#dunmesh rambles

[malaierba]

Kabru would have such an amusing time observing Toshiro

Because Toshiro is such a funny mix of stoic AND (somewhat) expressive. He manages to maintain a carefully schooled expression, but he's still you know. Kind of transparent? Kabru would definitely pick up on his tells anyway.

He'd just be saying shit and watching the gap between what Shuro says and the ways in which his body language leak his real feelings

[jadequarze]

The victims of Marcille's 'healing' are something special

Marcille everyone, truly

[ehhgg-art]

you ever think about the fact that laios won not by being a monster but by being human.

monsters as we’ve seen throughout the manga are predictable, they have this rhythm to them that, once someone understands, can be used to take them out. take kelpies like anne where laios states that she is just a monster and cannot be trusted. even kensuke is “just a monster after all”, running away from danger when laios needs it most. kensuke is beloved by laios not just because he is a monster, but because laios, in human fashion, anthropomorphized him in his mind (giving him a name, etc.)

but people are different. they are multifaceted, non-monolithic creatures. long lived races are not all pious and apathetic towards short lived races as we see with marcille and senshi. chilchuck actively works against the prejudice against half-foots. tallmen from every region have their cultural differences as we see with shuro and laios/falin. even “demi-humans” like orcs have depth to them, having rich culture and values despite the general idea that they are a violent pillaging race.

even laios’ family and village, the nexus point for his dislike of people, have depth to them. though their parents did not actively protect their children, they did not wish harm on them either. the exorcisms performed on falin by their mother was harmful in laios’ eyes, but helpful in his mother’s perspective.

laios himself, despite loving monsters and hating humans, is so very painfully human. he hates humans but has risked life and literal limb to save his sister and his party. he loves monsters but is aware of their dangerous nature and spares them no mercy.

(big spoilers under the cut)

the winged lion mistook laios as a one dimensional entity, one which only operates on a one track mind without paradox. it thought laios to operate like a monster, and so it approached his desires like one. it believed that laios, being so obsessed with monsters, must behave like one as well, so completely disregarded the fact that laios could have something up his sleeve.

but laios is not a monster, he is human. he has ulterior motives, overlapping beliefs, contradicting values. it is his humanness that made him explain to his party what to do when things went awry. it is his humanness that allowed him to lie. lie to the world about his true plan as well as lie to the winged lion about his intentions.

sure laios WANTS to be a monster, that much is definitely true. but what he IS is a different story. laios is an unpredictable, sporadic, messy human being. it is that fact which the winged lion overlooked, and ultimately led to its downfall and laios’ victory.

[not-a-hawk]

I’m watching dunmeshi with my mom and I swap between calling it dungeon meshi and calling delicious in dungeon which means she rarely remembers the title and tends to just call it “[my] show” except for the time she called it “dungeon- uh- dungeons and diners and dives or whatever it’s called”

[szalnyshko]

(•Д•), Dunmeshi is over taking me!! [spoilers ahead!]

So, I’ve already finished the manga and I’m now waiting for the new episode but during the gap I’ve been consuming fandom content, as per use. Now, the character that I’ve been consuming the most fandom content is Laios cause he’s so jdjdjsjs, and this idea has been fluttering round my head because I’ve only seen THREE actual posts/works about this. Two being fics and one being a tumblr post.

The specific idea is a sibling swap, Falin and Laios, and I’m suffering from lack of content from it!! Only two fics and one tumblr post [ТдТ] One of the fics is Laios and making his desire to be to swap with Falin, and what he thinks will happen. The other is Falin going through the dungeon to save Laios and it’s specific the episode that’s coming out this Thursday, so chapter 27/28 in manga I think.

Like this concept really gets me going cause it changed the whole dynamic of how things would play out. Laios being there meant they met Senshi because Laios was interested in eating monsters. Falin, although she does have an interest, would not have that strong of an interest in eating monsters. I also feel she may not realise it’s hunger that caused them to fail because she was focused on protecting her brother and the party, literally letting herself get eaten to save her brother. She also would not have intimate knowledge of monsters so the party may have a harder time killing monsters.

I think Marcille and Chilchuck would still be in the party. Marcille doesn’t seem to have a deep connection with Laios at the start, with her clashing with Laios and his monster eating habits. Plus the prior encounter where she wanted to kill him for taking Falin away from magic school. This bond deepens between them as they go down the dungeon and she obviously cares for the rest of the party, feeling betrayed that Namari and Shuro [I keep forget your actual name] left. But I feel if it were Lauos to get eaten she wouldn’t be as motivated as she is with Falin [Lesbian icon!] because she doesn’t get to connect with him. This then brings into question, would she revive Laios and risk being jailed by the elves?

She probably would because it’s Falin who asked but there would be more hesitation. Especially with Chilchuck who is against it no matter what.

