#they're using baba yaga in this book

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

Can i request the react to mc wearing the knight armor outfit they have? It just has so much comedic value it would be a CRIME not to wear it. Especially during poppys dragon quest that would be hilarious. Better if MC is a gryffindor as well since the chivalry thing. The outift has so much potential unexplored.

A/N: lmao I love this

HLC REACT TO MC WEARING A FULL SUIT OF ARMOR

!!CLANKCLANKCLANKCLANK!! MC rushed to meet their friend, sliding to a stop in front of them. The visor has fallen in front of their face and they flip it back up after two failed attempts. They hold a pose then do a spin to show off the dull old armor they found. MC just knows they'll be impressed.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He watches them the whole time they're running up to him. They nearly trip over their own feet and go face first into the dirt. He blinks slowly and shakes his head, maybe he was seeing things. There's no way they were going to pull off a stealth mission in that. "Mental..." Is all he can manage to say out loud.

OMINIS GAUNT: "What is that God awful racket??" He stands perplexed in front of the suit of armor that seemingly just came to life and started walking around. His face was fully contorted in confusion as MC struggled to open the visor. "What are you-...just, what!?"

ANNE SALLOW: Okay, when she admitted that she was actually into the whole "knight in shining armor" trope, she wasn't implying to them to take it seriously. Now they just look silly. Silly enough to make her smile, but silly nonetheless. "You're not actually going out in that, are you?"

IMELDA REYES: She doesn't want to give MC the satisfaction of making her laugh at their goofiness, but watching them try to mount a broom in armor is the funniest thing she's seen in a while. They're so off balance that they look like a new born deer trying to walk over a fence, while also covered in metal. They keep falling into a heap on the ground and she is struggling to keep it together.

NATSAI ONAI: "Oh wow, you can wear the metal suits in the halls? I thought they were just for show. Can I wear one?" Whatever shenanigans MC is up to, she wants in. If MC gives her one, she'll proudly go stomping around the grounds with them.

GARRETH WEASLEY: He quirks his eyebrows and chuckles. "Come on, the explosion wasn't that bad last time. But since you're here, and well protected, care to test my latest brew? I call it Baba Yaga's Bombastic Buttersnipes! It'll be a hit at the Halloween festival this year, I just know it! ...As long as I can figure out how to keep the splash range to less than ten feet." He says the last sentence under his breath.

LEANDER PREWETT: He covers his mouth as he examines MC's choice of wardrobe. He takes his hand away and opens his mouth to say something but words fail him. He covers a sneaking laugh with a cough and covers his mouth again. "Well uh....good on you for really, uh...committing to the whole Gryffindor...pride, yeah...pfff!" He turns away, turning red from holding his laughter.

AMIT THAKKAR: His confusion turns to laughter as MC fights the visor to stay up. "You're really committed to the 'hero' role, aren't you? Got a suit of, somewhat, shining armor and everything. You look like you just stepped out of a story book." He giggles to himself as MC gives him a thumbs up and proudly marches on.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He laughs so hard, he snorts. He covers his face in embarrassment but can't stop laughing. His sides hurt. He's tearing up. MC needs to walk away so he can catch his breath.

POPPY SWEETING: She looks them up and down for maybe a second before doubling over in laughter. "Well I don't think the dragon will have any trouble spotting you!" She wipes a tear from her eye. "I hope you're more agile than you look or you're going to be roasted alive in that."

ELEAZAR FIG: He thought he was used to MC's unusual fashion sense by now. Turns out they can still surprise him. He doesn't say anything of it, just gives them a concerned side eye. Where did they even find a full suit of unenchanted armor that fit? Maybe he should start asking more questions...but life is easier to manage if he doesn't.

[necronatural]

Limbus Company theory

Okay, I have absolutely no idea if anyone's noted this yet. Did anyone pick up that the Sinners are held down by a Sin, represented in their EGO, and their Canto are about their struggles against another sin entirely. The branch creates a space for 'penance'. When Rodya entered the field of effect of the branch, Baba Yaga went crazy, freezing the entire mine. There's clearly some paralleling at work here.

So let's go through.

Gregor, Canto 1: Sloth V Gluttony (survival); note that this expedition failed, and we later explore Sloth with Yi Sang

Rodion, Canto 2: Pride V Gloom; note that Rodya refused to actualize

Sinclair, Canto 3: Gluttony (Greed) V Lust

Yi Sang, Canto 4: Sloth V Gluttony (greed); Dante's resonance begins

Ishmael, Canto 5: Gloom V Envy; Dante's resonance progresses

When we look at the dominant sins of the remainder...

Heathcliff, Canto 6: Envy...

Don Quixote, Canto 7: Lust…

Hong Lu, Canto 8: Gloom…

Ryoshu, Canto 9: Wrath…

Meursault, Canto 10: Pride…

Outis, Canto 11: Pride…

Faust, Canto 12: Pride…

Dante, Canto ?: ????

Sins not confronted yet: Sloth, Pride, Wrath

Sinner sins left to explore: Envy, Wrath, Lust (If we're talking strictly what progressed Dante's clock, Gluttony & Pride)

Assuming Dante's doomsday clock setting is moving in 5 minute intervals, Dante currently has 2 positions left on their clock; 5 minutes to midnight and midnight itself. It's made almost explicit that their resonance with sinners is the tool with which they resonate with the branches. By obtaining each sin, they're building to some sort of complete whole.

Predictions based on this theory; Pride being so back-heavy probably means we're going to scramble for branches with Hermann. It gives the impression that for whatever reason Pride is necessary, which is interesting.

My own theory: Rodya says she'll settle in the cold [Gloom] for a little longer, and Sonya says she doesn't have the mark. I'd say this might mean Rodya hasn't sufficiently resonated. Sonya may have tried to bait her in hopes of getting better results in this regard.

This may mean ...

The last few Cantos will be a losing streak (LOL)

Someone who hasn't cleansed themselves of their opposing sin/formed the mark of cain will get the branch; I'd imagine this person shares sins with Dante, Vergilius, or Charon, who I believe are probably Envy, Wrath, and Lust respectively (OOP @ WHO WE'RE MISSING ⬆️)

In that respect Vergilius V Sloth, Charon V Pride, Dante V Wrath. I even think the wrath Dante is opposed to could be Vergilius

Very notable there's only 3 sins missing; it could be possible we already have Dante's branch; they were very obviously part of the group of Cain Marked, and again, their clock started at 25-to-midnight and just kind of sat there for a little while. It's also possible it didn't move until Yi Sang because their sin was Gluttony (ambiguous manifestation)? If Hermann also represents Lust ..... Think about it

Rodya's refusal of the call of Cain might become plot-relevant, just as our failure to observe what happened to Gregor on the myth arc timeline of 3 years ago and relationship with the Big Bad makes it obvious he's going to be a core character in the future. We can tell based on those who have the mark of Cain that he just doesn't have the chops, so mayhaps their mutual exclusion will be a surprise tool that will help us later.

