#side note when you see a hot girl reveal her true demon form

[mossycakes]

rest in peace emo boy from jennifers body. i wouldve gone to see rocky horror with you

[sepublic]

Through the Looking Glass Ruins!!!!!

         …

         SO! Onto other things first…

         WRATH IS BRAXAS’ FATHER!??!!? HOLY SHIT, Wrath is a canonical dad, I’d always expressed my… OH MY GOD WRATH IS DAD! And of BRAXAS, that sweetie… How is Braxas such a sweetie with a father like HIM, also-

         Wrath was in casual wear? Either he has a day off, or he got fired by Belos/Kikimora after drawing Luz a map to Eda in Young Blood, Old Souls! Either way this guy has a sudden new level of NUANCE that I am reeling from, and yes I checked, that really is Wrath according to the credits! Dang this puts everything in a WHOLE new light…!

         AMITY HAIR OHMIGOD IT LOOKS SO ADORABLE SHE’S SELF-ACTUALIZING I AM FUCKING SCREAMING HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD, it’s PINK and not green… They acknowledged it, Emira did! And they CHANGED IT I AM LOSING MY FUCKING MIND OVER THIS-

         She looks so BEAUTIFUL and I love the kind of foreshadowing with the bookends of our first shot of Amity having her hair down, and now it’s changed! And she looks adorable and EMIRA AND EDRIC BEING GREAT SIBLINGS I LOVE IT SO MUCH! This… THIS is everything I wanted! I was resigned to not much of them but HELL YEAH they’re being good siblings and we get a look at their rooms, we see them doing MAKEOVERS together this is everything from my favorite fanon content and MORE,

         Also Edric has a date?! Emira says ‘their’ mom… Unless the Golden Guard has a mom, DARN! Not gonna lie, I half-expected a big twist at the end that Edric was dating the Golden Guard, who was doing some sort of reconnaissance as his unrecognized normal self and/or screwing around with the Blights even further, but in a GENUINE sense… But then who knows Kikimora could be posing as GG’s ‘mom’, this is a stretch anyhow-

         JUST HELL YEAH Blight Twins! Blight Twins being sweet and mischievous and supportive of each other, Blight SIBLINGS being siblings, Emira being an older sister and giving advice! And AMITY, Amity mentioning how much Luz has changed stuff, I love that they acknowledge it openly how her life has completely shifted, and now… NOW…!

         No necklace! Red leggings! PINK HAIR?! Is this why Amity in the intro hasn’t been updated yet… She was getting TWO updates, so the animators decided to only animate a change after this final update?!

         King and Gus are also friends it seems, and they even recorded some fun together! I’m surprised at how much Bria and the others mock Gus’ illusion skills… Obviously Belos is kinda terrible but like; I don’t think he’d set aside an entire subset of magic into Illusions without reason! Also that nightmare trip… I LOVE IT, I love Gus applying the creativity of illusions in their ability to completely warp and distort someone’s sense of reality! And I called that dragon-thing being an illusion!

         A graveyard… I wonder if the Gallderstones (is that how it’s spelled) have any relevance or if they’re just neat? I hope Mattholomule and Gus help hide the Looking Glass Graveyard… Damn, that’s another Death reference with Gus, huh! Is it culminating in his respect for the dead, or will it continue further with Gus being a necromancer, or an Oracle who can commune with the deceased, and he has their respect as someone who treats them properly?!

         Also not to get dark but… What if all those Illusionists are dead because of Belos? I’m JUST SAYING…! And not gonna lie, every time someone insulted Illusions, I kept imagining the Illusion Head just suddenly waking up and feeling like there’s a disturbance in the force, as well as a weird compulsion to beat up some Glandus kids. It’d be even funnier if he had beef with the Construction, Plant, and Abomination Heads as well!

         Speaking of which, more confirmation on Construction Magic being related to earth! Glad to see Bria give us a look into that, which furthers my idea of Belos using construction magic… Also dang, Bria and the Glandus Kids really are the parallels/foils to the Detention kids! You’ve got the short ‘nice’ girl, the tall lanky kid, the furry… But the Glandus Kids start off looking nice and cool, but turn out to be rather nasty!

         Meanwhile the Detention Kids seem like bad news and delinquents, but no! They’re just demonized and actually very kind and chill! The Detention Kids are looked down upon, the Glandus Kids are appraised… The Detention Kids are dual-track, the Glandus Kids are singular; Glandus Kids from, well, GLANDUS, Detention Kids from Hexside… One’s ‘mischief’ is actually very neat and cool, the other’s is literal grave robbing.

         I guess that’s how the bleeding statues got past the censors- It’s technically just an illusion! Also more insight into how Glandus works with its Survival of the Fittest mentality, I wonder if we’ll get confirmation on which coven heads came from there, how that might influence them as adults…

         What is Glandus like, is it more whole-heartedly accepting of Belos’ rule, hence its harsh ideals? Was it made after Hexside? Does Bump hate it for being so cruel like that, or is it just school bias? And dang poor Mattholomule, I always had a feeling he sort of felt and knew that he wasn’t much, so he accepted and compensated by deliberately doing whatever he can for power…

         They confirmed he’s from Glandus, and I appreciate this new look at him! This new leaf turned… Hot take but he’s honestly not as bad as Boscha, his stint with Gus was a one-time thing that Gus was able to live with! And that seems pretty good to set them up as friends! Speaking of Boscha, Willow was injured by pixies? And the last time we heard of pixies, they belonged to Boscha and caused the school to get shut down… Did BOSCHA DO THIS I SWEAR SHE IS DEAD TO ME-

         (Also she’s mentioned in the credits for this episode but I don’t remember hearing her? I might’ve gotten distracted with so much other things.)

         Gus! I like the insight into his relationship with Illusions, and I appreciate how he’s considering other forms of magic… But this hesitation might just serve to reaffirm his believe in Illusions, which is okay! It’s all about choice… And yeah, it seems Gus also has a case of impostor syndrome like King, no wonder they get along so well! I love the glimpses into Gus’ house and the confirmation that he has a library card, no Perry though alas…!

         I appreciate how Gus feels overlooked, like he has no real substance, which is how his Illusions reflect a desire to draw attention, but also the idea that there’s nothing real beneath them… Again, very much like King! And Gus, he’s not a powerhouse like the rest, he’s SKILLED and smart, but strength isn’t his forte, it’s not brute force he operates on, but cleverness! Trickery, I like it…! It’s a nice callback to his last A-plot episode, SVSF, where instead of fighting Mattholomule physically, Gus’ solution is to think outside the box and pull the alarm!

         You go kid, not relying on brute strength but showing that some clever tricks and thinking are just as valid! Kinda wonder if this episode is lowkey a discussion on masculinity for young boys, especially with Gus growing older with puberty, though the latter is mostly because his actual VA grew… But maybe the writers rolled with that and incorporated it, or it’s just a very neat coincidence! Also, it is me or did Mattholomule’s voice change? And the gag that Gavin’s dad looks identical to him, even moreso because he’s NOT supposed to have a moustache… That’s great!

