#she just thinks really hard and visualizes magic and makes it happen

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

By Your Side

Okay so this was *supposed* to be a funny "Agi gets high and is silly with Astarion" fic but it turned out a little bit more serious with added Whatever the Fuck Sorcery Agi does lol. Mostly SFW.

“How are you doing, darling?” Astarion cooed at his well, we’re not lovers in the traditional sense perhaps…companion? Yes, my companion! He looked at Agnetha with such fondness that if he saw it in anyone else, he’d scoff. But not with her and I. No, I am that fond of her. I love her so dearly.

After taking up Halsin on his offer to give her herbs to help her relax (my poor sweet deals with so much) and smoking them, she was currently staring at Astarion, her brown eyes wide but definitely glazed over. “I am fine and dandy, love. Everything is so nice, you know?”

“It is, sweetness, especially with you.” One of his pale hands tapped her thighs, and he smiled. She’s so soft and warm. Perfect. I always need to touch her…

“Ughhhhhhhh, you silly bitch, you don’t have to use your lines on me anymore. You got me!”

Did she just…?!? He laughed, squeezing her softness. “I’m a what, darling?”

She snorted. “Silly bitch. Because you are. But it’s okay obviously!!!” Good gods, she’s giving those puppy dog eyes. “Because I love you.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a finger on his lips. “I know you won’t say it to me. I know. It’s okay. I know you will someday.”

“I…” He struggled to find the words, any word, to express both the relief of her reassurance and sadness. She deserves someone better than me. Someone who will tell her every moment of every day for the rest of her life that she is loved. Someone who will make love to her whenever she wishes. For as long as she desires. Someone who isn’t me. “You know I do, right? You know how I feel?” Wait, she’s high as fuck and I’m asking her about knowing how much I love her? Idiot.

Agnetha nodded, smiling happily. “’Course I do. You say it all the time without actually saying it.” She thought for a moment and then grinned. “Like when you always watch my ass in fights.” I won’t lie I do in fact do that, but I believe she meant watching her back. “You make sure I’m okay. You never let anything near me.” Not if I can help it, no. I will slaughter anyone who tries to hurt you. “You’re always trying to touch me in some way. Don’t think I don’t notice!” She just tapped her finger on her nose. Now she’s giggling like a mad woman. Agnetha undid her ponytail and twirled a few of her long, red curls between her fingers. “You brush my hair every day. You love to bathe with me. You patch up my clothes and even…you know…” Let them out as much as I’m able. We never find anything that truly fits her, poor dear. If we manage to kill Cazador, I’ll make her whatever she wants. Everything she wants. “Help me with them…I know you love me. It’s in everything you do for me. Though,” her gaze returned to his. “There is something I need to know, okay? Just one thing.”

“A-alright. What is it?” Every muscle in his body tensed, afraid of what she was going to ask.

“Will you be there when I’m old? I could understand if that’s not what you want—oh!”

Always. He hugged so hard and so quickly that she toppled backwards, her head hitting a pillow. “I will be by your side for as long as you’ll have me. I promise.” Resting his head on her ample chest, he felt her rubbing his hair.

She let out an adorable little gasp. “Forever then, Star?”

Always. “If that’s what you want, darling, then yes. Forever it is.” It won’t be forever though. She’s a human---her life will end in the blink of an eye. She’ll be gone, and I’ll be alone…alone…all alone… Blinking back tears, he nearly began to sob when she began to rub his back.

“It’s okay. I’ll think of something. I will. Just you wait and see, love…” She whispered softly, rocking them both gently. “It’s okay. I’ll do some magic shit and make it alright.”

He shook his head, a small laugh escaping him. Oh my darling girl, not everything can be solved with you thinking very hard and making magic happen. Though if anyone can, it’s you. “Will you now?”

“Yep.”

Well, that’s definitive.

***

Ten years after their marriage, Astarion was astounded to learn that his wife did indeed “do some magic shit” to make eternity less painful for him. With spells she composed herself (using that beautiful tempest swirling inside her and…feelings, I suppose), she managed to accomplish three things: 1) that her body would remain the same with every reincarnation; 2) that she and Astarion were soul bound to each other; and 3) that they would find each other after her twenty-first nameday. “Because of the binding, we’ll be drawn to each other, seek the other out.” She took one of his hands in hers, her brown eyes full of joy. “You won’t wait too long, love.”

He leaned to her, a hand cupping her cheek. As his lips touched hers (perfect every time), he smiled. “And how will you know that I’m your husband?”