Talking about Chilchuck, I feel he would stay out of obligation. The same reason he stayed with Laios originally. I think his dynamic wouldn’t change that much but maybe he’d see Falin and Marcill closer to his daughters [?] or maybe he’d have a gripe cause of their relationship as we already know he doesn’t do inter party relationships.

Namari would still leave but I think Shuro would be more hesitant, his love for Falin possibly making him stay for a little bit.

Of course we have the problem with money and food but I think Falin has enough people skills to gather some things. But, because she lived with Laios for some time and heard about his monster fantasies, maybe she’d consider eating monsters. I feel people would be more likely to listen to her rather than Laios [sorry buddy] but still question it. However, Shuro did have a whole crew so maybe he’d help with that and we’d have a whole different crew dynamic.

Talking about that, I wonder how Kabru and his party would interact with Falin’s party. How’d the Namari reunion go? What would Falin’s desire be? How would the finale fight be? Would Laios have a cool chimera bod like Falin?

So many questions for my tiny brain….

[sporadicroadwolfflower]

Hey. Everyone realizes that all the bell reactions are cut from the anime right? Like Laios fucking around and annoying Toshiro and stuff.

I think staff is planning to revisit those scenes when the entire team reunites later you know. Cuz think about it, it would be funny as shit.

Laios- "hey guys😃! Sorry for not contacting you for so long. We must've worried you right🥺?!"

Toshiro and Kabru, having flashbacks- ".....not really."

[janet-the-interplanet]

[half-blood-goods]

Getting back into Dungeon Meshi at the same time as I was getting into Stardew Valley has been quite the experience, resulting in the most random crossover ideas.

Like why do I wanna see Abigail (who eats rocks) and Laios (who eats pretty much anything slightly monstrous) just chatting. You can't tell me Linus and Senshi wouldn't vibe, that's just facts. Chilchuck and Shane? Come on.

I wanna see the gang in the Mines, the Skull Cavern or the Volcano. Laios would have a field day with all the monsters. Hell, they'd probably make for a good meal too, I mean the volcano basically has the walking mushrooms already.

Just whatever happens, keep Krobus away from them.

[possamble]

⭐️!!

OKAY SO a lot of people really love the last section in a little creature chapter 4:

She’s spent her entire life making herself smaller, quieter, less consequential, just to ensure no one else would hurt because of her. But she won’t do it to anyone else. She won’t do it to her little dragon, this small creature forced to be at her mercy through no fault of its own. It has done nothing but lend her strength, make her honest and brave where she has been a coward all her life — it’s only fair that she shares her voice, shares her life with it.  But Marcille, it cries. Marcille. If I'm quiet, you could have Marcille.  She could. But she won't. Because, if this is all it takes to render her unlovable — some feathers, fangs, and a resolution to be more outspoken — then so be it. If it’s a choice between letting her dragon have its fair share of their life or getting to be with Marcille, then so be it. Let there be no going back, may the dragon tear her apart if she should ever succumb to the temptation of familiarity — life changes, and she will change with it.  We’re in this together now, she tells the dragon, curling around herself. And I’ll always choose you, I promise. 

And I'm super happy bc it was honestly the emotional centrepiece of the entire chapter/the thing I was building up towards!!

While I did fully intend it to be a moment of triumph for Falin's character, I mentioned her inability to care for herself in the absence of an externalized inner child-like entity because I wanted the explore the idea of... I guess, things that are good for you in one moment not always being a sustainable coping method in the long run?

Which isn't to say that you shouldn't engage in these methods to begin with! For Falin, being able to semi-externalize another creature to take care of is a good thing at that moment, because it gives her the bravery to choose her own wellbeing. She needs that, because she's not ready to choose herself in earnest just yet--but no one is able to go from self-erasure to self-confidence without any awkward inbetweens.

But I did want to set up the foundation for exploring that, if she isn't able to further evolve from this mindset, she won't be able to grow. The little dragon inside her is, unfortunately, a bit of a schroedinger's inner child situation--it's real and it isn't. Yes, there may be impulses that feel fully foreign that Falin can identify as coming from the dragon--but for the most part, it's just a part of her the way that any other aspect of her personality is. It being a separate entity inside her is entirely dependent on how she wants to think about it.

Ultimately, she needs to be able to choose herself for the sake of choosing herself and nothing else, or this newfound confidence will crumble. She needs to be able to take care of herself even if it doesn't benefit anyone other than herself--she can't keep using a helpless creature as a crutch forever.

I can't say too much more because it's all stuff that I'm planning in future chapters, but the dragon will be popping in and out somewhat inconsistently to reflect Falin's flimsy conceptualization of it as her companion.

