin. In seconds the cut is knitting itself back together, leaving only a stain of scarlet over his fully healed skin. “It’s adorable that you thought you could hurt me, but simple weapons like these don’t leave a scratch on me.”

Their heart stopped, watching the mark smooth out and fade into nothing.

It… didn’t matter. All the nights of cutting their fingers of the edge in their haste to make sure it was still under their pillow didn’t matter. The comforting weight at their side wasn't worth anything; it never would have achieved a thing in the first place.

They were a sheep wandering around the den of a wolf, confidently thinking their blunt hooves would be enough to pierce its hide. A painful feeling washed over them—powerlessness.

Their eyes began to burn, along with their chest. As quickly as the rush of adrenaline filled their body, it left, knocking all the air out of their lungs. Tears slowly started dripping down their cheeks, quietly at first, before they were followed by heaving sobs.

“I do love you, my child.” Douma sighs. Lie, it was a lie. “I wish you wouldn’t have done something like this. I was so happy to watch you grow up, content keeping you alive and human. Now what am I to do?”

Their shoulders hitch, hands scrubbing desperately at their eyes. There was a calculating glint in his eyes, before Douma stepped forward again and pulled them into a cold embrace.

“What am I to do with you…” Douma muses, holding them against his chest as they sobbed. The front of his robes were covered in tears and snot but he paid it no mind, just sighing softly and running his fingers through their hair. “My poor child…”

The feeling of his fingers through their hair made them shiver. Were his nails always so sharp, or was his touch just soft enough to hide it?

“What was your plan?” Douma pulls them away to look at their face properly, a sparkle of amusement in his eye. “Where were you going to go, after you killed me, hm? You know there’s nothing out there for you. No one would want to take in a murderer, especially one who killed their own father in cold blood.”

“I would have found somewhere.” They mumble, slowing their sobs to quiet sniffles.

Douma shook his head fondly, like they were discussing something trivial. “Oh, my sweet child, who put such an idea in your head? There is nowhere you can go. Here, it is safe. Here is happy. Why would you ever leave?”

They wanted to scream their anguish, kicking and clawing at him until his face was red and bloody. This man—no, this monster masqueraded as a loving father for years, all while blood spilled behind his gilded doors. But the saccharine sweetness that his voice carried wormed its way into their ears, poisoning their thoughts and—

Such a disappointing, ungrateful child they must be. He welcomed them into his arms, and they were planning to—

Their mind was split. All of their instincts screamed at them to run, run until their lungs burned and their feet bled, but there was a gnawing part of them that clung to his honeyed words. At least when they were in his favour they were safe; they could turn away from the truth and cling to their fractured picture of family. Maybe if they fell to their knees and begged him for forgiveness, he would forget all about their betrayal and welcome them as his child again.

They weren’t anywhere near strong enough to kill him. The least they could do was survive.

“What do you have to say for yourself, [Name]?” Douma asks gently, and something in them snaps.

They fall forward, burying their face in his chest and clutching onto the back of his robes with a wail. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“That’s what I thought…” Douma sighs in almost amusement. He places his hand on the top of their head, ruffling their hair gently.

“I’m sorry… I’ll never do it again, I promise. Please… please don’t leave me! I don’t know what I would be without you,” they cry, the words spilling out so easily they can’t tell if they’re a lie or not.

It wasn’t the end. One day his guard would drop and they would seize the chance, taking everything they own and running away into the night. They will run, not knowing where they will end up but knowing they need to be anywhere but there. Even if it means spending the rest of their life shying away from dark corners and patting their side to check on their weapon, they will escape.

For now, they weep in the arms of their father.

#✒️ : avie's writing . ⊹ ˚ .#kny x reader #platonic kny x reader #demon slayer x reader #platonic demon slayer x reader #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #platonic kimetsu no yaiba x reader #douma x reader #doma x reader #platonic douma x reader #platonic doma x reader

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artstar1997 · 19 days ago

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Finally, it’s day 5 of Genreuary so here’s my Magical Girl AU poster, starring Queen Rose, Queen Poppy, Branch, Smidge, Cooper, @jade-green-butterfly’s Trollsona, Jussy, and Minuet Sonata. The themes of the AU are fairies, elements, animals, love, and friendships.

My magical girl AU, Elemental Kaleidoscope, follow the story of a group of high school students who are chosen to become fairies by the wise and kind fairy leaders, King Oberon and Queen Titania and battle the forces of evil that is threatening their world with their elemental powers while trying to keep up with their daily lives.

The first season focuses on the titular team on the poster, the Rainbow Vale, which is formed when its members were chosen by the fairies in Harmony City. Poppy gaining the power over the water element and Rose was handpicked to be the leader when she was given the most powerful, celestial element, which is aether or quintessence. Branch altruistically joined the group because of his power over earth. They were later joined by Smidge, who has fire elemental magic, Minuet Sonata, who turned out to be chosen with the air element, Cooper, who has the mind element joined them enthusiastically and so does his girlfriend, Jussy, who has powers over the energy element. Together, they put their differences aside and work together to fight the evil witch, Chef, the Party Crashers, Creek, who was corrupted by the darkness, and their minions.

Season 2 reveals that the Rainbow Vale fairies aren’t the only ones in the universe. Barb and her team, the Iridescents have joined in the scene alongside other fairy teams when they are summoned by the fairies to team up with each other, but tensions begin to rise. Soon, the fairy teams are forced to put disagreements aside to defeat an incursion of various enemies, including Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Chaz, Pushy Poppy, and Marshtato Mary. Soon, their teamwork brought the fairies closer together as they find a close bond forming between them in both their ordinary lives and their missions altogether. Their bonds of friendship and trust will be put to the limit in order to protect their home, the civilians, and each other from the upcoming threat that is looming over their wings.