Agnetha chuckled softly. “Just trust me that I’ll know. It’s all up here,” she tapped her head. “And here.” She then tapped her chest over her heart. “After all, I haven’t failed you yet, my naughty little bat.”

Astarion kissed her again, this time with a little more passion, hands sneaking around her much thicker and more delicious waist. “The most popular tailor shop in Baldur’s Gate and seven children. I’d say you haven’t failed me yet, no.” He teased. His fangs scraped lightly over her lips, which never fails to turn her on. “Not that you could anyways, dear.”

She wrinkled her nose and giggled. “Flatterer.” The human placed an affectionate kiss on his nose and cupped his face. “Now we’ll be together forever. Just not in the way that either of us imagined.”

He knew what she meant. The ritual. I had it all planned, you see. I’d complete the ritual, become the Vampire Ascendant, and convince Agi to let me make her into a vampire spawn. There---problem solved. What a fool I was! I would not trade our lives together and the lives we created for anything. “But it is so delightfully us, isn’t it? Full of love and adoration and only slightly mad.”

“Only slightly.” She teased, pressing several kisses to his lips. Gods, I cannot get enough of her. Not now. Not ever. “My mad husband who wants a dozen little dhampirs…”

Two at play at this game, madam. He clicked his tongue as one of the hands on her waist squeezed. “My equally mad wife who wants a dozen little dhampirs and lets me spoil her rotten—”

“Daddy? Mummy?”

Someone didn’t lock the door, Agi.

With one last peck, Agnetha looked at the toddler in their doorway. Pale ginger curls framed the boy’s round face, and ruby eyes glanced between his parents. “What’s the matter, my little love?” She beckoned him over, and he scurried to his mother and soon settled in her arms. “Did you have a bad dream?”

He nodded. “Scary…”

“My poor little Sylven! You can stay with us tonight, darling.” Astarion cooed as he ruffled his son’s hair. The toddler snuggled against his mother, a sight that before his capture by the mindflayers would have disgusted him. But not anymore. Not when I have them. Emilia, Ariane, Sophie, Nessa, Helene, Thora, and Sylven.

And my darling girl.

Before long, the small boy fell asleep cuddled against his mother while his adoring father rubbed circles into his back. “Did I tell what happened earlier?”

He rolled his eyes. “Sweetness, that could be anything.”

She stuck her tongue out. “Fine. Anyways, I asked Sylven when he was playing with the blocks what he wanted to be when he grew up.”

“The suspense is killing me, dear.” Astarion deadpanned, kissing Sylven’s curls.

The look in her eyes turned dreamy. “Daddy. He said Daddy. He wants to be you, love. That was the sweetest damn thing.” She turned her head to face him. “And you thought he wouldn’t love you.” His wife teased, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss.

The second we saw that he was a boy I panicked. With the girls it’s so easy for me. I make them the prettiest outfits in Baldur’s Gate, make matching ones for their favorite dolls…have so many tea parties where we gossip like spinster aunts. But a boy. The girls are learning archery so he can too, I suppose. What was I to do with him? I was terrified. And as always, my infinitely wiser wife was correct: “Just go with the flow and listen to him.” Going with the flow has turned out to be excellent advice because he is glued to me, especially when we’re in the shop. He wants to watch me work and pretend he’s sewing too. My little boy wants to be…me. Me. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded before giving her another kiss. “Happy to be proven wrong, darling.”

“I see! Well, I’ll note that for future reference.” She noted rather too smugly. Has she been learning this from me? Because I’m so flattered, dearest. For the next several minutes, they settled in a comfortable if exceedingly sleepy silence. Agnetha’s breathing became slower and deeper, and her eyes fluttered open and closed.

“Silly goose. Go to sleep.” Astarion chided his wife gently, now laying on his side. Rest. You need rest. Between the children, the shop, and ensuring I’m fed every day, you need to rest, darling. “Don’t stay awake for me. I’ll trance in a while.”

A small smile tugged on her pretty lips. “Forever…it isn’t what either of us thought but…we’ll be together…forever…” Eyes full of sleep, she held Sylven closer to her. “Love you, my shining star…”

“As I love you, my darling girl. Have the sweetest dreams for us…”

Always.

Forever.

[ennn]

Re: “Rio's goal is to kill Agatha so she can be with her forever”

My brother in Christ, if Rio's ultimate goal this series was to kill Agatha we wouldn't have gotten past the first episode.

Okay okay, I get how it can be confusing because Rio literally says she wants to see Agatha dead in episode one and tells Agatha she'll let the Salem Seven (who do want Agatha dead) know where she is.