On a slightly unrelated note, I was a little self-conscious about this section because it's far from the first time I've done something along those lines--it's essentially a rehash of a character moment I had in a Code Vein fic from a few years ago:

(the premise being that superhuman vampires are created by implanting special parasites into corpses, and the main character is a neurotic little girltwink who never gives herself enough credit for anything)

And for the first time since she was revived, Mia feels… kind of bad for her parasite. It’s so easy to think that all the consequences of being a revenant are simply a part of her as a singular identity— she needs blood to survive, she has superhuman strength and durability, and so on and so forth. But in reality, it’s… it’s all thanks to the living thing wrapped around her heart right now. Inside her chest is another creature that’s just doing its best to stay alive; in a way, they’re in this together, her and her little heart bug.  Poor thing. She’s put it through a lot. 

[...]

She scoffs quietly at the theatricality of it all. It’s a new day, and she’s greeting it all by herself in her room but she doesn’t feel quite so alone anymore— she never has been, in the end, even when all else failed.  Good morning, she thinks to the creature keeping her heart together. I’ll take better care of you today, I promise. 

(Please excuse the clumsy writing it was years ago and also I do hope to go back and finish this one someday I swear)

But then I thought about it and realized that... this pseudo-externalized inner child thing is something I've done in nearly every major chaptered fic I've written. In my Tales of Berseria postcanon, I have this entire theme about the main character's insecurity about still grieving her incredibly abusive adoptive father, then have it culminate in a segment where she's flirting with her love interest by facetiously gossiping about her own alter ego:

“Might I suggest you not take it too seriously?” Magilou sighs, letting her shoulders fall slack. “It’s a light enough subject without the weight of the context— and this sweetheart of yours does like to spin her stories, no?” she laughs, shaking her head. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was taken in by a great wizard who raised her as his own. To this day, she still loves him very much,” she admits, and it’s only her own facetious tone that keeps her from stumbling. “And there has never been a reason why this would ever indicate a lack of self-respect." In some unspoken way, Aneirin is a lie that she tells for herself: to indulge the fond memories without having to explain herself to anyone. To let those sad parts of her exist, that little girl who loved her father so very much— Because, in the end, how could she not? He was a shitty parent and worse caretaker besides; but in a world full of people who called her an abomination— fellow exorcist or no— he was her only bastion.  And maybe that child who still loves her father doesn't deserve to be reviled for the very fact. 

(okay tbh i AM super proud of having finished this massive postcanon thing so if you like the ToB girls at all, pls give the series a look)

So that's 2 for 2 on self-sacrificing blonde girltwinks learning to take care of themselves more by embracing an alternate self--it's kind of funny that I'm doing it again, but with the girltwink's love interest instead. Not to mention that it's not supposed to be a one-and-done character breakthrough that remains positive, so we'll see how this one goes!!

[folansstuff]

Finished Dungeon Meshi

I'm going to fucking cry.

I have so many thoughts about this, but I'm gonna write about them later.

Anyway, read Dungeon Meshi, it is so good.

[malaierba]

i always thought that the pose Toshiro strikes falling down the hole was funny in a, idk, retro anime way, guys posing in ways you only see in anime etc

Looking at it closer today I noticed that he's actually raising his hands here, probably to avoid touching Rin in a way that may parse as rude

stupid observation but i find it sweet since its consistent with something stablished about his character (Ryoko Kui pays a lot of attention to body language and mannerisms, makes it fun to pay attention to them) and also just. justifies a stupid little pose. lol.

Unrelated but I really like this scene where he's just resigned himself to being a wall between Flamela arguing directly with Rin lol.

I wonder if he did it because he felt it was The Right Thing To Do, or if it's more of a thing he's USED to doing? Maybe when there's a disagreement between his teammates in the Nakamoto household he's the designated person who tries to put some distance between everyone? Maybe he took up this role himself, in true "I hate conflict so much please stop fighting" fashion?

Or maybe he sensed that Rin feels more uneasy around Flamela than the other way around (Rin looked quite panicked when she bumped into her, shout out to that one meta post that points out how in her backstory it seems that its Flamela who takes her away), so he's instinctively taking her side.

[jadequarze]

I'm laughing so much at dubbed Izutsumi screaming It's SO GOOD

Welcome to 'healer Marcille' club Izutsumi, you're officially in the group

[heyitslapis]

Falin would see a mouse and eat it.

Falin would see a mouse and be like "is anyone else gonna eat this?" and not wait for an answer

[red-might-be-dead]

started watching dungeon meshi, i fucking love that twenty-eight year old alcoholic prick

[possumkingluca]

ok I've finally decided to watch dungeon meshi after it's been covering my dash for the past like two weeks and yeah okay I get the hype now

[indihome-suck]

if i make a lokal dunmesh au what then. masbro kabru… menyala abangku…. aaaaaaaaa

LOCAL DUNMESH AU FOR THE WIN!!!