In Season 3, there was a group of fairies who used to fight evil on behalf of King Oberon and Queen Titania, and it turned out to be the BroZone, which is composed of Branch’s four older brothers, John Dory, Spruce, Clay, and Floyd. They were the best of the best but they broke up after having a fallout. Far off in a deep corner of the galaxy, Floyd was trying to save his familiar from a pair of dark mages, Velvet and Veneer. Soon, John Dory, Spruce, and Clay tried to help him get it back but the duo were too powerful to fight. Just before the two would grab them, Rose appears, saving them and bringing them to earth, as the fairies prepare for the ultimate showdown and more revelations were opened up. All the fairies finally defeated Velvet and Veneer through their purification spells combined.

Season 4 still focuses on the Rainbow Vale but two more teams were formed. Viva, Poppy’s younger twin sister was chosen to lead a new group of fairies so she, alongside Aurora and Twilight, the twin younger sisters of Rose, and a group of friends with Gia Grooves, a lone fairy mentoring them. Meanwhile, Cerise with her adoptive siblings and a redeemed Veneer formed their own team at the same time. As darkness gathers in the skies above, both Viva, Twilight, and Cerise prepare their untested squads for a fight with forces beyond their comprehension... and the true threat that awaits far from their expectations.

This explanation is really long because I was inspired by the Star Guardians skins from League of Legends and a lot of magical girl stuff like Winx Club, W.I.T.C.H, Pretty Cure, and many more. For the familiars of the Rainbow Vale members, Rose has a lion named Majesty, Poppy’s pet, Perky is an otter, Branch has Shelliot and a bear named Tlaltecuhtli, Smidge has a fox named Blaze, Cooper has an alicorn named Zapp, Jussy has Fawna, and Minuet Sonata has an eagle named Stormy.

Here ya go, the first artwork for my magical girl AU!

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rillegas08 · 8 months ago

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Everyone is assuming that the prophecy in episode 21 refers to Laios because he's currently welding Kensuke, but I'm too familiar with how prophecies work in fiction and mythology to 100% believe that. I think it's equally as likely that the prophecy refers to Chilchuck or Kabru.

Spoilers for *Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi* episode 21 under the cut. I haven't read the manga yet, so this is just regarding the anime.

"With the winged sword in hand, the hero will defeat the mad mage, and thus rise as the country's new king."

We're told that the golden lion, despite being locked away by the Mad Mage, still guides the people of the Golden Country through prophecies like the one from today's episode. So Laios has the winged sword, he's the primary protagonist of the show, and he's being built up as the hero to defeat the Mad Mage. Despite everything going for him, I'm not completely convinced.

In fiction and mythology, prophecies have a tendency to be fulfilled even when the suspected route isn't how. Think about how Oedipus's father, in response to a prophecy that Oedipus would kill him and marry his mother, sent his infant to die in order to avoid the prophecy. Oedipus, of course, didn't die, and grew up not knowing he was a prince, and later in life killed his dad and married his mom without knowing they were his parents.

"Prophecies gonna prophecy", as the Super Carlin Brothers say whenever they put out a video where they speculate what would happen if something from the primary Harry Potter timeline didn't happen.

Assuming Laios is the prophecy fulfillment makes sense, of course, but we can't be certain. Let's discuss what we do know for certain.

THE MAD MAGE WILL BE DEFEATED. There are ways to defeat an enemy without killing them. In D&D you can get the same amount of XP by talking your way out of an encounter as by fighting through it. We shouldn't discount diplomacy as the method of defeat, especially considering...

WITH SWORD IN HAND. All that is required of the hero is to hold the sword. It's pretty clear from the appearance of the lion head on the hilt that Kensuke is the sword of the prophecy, and since it's Laios's sword we naturally assume that he must be the hero of the prophecy. However, it's a common enough trope that the assumed hero drops their weapon and someone else picks it up to be revealed as the hero of the prophecy. We don't even know the hero's gender, although...

RISE AS THE COUNTRY'S NEW KING. This suggests the hero will be male. Even though the female Valkyrie holds the title of king of New Asgard in the MCU, this show hasn't strayed too far from gender norms. So it's likely the hero is male. Even though Falin breaking free of the Mad Mage's influence, Marcille overpowering the Mad Mage's dark magic with her own, or Izutsumi getting the Mad Mage to separate her human and cat souls are all pretty awesome outcomes.

Assuming the hero is among the primary characters and not someone we haven't gotten much charges, we're left with Senshi, Chilchuck, and Kabru.

I think it's safe to say that Senshi won't be the hero. He hasn't shown a desire to lead and while he can definitely hold his own in a fight, we've seen him take a background role in most. He's perfectly content to make food all day, and would thrive as a royal chef.

Chilchuck, despite repeatedly insisting he's not a fighter, is actually quite good. Against the ice golem, he was quick enough to look at every part of the golem to find the core, and accurate and strong enough with a bow to fire an arrow directly at it and embed the arrow in the ice. The show hasn't yet delved too deeply into his backstory, so we have yet to find out if there's a significant reason for his low opinion of his fighting abilities. However, the hero of the prophecy is more than a fighter; he's a leader. Even though Laios and Falin were the leaders of the Touden party, Chilchuck unquestionably shows the best leadership qualities. He avoids danger when he can, he stayed with Laios and Marcille after the party split (I believe partly because he knew leaving Laios and Marcille would end up with them dead and he couldn't live with that), and he's a tactician. He would make a great king.