But it is noteworthy that Rio tells Agatha what she is going to do and when the Salem Seven are expected to arrive. Rio is usually surprisingly fair in how she deals with Agatha.

Rio has always met Agatha at her power level

In episode one, even assuming Agatha was protected by Wanda's spell and Rio couldn't harm her there, once it was broken Rio went "full analog" – to quote Hahn – with her knife, the only magic she used being the wind blasts.

Guys, that's not a serious murder attempt, that's foreplay to them. Violent, bloody, sexy foreplay.

Also Rio has healing powers. That's a thing they have very clearly shown.

To be clear, my read is that Rio can't actually kill anyone before their time ("You can't kill me, it's not allowed") just hurt them really really badly until they maybe choose to die ("I can make you wish you were dead"). Which you could argue equals killing I suppose, just slower.

But this is Agatha Harkness: all she really needs to survive is a bit of time to scheme and manipulate and do her usual girlbossing, gatekeeping, and gaslighting – and I think Rio also knows this. Agatha keeps surprising her, for better and worse.

Yes, Rio gets BIG MAD in episode 8 because Agatha says possibly The Worst Thing to her but the first part of their confrontation is technically physical torture, not murder attempts.

I know it sounds like I'm splitting hairs here but my point is that having Agatha dead isn't Rio's ultimate #1 goal. It's not so clean and easy.

There's something to be said about how the wounds Rio inflicts speak to how Rio sees herself hurt by Agatha emotionally in the relationship i.e. death by a thousand cuts, the severing of her Achilles tendon.

There’s probably something also be said about the relationship a being like Rio has with physical pain. Trees feel pain. Everything living does. Rio mocks Agatha for dulling herself to it using dark magic.

But I digress.

Anyway, note: it's only after Agatha gets magic back that Rio starts throwing magic blasts – and even then she seems to be holding back.

These two are possibly the worst two witches to fight each other directly like this because Agatha can't absorb Rio's magic or she'll die. She has to actively block or avoid all hits. And I bet this isn't something Agatha is used to dealing with considering she had no issues taking Wanda's magic.

And Rio is aware of this because she’s just lobbing quick little green blasts Agatha's way. It's not a torrent of magic like what Agatha is gleefully unleashing.

It's also the Watsonian (in-universe) explanation as to why this fight is so short. Because you literally can't straight up fight Death. Rio is a hard counter to Agatha's special siphoning ability just like how Agatha was a hard counter to Wanda's magic (insert your scissors-paper-stone visual of choice).

Rio doesn't want Agatha dead, she wants Agatha to want her

It's clear that Rio is grieving when Agatha dies. This isn't the outcome she wants. They're also both crying during the kiss it's great.

Rio wants what Agatha specifically tries to deny in the deal Agatha proposes: she wants to keep pursuing Agatha, to keep seeing her, provoking her, to be shocked and surprised by her. To keep loving her but also, to keep hurting her.

Because Agatha also hurts her right back. And Agatha knows she has Rio constantly on the emotional backfoot, that Rio – despite centuries of hatred thrown her way – still humours her more often than not and what levers to push.

I don't think this can happen with Agatha dead and gone.

To be fair, we don't know what the rules are in this world's afterlife. The only insight we get into Rio's job is her scene with Alice and that still leaves a lot of things unanswered: Does Rio just escort souls to a destination or does she have more control beyond that, like a domain? Can souls refuse to go with Rio? How do ghosts happen?

I had previously assumed Rio needed to allow it but Schaeffer says that her vision in that moment has Agatha's using an evolved form of the power to take Rio's magic by touch.

And with that, it's telling that it's Agatha who ultimately ensures that she dies (with the "calculated risk" of becoming a ghost), siphoning Rio's death magic energy.

Agatha embraces death, embraces Rio, but she also doesn't – Rio's clever witch got away again.

[anto-pops]

The Serpent's Paramour CH 21 - Sebastian Sallow x Female!Reader

Summary: Following your spectacular failure with the Blasting Curse, Ominis proposes a new means of practicing wandless magic. It shapes up to be successful— so much so that you don't even mind that you're driven back inside thanks to a sudden turn in the weather. But as the saying goes: when it rains, it pours...

Word Count: 5.6k

Warnings: 18+, aged up characters, friendly dueling, mentions of blood and injuries

New chapter is also up on Ao3 :))

The rest of the day was spent dealing with your torched hand, Sebastian hovering too close for comfort, and Natty adamantly refusing to let you cast any spells that had the potential to cause harm. You could hardly blame either one of them, but it still frustrated you. Mistakes happened, and without them, there would be no way for you to properly learn. 

