#reading available

[tunafishjournal]

I’ll Turn A Cartwheel For You

I always loved the smell of lighter fluid on a warm summer’s day. It meant everyone was going to be in a good mood, and we were going to eat sumptuously. The dads got liquored-up friendly. Each dad relived his football days, even if he never lived them in the first place. Backyard pick-up games became historical in the shade of the reminiscent days. Hamstrings were pulled in today’s nostalgic play, but there are beers for that ailment. Sons were thrown into the game, while daughters did cartwheels on the poorly defined sidelines. Then a dad would enter the women’s kitchen with a status on the meat. Everything pended upon the Men’s contribution was the consensus white lie. The dad, with a ticking pass inside the kitchen, pumped-up conditioning a welcome repeal from outside, would pinch ambrosia or watergate salad. A salad that, on any other day, would not be considered a salad. An unwelcome trespass on the mom’s dishes without washing hands, but a forgiven transgression today. And if not too drunk, he was pinching his own wife with a wink. During the fades between adventure and make-believe games, the children soaked up the joviality of the adults; a sneak peek of who we were to be.

-  Leah Holbrook Sackett, TFJ Issue One: Celebrations

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[templegate]

Awakened Hajime and Asleep Kamukura

[elizabysmal]

THE momokarun post. to me

[companionquest]

Really is fun how in other Dragon Age games bi companions were often written to not talk about past same-sex relationships (sometimes unless they’re being romanced in a Gay way (see for example: Anders discussing Karl)), while in Veilguard I’ve gotten banter from nearly every single companion about their past gay loves.

Frequent reminders that they’re not “Playersexual,” but textually and canonically queer!! It’s refreshing.

[horsechestnut]

The dichotomy between Jason dying because he disobeyed Batman and Stephanie dying specifically because she was trying to follow his rules is so good, and yet so under utilized.

[wiltkingart]

Asche and Vindt from Ocean's Blood by Thelma Mantey

[dunmeshistash]

Ryoko Kui Exhibition & "Delicious in Dungeon" Exhibition

Kui's published mangas, descriptions from the exhibition english pamphlet

The dragon's school is on top of the mountain

This is Ryoko Kui's debut work, and her first collected volume of works. Published in 2011, it collects seven of her stories previously published on her website and in doujinshi (self-published works), as well as two new stories. It includes a trilogy of tales which may have taken place behind the scenes of the heroes' adventures in a Role-Playing Game; and which follow the conventions of an RPG. These are "Kikyō" (Return home), which portrays the sorrow of a hero having returned to his hometown after defeating the Demon King; "Mao" (The demon king), which tells the tale of the Demon King from his birth to his downfall; and "Maō jō mondai" (The problem of the demon king castle), which depicts the course of events surrounding the demon castle having lost its master. The story "Gendai shinwa" (Modern myths) depicts the daily lives of coexisting horsepeople (centaurs) and ape-people (homo sapiens), told from the perspectives of a centaur and homo sapien married couple, and a female homo sapien company employee and her junior male centaur. It comically depicts real-life issues such as anti-labor regulation demonstrations, and the disparity between retirement benefits and life expectancy, and as such can be considered satire of the diverse issues faced by modern society. The title story "The dragon's school is on top of the mountain" is set in a university that has the only "Faculty of Dragons" in Japan. It depicts the members of the dragon research society who seek out ways to use dragons, which apparently have no demand in modern society. They explore uses for dragons, such as for food, as pets, and as advertising media. Other highlights include Kui's sad love stories, told from unique perspectives, such as the fairytale-esque "Daikon yama no yome sagashi" (A bride for Daikon mountain) which tells the tale of a man's efforts to marry a female god in order to bring fortune to his poor village, and "Shingaku tenshi" (School-going angel) which depicts the woes of a high school girl with angel wings.

Seven Little Sons of the Dragon

This collection of short stories includes self-published works and short stories published in KADOKAWA publishing's magazine Fellows! throughout 2011 and 2012. The collected volume was published in 2012. The stories are set in different countries and time periods, featuring supernatural beings such as dragons, mermaids, gods, and werewolves. "Ryū no Shōtō” (The dragon turret) is set in two neighboring mountains and sea kingdoms. A dragon builds a nest and lays eggs on the border at the only crossroad connecting two warring nations. The nations declare a ceasefire in fear of the dragon, but as peddlers are also unable to come and go, supplies become scarce. A Sea Kingdom soldier who was taken as a prisoner of war by the Mountain Kingdom is tasked with transporting supplies between the kingdoms, and in time he becomes close with a girl of the mountain Kingdom. But the time for the dragons to leave their nest is approaching, meaning that the war will begin again. “Ōkami wa uso wo tsukanai" (Wolves don't lie) starts out with the premise of being a parenting manga by a manga artist whose son has "werewolf syndrome", then suddenly turns into a story told from the perspective of the son, who is a werewolf. The feudal drama "Kane nashi Byakuroku" (Byakuroku the penniless) tells the story of an elderly gifted artist who always leaves out one eye because otherwise his creatures come to life and pop out of the paper. He is deceived by his apprentice and left penniless, so paints both eyes into the only work remaining, counterfeit picture of a samurai. He enlists the somewhat incompetent fake samurai who has come to life, to help him raise money, and misadventures ensue. Each of these precious seven stories depict the bond between parents and children, family members, and loved ones. While humorous, they are also emotionally stirring.