But of course, he's not the only one; Kabru is equally qualified. While he may not be a great fighter, he's a thinker, and while the conclusions he comes to aren't always correct, he ends up with the correct mentality about it regardless. He was appalled at the use of dark magic to bring Falin back, but understood the desire to go to any length to save a loved one, which makes perfect sense considering his backstory we learned about in this episode. His concern about Laios being corrupted after killing the Mad Mage is reasonable (it's also somewhat unbased), and the fact he's concerned means he's going to be paying attention to and avoiding any corruption if he kills the Mad Mage. He's also got the motivation to prevent a repeat of Utaya, showing a concern for the livelihoods of strangers.

Honestly, I was initially thinking Chilchuck would be the one to defeat the Mad Mage, but having written all that out, it makes more sense narratively (to me, anyway) for Kabru to be the one to take the sword and defeat the Mad Mage.

And since I accidentally added a poll and don't know how to remove it without retyping everything on my phone

#delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi #laios touden #chilchuk tims #senshi #kabru #theory #poll #prophecy

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stah-l · 11 months ago

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ok now that the anime has reached the red dragon chapters.... i think ryoko kui has done such a fantastic job at creating this whole setup

i think its really cool how she sets the dungeon up to operate on almost video game logic in which people can easily be revived within the dungeon so when falin gets eaten there isn't a huge sense of urgency for both the viewer and for the other characters because it's played as just being the setup for the funny haha monster food story

and i DO think that this is deliberate because the viewers are lulled into this sense of "everything is going to work out!" because that's how the other characters see it too! they think getting falin from the dragon would be easy but fail to consider that she might actually be dead for good and when they pull falin's bones out of the dragon that becomes a very shocking realisation that the characters and the viewers get at the same time it's so *chefs kiss*

we can laugh at laios being so autistic (tm) about his monster food that he forgets about his sister but it's true! up till this moment in the story he thinks that everything is fine because it's always worked out in the past so falin becomes an afterthought... he makes the same mistake again during the winged lion arc and i don't think that's unintentional either- i like to think that to an extent he is holding out hope for her but i think it's more aligned with the themes that he is also in denial and doesn't want to believe that his sister is dead

#im sooooo normal about dungeon meshi #i love food and grief and living and loss and life and d #dungeon meshi spoilers #dungeon meshi

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trustross2 · 11 months ago

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Thinking more (spoilers for dungeon meshi manga).

Fuck, what a literally perfect execution of a “devil” in fiction. Like I thoroughly enjoyed the way Kui played with western fantasy tropes in order to ground them in reality and make them ecologically feasible. Stuff like the dragons using everything they can’t digest as food, or the succubi functioning as mosquitos. Plus the Monty python rabbit bit caught me way off guard in the best way!

But MAN, the demon were just *chefs kiss*. I play a lot of dnd, and absolutely adore monsters that can play with the mind of a player. Yeah sure a big demon getting summoned can hurt a lot of people, but the mind games you that are played when you are dealing with these hyper intelligent, hyper persuasive types of devils who desire something less gruesome, but more horrific than just endless blood and death.

A few things that I loved in the character of the winged lion. First is that it had contingencies out the ass, it had a contingency for when it first got sealed by thistle. It initially set its eyes on laios and began to worm into his mind, setting the seeds for a greater desire than to just save his sister, which wouldn’t help the demon much. Then, noticing this weak link in marcille, it decided to invest a bit of time in exploring that option too. Then even when that FAILs the demon is like “actually laios you were who I wanted all long!” Like this dude had PLANS, and that’s exactly how a hyper intelligent, essentially immortal, ageless creature has to function.

I also enjoyed the sheer amount of gaslighting homeboy did, alongside the other indirect methods of harming the dungeon master. It’s not too dissimilar to the parasites, but on one’s mind, overwhelming it with knowledge IT can handle, but KNOWS you can’t. Toying with its victims sense of truth, attempting to distort every fact around it to make IT seems like the most reasonable, well meaning one. And to a certain extent it IS until it eats you.

And probably the most important lie is that it can’t harm you or control you, which it can’t literally. But it is a hyper-dimensional creature older than time and you are a regular guy. So believing that is stupid! Especially when you consider its ability to eat Desires, simultaneously it’s raison d’être but one of its most powerful abilities. The way it can make you forget essentially anything it doesn’t want you to remember. A force so powerful that ability is it’s undoing in the end.

All this to say that the manga is really fuckin good honestly. It’s funny that I ran a similar creature in dnd recently, but I’m gonna be remembering this next time I do. Because probably the most clever thing that I wanna steal is how it pretends to be a good thing, setting up the slaying of ITS obstacles as good and righteous.

#manga #spoilers #dnd5e #dnd #Aboleth #thinking #dungeon meshi spoilers #dungeon meshi

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kinderartifact4 · 10 months ago

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First post on my Magic AU! Someone was interested in it, so, before I start on answering that ask I thought I’d post the species I’ve assigned to the characters for now. Just the hosts, gen 1 cast, and Emma & Kitty for now. Quite a few of them don’t have additional info because I couldn’t think of anything significant.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Chris & Chef- Humans

+Chris still hosts TD

+They’re both pretty much the exact same

+Chris is a little bit nicer though

Blaineley- Human

Don- Human

Josh- Human

Noah- Angel

+Burrowing Owl Wings

+Mage (very skilled in magic)

+Telekinetic

+Dated Cody after WT, but he broke it off due to religious backlash.

+He knows how to speak demon

Cody- Ajror Demon

+Blue Jay Wings

+Genetic magic, like all demons

+Deathly afraid of Driders, specifically the giant variety, so Phobia Factor definitely plays out differently for him

+He got the Cone of Shame during World Tour

+The whole “mauled by a bear” thing happens a bit differently; that bear was also fighting for it’s life, it was an equal opportunity mauling

+Tried so hard to court Noah during action and WT, but he didn’t do so well because he tried to be somewhat subtle this time around but Noah didn’t know what demon courting customs looked like so it flew right over his head.