         Malphas! Love this reference to a classic demon, I wasn’t sure if Malphas was the librarian with glasses whom I’ve always headcanoned as a father figure to Amity… But maybe it’s actually this bird dude! He seems adept in Bard magic, and I love the reveal of his true crow appearance… Guess those theorists were right that the one-eyed figure is from the Forbidden Stacks! Also Malphas NOT COOL with Amity, but I’m glad Luz changed his mind, and I wonder how that adventure looked…

         Which- DAMN, the RSD with Luz! She looks so UTTERLY BROKEN when Amity mentions doing stupid things, and she didn’t mean it like that, but Luz just looks so completely shattered and you can tell she wants to cry but instead she bottles it up and tries to take it in stride, and that plays into her trying to overcompensate for her mistakes AGAIN… SOMEONE GET IT TO HER HEAD that she doesn’t need to! I’m scared for Luz, and I was SO scared this episode would end on a bad note…

         BUT DOAHLDdFAEONDKFHN LUMITY KISS LUMITY KISS! ONE-SIDED BUT THEY FINALLY FUCKING KNOW AND AMITY IS LIKE WHAAAAT AND I WAS WAITING FOR IT AND I COULD FEEL IT HAPPEN AND GAY KISS! GAY KISS ON-SCREEN!!! And the way Luz just FLOPS to the ground on her knees AAHJJFFKHGGK and no Alador nor Odalia to ruin this, UTTERLY PERFECT and the twins WATCHING OOOHHHHGGGG YYYEEAAAAHHH-

         This is EVERYTHING I ever wanted!

         What an AMAZING episode with wonderful characer beats and reveals! Again, Amity’s growth as a character, that brief insight into how Luz as a person is very chaotic and sometimes frustrating for Amity and forces her to reevaluate, but ultimately it’s good and Luz DOES try her best, and Amity clearly wanted to make things up for Luz and apologize, they’re BOTH doing things, just the little moments!

         Also, Alex Lawther voices Philip Wittebane! He has long hair and a vaguely british accent, he’s… He’s Belos isn’t he? And they got a new VA because having him voiced by Matthew Rhys would be really spoiler-y right? He’s got the long hair and he’s a nerd… And with how he talks of finding a way back home, maybe Belos really DOES just want to return home, after all? He talks of making a way back home…

         And we see a glimpse of the Portal, so it might’ve brought him there? Or did Philip succeed in making it, and that was his blueprint designs? Did he arrive by Titan’s Blood? What happened to the portal if it brought him there, or if he made it? Why the scar, why near Eda’s house, partially buried?

         Was it lost before he could finish his work, and Philip got side-tracked into something else… Perhaps going on a crusade, on behalf of a curse/demon that possessed him? A demon that killed King’s father…? Was the portal broken and he had to discard it, but then it naturally healed- Or did it just need to recharge, maybe Philip DID make it back home, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?! Is there some sort of doppelganger for Philip, is BELOS his doppelganger?! What is THIS WHAT-

         WHAT AN EPISODE!

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Secrets Revealed

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Words: ~1.8k Rating: G, probably, mild T at worst AU: Theater, Werewolf, Monster, Cryptid

----------

Author’s Note: Welp, guess it’s not a one shot after all…

Summary: Nico isn’t the only one.

----------

What the heck?

That was all Maki could think as she sat on a small couch in the dressing room of the woman she was supposed to be starring alongside. Said woman, one Yazawa Nico, purported rising star in the theater world, was currently sitting in her lap. As a dog. A Pomeranian breed dog, to be exact. And Maki had been instructed by some purple haired woman, who apparently already knew her name and felt comfortable calling her Maki-chan, to pet the dog.

What. The. Heck.

Maki had completely forgotten the question she had intended to ask of her costar. Of course, it didn’t help that everywhere she looked she saw pink. Or flowers. Or other little trinkets Nico had likely received over the years. Or pictures of Nico. By the gods, there were dozens of pictures.

Nico had obviously been acting since childhood as Maki picked out various younger versions of the raven-haired do… woman. But so had Maki, and her parents hadn’t taken nearly as many pictures. Granted, they had been busy with their own work and it had not been uncommon for the only familiar faces for her in the audience to be members of the household staff, usually their estate manager. But still...

Smooth.

Maki was distracted from her thoughts when her fingers found what felt like smooth skin instead of soft fur. She looked down…

“Y-Yazawa-san…” She stammered, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.

Crimson eyes opened and Nico turned her head up to meet Maki’s gaze.

It took a moment for the situation to register, but when it did, Nico’s eyes widened.

“Kyaa!” Nico cried, shoving herself off Maki and the couch.

Nico landed on her back on the floor, twisted herself up to her hands and knees and scrambled around the clothing rack to hide. There, she grabbed the first garment her hand found and started to put it on. Thankfully, it happened to be a simple sundress that she was able to pull over her head and be presentable enough for her purposes.

“S-Sorry about…” Nico paused to clear her throat, hoping to alleviate her stutter. “Sorry about that, Nishikino-san.” She moved back out from behind the rack. “I suppose Nozomi would want me to thank you for… Hey, are you alright?” She moved toward the couch.

“I’m… fine…” Maki insisted.

“You sure? I know some folks have significant blushes, but geez your face literally matches your hair. It’s made it to your ears… your neck. What the… your arms and hands even?” Wait, what was that? Nico leaned closer. “Holy Amaterasu… you’re burning up!”

“I’m… fine…”

“No, you’re not. I can feel it from here. I don’t even need to put my hand on your forehead. Geez, I’ve taken my siblings to the hospital with lesser fevers. Just what the heck are you? And do I need to drag you off my couch before you ignite it?”

“…” Maki hunched her shoulders, seeming to withdraw into herself.

Nico sighed and put a hand on her hip. “Look, you’ve already seen that I’m a werewolf. And I didn’t need Nozomi to tell me you’re not human either; I can smell the difference.” She tapped her nose. “And right now, I’m getting something new. Is that sulfur? Brimstone? Are you a demon?”

“S-salamander…” Maki muttered, her face managing to become an even brighter shade of red.

“Salamander?” Nico mentally skimmed through what she knew. “You mean like Charmander?”

“Close enough, I guess…”

“Oh? Show me.”

“Wha?!” Maki balked, sitting up with enough force she managed to tip the couch back a bit.

Nico held back a chuckle. “Show me.”

“Wh-wh-why?!”

“Like I said, you already saw my werewolf form. It’s only fair I get to see your salamander form.”

“Uuuehhh….” Maki let out one of the most adorable sounds Nico had heard in a long while.

“Besides, if we going to be costars in this show, we shouldn’t have secrets between us. Right?”

“… Fine…”

Almost immediately, Maki’s skin gained a sheen that made it almost appear wet, like she had just stepped out of a warm shower. Then her eyes changed, gaining a fiery brilliance. And finally, the young woman began to shrink.

And shrink.

And shrink.

And shrink.

Nico couldn’t help reaching down and poking at a lump in Maki’s shirt she assumed to be her. Sure enough, the lump moved, and out of the collar skittered a tiny, red amphibian. However, when it looked up at Nico with those amethyst eyes, as bright as they were, there was no doubt she was looking at Maki.

Nico couldn’t help reaching out a hand. Slowly, tentatively, Maki stepped up onto her fingers. Nico then lifted the lizard up closer to her face.

“You’re cute like this, Maki-chan.” She couldn’t help using the familiar term, despite having not even known the other woman for ten minutes.

Immediately, intense heat radiated off the crimson creature. Not quite hot enough to burn Nico, but definitely reaching into uncomfortable levels. Still, the amusement factor alone was enough for Nico to bear the heat.

A knock sounded at the door.

Maki jumped off Nico’s hand and slipped back into her shirt.

“Nico-chan?” A voice called from the other side.

“Yeah, coming…” Nico responded, wondering if she should hide Maki’s clothes first, with her still in them. Well, they weren’t easily visible from the door, what with the arm of the couch blocking the pile, so maybe it was fine? “Ah, Minami-san.” She said, recognizing the woman on the other side as she opened the door.

“Oh, that sounds too formal.” Kotori said laughing lightly. “Just Kotori is fine. Anyway, I’m here to deliver these samples.” She handed over a neatly folded stack of textiles. “Please let me know which ones you like best so Yoshiko-chan and I can get to work on your outfits.”