And of course, my theories for the sins that weigh down our remaining Sinners: Heathcliff V Sloth, Don Quixote V Wrath, and Ryoshu V Pride. I predict all the Prides share Rodya's opposing force, which is Gloom; we see this in the books these characters are based on, with Meursault's despair of being sentenced to death being overcome by his Pride, Outis putting herself through grueling trials for the sake of returning to her family, and Faust beginning with suicidal depression leading to her pride creating(summoning) Mephistopheles.

I think it would be pretty funny if Dante was Gretchen's evil baby. Or that Gretchen might have been their previous self, manipulated into giving birth to Dante (extremely vulnerable and exploitable state), which they will be disgusted by and put to death. How many representations of the Divine Feminine in classic literature can Dante represent any% speedrun

[slyandthefamilybook]

Noah's Spring Jewish Book Review

this isn't gonna become a regular thing, don't worry. I just need to gush some about these books. I'm gonna keep the reviews short too because who's got that kind of time!

So far I've read 4 Jewish novels this spring and I'm working on a fifth. We'll go in chronological order

1. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

~ Two estranged siblings, Isaac and Bellatine Yaga—the grandchildren of the famous Baba Yaga—inherit their ancestor's chicken-footed house. They travel the country putting on puppet shows and exploring their own mysterious abilities, all the while trying to escape from a threatening figure known only as the Longshadow Man, as well as their own pasts. History relives itself in a book filled with magic and mystery ~

This book was so damn good. Every other sentence is tattoo-worthy and hits you like a sack of bricks. The characters feel so real and raw while also managing to fill out their respective roles with a sense of poetry. The book has a supporting cast of memorable characters and a sense of real danger throughout. Every so often the house will interject in a way that reminds me so much of my bubbe (עליה השלום). I've read reviews that said it dragged on a bit in the second act but I was enraptured the entire way through. It's also pretty gay, which I always appreciate. 10/10

2. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

~ An angle and a demon—best friends for 200 years—set out from their tiny Pale shtetl to America in search of a girl who hasn't been heard from. They're accompanied by Rosie, a spunky and fire-spirited girl from their shtetl desperate to get away and have an adventure in the far-off West ~

No book has made me feel quite so seen as this one. As someone who grew up Orthodox there's virtually no representation for people like me. The majority of Orthodox characters in media are trying to get away. None of them love it quite so much as I do, as much as the characters in this book do. From Little Ash tucking his peyot behind his ears like my older brothers used to to the angel waking up to daven shacharit. Sacha Lamb takes the brave stance of "what if Jewish theology is real, actually" and it shines on every page. The writing effortlessly intertwines spirituality and reverence with a classic Yiddish folktale. It's also pretty gay. 10/10

3. From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos

Hannah, the descendant of the famed Rabbi Yehuda Loew, wakes up one morning to find herself transformed, her eyes turning to yellow slits. Her mother seems to blame herself without explaining why, and soon after disappears. After receiving a mysterious letter, Hannah and her adopted brother Gabe travel to upstate New York to meet their mother's family, to learn the secrets of her past, and of their own lineage ~

I'll start off by saying I'm not sure if I was the target audience for this book. It was good, don't get me wrong, but the writing wasn't to my taste. It was a little... blatant, where I prefer prose to be a bit more subtle. Again, nothing wrong with it, just not my particular thing. I definitely relate to Hannah and Gabe a lot, each in their own way. A lot of the book felt very comforting and familiar to me. The book is equal parts supernatural action and intriguing mystery, and keeps you engrossed til the end. It's also Extremely Gay 7/10

4. The Way Out by Gavriel Savit

~ Yehuda Leib and Bluma set out from their tiny Pale shtetl, each on a mission of the utmost importance. Yehuda Leib is looking for his lost father, and Bluma is running from Death. Navigating the Far Country full of demons, goblins, and angels, the pair fight their way through history and mystery alike, and prepare to make war on Death himself ~

This book. Oh boy this book. Where do I start? This book made me cry several times, which hasn't happened in over 15 years. This book said everything about death I've been feeling since my bubbe passed away (עליה השלום). This book genuinely made me re-think how I view G-d? All that and more in less than 400 pages. This book harmonized with my soul. This book changed who I am as a person. This book made me crumble to dust and then built me back up from scratch. 10/10

[beforeviolets]

queer fairytale retellings

I just saw a list of fairytale retellings that had more books that were retellings of myth, legend, historical events, classics, or that weren't retellings at all than it had actual queer fairytale retellings, so I figured I'd make my own post to share some that I've read and enjoyed or have on my radar!

I am a great lover of retellings. Especially when done well, they can create amazing feats of connections through history and culture. Retellings offer us modern day folks an opportunity to add our voices to the cultural conversation surrounding a piece of work, to engage with the work in a way that can create new perspectives or translations. And for queer people, just interrogating the question of 'what would this story be like if it was queer?' can bring about some really amazing answers. So here are some recommendations:

🗝🥀🪡✨

ones I've read:

Robbergirl by S.T. Gibson- new adult, sapphic, retelling of The Robber Girl, of course!