+Cody was the one who kickstarted the revolution that lead to the war.

+His mother’s side of the family is Ajror nobility, so by default Cody is also nobility.

Emma & Kitty- Angels

+Magpie Wings

+Emma knows how to use a sword

+Kitty knows basic healing magic

+Emma and Jake’s break up played out differently in this AU

+To put it short, he was a specist prick who made it very clear he thought Emma looked better without her wings (for context, an Angel without their wings looks exactly like a human)

+Emma definitely still had her own flaws, but still

Eva- Satyr

Izzy- Halfbreed

+3/4 Demon, 1/4 Naga

+Tokë Demon(plant variety)

+One thing she got from being part Naga is her sense of smell; she can track people kinda like a bloodhound

Heather- Drider

+Magical knowledge is limited to making herself look more human

+Glamour magic, if you will

+Wild-Born

+She basically domesticated herself

+Type of venom is non-lethal, aka paralyzing

+She HAD siblings when she was little

Alejandro- Human

+Doesn’t have magic during the show, but discovers he has a magic ability known as “leeching” during the war

Sierra- Human

Duncan- Neko

+Lives up to his species ‘thief’ stereotype

+Really good at what he does too

Gwen- Naga

+Wild-Born

+Still claustrophobic, which is ironic because wild nagas typically live in burrows

+Uses glamour magic to make herself look more human

Owen- Naga

+Not Wild-Born

+Uses glamour magic

Trent- Mer

+Siren subspecies

+Uses magic through singing, but can also channel it through instruments

Bridgette- Mer

Justin- Elf

Ezekiel- Harpy

+Nobody likes him that much because of how his species is viewed, Noah especially

+Tries too hard to show he’s nothing like how his kind is depicted

DJ- Human

Courtney- Human

Leshawna- Human

Geoff- Human

Harold- Human

+No magic, typical human

+However he knows a lot about the other species customs and cultures and such

Tyler- Satyr

Lindsay- Faun

Beth- Human

Katie- Mer

Sadie- Mer

+Lion fish

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babymagi · 1 year ago

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More Ka'taarg/Fanalis thoughts bc I have ✨ideas✨

Kinda early on we're told that the symbol of the Pheonix was worshipped all across the Dark Continent/Ka'taarg, so like what if the Fanalis... weren't... dragons?

Yes yes I know what's canon and what Ohtaka decided to do in the story but like with the ryukh being birds I reject canon because I think something else makes more sense

Morgiana and the rest of the Fanalis, instead of being decent from dragons, could be decent from Pheonix's OR like Pheonix-Lion hybrid thing? (Manticore with Pheonix wings maybe??) I can't really name a specific mythical creature that aligns with that but that might fit better

I have this theory where all of the like countries we see in "new world" are directly connected to some kind of Alma Torran creature, and the Fanalis are just more closely related for whatever fucking reason

I just don't really think dragons makes a lot of sense for the Fanalis metaphorically speaking, oddly enough I feel like the Rens of the Kou Empire would be more fitting to fill that role

And also I think Pheonix symbolism with Morgiana is just absolutely MWUAH chef's kiss

#i don't care about canon fuck canon #MY canon now #magi #magi labyrinth of magic #fanalis #morgiana

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ausetkmt · 1 year ago

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Violent secret society plagued 1930s Detroit

Eighty years ago this spring, the murder of Detroiter Charley Poole led to the exposure of the Black Legion, a Klan-like organization that flourished in southeast Michigan. The revelation that tens of thousands of men, including police and elected officials, belonged to a violent, hooded secret society spawned hysteria, demands for a federal investigation and, too, a Humphrey Bogart movie.

Legion members were prosecuted for two murders, but they were responsible for dozens more, as well as beatings, bombings and dire plots.

The legion’s reign of terror rates as one of Detroit’s darkest moments but it coincided with one of its most glorious. Between autumn 1935 and spring 1936, the Tigers, Lions and Red Wings all won championships as undefeated boxer Joe Louis became a national figure.

Author Tom Stanton, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Detroit Mercy, delves into the legion’s activities in his new book, “Terror in the City of Champions.” This adapted excerpt details the 1936 Poole killing.

Dayton Dean, a pipe wrapper for the Detroit lighting commission, went to Eppinger Sporting Goods in Cadillac Square on Monday, May 11, 1936, to take target practice in the fourth floor range.

The next evening, Dean went to a gathering at Findlater Temple, a two-story structure with 20-foot columns at Waterman and West Lafayette. Nearby was an industrial area that included factories for American Brass and Fisher Fleetwood.

A “White Russian,” Victor Nicholas Schultz, lectured the crowd of nearly 50 legionnaires, decrying the communists who he said had destroyed his native land. He warned the same thing could happen in America. When Schultz finished, Col. Harvey Davis, leader of a legion regiment, took center stage.

There was another serious issue to be tackled, Col. Davis said. A Catholic man, Charley Poole, had beaten and kicked his expectant Baptist wife, Rebecca, so badly that she was in Herman Kiefer Hospital at the very moment, and her baby wouldn’t be born alive, he said.

There was one major problem with the story. It was untrue. Poole had not hit his wife. There had been no beating. Rebecca was in the hospital because she had delivered a second daughter.

Legionnaire Lowell Rushing had helped spread the false story. He disliked Charley Poole for having married Rebecca 18 months earlier. Rushing had grown up with Rebecca back in Danville, Tennessee. Some years back, Rebecca had spent a summer in the home of her sister, who was married to Rushing’s brother. Lowell had spent that same summer under the same roof and become smitten with pretty, 90-pound Rebecca and her high-pitched, childlike voice.