“Alright.” Nico nodded.

“And I see you’re already trying out some of our finished works.” Kotori commented. “Although we may have to make some adjustments to the measurements Nozomi-chan gave us for you.” She reached out and tugged at one of the shoulder straps, indicating a looseness below.

Nico grimaced. Of course, Nozomi would change some of the numbers to mess with her. “So you guys already made all those?” She indicated the rack she had hid behind moments ago.

“Ye…” Kotori cutoff as she noticed something. “Except that one.” She pointed as if Nico could figure out what she meant just by that. “Honoka-chan insisted on buying that one online for us to use as reference. I told her not to, and it definitely wasn’t supposed to end up here for you to see.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, that is not representative of the quality standard Yoshiko-chan and I are capable of producing.”

Wait, did she mean that tacky werewolf… thing? Nico wondered. The thing I was just about to complain about? “So, it’s just a reference?” She asked aloud, suddenly thankful she wouldn’t actually have to wear it.

“Yes.” Kotori nodded. “I figured we didn’t need anything like that, because we could just use Nico-chan herself as our reference, because you’re, well… you know.” She motioned to the raven-haired woman.

“Right… You know, I’m surprised someone as talented as you is working at a startup theater like this.”

“Oh, it’s fine. After all, I’m returning a favor to Umi-chan.” Kotori said with a wide smile.

That’s right, Nico recalled, Sonoda Umi was one of the cofounders and co-owners of the theater, along with Kurosawa Dia.

“Although even without the favor,” Kotori continued, wistfully “I’d still be here, so I could work with Umi-chan on this wonderful project.”

Wait, that tone and expression. Were Kotori and Umi together? Now there was some celebrity news that seemed to have slipped through the cracks. Interesting.

“Anyway, back to work.” Kotori chirped merrily. “See you two later.” With that she practically skipped down the hall toward the costume department.

“You can change back now, she’s gone.” Nico said aloud, closing the door. “Though I think she knew you were here anyway. I’ll keep my back turned until you’re dressed.”

After a moment, Nico heard rustling of cloth behind her.

“Alright, you can turn around now, Yazawa-san.”

“Nico is fine.” Nico said, turning to find a still somewhat flustered redhead.

“Alright… Say, what is that.” Maki motioned to something at Nico’s feet.

“Mm?” Nico looked down to find a feather and stooped to pick it up. “Well, I guess that confirms the rumor…”

“Rumor?”

“About Minami Kotori being a crane.”

“She is?”

“Oh c’mon, I know you can sense others like I can.”

“Well, yeah” Maki admitted “but only at close range…”

“And you were pretty close when I thought you were being an entitled brat by how adamant you were about fabric types for your outfits.”

“I… wha… You saw that?”

“Yup. I was wondering what all the commotion was about, so I went to check.”

“I wasn’t raising a commotion.” Maki furrowed her brow. “And I was definitely not being entitled, just cautious.”

“Yeah, I know that now.” Nico made dismissive motions with her hands. “Your salamander heat thing. Certainly wouldn’t want to be melting polyester on yourself or whatever. That said, I believe Kotori’s more than capable of imbuing anything she makes with super special heat resistant properties for someone like Maki-chan.”

“Oh? How?”

“Didn’t you hear when I just said she was a crane?”

“Well, yeah, but that just means she’s a bird?”

“What the heck, Maki-chan?” Nico huffed. “Did your parents not teach you about your history? Our history? Monsters and cryptids and mythic beasts and such?”

“Not really…”

“So, you’ve never heard about the crane who returns favors.”

Maki shook her head.

Nico sighed. What kind of parents did this girl have? “She weaves her own feathers into her works, which imbues them with special properties. And if the rumors are true, she’s training her assistant to do the same with hers. Yoshiko? Yohane? Something like that, I haven’t met her yet.”

“Is she a crane as well?”

“Fallen angel. She’s pretty adamant about it too, and really doesn’t do too much to hide it.” Nico shrugged. “Probably for the best that the normies around here don’t believe such things very easily. They just think she’s weird, a chuunibyou or whatever. But folks like you and I…”

“Right…”

“Anyway, they’re making everything antistatic for me.”

Maki giggled. “For you weredog thing?”

“Weredog?” Nico growled, earning a flinch from the redhead. “I’m a werewolf! And don’t you forget it!”

“Oops, did I come in at a bad time?” Nozomi asked as she let herself in.

“No, you’re fine.” Nico grumbled, still glaring at Maki. “What do you want?”

“The managers want everyone to gather on stage for a meeting.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever. C’mon, Nishikino.” Nico had to put conscious effort into not stomping toward the door. The last thing she needed now was to transform again.

“… Right…” Maki replied with no small amount of disappointment in her tone, before following the other two women into the hall.

----------

Author’s Notes Continued in Followup Post

[avionvadion]

(Collapses. I did it guys. IT IS DONE. FIVE DAYS! I think.) Chapter 11, chapter 10 mention, to chapter 17. Story:

 https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115702/chapters/58056064

Chapter 11

"Are you doing well, Irene?" Sango asked, seeing me wince when I sat down. "Does it still hurt?"

"Mostly just my back," I answered truthfully, petting Kirara as she curled in my lap, "but otherwise I'm fine."

Kagome frowned and made her way over. "Let me see." She lifted the back of my shirt up to see the stitches. "They didn't open, which is good. Let me put on some ointment and bandages, that way you can get into the bath and not worry about it getting soaked." She pulled her backpack over and got into her first-aid kit. "I'm surprised you didn't use your Shikigami to heal yourself."

"Frick, I could have, couldn't I?" I exclaimed. I let out a noise, disappointed in myself. "Fun, fun. Well, you guys are already using so much medicine on it- might as well let it heal naturally the rest of the way. Right?"

"That's true." She said. "Still… I don't like how you're always getting injured."

"...I know."

Sango took out a cloth and began to polish her hiraikotsu. "Did something seem weird about those women to you?" She suddenly asked, refusing to look at us. "I have this bad feeling."

Kagome shook her head. "Are you sure it's not just because of Miroku?"

The woman almost dropped her weapon. "Wh-What!? Why bring him up!? That monk has nothing to do with this!" Her face was bright red, the blush all over her cheeks. I stared at her, eyes wide, realizing very quickly that she had a crush on the perverted monk. "I'm just saying something isn't right about these people! They strike me as odd."

"Uh-huh." Kagome clearly didn't believe her. "Sure. I think you're just overreacting Sango. What do you say, Irene?"

"Um…" Frick. How dare she put me in the middle of all this. "I-I'm with Sango on this… sorry. I-I just don't feel…" What was the word for it? Safe. "I dunno. I just don't really trust them?"

"Thank you!" Sango exclaimed. "I'm glad someone is on my side."

Kagome frowned. "That's not fair, Sango. You know I didn't mean it that way..." She pulled my shirt down and stood, walking over to grab the towels Kinu left by the door. "Now- why don't we all calm down by taking a nice relaxing bath? I'm sure it would do us all some good!"

The demon slayer let out a sigh. "I suppose… I'm sorry, Kagome. I shouldn't have snapped."

"Don't worry about it! It's been a rough few days." Kagome looked down at me. "I'll show you what to do in the bath, okay, Irene? You probably aren't used to the ones here in Japan."

I blinked. "Um, okay."

What on earth could be so different about them?

...

As it turned out they were vastly different. Before we could actually get into the bath we had to clean ourselves with a small rag using a cold bucket of water, removing grime and dirt. It reminded me greatly of the public swimming pools back home, though I had only ever went to those when I was little and could actively play around. Towels were allowed, though they couldn't touch the water, and Kagome and Sango tied their hair up.