Malice by Healther Walter- adult, sapphic, retelling of Sleeping Beauty (duology)

Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo- younger YA, sapphic, retelling of Snow White and Rose Red

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott- adult, sapphic, retelling of Baba Yaga

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens- YA, achillean, retelling of The Little Mermaid

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen- YA, achillean, graphic novel, retelling of Cinderella (and its counterparts in other parts of the world)

-

ones I haven't:

Ash by Malinda Lo- YA, sapphic, retelling of Cinderella (duology)

The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher- adult, sapphic, retelling of The Snow Queen

A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian- adult, sapphic, retelling of The Little Mermaid (duology)

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust- YA, sapphic, retelling of Snow White

In the Vanisher's Palace by Aliette de Bodard- adult (?), sapphic, retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley- adult, sapphic, retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane- adult, queer and trans, retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell- YA, sapphic, retelling of Snow White and Rose Red

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- YA, demisexual, The Goose Girl (trilogy)

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter- adult, sapphic, Snow White (duology)

A Sea of Wolves by Sarah Street- YA, sapphic, Little Red Riding Hood

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford- adult, nonbinary and queer, Sleeping Beauty

🗝🥀🪡✨

I do also have lots of recs for retellings of myth, legend, historical, and classics (especially Shakespeare) if anyone wants those too! And as you can see, this is very sapphic-leaning, so I'd love some recommendations for books to put on my radar that feature other identities, especially trans identities!

please feel free to share with any favorites of yours (though make sure they're actually fairytale retellings, lol)

[thisloveforyourmom]

soo important to me how the anime showed off how different dtk's relationship with patty and liz as their meister was very early on.....when they're in human form he's tetchy but if u watch during battles he actually listens quite closely to them. esp in early soul eater you get a lot of blackstar barking commands at tsubaki, soul and maka disagreeing on the best course of action, etc. but with dkt and the thompsons its always a balancing act of mutual communication.

he waits on liz and patty's permission, mostly, to shoot soul and blackstar during their fight. they warn him in advance when they have an uneven number of souls split asymmetrically between them both. whenever they use death cannons, they have to communicate and balance a lot of information that we don't typically see from the other weapons - the stability of the resonance, the frequency, if there's noise in it. and u never see kid outwardly communicating or moving around during that chargeup because he has to focus on how he's handling and resonating with liz and patty too deeply. he devotes that time to them.

and later on in the manga u see that he is ALWAYS thinking on some level about their safety, even in weapon form. during the fight for baba yaga's castle, his literal arm gets blown off and the first thing he does is tell patty (who his severed arm is holding) to stop transforming back into a human because she's much safer as a pistol. when he's kidnapped into the book of eibon he only has a few seconds to react and in that time he tosses liz and patty far enough away that they're protected. he has them travel in pistol form sometimes if he knows it's safer for them. from the very beginning he inverts maka and soul's meister-weapon relationship by assuming complete responsibility for the thompson sisters' safety as the person who dragged them into all this.

more than him being a shinigami i rly think this is why you never see the kind of resonance issues soul and maka sometimes have or the incompatibility blackstar and tsubaki have (like the enchanted sword mode). like, him being a shinigami definitely factors in, but he has a relationship with them based on mutual understanding, consent, and trust, and it's used as the establishing example in soul eater to prove how beneficial it can be to have such a good relationship with your partner - it can even make short work of balancing three different wavelengths instead of just two. love it.

[spouseoftherisingsun]

^old finished projects vs recent sketches^

current list of projects under the cut for the curious

Baba Yaga: Out of the Woods

Key words: HOME, COMMUNITY, FOLKLORE, WHIMSY

What is it? Rogue-lite narrative-heavy video game, wherein you play as Baba Yaga trying to escape the suburbs and return to the Russian woods through a combination of crafting quests, NPC encounters, party-building, and puzzle-solving.

What do you need to work on? Additions and second drafts of outline, pitch, bible, screenplay, concept art, and storyboards. Research on twine?

Untitled Arthuriana Project

Key words: NAMES, REBIRTH, THEATER, OTHERWORLDLY

What is it? A project reinterpreting the Arthurian canon particularly with favor to and focus on the extended mythos of Morgan le Fay, the medium for which is undecided, with favored options being: animated series, animated film, book series, comic series.

What do you need to work on? First drafts of outline and pitch. Additions and second drafts of bible, screenplay, concept art, and storyboards. Revisiting medium decision.

Witches of the Four Movements [s.t.c.]

Key words: POWER, HISTORY, MYSTERY, COLORFUL

What is it? An original fantasy project of epic scale, focused on four independent storylines tied together by the relationships of the four secret witches propelling each plot, and the two secret witches yet undiscovered that are unintentionally interfering with them.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of bible, screenplay, and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

House of God

Key words: POSSESSION, FAITH, HORROR, FIRE

What is it? An eerie trilogy that starts with a team of grad students assigned to the excavation and restoration of an abandoned rectory.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, concept art and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and screenplays. Revisiting decision between film and television.

Primewick

Key words: CARETAKING, TRAPS, EERIE, DOMESTIC

What is it? A speculative thriller about a motorcyclist who crashes and wakes up in the care of an odd woman living in her old friend's massive, secluded estate.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, concept art, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and screenplays. Revisiting medium decision.

Untitled Ghost Project

Key words: CLARITY, MEMORY, GHOSTS, MUNDANE

What is it? A speculative drama about an amateur independent journalist dropping out of college to return home and investigate a cold case of the disappearance of a local teacher and single mother, and how locals, especially the missing woman's now-grown children, cope with the renewed operation. (This work shares a storyworld and narrative elements with Primewick.)

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

Caspar Unlimited [s.t.c.]

Key words: IMAGE, INTIMACY, TRAGEDY, REALITY TV

What is it? A television series taking place in a contemporary world characterized by supernatural and speculative events, combining mockumentary footage following the lives of various employees of corporate empire, Caspar Multinational, and typical drama footage following the documentary crew and cast ostensibly part of it.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, concept art, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of pitch, bible, and screenplays.

Untitled Labyrinth Project

Key words: COLLABORATION, CRAFT, UTOPIA, RUINS

What is it? Slow-burn, esoteric, science fiction mystery about a group of strangers who find each other in a labyrinth of unknown origin.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of screenplays and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

Untitled Weird Project

Key words: CRIME, HIJINKS, CHASE SCENE, FUTURISTIC

What is it? Animated feature exploring a futuristic city run by silly rules and filled with whimsical characters, including a gang made up of germs and diseases evolved into humanoids; a zombie-vampire pair of lesbian bounty hunters; a skateboarder in his forties wanted by the law for failing to commit to the bit; and his general practitioner, a blue-haired, nine-year-old cyborg obeying disembodied voices of medical talents long passed on.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of concept art.

Bad House

Key words: DEBT, FAME, THEATER, FOLK MUSIC

What is it? A comic-concept album-tarot deck combination following a schtick-rock band called Bad Box made up of masked characters in the wake of a scandal that revealed the identities of its two founding members as they tour and promote their latest, and sonically much-toned-down, concept album, which is inspired by and features a few covers of the House of the Rising Sun.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of concept art.