The rumor of the beating became embellished, and grew into the large tale that Col. Harvey Davis spread at the May 12 meeting, inflaming the men with colorful details and working them into a fervor. What should be done? he asked.

Poole had been mostly unemployed since losing his job around Christmas and was working two days a week with the WPA. Over the years, he had been a mechanic, a chef and a shipman on the Great Lakes, but money always seemed tight. The landlord was allowing him to stay temporarily with the understanding that he would pay him back once he found a job.

Poole was a talented athlete. Col. Davis told him he could get him a position that would include playing for the Timken Axle baseball team. He said he would send someone by later to take him to a team meeting to be measured for a uniform. It was not uncommon for some workers to be hired based on their ability to contribute in the competitive industrial sports leagues. Poole was a catcher, like the Tigers’ Mickey Cochrane.

That night, the livid crowd inside Findlater Temple called for justice. They demanded a beating, a lynching or a one-way ride for Charley Poole. Davis had already procured his gunmen, Ervin Lee and Dayton Dean. Others volunteered. Until then, some had done little with the Black Legion.

Twenty-two-year-old Urban Lipps had come to Michigan from Mississippi a year earlier. Feeling lonesome, he had accepted an invitation to a party, hoping to meet friends and build a social life outside his job at Hudson Motor Company. Instead, he was inducted into the legion. Thousands of men were tricked into joining. The ritual, conducted in the dark by robed men with guns, petrified Lipps. The only former members were dead members, he was told.

“A fellow hardly knows how he gets into these things,” he would say.

Poole must have thought his life was finally taking a turn for the better with the possibility of a decent job and a spot on a factory team. He may have wondered, though, if he had heard Col. Harvey Davis correctly, for Poole and two pals went to three beer gardens that evening looking for his baseball ride. They started out at Hayes Chop House around the corner from his flat. They walked next to the Blue Ribbon Café, a mile up Fort, and then proceeded to Joe’s Pavilion, a dancing spot across from Ternstedt Manufacturing.

At each place, Poole let the bartender know where he could be found if someone came looking. He wasn’t taking chances with his wardrobe, either. He looked smart, dressed in a second-hand, dark-brown suit, red tie, stylish pin-striped red-and-purple shirt, gray socks and black Oxfords. He was sitting in Joe’s Pavilion when blonde-haired Urban Lipps walked up to the table.

“Are you going to the baseball party?” Lipps asked.

“Sure,” Poole said.

The proposition sounded so good that all three men wanted to go. But there was room for only Charley Poole. They left the bar, and Lipps led Poole to a car. Poole slid into the backseat beside Dayton Dean. The nighttime caravan of four cars headed out of Detroit along Fort Street.

Poole was excited about the baseball meeting. Dean and Lipps kept up the charade by talking about the Tigers. Ever since the October World Series, baseball had been a topic of choice around town. Earlier in the day, the Tigers had shut out Boston. It was their second straight win.

Two cars made it over the Rouge River before the drawbridge lifted. The others waited for a ship to pass. The industrial skyline at nighttime was eerie, ominous and menacing. Floodlights — white, red, amber — dotted land and sky, spreading orbs over looming cranes and smokestacks and throwing shadows across hard, hostile structures. Flames flared from narrow pipes, and massive, forbidding buildings stood silhouetted against the sky. Ghostly clouds of illuminated smoke hovered around them.

Charley Poole noticed the moon. It shone large, a scuffed cue ball against a blue-felt sky. Poole commented to Dayton Dean about it as they drove. They were heading to Dearborn, holding close to the Rouge River where possible. Poole talked about his wife and two young daughters. Dean began feeling there was “something fishy” about Col. Harvey Davis’ tale of the beating. But he had his orders, and he knew he could be killed for disobeying them.

It was a long ride before they stopped along Gulley Road. A golf course lay 300 yards away. Lipps and Poole stayed in the car near a one-lane bridge. Dean and Ervin Lee got out to confer with Col. Davis and the other men. A bottle of liquor passed between them. Lee went back to the car and offered Lipps and Poole a drink. Poole declined.

He had begun to doubt the baseball meeting.

“What is this going to be, a party out under the stars?” Poole asked.

Lee laughed and said yes.

Col. Davis directed Dean to get Poole. Dean pulled out his .38 and .45. Poole didn’t fight as Dean ushered him to a spot near a ditch. He stood six feet from him. Lee was to Dean’s left. Col. Davis stayed behind both of them, armed with a revolver.

Poole asked why they had pulled guns. He said he hadn’t done anything.

“You’re a dirty liar,” replied Col. Davis. “You know what you’ve done and what you have been brought out here for. You know you beat up your wife — ”

“Boys, there must be some mistake,” he said. “I never — ”

Col. Davis swore at him. “You’ll never live to do it again,” he said.

Dean looked around. There wasn’t much light, and he couldn’t see Poole’s face. In the brief, quiet pause, Dean figured it was time to act. He fired at Poole. So did Lee, but off to the side. Dean shot eight times from the hip, unloading with both hands. Poole collapsed into the ditch. He had been struck six times. They waited to make certain he was dead. The pop of the gun awoke farmer Fred Shettleman, who figured it must be a backfiring car. He fell back asleep.

Col. Davis scolded Dean for shooting too early; he had wanted to lecture Poole some more. Col. Davis told the men to keep their mouths shut about the killing. They drove back to Fort Street. A few of them went to a German inn, where they sat amid cigar and cigarette smoke in the tawny light of a half-curtained barroom and chatted over beers.

Col. Davis walked home. The fresh air might clear his mind.