And the worst part was that we had to bathe together.

I disliked changing in front of others, but that was totally different from being exposed completely. I think the last person who saw me naked was my mother- and that was when I was a little kid and couldn't wash my hair by myself yet. Ick. I feel so gross. I don't like this. Do I have to?

Hot water sounded amazing, but… with others?

Kagome and Sango seemed unbothered by each other's presence and got in the hot spring, relaxing into the water and sighing happily. I hesitated, holding the towel over my form and staring down at the water below. How to do this without revealing myself…? Hmm. Predicaments.

"What's the matter?" Sango asked curiously, seeing the way I was just standing there. "It's only us girls; you don't have to worry about Inuyasha or Miroku walking in. No need to be shy."

"I-I'm not… shy." I awkwardly responded, touching my toe into the water and nearly recoiling at its heat. I was so used to the icy lakes I had been using to clean myself with; it felt so strange against my skin now. The air in the room was so steamy and almost suffocating. "I-I just…"

Kagome blinked, seeming to reach an understanding faster than Sango did as to why I was behaving this way. "Oh, I get it! You're not used to this, are you? Americans do things so differently from us. Want Sango and I to turn away while you get in?"

I looked at her, surprised. "R-Really? Um, please…"

Sango hummed. "Is that what it was? Haha. Don't worry about." She and Kagome turned so their backs were facing me, and with a shaky breath I dropped the towel and slid into the water. "You good?"

Effectively hiding my body from the shoulders down, I let out an informative noise. As they moved and got comfortable, it was then I caught sight of the scar on Sango's back. It was a large, nasty looking piece of flesh. I could only assume it was from the incident… when Kohaku got possessed and killed everyone. Gods, how does she function? She's incredible.

"This is so nice…" Kagome moaned, sinking into the water. "It's been so long."

Seriously? She gets normal baths at home.

Sango just nodded her head. "Agreed. Maybe I was wrong after all… it was so nice of those women to set this up for us."

I remained silent, thinking deeply about everything. This felt so casual, so… normal. It was unnerving. Was it really alright for us to just lounge about in this bath when we could be making our way towards Naraku's castle? What about Maria? Shouldn't there be more that we need to be doing?

"Sometimes you just gotta relax." Kagome commented, stretching her arms out in front of her. "The search for Naraku and the jewels shards can be so harrowing sometimes!"

"...Why don't we talk about something else then?" Sango suggested. "How did your battle with those exams go? Did you defeat them?"

What? Oh my gods, that's adorable. I sat up, looking at the females and fighting a smile. Did she really think exams were demons? I love it.

"Barely." Kagome held her head to side, propping her elbow up on the stone wall and pressing her hand to her cheek. "I studied so much, but then I forgot my notes… my little brother had to deliver them to class for me. It was a nightmare."

"That was nice of him." She said, smiling. "He cares for you. It's something to be grateful for."

"Y-Yeah…" Kagome realized what she said and looked almost guilty, before she quickly turned her head and looked at me. "Anyway! Irene! Tell me; what are things like back where you're from? You're… nineteen, aren't you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

I blinked, sinking back into the water slowly. "No. I don't deal with relationships."

She and Sango both looked shocked. "What, why?"

"Aren't you at least interested in someone?" Sango asked. I shook my head. "How come?"

I shrugged. "I'm just not. You guys are crushing on people though, aren't you?"

"Not me." Sango said, shaking her head. I snorted at that. "What!?"

"Don't you like Miroku?" Her face flared red. Ah, yes. There it is. "Knew it."

"I-I do not like him! I said this before already! A-And if we're talking about who likes who, then what about Kagome? She's clearly in love with Inuyasha!"

"I am not in love with him! I… like him a minimal amount and that's it."

"Suuure."

"Anyway, why are we talking about us? We were talking about you." Kagome exclaimed, facing me. She and Sango were in front of me now, frowning and intent on getting information. What it was, I was uncertain. "Don't you ever want to date someone? Maybe go to the movies or on a walk…?"

I was up to my nose in the water now, attempting to hide from their prying eyes.

"...I like reading stories about it…"

I finally said, lifting my head up out of the water just enough so they could hear me. It was getting a bit harder to breathe in here. I was going to have to get out soon. Still, it felt wonderful to sit in hot water. I missed showers so much. It stung a little at first since it had been a while, but now that my body was adjusted to it my skin was super happy.

"I feel… I feel like being in a relationship would be really stressful." I admitted, recalling all the times the people I spoke to at school had drama with their significant others. Then there were my siblings- who often ended up with abusive people more often than not. Thankfully Maria had landed someone who treated her right after enough trauma, so she was doing pretty good until… well, we were brought here. I don't even think I could handle being in a relationship. "I-I wouldn't… know how to act a-and… I probably wouldn't be able to do half the stuff expected of me."

"Like what?" Sango asked, concerned. "Marriage?"

Marriage often leads to kids. So… yes. That. Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh my god. You've never even been on a date before, have you!?"

"N-No?" Why was I feeling so embarrassed? It was almost as if… I were ashamed of this fact. I wasn't. I was perfectly content being single. So why did I feel so bad about it now? "It's not like I really cared about it before. I turned down anyone who asked."

Sango let out a small gasp, bringing a hand up to her mouth in shock. "So there were people!"

"No! They were all kinda… creepy." I made a face. "I mean, I was flattered but… I just wasn't interested. They weren't my type."

"What's your type then?" Kagome asked, leaning forward and grinning. "Maybe you'll meet someone here!"

Um, no thank you. I scooted away, lifting my arms out of the water and coughing some as I turned around and held onto the side wall. I needed fresh air. It was too hot in here. I can't breathe. My heart rate was starting to pick up, and I was starting to think that being so flustered was making things worse. I avoided conversations like this back in my time, so having it now was really throwing me for a loop. "I-I don't know? Fictional? I can't tell you how many times I had Robin marry Henry from Awakening and Corrin to Subaki in Fates. Gods, I love them. They're so great."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm assuming those are video games. And Irene- those don't count! I'm talking about real people! Flesh and blood!" Kagome exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you like in a guy?"

How does she even know that I'm straight? For all anyone knows I could be bisexual or lesbian. Yeesh. Wait, she's from 1996. A lot of people weren't out and comfortable with their sexuality then, I don't believe… hmm. That explains things. Still, she wasn't wrong. Women were gorgeous, but any crushes I had were on guys. Lame. "Um... I don't know. Lots of sarcasm? I like to banter and joke, so... yeah. Uh… he has to be super smart, too, I guess. Like, this dude has got to be smarter than me."

I really liked people who were intelligent, mainly because I was not. I did not want to deal with another me.

"And..." I remembered some of the people I met back when I was still in school and made a face. "...he better not act like an idiot. Oh, but like- I am an idiot, so he has to be able to tolerate that and my nonsense because I like to talk. A lot. And I can be super slow when it comes to understanding certain stuff, so patience is definitely a thing." My eyebrows knit together at that and leaned my head down against my arms, thinking. This was actually starting to amuse me slightly, imagining a person that couldn't possibly exist. "And, um, he has to be confident, you know? Maybe kinda arrogant, but isn't a jerk about it?"

"Ohh." Kagome giggled. "I see. You like the mature, serious guys."

I choked. I don't know why, but the way she put that had me sputtering like a fool- face completely red. Sango was smiling, amused by all of this. "Y-You make it sound so weird!"

"I think it's cute." Sango said. "It makes sense, too, given your personality."