Untitled Clue Project

Key words: VIOLENCE, SECRETS, GAMES, GLAMOR

What is it? A television series based on the mechanics and premise of the game Clue/Cluedo, where each season features the same cast of actors assigned a new role, in a new setting, and with new context.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, screenplay, bible, storyboard. Second drafts of outline and concept art.

if you got this far thanks here are some bonus pics of poor quality, pls reply with which project looks most interesting bc i have no basis for inferring atm

[aliciavance4228]

Rereading the Grisha Trilogy so you don't have to

Book 1: Shadow and Bones

Okay, so apparently the action takes place in this fictionial country named Ravka, which is basically the fantasy equivalent of the Tsarist Russia. And just like any other carbon copy of Russia that respects itself, the kingdom of fricking coursly had to be at war with its neighborhoods. Furthermore, the country itself was split into two lands by the Shadow Fold, the long-ago creation of an evil wizard, populated by ugly rabbit predators which feed on those who had the bad inspiration to cross the Fold.

Those who usually end up as their menu are the members of the armed forces, separated into two groups. The First Army is made out of regular people, whereas the Second Army is made out of magical people ruled by a guy called... *suspense drum music* the Darkling *badum tss*. No, this isn't a joke. This is his actual title. At this point you could just call him Black Fantasy.

Additional Note: The way the author tried to insert russian/slavic elements in the universe is hilariously annoying. There are magical people here called "Grisha", despite the fact that "Grisha" is short for Gregori. They could as well just be named Greg. They're also alcoholics apparently, which I won't criticize since it's kinda accurate, but the thing is: these guys are drinking kvas. And kvas not only that is an actual, existing drink, but it's not even am alcoholic one to begin with. Even the russian-like names are wrongly gendered, since women's last names usually get feminized and end in "-a". Therefore it should've been "Starkova" instead of "Starkov", and "Morozov" instead of "Morozova".

Anyway, back to the review:

The main characters are Alina, the average YA teenage girl with low self-esteem issues, and her friend... Mal? Malyen?! I mean... do I even have to point out the fact that this isn't even a real name at all? Also, does the author know that russians (and slavic people in general) do not use american nicknames, right? She clearly knows, given the fact that she decided to name the russian-coded wizards Grisha and called it a day. *sighs* I'll just call him Misha.

Alina and Misha are chosen among the soldiers who will cross the Fold this time. Their ship ends up being attacked by sea monsters by default and Alina suddenly becomes a Disco Ball while her and Misha are about to get killed by one. Later she is brought to Black Fantasy, who reveals her to be The Chosen One, the one who can destroy the Fold after so many centuries and thus she must go with him to the Russian Hogwarts. Girly is now an aristocrat and is introduced to Genya, a magical make-up artist and beauty guru, the boring characters who will die throughout this series and the even more boring king and queen who won't die because apparently killing any filler characters besides those the reader actually wants to see dead isn't professional.

Oh, and apparently one of her teachers is Baba Yaga, who lives in a hut just like the original slavic figure. Except that the hut in question doesn’t have skull lanterns nor chicken legs. Booooooo! On a more sarcastic note though I'll forgive the author for that, because Baba Yaga is constantly beating Alina with her cane, yells at her to close the door so that the air current won't come in and swears. I'll be honest, I didn't expect someone to have such complex knowledge on how do eastern european grannies behave. Alina still cannot control her powers and is thinking about Misha and all the things she didn't tell him, because she was too busy fantasizing about him rather than actually talking to him about her feelings. Black Fantasy finally decides to talk to Alina again after remaining edgy for a while and tells her she needs an amplifier (basically something that can amplify one's powers) and because she's The Chosen One she must deserve the most powerful one just like any other spoiled brat: White Bambi.

Additional Note: Man, I cannot take a guy who literally calls himself the Darkling seriously. If you're really going to embarass yourself like that then at least don't stop here! The Darkling takes a bath: the Sparkling. The Darkling finds a parking place: the Parkling. The Darkling feeds the ducks: the Duckling...

Currently on Chapter 13: The Darkling kisses Alina. Alarming. Also I forgot to mention that earlier but dude is like hundreds of years old. But don't worry, because kissing teenage girls it's okay and completely not pedophilic as long as you're looking like one as well. 👍

Now on Chapter 14: When the hell did this become a Whore House?! Anyway, Alina reunites with Misha, but because he thought she was being tortured all this time and he tried to be the one who found White Bambi so that he could be brought to the palace and eventually reunite with her only to find her making magic tricks at parties and exchanging saliva with the depraved fossil their reunion doesn’t go very well.

We found out from Baba Yaga that Black Fantasy was... *suspense drum sounds* the villain all this time *gasps in shock*.

The entire scene basically went like this:

BY: You must go! Black Fantasy is the evil wizard who created the Fold a long time ago and he will use you to expand it and gain supreme power.

A: But he's only 200 years old or something like that.

BY: ...

BY: Girl, you have daddy issues.

Oh, and Baba Yaga is also Black Fantasy's mother. I quess everyone has relatives they don't like...

Alina leaves the palace at night and reunites with Misha, who wants to help her kill White Bambi before Black Fantasy because otherwise Black Fantasy will have full control over her, he'll use her powers to do bad thing and stuff blah, blah, blah. After a while they find White Bambi, but right when Alina is supposed to kill him she starts philosophing about morality and why killing an innocent creature is wrong and why they must find another way to- Nevermind, Black Fantasy killed White Bambi already and turned Alina into his slave.

Black Fantasy uses her powers to expand the Fold and kills hundreds of innocent people in the process. But worry not, because our female lead manages to regain control over her magical abilities with the power of compassion, and her and Misha leave the ship while leaving Black Fantasy & Co. in the hope that they will ultimately get devoured by the sea rabbit predators.

Impressions

I don't necessarily find too many good things to point out besides three aspects. First of all, I appreciate the fact that the author didn't intend to insert a love triangle only after a few pages of writing, and instead has her protagonist be with two different men at different times and situations. Secondly, the Darkling is acknowledged as an abusive and manipulative figure, and their relationship isn't romanticized. Last but not least, I like how Mal and Alina are acting like ordinary, realistic teenagers instead of some 2D caricatures.

I personally find the world-building and magic system to be undeveloped and crusty, yet I would lie if I'd say this book is terrible compared to the average BookTok novel.

The Darkling is a very cliché villain. He wears black all the time (given the way he calls himself I would be surprised if he would wear anything else), is extremely dubious yet for some reason everyone around believes him to be a good person, has darkness powers (What a surprise!) and all the magic hot chicks have a crush on him.

Let me know if you want me to talk about the other books as well!

[cbk1000]

Is there a cap on the number of questions I can ask for the reblog ask game? XD 4, 11, 18, and 30, please!