Poole slaying helped expose Black Legion

#the black legion #northern kkk #Violent secret society plagued 1930s Detroit #Detroit #white racism #northern racism #Black Lives Matter #hate crimes #michigan

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dunmeshi-would-you-eat · 6 months ago

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Summoned "Jam Pie"

#dm manga spoilers #delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi #food #polls #would you eat it poll #dungeon meshi spoilers #delicious in dungeon spoilers #manga spoilers #dungeon meshi manga spoilers #chef: marcille #chef: winged lion #ingredient: fruit #ingredient: wheat #sweet dish #regular dish #prepared dish

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mysteriouslybluepirate · 1 year ago

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Play with a trope today!

Fantasy!AU where the dragon attacking the village isn't real.

Royalty!AU where the kingdoms our protagonists are in are not powerhouses! Where having a wedding to marry off your kids won't fix everything. A story of king who's stressed out because of a war they are losing, and they're choice to give up or try to protect his remaining people and give up the title of king to flee, or die a ruler of an empty land.

ShapeShifter!AU where the badass shifter who never shifts becomes a tiny fucking butterfly. So they have to learn to fight bears, lions, and all that shit that other shifters can become. Overused? Sure. But it's still fun to think about. A person who craves flight but is stuck on land. Knowing that they are the most vulnerable when they feel the wind on their wings, but still wants it.

Vampire!AU where the vampire's best friend is iron deficient/anemic and the blood not only doesn't taste right but isn't nutritious enough to live off of. But the Vampire kind of went overboard explaining how important having a living blood bag was and now feels awkward turning it down. They're now slowly starving as they try to eat when their friend isn't looking.

Werewolf!AU but the werewolves activate not on the shifts of the moon, but instead, like Mermaids do to water. Total uncontrollable transformation. Total dog boy shit. Did they see a nature documentary of some gorgeous forest? Wolf. Dogs running in the park? Wolf. Society can be pro or against, Wolves separate from society or integrate. Who knows! Is this just ABO? Sure. But you can DO SOMETHING FUN with it!

Chef!AU but in this world food is actually what heals people. Hospitals have full floors full of bakers, chefs, and artisans who mix what we define as science with creation. Entire fairs and festivals where people celebrate like Hobbits do every birthday. Health and food are tied together. Food has become a celebrated part of life that we all need to function.

Fuck it, have your characters die and mysteriously come back! Why not!

Steal your favorite tropes, and have fun with it! Take your favorite stories and make -em wacky! Creation can be as cringy as you want! For example- I love that fucking gif! So I added it! WHY NOT!

YOU are the author! You are the CREATOR- YOU are in control!

If Hideo Kojima can release whatever the fuck Death Stranding is, where MOST gamers don't get the plot, and it's still regarded as a pretty good game? Where it's getting a fucking A24 movie to clean up the plot, and make a pretty decent horror/sci fi movie?

If millions can be spent releasing movies with poor scripts, alright acting and abysmal reviews-

Why is you sitting alone, thinking up some new ideas, suddenly a waste of time??

#writers block #writing #Yes I am mainly writing this for me.#Currently going through a lot of guilt about having any free time #mainly- because I have very little #But that's fine #this too shall pass

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augment-techs · 1 year ago

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what i watched/read in january

Saint Maud: 5/5 Quite the parlor trick that I spent the whole buildup to actually seeing it believing it couldn't possibly be as psychologically intense and questionable as people were making it out to be and--what do you know? I was actually drawn in an surprised. Especially by the "demonic possession" and "angel wings" leading up to the final scene.

Grabbed: Poets & Writers on Sexual Assault, Empowerment, and Healing, ed. by Blanco, Moro, Moustaki, and Albo: 5/5 This was all very moving and left me with much to think about. It didn't just take points from the female pov, but also the male and--I think?--trans and nonbinary. The poetry in itself was a surprise, the essays and confessions something more what I was thinking of. It was hard to choose my favorites from the lot, but the poem by Michael O'Mara using Pink stands out the most.

Shades of Blue: Writers on Depression, Suicide, and Feeling Blue, ed. by Amy Ferris: 5/5 Okay, I'm not going to lie, I read through this entire book and while all of them were deeply meaningful, the one that stuck in my brain was the one that included a knock-knock joke-- "Knock knock/Who's There?/Boo./Boo who?/Just boo, you dope. You're a ghost." -by judywhite-- Which...is kind of horrible, and yet stupidly endearing?

Frankie Drake Mysteries, season 4: 4/5 Okay, I really, really, really wanted to love this season, which is apparently the last we're getting from this series, but, like, apparently they HAD warning that they weren't getting a fifth season, had time to wrap up most loose ends and STILL left us with this COMPLETE BULLSHIT ENDING?! WTF?

My Neighbor: Art Inspired by the Films of Miyazaki: 3/5 I mean, some of this was very good, but this was not at all what I was expecting and it was kind of a let down that I had to order this from out of state from my library. I thought this was an essay AND art collective.

Humans, by Brandon Stanton: 5/5 I'm always reading and rereading this, and it never gets old and is always giving me something new to notice and think about. On this particular reread, the photos and people that stood out the most were a small child in New York in a lion costume who was quoted saying, "There's nothing hard about being four;" then a group shot of two boys and a girl I think in the Middle East, one of the boys saying, "We let her pick," while all three smile, holding up a kite with Barbie on it; and then a picture of a man just sitting against a building with a really beautiful anecdote he gave about reading tarot cards to make a living in New York city wherein he believes in the card, but not in the way fortune tellers do, "I believe in them like you'd believe in a poem. I believe in their aesthetics."