I slumped my shoulders, chewing on my bottom lip. "My personality…? Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I just mean… oh, how do I put this?" The brunette thought for a moment. "You're really kind, Irene, and you don't really put yourself first. You get along with children really easily because you yourself have a childish part of you. You know when to be serious, but don't know how to act about it. If I have to find a way to describe it, I'd say you prefer a person who's the total opposite of you. Someone who can balance out your recklessness and take charge when needed. A man who... A man who can teach you to be a little selfish from time-to-time, and point out when you're being too selfless."

Ah. Okay. I didn't really agree with the selfless bit, but sure. "That… makes sense." I was surprised they were even taking this so seriously.

My description had been completely hypothetical; no one like that actually existed. They were being ridiculous.

Chapter 10

He caused all of this. My fingers curled into fists and I sat on my knees, glaring at Kagura. She raised an eyebrow at me, intrigued, opening her fan and covering the burnt part of her face. Kohaku's footsteps were heading right at me. He was close. If I didn't do something now I would be brought to Naraku and probably killed, or worse- end up being controlled like Sango's brother. I can't let that happen. I refuse.

Shikigami… A red light shined at my feet and I pushed myself onto my feet, swaying from dizziness. I glared at nothing in the distance, eyes glimmering with rage. ...One more time.

I lifted a hand up, pointing it at the ceiling above Kagura and Kohaku's heads.

ATTACK!

Kagura swung her fan out to the side as soon the fire made contact with the ceiling, rocks crumbling down upon them. "Damn it! So this is what you were plotting!?" Her winds managed to move the rocks just enough to avoid the two of them being crushed, the debris separating us from Kagura and Kohaku as a result. Sango dashed forward, holding her hand out uselessly as she watched them fly away one of the wind sorceress' feathers before they could be completely buried.

"Kohaku!" The female demon slayer cried, eyes red and puffy with tears. Her arm lowered, hand curled against her chest as she lowered her head, voice quiet and shaky. Her lips curled back as she choked down a sob. "No… Kohaku…"

She fell to her knees, bringing her hands to her face. It took all the remaining strength I had to walk over to her, collapsing onto my rear once I was in reach. I was so lightheaded. "S-Sango… are you okay?"

"H-He's gone again…" The woman whispered. "Every time… I fail to stop him. A-And now... Irene, you…"

"...Sorry…"

"No." She shook her head, sniffling and taking a deep breath. Sango raised her head and looked at me. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I… I let you get hurt because of him. There's no excuse. I should be begging you for forgiveness…"

"N-Nothing…" I wheezed, grinning weakly at her. "...to forgive. You… can't fight him. H-He's your brother."

Her eyes widened. She then froze, feeling my arms around her shoulders.

"It's okay… I promise." So please stop crying. I don't like seeing you sad. It hurts. "I'm not mad."

A strangled noise escaped Sango's throat and she wrapped her arms tightly around my back, fingers digging into my kimono, narrowly avoiding my wounds. Her face pressed into my shoulder. She was trembling so badly; I didn't know what to do to make her feel better. So I did the only thing I could and mimicked what Maria did when I was upset, and I ran my fingers lightly up-and-down her back to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

Chapter 17

I pulled myself into a room, finding black spots dancing in my vision. It was so dark already because it was night and this was just making it worse. I didn't want to find out if I would end up turning into one of them if they scratched or bit me, or ate me alive, but considering what I just wandered into I had a terrible feeling I was about to find out. Dozens upon dozens of undead were wandering the area, turning to look at me with their misshapen and bloody faces. Mouths gaping open, revealing rotten and missing teeth, with fingers and even arms missing from their bodies. Chunks of flesh were gone.

My heart was about to burst out of my chest, though from fright or asphyxiation I wasn't sure. The cat meowed and stared up at me, watching as I hyperventilated and stumbled back. "I-I can't do this… I-I can't…"

Holy mother of all that is good.

Please no.

I began to choke up. There was nowhere to run; I was completely surrounded by them. It wasn't as if I could just turn back either- there were zombies heading this way from that direction too. I could see them coming from the door. My back pressed against the nearest wall, the sob caught in my throat starting to suffocate me. I was so scared. My friends were gone and my worst nightmare has come to life. I couldn't see any escapes either which meant I was about to be turned into their dinner.

Have you ever had terrible thoughts of being eaten alive? Because I have while growing up, constantly traumatized by horror movies, and they were all coming back to me right now and rushing through my mind, all in the most painful and most agonizing ways.

"S-Somebody…" They were so close. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. "P-Please…" My legs gave out and I sunk to the ground, tears blurring my vision. Their cries were filling my ears, the voices of the dead haunting my being and gradually killing me. It was so bad that blood started to pool from my ears, the tears that fell not quite clear as they became tainted with red.

This was all so stupid.

I came all this way to die by these walking dead samurai, who ironically had died trying to help us, and I never even found my sister. What if her corpse was in this castle- what if she was one of them? I can't stand it. I cradled the mask and the calico cat close to my chest, unable to bring myself to look away as the end drew near. There was no way I would survive this time.

"Make it stop. It hurts. I want to die."

I had gotten so lucky in the past because someone would show up- whether it be Inuyasha or Sango, or even Kagome and Miroku. Kirara was missing and it was just me and a random cat, and I didn't have much energy left to use another Shikigami spell. No one could save me this time. Still…

"I-I don't wanna die…" I whimpered, curling into a ball and hugging the cat protectively. My voice was so small and quiet, absolutely trembling with fear. The tears were streaming down my face, burning my skin and staining it crimson. The zombies were inches away, reaching out with their bare hands ready to tear me into shreds. All dignity was long gone. "S-Somebody…!"

This was it. I was going to die.

“I’m sorry.”

But then the pain never came.

Instead I watched as a sword came out of nowhere, slashing at the backs of the undead, sending them falling to the ground with several loud THUDs. The breath I was holding came out in a strangled sob and I blinked rapidly to clear my vision, eyebrows furrowed as I watched someone I've never seen before slash away at the remaining zombies, not so much as sparing me a glance as he did so. Those that were slain had a strange blue light erupt from their bodies and a whisper filled my ears, the voices gradually quieting and causing the pain in my head to dull.

[coasttocoastreads]

Welcome back to Week 2 of Coast to Coast Reads! Who’s still alive? Katya and I are dying while social distancing, but at least we had a few laughs discussing this book:

Crescent City (House of Blood and Earth) // Sarah J Maas

★★ / ★★★★★

Summary in one two gif(s):

Real Summary:

Crescent City, a place where vanir (supernatural beings such as angels, fae, shifters, etc.) and humans freely mingle and go about their days. Bryce Quilan is a 20-something fae/human who’s still reeling from the murder of her friends 2 years ago. But after she’s commissioned to help search for an ancient artifact, Bryce, along with her new angel partner Hunt, unearth previously buried secrets about the murder that threaten to expose a worldwide conspiracy. 

Pros:

Great side characters. I would die for each and every one of them.

Lots of different mythological creatures! Not just another Fae Book™️

Cons:

It’s literally ToG 2-7 combined. If you read Throne of Glass, you’ve already been spoiled for this book. 💀💀💀

It’s wayyyy too long

Drags a lot in the beginning

Plot .5/5 (the .5 is for you, Lehaba)

What can I say. SJM literally plagiarized herself by taking the plotline of the tog books and translating it to this new setting. The writing itself was subpar, and most of the time it felt like the author herself had no idea where the plot was going, instead letting it drag on until a plot twist that makes no sense is revealed. (You’ll know which one I’m talking about when you get there.) I’ll compare CC with ToG with spoilers under the cut. 

Pacing 2/5

The beginning is full of info-dumping as SJM tries to set up this world which is metaphorically like ours, but everyone’s hot and does fantasy cocaine all the time.  It narrates boring day-to-day schedules that could have been condensed into a paragraph and at times I was tempted to skip ahead. The plot does pick up near the last 25% though, so I’ll give it that. 