Hope today is a great day! <3

4. a story idea you haven’t written yet I have tons. Some fairytale-inspired; I'd like to do a selkie fic. I also have a sort of Rapunzel-esque idea with Arthur being the damsel in distress locked in a tower. Another with Morgana as a sort of Baba Yaga-esque character and Merlin as her raven who used to be a man she turned into a bird for being annoying. Arthur is her annoying brother on a quest who needs her help; Merlin goes with him, of course, and Arthur breaks the spell on him and is highly dismayed to discover the annoying talking bird is a super hot man.

11. a WIP you’d like to finish someday Book of Merthur is the one I'm focusing on right now, though I do also have the sequel to the vet fic partially written.

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic 'What he had written was, “Sorry. I am a tree.”'

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of My Imposter Syndrome is screaming, 'None of them, they're all crap!!!' but I'm going to kick it in the nuts and say Book of Merthur, because it's now officially the longest story I've ever written, and as a kid I read a lot of fantasy, and I feel like baby!Jenn would be stoked that adult!Jenn is writing a gay fantasy epic with lots of penis jokes.

[kaleidoru]

lore shit that nobody asked for but whatever

when writing it out like this it sounds kind of absurd, but

characters that predate the galaxy they're in: -the God Squad, obviously -Cici (Angel) -Asmodeus (Angel/Demon Chimera) - SHERMAN

Sherman is older than the planet he is associated with. He's just Some Guy but immortal and technically qualifies as a Slime

When Jaro was undergoing his training at a facility run by Gods of Knowledge and Wisdom (Gods also get 'paired up' and assigned to different regions of space that will become their galaxies along with a Baby Sun they work together to raise during their galaxy's infancy) Sherman was... difficult for them to know what to do with.

There are training courses for Creator Gods, and then there are courses for Lesser Gods called "Specialist Gods" (such as a lower rank God that is mostly associated with one or two things, like a God of Storms or a God of Fire, since some people like Ike can just be born with powers so great they just Become Gods over time and so those need to be trained to know how to use that power and hopefully not abuse it)

Sam and Jaro having the issues they did kind of had Cici and Sherman with them before coming to the facility... their 'emotional support angel / armadillo' respectively... Cici being as strong as she is, they likely DID have a small-ish class for angels / divine attendants, so finding a place for her was easy. (like even for Angel standards OPHANS Units are a step beyond anything a normal angel is capable of... she's Sam's 'deputy' and is almost on par with him in terms of raw power, the only thing she can't do is Create like he can outside of generating more Beelzebuddies)

But Sherman was more difficult, because his intelligence and capabilities were closer to a normal child... except for when it came to things like machines and certain types of weapons, then he knew far too much than what a normal child his age should have ever known. He still wasn't really placed anywhere and mostly just wandered around the library reading picture books because he still struggled with words (his creation was incredibly messy... out of all of Jaro's attempts at creating life at the time, Sherman was the only one to survive the ordeal but even then he was pretty behind on learning to speak, read and write etc)

Cici was the one who used her free time to tutor him. Sam and Jaro used to be very close at one point and they even collaborated together on stuff (Baba Yaga and her family were the result of one such collaboration... you can tell Jaro played a major role in their creation because their Eye Style is largely Marzonian in appearance... yeah, the guys EYES sort of indicate where their ancestry has roots... notice how a lot of Sam's guys have white pupils whilst a lot of Jaro's guys have multiple coloured rings in their eyes? That's why)

Sherman being tutored by an angel... I'm sure that doesn't tie into any foreshadowing for his future at all 👁️👄👁️

[cinema-hallucinations]

Prompt: Generate a movie concept for a parody of the Golden Girls where the original characters are replaced by crone/hag characters from folklore like Baba Yaga, Frau Trude, Black Annis and Befana.

Title: Golden Crones

Tagline: Don't ask where the chickens went.

Logline: Four legendary hags from myth and folklore - Baba Yaga, Frau Trude, Black Annis, and Befana - share a ramshackle cottage in a quirky, modern town. Despite their fearsome reputations and penchant for the macabre, they navigate the challenges of aging, retirement, and supernatural shenanigans, proving that even hags can have a hilariously dysfunctional family life.

Characters:

Baba Yaga (300s, looks 70s): A fiery Russian witch with a penchant for chicken legs and a mortar and pestle. She's the no-nonsense leader of the group, but secretly harbors a love for soap operas.

Frau Trude (500s, looks 80s): A stoic German crow goddess with a dry wit and a collection of creepy crawlies. She's the voice of reason (most of the time) and enjoys tending to her carnivorous garden.

Black Annis (unknown age, looks ageless): A mischievously dark Welsh hag with a one-legged hopping gait and a taste for human toes. She's the life of the party, albeit a slightly disturbing one, and loves practical jokes (that sometimes backfire spectacularly).

Befana (unknown age, looks flamboyant): A flamboyant Italian Christmas witch with a flying scooter and a bottomless bag of magical coal. She's the group's fashionista and resident gossip, always up-to-date on the latest local happenings (both earthly and otherworldly).

Plot Summary:

The quaint town of Creekwood is abuzz with rumors about the new residents at the ramshackle cottage on the outskirts. Unbeknownst to most, the tenants are Baba Yaga, Frau Trude, Black Annis, and Befana, legendary hags who have decided to embrace retirement in the modern world.

Living together proves to be a hilarious challenge. Baba Yaga clashes with Befana over decorating for the holidays (Halloween vs. Christmas, anyone?). Frau Trude struggles to connect with the town's overly cheerful book club. Black Annis' pranks land them in trouble with the uptight mayor, who suspects they're up to something nefarious (well, they are, but not always in the way the mayor thinks).

Despite their differences, the hags form a bond. They use their unique magical abilities to solve local problems (with a dash of chaos, of course). Baba Yaga's mystical guidance helps a lovelorn teenager. Frau Trude's connection with nature helps rid the town of a pesky infestation (of pixies, not something mundane). Black Annis' mischievous pranks expose a corrupt businessman's schemes. Befana's gift-giving magic, even with a twist, brings joy to a lonely widower.

Themes:

Finding humor and camaraderie in unexpected places.

Aging with grace (or at least a healthy dose of sarcasm).

Challenging stereotypes and proving that appearances can be deceiving.

Humor:

The film relies on witty dialogue, slapstick humor, and the inherent absurdity of these powerful hags trying to navigate the modern world. Their magical abilities often backfire spectacularly, leading to hilarious situations. The clash between their old-world customs and modern conveniences creates comedic tension. Each character's quirks and eccentricities provide a constant source of amusement.