Eat a Peach: a Memoir, by David Chang: 5/5 Being a chef and restaurant owner and believing in the work while also having mental illness. I haven't read this kind of memoir before from the Korean immigrant perspective and this went much better than I would have thought. Mostly because I did not expect this to be so FUNNY in some places. I thought it would be lyrical (which it was) or quite philosophic (which it was) but the book cover--which was beautiful--kind of made me think this would read like a Sisyphean tragedy. Which it really wasn't. And also some of his analogies--especially the one about a Hogwarts Culinary Dark Arts Class--are going to be stuck in my brain for a while.

Calling Doctor Laura: A Graphic Memoir, by Nicole Georges: 3/5 Oh to be a young queer woman at the turn of the century whose mother is almost certainly an untreated narcissist with BPD and whose girlfriend was most definitely cheating on her while she worked out trying to get the truth about her not-actually-dead father while sifting through very unpleasant memories of neglect and emotional abuse. Not a fan of the art style, but the story was at least honest.

Cheshire Crossing, by Andy Weir & Sarah Andersen: 5/5 TEN-THOUSAND blessings on writers who both admit to writing fanfiction on their opening introduction AND an art style where the cast was presented as 80% poc, INCLUDING Alice & Dorothy themselves, while presenting Wendy as queer. YES TO ALL OF THIS.

How to Be an Artist, by Jerry Saltz: 4/5 Actually a very good collective for advice and practice, though I might disagree with some of the rules...just...a bit.

The Wendy Project, by Osborne & Fish: 4/5 A story of young grief in the aftermath of an accident. A modern retelling of Peter Pan, but without the explanation of separating grief and breakdown from reality...such as it is. I was actually rather pleased to see the more "human" Peter ignored for the sake of the Wendy.

The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories: ratings run from 1/5 to 6/5 depending on the artist and story. My favorites of the lot were The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull, by Nicole Chartland--which was beautiful and did NOT end in marriage, but did end in love--and Concerning the Hawk and the Owl, by Meredith McClaren--which was incredibly lovely and had very little NEED of words.

Kimi Can't Communicate vol. 16, by Oda Tomohito: 5/5 Best parts about this would be: -Tadano playing the sports festival and getting crushed on HARD by Manbagi, Katai, and Komi. -Maeda, the school's top sprinter, having a thing for GILFs. -Suteno not giving Tadano a single thought and getting his headband taken without Tadano even blinking. -EVERYONE (bar Komi and Manbagi) feeding Tadano lunch. -The first time Tadano pats Komi on the head = KOMI WANTS MORE!! -Return to the Cat Café, complete with Manbagi getting a little pervert tomcat and Tadano once again pulling in the prettiest kitty in the area by being himself. -Shousuke and his Dad have a Father-Son day--and it becomes very obvious that Shousuke totally deserves Hitomi as the only curse he'll ever get. -Emoi Awards. -Tadano saves Manbagi's goldfish. -The whole voting process for the Culture Festival--once more, Komi is made to be the golden idol. -The Rehearsal of Najimi's play and The Cold-Blooded Princess. -It might be for the play, but Komi finally tells Tadano, "I like you."

The Vincent van Gogh overseas history DVD: 3/5 I suppose this is useful in terms of understanding and reference, but I didn't much care for the directing and editing style.

Big Trouble in Little China: 5/5 I FINALLY get to watch the movie with the women that have green eyes sacrificed to a dragon spirit in the name of a dark sorcerer cursed for over a thousand years in San Francisco. I haven't seen this movie since I was in kindergarten and should never have watched it to begin with. It is infinitely more entertaining and unpredictable than most anything coming out of the industry today. I had totally forgotten that Samantha from Sex and the City and Steve Stronghold from Sky High were acting here. I cannot believe John "Halloween" Carpenter directed this.

Disney's A Twisted Tale Anthology: -What if Snow White Learned Magic: 3/5 -What if Mulan became the Emperor's Advisor: 4/5 -What if Remy met Colette First: 5/5 -What if Anastasia had a change of Heart: 4/5 -What if Jim Hawkins joined the Pirates: 2/5 -What if history wasn't Quite Right about Robin Hood: 4/5 -What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him: 3/5 -What if Tinkerbell was working for Captain Hook: 3/5 -What if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia: 5/5 -What if the Triplets visited the Witch: 3/5 -What if Madam Mim and Merlin wet to school together: 3/5 -What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair: 3/5 -What if Hercules's first day as a god didn't go as planned: 2/5 -What if Bambi didn't want to be a Great Prince: 5/5 -What if Aurora knew about the curse: 4/5

Komi Can't Communicate vol. 15, by Oda Tomohito: 5/5 -Isagi is introduced with a HUGE arc to become Student Council President -Isagi has poor communication/OCD/Extreme germaphobia and touch aversion -Ase presents and comes through as Isagi's Truest Friend -Tadano sees Pretty Cat Komi -Yamai gets Komi to play Twister with her...in the school hallway...and passes out when she gets EXACTLY what she wants -Hitomi initiates a Shousuke/Ai + Hitomi & Yamada "date night" complete with coffee drinks, prize games (Hitomi won Ai a stuffed panda) and a movie at the theater -Ai had fun~ -Isagi plays Rock/Paper/Scissors/Hammer/Helmet against the entire class and WINS -Najimi insists on Isagi keeping the hammer (she's too good not to have it) -The previous Class President is utterly TERRIBLE at her job -The class take glamor shots together in an effort to get Isagi to smile for her election photo; but only managed to get a very on point shot of her menacing Najimi (which works better) -Isagi forgot to choose her campaign representative, but as usual, BLESS TADANO, "Don't worry about it. We don't care who you pick." -Isagi wins after a truly heartfelt speech from Ase. -Time for school physicals; Tadano is a half inch taller than Komi (who is SO GLAD) -Manbagi stresses about her crush on Tadano -Komi and Shousuke are forced by their mother to invite friends to dinner; Komi invited Manbagi, Ase, and Tadano...Shousuke ONLY invited Yamada, but Hitomi being Hitomi invited herself and Ai -Tadano gets to shine as the most polite person on the planet by being the ONLY PERSON at the table to say Yamada Sanjurokuro's name correctly (which may or may not lead to yet another crush on him; bringing his fan club up to, what, twelve now?)