Worldbuilding 2.5/5

It was confusing. To be fair, after all the info was dumped at the beginning, I didn’t bother going back to try to figure things out when they popped up again after. But like still??? I think I only started understanding the hierarchy of the government with the Asterrii(?). Also what are the Triarii I am still lost. SJM attempts to blend a more modern society with one of fantasy creatures, and for the most part it succeeds, but it often just feels...strange. I think the one thing I’m most hung up about is why swords and guns still coexist. Like ??????? it’s one or the other plssssss abandon the “aesthetic” Also while they literally have cell phones and keurig machines there aren’t common things like cars? Why.

Characters: (This is unconventional, bear with me)

Main Characters: -infinity/5 they could go die for all I care

Bryce and Hunt were both super unlikeable, 10/10 would let fall from a cliff. They are literally just rewrites of Aelin and Rowan? Bryce is like ahahaha yeah people think I’m Just a dumb vapid Female™️ who parties too much and gets trashed but SIKE I’m actually the chosen one and I’ve been hiding it this whole time because I didn’t want to hurt people’s feelings uwu. And did I mention I’m actually a trained Warrior who can keep up with The Boys? It’s Aelin y’all. There are numerous times where a character says that she’s not stupid and I’m like...are you sure... This girl makes the poorest decisions, yet ofc, there aren’t any long term consequences... (Also 99% of her problems come from ghosting people literally just respond with “k” sis)

Hunt is... idek what to say about Hunt. He’s just Rowan but in angel form. His inner monologue cycles between I must pay off my debt so I can gain Freedom 😔, why is Bryce so hot 🥴, and Shahar 😭. Once again, literally Rowan who also was bound to some evil villain, had the hots for their CENTURIES YOUNGER pupil/protectee, and had an old lover die tragically which led to them believing they can never find love again UNTIL BryLin comes along. Snooze. 

Side Characters: Infinity/5 

Ruhn Danaan was the most valid character and that’s the hill I’ll die on. He literally just wanted to protect his sister cuz she’s stupid af but she keeps pushing him away bc he’s an “alphahole” (haha how subversive :/) I want a whole book about him and Hypaxia, preferably fanfiction so I don’t have to read “soft feminine breathing” ever again.

Literally all the supporting cast- Lehaba, Therion, Ithan, Jesiba, Flynn, Connor, etc, etc. had more compelling characters and side stories than Bryce/Hunt. I was 100% more invested in them and I can’t wait to read/write more about them. 

(Pls let me marry Jesiba Roga or Therion 🥺)

But while the people on the “good” side were spectacular, the villains all felt one-dimensional and the product of over-recycled and overused tropes mashed together. Sandriel and Pollux are literally just Maeve and Cairn (is that his name)

I’d recommend for:

People who loved Throne of Glass and are lamenting the absence of new content. Please read about Rowaelin 2.0

People stuck at home during this global crisis and have too much time on their hands. (If you need that free epub, hmu)

People who are willing to skip all scenes that feature just Bryce and/or Hunt 

People who hate themselves

Would I travel here?

Sorry, what? Already shredded my passport, not getting a replacement, sorry. 

Overall thoughts:

I wish I could somehow take those hours of my life back but alas. 

See y’all in two weeks with a hopefully better book selection,

Tiff

Spoilers under cut

Okay time to VENT

OKAY so CC=ToG, let’s break down how

Danika’s death is the Nehemia Incident, setting the mc up for a journey of self discovery/reclaiming their power. They both show up as ghosts later to encourage mc in a time of great self-struggle.

Syrinx if Fleetfoot. bc all female mc’s need a pet to reveal her Feminine and Soft side

Sandriel and Pollux are Maeve and Cairn. Evil female character with vast power and her torturer? COOKIE CUTTER FORMULA. The scene where Bryce offers herself up for Hunt in the lobby also kinda mirrors that scene in..HoF? QoS? Don’t remember, but pretty sure that happened. Also that scene was so fucking dumb, I really thought Bryce had a Smart Plan, but I was bamboozled once again. 

A gem from my notes: “Bryce is Aelin but with cocaine”

I think the whole demon portal thing is a ripoff of ACOWAR (or is it KoA I can’t even remember), sacrificing yourself to close the rift, etc, etc. 

Anyways, Bryce = Aelin, a party-girl front with a sob backstory that’s her superpower origin story who always has a Plan. 

Hunt = Rowan, broody warrior busy repaying debts getting orders they don’t want while pining over a lost love. They reluctantly let the female mc in and voila they’re in LOVE

The whole “plot twist” that revealed Hunt’s true plan along was so fucking dumb...

It wasn’t a plot twist, it was just plain bad writing

There was no set up at all, nothing alluding to Hunt secretly masterminding an attempted coup with the help of Magic Meth

The whole time I was like “...this is part of their plan right. There’s no way he legit planned this...”

Character’s POVs should reveal what they’re thinking, even if you’re just hinting at something to reveal later...this was just lazy

Another thing that really rubbed me the wrong way was the sudden reveal that Fury and Juniper had been in a relationship the whole time? Despite like above, there was no prior allusion to that?

It felt like half-assed representation at best and completely irrelevant to the story with it coming up again in a throwaway line near the end

Also? I’m fairly certain there was a scene in the beginning where they were all out clubbing and Juniper hooked up with some rando while Fury was also at the club with them? Was this before they got together or did SJM insert this so last minute that no one caught it?

Wtf is sunball. Can someone just help me out here.

Some people have been saying Hunt is Asian coded? Where???!!!!! All I’m seeing is the same stuff she pulled in ACOTAR where all the Illyrians were tan so people could claim they were poc for woke points but not get in trouble for art depicting them as white ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

SJM pls stay away from “like calls to like” you don’t deserve it

[yowlthinks]

Occult Nannying

This whole new school malarkey was not going well. Well, Warlock mused, it was going about as well as it could be expected to for someone who had been previously home-schooled in a different country and now thrown into ‘an excellent school in a good neighbourhood' in his parents' home country. (Warlock was adamant it was not his home country, and he was going back to London as soon as he would be able to legally do so.) That is to say, it was not outright nasty but there was that lingering feeling of others not liking him, not really counting him as one of the group.

While Warlock was 14 now, he kept contact with his nanny. It was odd, really, and his parents did not quite understand this ongoing letter exchange, but over the years they just came to ignore it. What used to be crayon drawings with a few misspelled words, became letters of varying length on Warlock's part and short note-like replies from Ms Ashtoreth, sometimes with a mysterious addition from Brother Francis (apparently, him and Nanny saw each other sometimes). Brief as she was, she always, always replied. Warlock looked at the latest letter with the bright red stamp and the accompanying blue “by air mail" sticker, at nanny's quick handwriting and opened the envelope. Some time ago he briefly considered switching their communication to e-mail, but there was something special about getting the handwritten notes he could hold on to afterwards.

The note was a reply to one of Warlock's longer letters, where he finally got the guts to describe the new school situation and ask for advice on how to handle it.

"The best way to earn respect is through something others might value or be curious about, which you do well. Think of what you are good at, and show them that.

More importantly, consider if they are even worth worrying about. Might be better off just doing what you are interested in and getting better at it.

Nose up, my wee hellspawn."

Warlock smiled. Nanny rarely called him 'hellspawn' these days, it was reserved for special occasions and somehow always felt like a hug when coming from her.