Parody Elements:

The film parodies the classic sitcom "The Golden Girls" with its focus on a group of older women living together and facing the challenges of aging. However, it subverts the stereotype by replacing them with powerful, and sometimes frightening, hags from folklore. The situations they encounter and their solutions are twisted versions of the problems faced by the original characters.

Ending:

The hags, despite their occasional squabbles, have grown to cherish their unconventional family. They face a final challenge, perhaps a new magical threat or a visit from a curious government agent, and overcome it together, proving that even legendary hags can learn new tricks and maybe even mend their ways (a little bit). The film ends with the hags enjoying a cup of herbal tea (or something stronger) on their porch, cackling at a shared joke, ready for whatever supernatural shenanigans life throws their way.

[brinefathomcaves]

Brinefathom Caves Level 3, Week 5

3.40: The Hags' Vestibule: Submerged. Moldy rag rug over equally moldy floor. Athletics check can break through the floor, opening a hole to 3.56. Barnacles grow over portraits on walls. Stairs up to 2nd-floor hallway. Empty.

3.41: The Hags' Library: Submerged. Shelves of books with gorgeous illustrations and calligraphy, all completely ruined by water. Empty.

3.42: The Hags' Gallery: Submerged. Walls hung with remarkably well-preserved portraits of corpses. Hags can look out the corpses eyes (Perception check to notice). Central statue of a speared, dying octopus. Empty.

3.43: The Hags' Parlor

3.44: The Hags' Pantry: Submerged. Shelves full of rotten produce. Large still-living fish hanging from hooks from the ceiling, thrashing occasionally. An illusion makes it appear that creatures who enter the room are on the hooks. Touching one of these “bodies” dispells the illusion.

3.45: The Hags' Kitchen

3.46: The Hags' Dining Room

3.47: The Hags' Doll Room

3.48: The Hags' Bathroom: Submerged. Frog-footed stone tub, matching sink. Taps of both dispense heavier-than-water sludge that smells like rotting seaweed. Trap door in ceiling leads to 3.52. Empty.

3.49: The Hags' Trophy Room

3.50: The Hags' Bubble Room: 2d12 bubbles drift through this submerged room, not rising. If a non-hag pops one, they hear a creature confessing its greatest fear. Sharp coral springs from the floor; the creature must make a Dexterity save or take mild piercing damage and have their own greatest fear trapped in a bubble.

3.51: The Hag Effie's Room

(Non-key rambling under cut)

The illusion in the pantry is another reference to Lisa Smedman's The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga!

This week was an interesting change for me, from sprawling caves to an underwater house. On the one hand, the tininess and closeness of all these rooms mean that all my pictures the last week looked like ass, but on the other, it sure was a lot easier to ink with no negative space to worry about.

Generally, when I make house maps like this, I use 5 ft.-square mapping rather than 10 ft., so I can fit in all the chairs and stuff more easily, but here I chose to keep up with the convention I've been using in the rest of the dungeon. I did not, however, use dashed lines for the walls like I usually do for fully-submerged rooms because it would make the rooms harder to parse, and they're already not easy.

[rinwellisathing]

Okay so I know I did a big OC spam yesterday but I have to admit, I've been getting really excited about some plot twists in the magical girl inspired BG3 sequel campaign I'm running in 5E.

So the story follows a group of young women(the PCs) who accept a call to adventure in the form of an open invitation to Lady Alyce Ravengard's seventeenth birthday in Baldur's Gate. At the ball in her honor, she plans to announce an important quest. The players meet her and are tasked with helping her to assist a strange Feywild entity known only as Will'O'Wisp to escape its prison in an old rotting tree.

To do this, they must hunt down the corrupted souls of adventurers who have previously made deals, and allegedly gone back on them, with the creature. Their liasons whom Alyce works with are a strange feywild cat being named Calloway and the printing press Jelliwig from the Stop the Presses! Quest. The players are collecting the soul essences they defeat and are meant to hand them over to Jelliwig to be made into books of the soul's life and then destroying the books to free the soul.

The players have rolled very well and love to poke around in the settings I describe, so very early on, they realized Calloway, Jelliwig, and Will'O'Wisp aren't exactly trust worthy.

Through various shenanigans, the players have managed also to build an unusual group of allies after freeing Gortash from Bane completely by accident, encountering Bhaal's new murder tribunal now run by a feytouched Bhaalspawn, and helping the goddess Umberlee free an ancient chosen of hers from the clutches of Will'O'Wisp.

The big secret I'm so excited about, however, I haven't revealed yet and can only even say here because none of my players in that game follow me on tumblr:

Will'O'Wisp is not what it seems, they're totally right about that! It is actually a clever trick by the demon Pale Night to amass power and spread chaos by sowing the seeds of despair( hey, I admitted many times this is heavily Madoka inspired) in clueless mortals she tricks.

Alyce's mother is dying of a terminal genetic illness and Alyce took the pact to protect her. Alyce also fanatically hates devils because of what Mizora and Zariel did to two of her parents plus her grandfather's harrowing tales from Elturel. Pale Night sees her as an easy way to maintain a puppet on the material plane as well as stick her hands into the blood war just a little to have some fun.

More importantly, if Alyce manages to keep up her pact and her mother becomes well again, Pale Night intends to harvest Alyce's mother's soul and replace her in her own body, thus gaining a position of political power as well as all of her potent storm magic to play with. If Alyce can't keep up her pact and falls to despair, that works as well. Pale Night is nothing if not flexible and mercurial. She will in that case use the deaths of both Wyll Ravengard's wife and oldest child to try and persuade him to bargain with her, blaming Alyce's death on the work of devils. She then feels she could convince Wyll to carry out her bidding within the city at least until she gets bored.

One player is a warlock pacted to Baba Yaga and I love that because I've woven Auntie Ethel back into the story as a result since Baba tends to be a patron of hags and this has allowed the players to find a lot of clues about some of Will'O'Wisp's servants due to Ethel's connections to the fey, for instance they noticed Calloway never goes with them to the bar Ethel has been covertly running, Ethel will explain to them if asked that this is because Calloway is not a cat thing at all, but instead an Annis Hag who not only pissed off Baba Yaga by breaking a pact with her to instead work with Pale Night, but also owes Ethel money.