Komi Can't Communicate vol. 14, by Oda Tomohito: 5/5 -The only thing that keeps sinking into my brain about this particular issue is the entire fair situation wherein Tadano, Komi, Manbagi, and Katai get sucked into working at Agari's aunt's food stall by Najimi. -Fushima continues to cheer on Katai/Tadano from the sidelines (and me along with her). -But the kicker is Manbagi finally warming up to Tadano and Hitomi & Onemine & Sasaki & Sato FREAKING OUT -Komi is just glad they get along -Hitomi is glad that Tadano continues to be Tadano and does not understand the concept of ANYONE having a crush on him. This precious boy.

Komi Can't Communicate vol. 13, by Oda Tomohito: 4/5 -It was fucking MAJESTIC to see Nakanaka playing around with an umbrella after sunset like a gun, running aground of the Four Monarchs, an out of town city woman playing dead when she said, "BANG!" to be polite--and her running away as fast as she could with the Monarchs finding the situation quite interesting but the woman on the ground wondering when she could get up again. -Najimi sets up a horror challenge at Katai's WITHOUT ASKING HIM--but it's fine. His friends are proud of him and he is so SOFT.

Komi Can't Communicate vol. 11, by Oda Tomohito: 5/5 -Summer vacation wherein the Komi and Tadano family end up at the same outdoor game park. -Hitomi continues to be Shousuke's unwanted but entirely necessary cheerleader. -Komi unlocks a kink by seeing the rim of Tadano's underwear. -Nakanaka/Yamai is VERY encouraged by Sukida (and myself as well). -The Four Monarchs are introduced to the class and it is SO fucking funny watching them fail to impress or scare ANYONE in this new class. Especially Tadano; it is so awesome.

3 Generations DVD: 4/5 A lesbian, poly, trans family making their way through the son's transition and the messy secrets the mother left behind in an effort to get written permission to start testosterone. I'm a little sad that the main actor wasn't actually trans but...Elle Fanning is still Elle Fanning, so the acting was *chef's kiss*.

Pawn Sacrifice DVD: 5/5 I already wanted to punch Bobby Fischer when he was alive for being both a genius and the biggest fucking asshole, but Toby Maguire was a fucking majestic BEAST in this piece illustrating opposite Liev Scheiber just HOW MUCH chess players during the Cold War did not inspire envy. Every actor in this film was a blessing, but DAMN, these two are awesome.

Little Panic: A Memoir, by Amanda Stern: 4/5 Oh, holy shit; I knew the 80s were terrible for women, but to have an anxiety disorder on top of a learning disorder in New York's East Village at the time was nothing short of just AWFUL.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir, by Elna Baker: 4/5 This is useful in being a funny and darkly honest commentary/critique of diet culture, New York single life, religion, growth, and cues into life in-between. But All the way through I could not help but feel a little bit irked by the author.

From Boys to Men, edit. by Ted Gideonse & Rob Williams: 5/5 My fourth time reading this and it gets better every single time--especially in that these are queer men of all ages, races, and types, and just feels NICE. -The Story I Told Myself, by Soehnlein: inventing the self through playing with the little people in your head to make some pretty awesome soap operas -Sleeping Eros, by McAllister: considerations on divorce and brotherhood and a father who might have also been gay -Preppies are my Weakness, by Dolby: the essay that basically promises that those you're attracted to at ages 14-17 are Your Type (interestingly, for those of my mutuals reading this; I kept picturing Billy Cranston and Jason Scott, even though Jason would NEVER treat Billy like that). -Barbie Girls, by E.K. Anderson: Mid-80s realizing the politics of "romance" at age 11 and meeting a kindred soul at summer camp -Signs, by R.C. Green: exploring sexuality from the POV of an inner city, poc athlete that had a LOT of anger and internalized homophobia -And much, much, MUCH more.

A Gift From a Ghost, by Borja Gonzalez: 6/5 This is such a beautiful graphic novel for the consideration of how the future is a reflection of the past and how the past has little touches of understanding the future. Possibly it is also a thought piece on reincarnation? Dimensions and time spotting? Either way, the choice for the characters to be faceless and wit the looks of very pretty mannequins while building up the surroundings and wardrobe was MAGNIFICENT.

Change the Game, by Kaepernick: 4/5: A graphic memoir about the growth of a black football player from a white family who would eventually take the knee in protest to racist, sexist, political lashings. Not my favorite art style, but I can appreciate the lighting and line technique.

Goodbye: A Story of Suicide of Hailee Joy Lamberth: 2/5 A good attempt at humanizing and rationalizing, but for me, personally, it was a little too bright, shiny, sanitized...And not to mention a bit self-indulgent.

The Books that Changed My Life, edit. by Bethanne Patrick: 5/5 I have my favorites in the writers and in the books they chose and in the essays they wrote on them. But Gillian Flynn, Margaret Atwood, Peter Coyote, and Sofia Coppola's choices were my favorites.

Komi Can't Communicate vol. 4, by Oda Tomohito: 5/5 -Komi and Tadano try and say each other's first name...and fail SPECTULARLY. -They swapped kitty keychains (a tabby and an ebony) -Inaka makes her first appearance in a Subway parody -Nakanaka/Yamai is establishing itself through Tadano trying to teach them "Komi Speak."

#reading lists #movie lists #my humble opinion #reference

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