Terrarium in Drawer

This is a collection of short stories that were published in the literary web magazine MATOGROSSO (EAST PRESS), as well as the cat anthology “Nyansolo” (EAST PRESS), Aoharu (Shueisha) and doujinshi. The story “Ryū no gekirin" (Wrath of the dragon) portrays the process of cooking dragon cuisine from preparation to seasoning with trivia about the ingredients. "Kigō wo taberu" (Eating symbols) depicts unique ways of cooking symbols such as circles being fied whole, while squares are sliced thinly and served with sashimi soy sauce. A motif that is also common in "Delicious in Dungeon" can be found in these stories. Other chapters include “Kawaiku naritai" (I want to be cute) which depicts the makeup techniques of a cat who wants to be beautiful; "Shōtoshōto no shujinkō" (A short, short story's protagonist) which is a meta perspective comedy while having many twists and turns; and "Yume no aru hanashi" (A dreamy story) set in a Santa Claus temping agency during the busy season. You can enjoy 33 diverse stories with creative perspectives and approaches, ranging from science fiction to fantasy and fairy tales. Another charming aspect of this book is the wide variety of styles it showcases, from shojo manga, to horror, gekiga, and even a simple touch of experience-based manga. The homages to famous authors and their works are also quietly amusing. In 2013, this collected volume won the 17th Manga Division Excellence Award of the Japan Media Arts Festival, organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which is awarded to outstanding works of art and entertainment.

Delicious in Dungeon

This is Ryoko Kui's first long-running series. It began serialization in Harta published by KADOKAWA from February 2014 to 2023, spanning a total of 14 book volumes. The story is set in an expansive labyrinth that suddenly appeared on an island one day. The main character Laios is an adventurer whose sister Falin is devoured by a Red Dragon while exploring the labyrinth. Falin casts a final magic spell which lets Laios and the rest of his companions escape the labyrinth, but they return to rescue and resurrect Falin. However, having lost their equipment and supplies, the group decides to become "self-sufficient” by cooking and eating the monsters they defeat along their way, as they adventure deeper into the labyrinth. Grounded in the familiarity of classic fantasy RPG elements, the series adds its own unique settings and meticulous world building. Its monster cooking scenes are illustrated alongside detailed cooking instructions, making it a never-before-seen labyrinth gourmet manga, which has become an overnight sensation. According to Kui, the motif of "cooking monsters" was born from an idea she had of wanting to depict what falls between the lines of adventures, such as meals and camping, which are typically not depicted in roleplaying games*. The manga has been adapted as a television anime series to run for two seasons from January to June 2024. A second series has also been announced. The series was produced by TRIGGER inc., who also produced and animated a commercial for the manga in 2019.

[caeliflammae]

anne rice said "erotica", the fans said "oh hm this is horror and abuse! let's turn this into a deeply upsetting character study about how abuse can create cruel people who perpetuate cycles."

iwtv (2022) writers said "this is a literal fucking saw trap" the fans said "but what if they were in love <3"

[tenowls]

SYSTEM COLLAPSE!!!!!!!

[valoale]

Keepin’ it professional

Been reading chew me up, but don’t spit me out by damagecontrol religiously for these past few days and let me tell you I am DEVOTED I mean, like, I love everything about it and my soul is for sale and I just had to draw Regulus is his docs despite being awfully rubbish at drawing shoes but shhhh it’s a good practice

[op-dumpstertruck]

Sanji is walking through life like a zombie not only because his mutations kicked in, but also because he just doesn't sleep.

[tunafishjournal]

Song

Like clockwork toys clicking and whirring

And wound up to a whistle

The cicadas sing rounds a capella 

Fireflies dance at the water’s edge

Each a tiny living lantern in the darkness

Their flames snuffed out and rekindled

From moment to moment

The dark river an unceasing symphony

The trills, croaks and hoots of the soloists

Cutting through the night

My little one turns to me and laughs

I think the cicadas are singing for my birthday, she says

Soon she’ll turn three

And the cicadas will sing for her

- Ruth Callaghan do Valle (she/her), TFJ Issue One: Celebrations

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[starreiii]

[deep-space-lines]

Full-Size / True Color Version

Sometimes I think about the fact that first living being to orbit the Earth couldn't understand what was happening to her, couldn't understand the history she was making. Laika wasn't a volunteer. The technology to bring her back alive didn't exist. They sent her up anyway. She died, scared and alone, in a malfunctioning spacecraft hastily built to meet a political deadline.

When her heart rate tripled from the stress of acceleration, did she understand the magnitude of what she was experiencing? When she saw the stars outside her little window, did she believe the world had gone dark? In her final hours, did she feel wonder, or just fear?

"The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it. We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog. When you understand that you can’t bring back Laika, that she perishes out there, and that no one can bring her back…that is a very heavy feeling." Oleg G. Gazenko

For me, there's some small consolation, at least, in knowing that although her death was unnecessary and cruel, Laika will never be forgotten. I love you, Laika. May you find peace among the stars.

Prints are available here.

[genderkoolaid]

reading abt pauli murray..... forget he should've been at the club. he should've been on t

[whatlurksbean]

I know everyone hates Trout but seeing people basically saying Sturgeon should give into her suicidal ideation and kill her kinda sucks. Trout's misery and trauma are probably the most relatable for me so it just hurts. Obviously not your fault, and people can dislike Trout all they want, but I wish people would at least treat this specific part respectfully

Yeah, it bothers me quite a bit.

Like Trout sucks, she sucks so much, she just got Tusk killed, she deserves all the hate she gets. She deserves to face what she did and face justice.

BUT right now, in the moment, she is having a severe panic attack and voicing suicidal thoughts to her big sister. Let her calm down and realize what she's done in full capacity before throwing her at the guillotine.

I also do understand that people saying "Yeah do it!" "Yeah good idea!" are just angry with her, rightfully. And I don't think they mean to come off as implying what I am reading it as. but it's not my favorite sort of comment to read for sure. I'm not blocking folk over it or anything, but I do delete some of the comments that make me uncomfortable.