Meanwhile, Glasya, Archduchess of Malbolge, has her faithful warlock, Enver Gortash's former personal assistant Valda Everett, reestablish herself as his employee now that he's returned. Glasya has instructed her to steer him in the direction of helping the players 1. Because she doesn't like the idea of some ancient demon lord running amok and getting the upper hand on the material plane, and 2. Because she believes she can take Gortash's soul right out from under Bane's nose and add him to her collection of playthings along with Sentry(redeemed Durge) and Teela (Enver's daughter with said Durge who is currently working for Alyce because she has a crush on her).

Glasya and Pale Night are two of my favorite rarely used beings in D&D as a whole since my 3.5 days and The Blood War is some of my favorite lore so running this campaign and having my players love it so much has been amazing ><

[chacusha]

Enchantment (1999) by Orson Scott Card

I think either I or my sister got this book for free from some kind of library event back in high school, and it's just been traveling from house to house with me ever since. I'm trying to go through all the unread books currently sitting on my shelves, so I finally finished reading this a couple of months back (it was my bathroom book).

I think the reason why I originally wanted to read this book is that I was going through a fairy tale retelling phase, and I think I heard good things about this book? I know Orson Scott Card is very Problematic, but I thought this was an interesting take on Sleeping Beauty, set in the real world but involving time travel between the modern era (the 1990s) and medieval Eastern Europe.

Quite a few years back, I read a book collecting Russian fairy tales, so I appreciated some of the elements here, like the main character being Ivan(/John/Jack) the Fool. Baba Yaga here felt... very different from the stock character in the fairy tales I read, but that has pretty much been my experience with every modern version of Baba Yaga I've come across, IDK. I'm not as familiar with Jewish folklore, so can't really comment on those aspects of the story, positive or negative.

You know how I was wondering if I've actually softened on Slap-Slap-Kiss/Belligerent Sexual Tension dynamics, or if Quodo is just an exception? Well, yeah, I gotta say it's leaning toward Quodo being a special exception. I was very indifferent to the very 90s haughty-princess-arguing-with-defensive-dude dynamic of the romance here and found it frustrating they're constantly getting into arguments and then being like, "I guess he/she doesn't love me. :(" (I feel like everyone was desperately trying to recapture the magic of Han and Leia and just... not doing a good job at it.) So I'm still leaning toward "most of the time people write this dynamic, it sucks and I don't enjoy it."

There was also some weird gender stuff in the writing (in the form of depicting women as hyperintuitive and Knowing Things without being able to explain how they know things, and men being hyperrational and scientific) and I am just not here for that.

So yeah, overall, I thought this book was only OK and not particularly good or memorable. I liked the fairy tale retelling aspect and the characters were interesting, and I also liked the way seamless POV switching was handled in the writing -- I find that quite hard without using hard scene/chapter breaks. But as a whole, I probably wouldn't recommend the book -- I don't think it's something that particularly sticks with you (part of why it took me so long to write this up, probably).

This is the first thing I've read by Orson Scott Card, by the way (like, I haven't even read Ender's Game...)

[maguro13-2]

The Dark Beginnings ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Chapter 0 Epilogue ~

[Can Still See the Light - Fumie Kumatani]

Kireek : You're hardly welcome that I helped the rookie, Rupika, to finish the job for me.

Ashley : You are...

Kireek : Kireek the Hucast, you can call me the Black Hound, cause I was created to work with the Good Guys and we were helping a rookie like Ash and Bernie who were students at the time when they were hunters. The Government sent me on a distress call to whether Rico and Flowen were dead, turns out they were demised or possessed by the hands of Dark Falz, Lore like these were very dark at the moment.

Rupika : Dark Lore you say? Well, I haven't do much of any lore there is, but did anyone know that some things are always important to that lore stuff. Something Dark, something gruesome?

Kimial Diehl : Although. We did heard that the Space Colony ARK incident ended about two years before a second explosion occured in Japan. The capital city, Tokyo, was literally damaged by an explosion caused by Shattered Resonance.

Kireek : Obviously. We know who caused the triggering Shattered Resonance and caused the second explosion in Japan that is Tokyo, you were the one that is responsible for that destruction.

Kimial Diehl : Yes, that was me. Possibly, I don't know what's gonna happen to Rico and Flowen, would they ever be reincarnated as one entity that is a child they had?

Eruka Frog : That's a weirdness in the book, might be an Age Gap thing. It could be Endu the Humar. How's that sound for a cup of tea, but I believe that Maka's Mother was a doll to set this one up.

Kimial Diehl : So you see, we would guranteed that PSO lives in the one of the other servers since the officials wanted them to shutdown in due to extreme amount of money that they cut out allowance. At least, not forget, I get a little angry when I eat some left overs from the kitchen or probably take outs from those cafe and restaurants. Deathbucks coffee and death dollars, that' a not real thing in the American economy. But I believe that Starbucks is a coffee place from Seattle and Death City got sued over with it's Kyoketsu-themed merchandise. The Soul Eater franchise that Square Enix mentioned is about to be rigged in the most foreshadowing way.

Rupika : Right. Which is why we eateries at Pioneer 2. Although, machines don't eat the food, because they're robots and they don't have a digestive system. But elves do. And you're right, I smell fishy about Soul Eater, that manga that was about foreshadowing it's rigged franchise from Bones.

Ashley : Sounds right. Soul Eater would have a rigged TV show, rigged video games and rigged merchandise. All things for Soul Eater to have is rigged. Operation Baba Yaga Castle was a no good for DWMA, since a time traveling entity used Chaos Control to warp into your world. I wonder who did it?

Rupika : You're about to find out why.

"Later..."

[The Last Scene - Fumie Kumatani]

Ashley : Well, this is out one way to ticket to out of here. I hope the chief will do something right for us in the meantime. Since the mission was interrupted by that Time Traveling entity that used Chaos Control, we don't what happened if the mission was a success.

Kimial Diehl : But I'm glad that we finally making it back to HQ in the real world. Finally Episode 1 of this game is done for, guess Rico's spirit is free and Flowen will might wait for her to see her at the monument. Guess the reincarnation do come in handy with that Isekai stuff that everyone was talking about. Speaking of which, Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre must've left this place when we defeated the big bad of PSO. But I'm sure she's out there for me, waiting for me to come home.

Ashley : Kimial, what did you forget something?

Kimial Diehl : Oh! Umm... Nothing much. It's something that I had something left in my heart. Although, I was not interested in boys or anything. But I was interested in girls that are at least the type that I've known.

*BEEPING*

Kimial Diehl : What's this? An email? Is it from Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre?