What was he good at? That was a tough question. Nanny has always said that asking questions is important, especially the trickier ones. The fact that his father disagreed with that view made it all the more credible. He opened his thinking notepad on a new page and started writing down everything that came to mind. He learned this technique from one of his teachers, it was called brainstorming. Warlock knew this was not quite what it meant, but he liked to imagine it was a way to calm a stormy brain, to splash all this storm out of his head and onto the paper, to stop the myriad of thoughts tormenting him from within.

His list included several entries, about some of which he felt more confident then the others:

Chemistry

Maths?

Annoying people

Mythology and superstitions

Asking questions

He considered adding ‘understanding Scottish accent’ to the list, but thought better of it: no need to disclose a super power to the whole wide world, especially the one with such private origins. None of these seemed particularly useful in his current state, but perhaps he would just have to wait or think a bit more about it all.

***

Warlock knew an opportunity when he saw one: as he was hanging on the edge of the group, not quite excluded, but not really included into the conversation either, he heard the discussion veer off towards the questions of the occult.

“Oh, stop being so naive, of course supernatural forces do not exist. It is all just stories and CGI!” – said one of the girls

“I think they do, people wouldn't just make them up!” – opined another, hopping off the desk she was sitting on.

“Well, of course they would and they did. Some of it is true enough though," – Warlock said in a quiet confident tone.

Every head turned in his direction.

“Oh yeah? And how would you know about any of that?”

“I just had good teachers, is all"

“Don't tell me you could summon a demon or something. Or is that part of the standard curriculum in London?"

“Perhaps I could, what, are you keen to try it out? I thought you did not believe in all this ‘supersticious nonsense’” – Warlock knew he probably should not have said that, but the words left his mouth before he could stop himself. He was so done with all the mocking, all the thinly veiled insults, the endless sneers behind his back. Well, there was no way back now.

***

Thaddeus and Harriet Dowling breathed a sigh of relief when their son told them he’ll have a couple of school friends for sleepover. He was finally, finally, integrating, or at least getting closer to becoming ‘a normal American teen' as Thaddeus put it to himself. Truth be told, he was not sure this was entirely possible, but it was a start.

Warlock took a week to prepare everything he needed for the summoning. He was not sure it would work, but he did give it all he could: he went through the books he remembered Nanny mentioning as “the more reliable sort" over the years, ordered tall thick candles, slept on the drawing chalk for five days (he was not sure this was strictly necessary, but he figured it would not hurt).

When his guests arrived, Warlock had everything set ready. He covered the summoning circle with a rug, left out some snacks and quietly hoped that this evening will go in the least destructive way possible. If it worked, a demon would appear in a circle, they would ask for something ridiculous, like balloons or some chocolates, the demon would ask for their souls, they would say no, and that would be it. If it didn't work he would say how this surely proves that people make up a lot of things, but does not disprove anything, and would just offer his guests to watch a movie or something. The second plan also involved not paying attention to all the mockery that would no doubt follow such a failed attempt.

There were four of them: two boys and two girls, Warlock felt them taking his room in, looking for clues about the part of his life they could not see at school.

Yesterday while tidying up his room for the occasion, he remembered Brother Francis’ strange advice in one of the letters. One did not have to share everything with everyone, it was ok to keep some things private, hidden away from prying eyes. “Give them more of what they know already. Not something that would look unnatural or out of place, only hide things that are truly private, but hide those well. Show them to those whose eyes they are meant for.” It almost felt like the lines were not quite addressed to Warlock, but at the end it did turn out useful. He locked away his favourite things, it was a small collection of odd objects which did not quite fit together, and letters – all the letters from Ms Ashtoreth, and an odd postcard from Brother Francis too. He hid the box in his mother's walk-in wardrobe, on the topmost shelf, somewhere no one would ever look. He replaced the objects with other ones: two more encyclopaedias, put a sci-fi book he was reading carelessly on his bedside table: let them see, let them confirm what they already know, they will not look further. He was as ready as he could be.

***

“So, how are you going to do it?” – asked one of the guys the moment Warlock closed the door behind his parents (they were off to some event in town and were not expected till late after midnight).

“I have prepared some things, so we can begin, if you all are ready"

“ Don't we need to wait till midnight or something?”

“Time is relative, it is always midnight somewhere" – Warlock replied mindlessly as he pulled the rug to reveal the pentogram (he remembered asking Nanny this exact question at the age of 5, and remembered the answer very clearly, it was one of the things that he felt really made sense). He put the candles at the allocated spots and lit them up.

Warlock took a deep breath, quietly scolding himself for the sweaty palms and the racing heart. He focused very hard wishing for a demon to appear: “would be really good if it were a friendly one", he told to himself quietly...

The candles flickered and a person appeared in the circle. He was wearing a dusty-green leather coat and something quite green and leathery on his head too. The strange thing was, he looked vaguely familiar.

“YOU-U-U!?” – the person howled at Warlock

“Um, h-hello?”

“IT'S YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT! HOW DARE YOU?!”

And then it clicked, Warlock knew exactly where he had seen this person, where he had smelled him before in fact: it was that unbearably hot day on the blasted trip to the blasted Planes of Megghido or some such that dad organised a couple of years ago. Oh, this was not very good, the guy clearly was not a forgiving type.

“OH THAT IS IT, NOW I'VE GOT YOU AND YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS, NOW...”

“Oi, Hastur! Fancy meeting you here!” – Warlock felt a displacement of air and... and Nanny's voice (he was pretty sure, it was her voice, although the accent seemed a bit off) came from behind him.

“CRRROWLEY.”

“Yeah, long time no see. Honestly, would prefer not to see you for longer, like for about eternity"

“THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, YOU TRAITOR. GET OUT OF MY WAY"

“Sorry, no, this, THIS is very much MY business, and if you try as much as look his way... Well, there is no telling what could happen, is there?”- Warlock felt something feathery shield him form both sides.

The silence lasted a few seconds and then with a whiff of foul smoke the figure in the circle was gone. Warlock stared at the empty spot trying to process it all. Then he slowly, slowly turned around...

Nanny was standing behind him: dressed all in black, her glasses firmly in place, her... his!? flaming red hair in perfect waves.

“Hi Warlock" – Nanny sighed

“Nanny... ms Ashtoreth?!” – Warlock could not believe his eyes: it was Nanny, it really definitely was her, just not quite her

“Yeah, I know, this is not exactly how I was planning to tell you, but whatever. Yes, that's me, I usually go by Crowley these days.”

“But how...? You, you're in London! And also...”

“I have been planning to tell you, some day. Yeah, ok, you were raised by a demon, but there was also an angel involved! Balanced out somehow, didn’t it?

“An angel?! Was... was Brother Francis an angel?!”

“He IS an angel, he was Brother Francis for a little while. His name's Aziraphale, if you must know. Oh and for somebody’s sake, just bloody call me before you decide to summon a demon!” – Nanny pushed a small piece of carton into Warlock's hand.

“I... I’m sorry, I...” – Warlock tailed off not knowing what to say. He wanted to hug his Nanny, to talk, but everything was so strange, surreal, and his classmates were there, and...

“Don't worry about them, I'll scramble their memories before waking them up, they won't remember anything, just that it all worked and was really mysterious”

“Thanks, Nanny... Mr Crowley"

“Nanny will do, Warlock"

“I miss you, Nanny! I read all your letters , all your replies, I do!”

“Me too, my wee Hellspawn, me too.” – and Nanny's arms wound themselves around Warlock.

***

“And then this demon appeared, all in black and he hat those cat eyes! He looked at ME! And then he went away. But he WAS THERE!!” – one of the boys who visited Warlock that fateful evening was obviously retelling what he remembered from the evening to one of his buddies.

“Snake eyes, they are snake eyes.” – Warlock thought. He smiled and said nothing at all.

[silver-soliloquy]

So I actually do have very late notes from last week’s reading! Uh, oops, I’m really slow at translating notes into semi-coherent form apparently

XXXVI

o   Carnival time!

o   Dumas seems to be going for a ~demonic debauchery~ angle here, but tbh costumes and confetti and flowers and parades seem like a pretty good time?  okay

o   Why won’t Edmond get down from his fancy window? I want someone to throw an egg at him

o   Albert finally gets some flirting in!  Well done Albert!  Franz’s fond teasing is both hilarious and adorable

o   Franz apparently really wants us to know that Albert’s peasant costume is really hot?  OKAY THEN FRANZ

o   I’m kind of curious about how much regional variation in dress there was that you can specifically do costumes of peasants from specific areas and expect them to be recognized?

o   “I AM IN LOVE” Albert declares after like 3 days of chucking flowers back and forth with a girl, what a nerd

o   Franz is also “a true Byronic hero” apparently? I am a little skeptical of this, he’s not extra enough

o   Admittedly it’s been a while since I read any Byron, I should maybe brush up since they keep referencing him ALL THE TIME

o   If anyone knows of any articles and suchlike on the relationship between the French and English Romantics I would really love to read that

o   I love that Robin Buss keeps calling out Dumas’s timeline inconsistencies in the footnotes, it’s both hilarious and informative!

o   “he himself would prefer not to be in Paris when the count was there” thus proving that Franz is the smartest person in this novel

o   The whole scene with the moccoletti is absolutely gorgeous, and I love that the carnival ends with as sudden a mood shift as it began—from horror at the execution into revelry and then into darkness and melancholy just like that

XXXVII (the roman numerals are getting kind of ridiculous)

o   FRANZ WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO BY HIMSELF, YOU KNOW HE’S THE MOST TROUBLE-PRONE PERSON IN EXISTENCE OF COURSE HE WALKED RIGHT INTO A TRAP

o   Okay so I’m assuming Edmond arranged for the kidnapping, but was his plan actually just to loan Franz the money or was he actually counting on Franz knowing that he knew the bandits so he could go play the savior without having to suggest it himself?  Your chessmastering gives me a headache, Edmond

o   The thing where he pretends to be surprised that Peppino remembers him saving his life a whole WEEK ago seems…significant

o   I’m glad Teresa is still having fun at parties, although I have a lot of questions about how her life is going as the mistress of the bandit king

o   I feel like Edmond definitely meant for Albert to have to sit and ponder his fate all night, given his penchant for absolute-last-minute saves

o   IS VAMPA IN ON THIS WHOLE BIT OF THEATRE??? EXPLAIN YOURSELF EDMOND

o   Albert is entirely too chill about this whole affair and I can’t stop laughing

o   Franz asking the head bandit for book recs before he goes: EVEN MORE HILARIOUS

o   Okay so by Edmond’s messed-up theories about a person’s reaction to imminent death revealing their True Character, I think Albert did pretty darn well there?  Obviously he didn’t have to wait till the exact moment of death before being saved like poor Morrel (what the hell Edmond), but if this was intended as a test of Albert’s character as well as a way to get him in the count’s debt he should’ve passed with flying colors!  And yet Edmond still can barely deal with shaking his hand :(

o   PLEASE DON’T HURT THIS NICE KID, EDMOND

XXXVIII

o   “I wanted to demonstrate something to those bandits, namely that while people fight one another in every country in the world, only the Frenchman jests as he fights” okay this was hilarious until I thought about “the besieged were running out of cartridges but not out of witticisms; in this whirlwind of the sepulcher in which they found themselves, they laughed” and now I might be crying a little bit

o   Franz is finally realizing that leaving Albert alone with the count is a bad idea!  Well done, Franz!  One near-death experience per vacation is plenty

o   NOW PLEASE GO BACK TO PARIS WITH ALBERT AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM, THE COUNT’S ~PLANS~ ARE CLEARLY NOTHING GOOD

o   “Worried about the rendez-vous!  I never!  Are you mad, my dear Franz?”  ALBERT THE LAST RENDEZVOUS HE LET YOU GO ON ENDED IN YOU GETTING KIDNAPPED AND ALMOST MURDERED.  THAT WAS LITERALLY LAST NIGHT.  DUDE.

o   Nooooo Franz don’t leave :((((

XXXIX

o   Yay Paris!!

o   YAY MORE FRIENDS!!

o   I…still do not really understand what Debray’s job is, but he’s sure entertaining

o   *lowkey ships Debray/Beauchamp*

o   WHY DID CHATEU-RENAUD AND FRANZ FIGHT A DUEL THOUGH, I NEED MORE OF THIS BACKSTORY

o   How does Franz still think of himself as The Reasonable One when he apparently gets into duels with his close friends for flimsy enough reasons that no one can remember what that was even about later oh my god

o   I love how Albert solemnly swore not to tell anyone about Franz’s hash adventures at Monte Cristo and then turns around and tells literally everyone he knows at the first available opportunity

o   I don’t actually have that much to say about this chapter except that I love all the banter and teasing SO MUCH, these kids are all so delightful and I hope we see much more of them

o   Okay so Edmond is still clearly very fond of Maximilien in his weird creepy way, and he seems surprised to see him but he doesn’t really react to fact that his friend’s kid is friends with his enemy’s kid? I’m interested that that didn’t get more of a spotlight, since that seems like it’s going to be an Issue with Maximilien later in the book?

XI

o   Edmond does surprisingly well with being thrown into the Baby Dandy Bffs crowd first thing in the morning, that seems like kind of a weird way to introduce someone to ~society~ but our Count is unruffleable as ever!

o   “how do you go without food and sleep for that long????” “oh, drugs” EDMOND THAT IS NOT HEALTHY WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

o   Wait so that was Haydee whose freedom Edmond bought with the giant ridiculous emerald, right?

o   Edmond quit trolling poor Maximilien

o   “They did not know whether Monte Cristo was play-acting, but everything that this man said, despite his eccentricity, was delivered in such a simple tone that it was impossible to suspect him of anything” OH BOY

o   Edmond sure is Weird about Haydee

XLI

o   Albert has Notre Dame de Paris fanart on his walls oh my gosh what a cutie

o   Hi Delacroix!!  This is about the time he was bopping around Morocco fueling everyone’s interest in Orientalism, right? (thanks a lot, Delacroix)

o   Dauzat’s Orientalism travel art isn’t actually that bad, he seems more interested in intricate architecture and really big rocks than creepily exoticizecd people.  And he did Sinbad fanart! (although not till the 1860s I think)

o   On the other hand, probably I’m just relieved that he’s not Jean-Leon Gerome levels of terrible, I really hate that guy

o   ANYWAYS ART HISTORY NERD TANGENT OVER

o   Wait no it’s not, the class-as-costume thing from carnival getting lampshaded in the portrait of Mercedes is super interesting—also that Albert apparently either doesn’t recognize the style or doesn’t know his parents’ history?  Either way there’s so much disguise in this book I just want to take note of Mercedes’ original identity represented through her poor Catalan clothes being taken for another disguise

o   Also it’s just really cute that Albert keeps a portrait of his mom in his room

o   …Antoine-Jean Gros is the same one as Grantaire’s ex-teacher, yes?  Is there room for crossovers here because I would like Grantaire and Albert to be friends please

o   Okay so the thing with Albert’s family’s coat of arms and his nobility on his father’s side—did I miss something about Ferdinand or did he just totally make all this up after he got rich and titled??

o   Mercedes is still the best!!!

o   THIS GUY IS SKETCHY, literally everyone screams at Albert as he cheerfully ignores them

o   Nothing to add to the last chapters except that Edmond apparently thinks it’s really entertaining to torment his servants, nice