Ashley : No, but it could be something. And I believe it's from Penny. What does it say.?

Kimial Diehl : Let me see? (reads the note) "Dear, Ashley and Kimial. This is Penny Crygor and the Majo Detective's heard the whole thing. The media heard that the terrorist organization Arachnophobia was really a rigged facade all along and there were multiple reports saying that Ansem was involved with the terrorists attacks. Which means we got something for Majo Detectives like you for a special announcement. Due to your efforts on stopping the Arachnophobia faction that is a facade to the heartless, the case is now completely closed."

Ashley : So I guess the mission was a success after all, we might congratulate our selves for completing it. Operation Baba Yaga was a complete success for the detectives. Although, Ansem got away and find out what were his whereabouts on finding the Kusakabe legacy destroyed or be corrupted by the power of darkness itself. We may never know what will happen to the legacy itself.

Eruka Frog : Hmmm...I guess so. Maybe I got too carried away that I was villain that is part of the story, But I guess I wasn't on the Bad Guy side. Maybe I'll stick to good guys that are on their side, whether I will be joining the Majo Detective Force to fight against crime and villainy from dangerous threats that you detectives are the true peacekeeping forces. So, umm, I'll stick with you guys for now. But I gotta return to meet Mizune, My friends are waiting for me to come back to the Southern lands.

Ashley : Yeah, Let's all go home.

Kimial Diehl : Of course. Home to my girlhood home! Off to salem...(the portal leading to the Real World is opened(

Rupika : Hey, Kimial! (Kimial stops before leaving to the portal) Take care of yourself, hero!

Kimial Diehl : Yeah, you betcha. Best friends to the end?

Rupika : And may best wishes to be on your travels. (fist bumps) Goodbye, Kimial! Hope we meet again, soon.

Kimial Diehl : Yeah, you too!

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : Kimial!

Kimial Diehl : Jacqueline! (hugs hers romantically) Jacqueline!

Jacqueline O'lantern Dupre : Kimial. Come on, love. Let's go home. Together.

Kimial Diehl : (nods) Right. (two hold hands together and starts walking to the portal as Rupika and the main characters)

Rupika : Yeah. Hope we meet again soon. I'm sure there will be a better tomorrow for their world, and their world might be their key to what the future holds. No matter what happens to them, we'll keep on winning.

"Meanwhile..."

Crona : I'm all alone. There's no one who could take care for me. My own mother was a heartless and I'm still a human. Why was I created to carry out death and destruction? Why should I do everything what these heartlesses told me destroy what? A world created by the devil named Shinra. I wouldn't think that I have no love for a human that I feel so alone. (door opens)

Crona (?) : Hello, twin. Nice to see you being imprisoned by those heartless. The Gorgon Witch Trio wouldn't suspect Sammy Lawerence's intentions. But it's good that we got her out of the way and she was never really your mother, all those lies were used by Heartless to manipulate others and orders them to destroy the whole planet and would easily open the door to darkness. I'm sure you promised that it would never hurt a fly or the fly that will be squashed like you. Tortured by the heartless, creatures of the darkness.

Crona : So you knew everything about that, Brother? Are the Gorgon Sisters really ever going to be brought back to Justice? Will it ever set me free from the dangers of what I become, Lawrence?

Crona Lawrence : Correct, and Sammy is your father. Don't expect any mercy from the reaches of Heartless like her. No will ever destroy the legacy of the Ink Demon, not even the Kusakabe's will that anyone will break free from it's chains. Hope and Despair, Light and Darkness, conflicts from the same universe as Fire and Soul shall cease from it's existence, and we are the ones that really wanted to wake up to reality. Everything for the Ink Demon's power. Come, my twin. We will teach Ansem and those heartless a lesson that will never forget. You have much to learn to show your full potential. With the Ink Demon's blood in our hands, we will destroy the Kusakabe Legacy from it's very foundation. We Ink Demons are alive and immortalize, We are the creations and they are the traitors. There will never be a vaccine to cure for the dirty needs. And when they will build our machine...

Crona : They die tonight. (shows an evil grin)

"Bendy...We will await for your return!"

" THE INK DEMON'S ORGINS CONTINUES! "

Kimial Diehl : Wait! Something's not right! Chapter 0 isn't over yet! There's still one mystery to be solved! Let's go to the Final Prologue!

Me : Oh, right! Sorry about that! Off to the Final Prologue! So here you go!

[EXTRA ZONE - Hideki Naganuma]

"THE FINAL PROLOGUE BEGINS!"

[updatebug]

I did actually think about that when reading the book and I think there is an element of that for much of the book's early pages because in the tower we only have those two magic users so it becomes very Agnieszka vs the Dragon, intuition vs learning, female vs male. But once she meets the other wizards there are (I'd say) about four that play a significant role and they're an even 50/50 split male vs female and all of them are disbelieving/unsure of Agnieszka's type of magic. So it's not so much male magic vs female magic as it is Agnieszka's magic verses literally everyone else's.

(I think there's also something telling about how all the magic users are brought to the capital as soon as their powers are discovered. The dragon was found when he was three. I doubt three year old him used a carefully crafted spell to set a building on fire and not being homeless and cold and magic - interesting that years later he can barely conceive the idea of magic as an instinctive thing)

Like it definitely would have been cool if we'd seen some male practitioners of the intuitive style magic but we only really got to learn about two of them (maybe three if we count the author of that healing book?), Agnieszka and Jaya and I mean, I'm never going to argue against keeping in a Baba Yaga reference.

Another criticism I have of Uprooted is how Agnieszka's magic is vs how the Dragon's is.

Her magic is very intuitive, instinctual. It's not precise and is quite honestly, vibes based. The components and magic are somewhat haphazard and thrown together.

The dragon's, by contrast is very procedural and precise. It's much more scientific.

Ursula K. Le Guin said it best:

"But I didn’t and still don’t like making a cult of women’s knowledge, preening ourselves on knowing things men don’t know, women’s deep irrational wisdom, women’s instinctive knowledge of Nature, and so on. All that all too often merely reinforces the masculinist idea of women as primitive and inferior – women’s knowledge as elementary, primitive, always down below at the dark roots, while men get to cultivate and own the flowers and crops that come up into the light. But why should women keep talking baby talk while men get to grow up? Why should women feel blindly while men get to think?"

This criticism is new for me on this reread, and I still enjoy the book so far but now I think I enjoy it a little less XD I'm glad to still experience the story and have new thoughts about it!

[itachi86]

ooh baba yaga