When you had told Sebastian as much, he had countered you firmly with, “There’s mistakes, and then there’s recklessness, princess.” 

It wasn’t reckless to treat your wounded pride with a second attempt. But once Natty had said that under no uncertain circumstances would you be messing around with the Blasting Curse, you had relented and moved on to simpler tasks. 

Which in this case involved Transfiguring a rock into a pillow. 

Returning to working with that fucking stone was just adding insult to injury. 

“You must think of the qualities of a pillow with utmost focus,” Natty called to you from the bench. The mug of tea she cradled in her lap was hot enough that steam was visibly wafting from it, and you pursed your lips as you considered just how immune the woman was to Uganda’s scorching temperatures. It was boiling outside, and neither the shade nor the warm breeze blowing through the courtyard could chase away the stifling heat. She lifted the mug from her lap and instructed you from over the rim, “Try to visualize the exterior of the stone transforming into soft fibers. Imagine how it would feel beneath your cheek; smooth, cool, and plush.” 

Grinding your molars together hard enough that your jaw ached, you held your tongue and obediently did as you were told. Closing your eyes, you envisioned the pillow you had slept on back at the manor, the cotton soft enough that it had never failed to make you believe you were sleeping on a cloud. You imagined the rock breaking apart to shift into the material you conjured up in your mind’s eye, and when you heard the sound of stone cracking against stone, you opened your eyes and hissed in agitation. 

What had previously been one rock was now many– at least twenty of the blasted things– and they were all spilling out of the very pillowcase you had been thinking of. What you had Transfigured wasn’t a soft, cushiony place to rest your head. It was a legitimate sac of rocks. 

What. The. Hell. 

“Oh. Well that’s… something,” Sebastian said from the doorway. He had disappeared earlier to grab something to drink, and when you turned around to stare at him, he was eyeing your pillow mishap with two cups of water gripped loosely in his hands. Dark eyes flicked up to meet yours, bringing a smirk to his lips as he muttered, “You could probably use that as a weapon if you really wanted to.” 

You were so, so over this. 

“I give up,” you proclaimed dryly. “I can’t do this anymore. First I set myself on fire, and now I’m somehow a failure at Transfiguration.” 

“You cannot give up,” Natty interjected, setting her tea down on the bench beside her. Her expression was as reassuring as it could be, given that she had just witnessed a slew of your fuck-ups today. “You are making great progress! These things take time to perfect, and it is unfair of you to expect so much from yourself. It has only been three days.” 

“Yeah, and what do I have to show for it? A couple faded burn scars and the world’s most wounded ego.” Slapping your hands against your legs, you sighed and let your knees bend so you were squatting in the dirt. It was the farthest thing from ladylike, but you didn’t care. After three consecutive days of ripping your hair out over your inability to grasp wandless magic, your pride was in tatters. You were entitled to mope. 

Someone snickered from the doorway, and you glared over your shoulder to tell Sebastian to shut the hole in his face before you shut it for him. But it wasn’t him deriving amusement from your suffering: it was Ominis. 

The Auror was wearing what had to be the most casual outfit you’d seen him in thus far. The tailored suit he typically favored had been replaced with a loose button-up shirt and fitted slacks. The cuffs of his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his arms were crossed over his chest as his head inclined forward ever so slightly to better listen in on your wallowing. Those unseeing eyes of his were twinkling with silent laughter, but even without that facet of his appearance telling you he was entertained, the smirk he wore would do it. 

Prick. 

“Here I thought you were resilient. The renowned Hero of Hogwarts, felled by a measly rock.” 

Double prick. You scowled, averting your eyes to the ground as you took to tracing shapes in the dirt with your finger. “Not really in the mood, Ominis.” 

“Clearly. You’re in the mood to waste everyone’s time while you wallow in self-pity. Grow up.” 

“Excuse me?” You rose to your full height so fast, your momentum had you teetering on the balls of your feet for a brief moment. “This isn’t exactly simple mathematics. I’m doing the best I can!”

“Not right now you’re not,” he scoffed, shaking his head to himself and sending strands of his styled blond hair across his forehead. “You call pitching forward in the dirt ‘doing your best’? Please. Shake it off and try again.” 

“If this is some Ministry taught tough-love tactic, I’m not sure it’s working.” Sebastian deadpanned with a frown, his eyes flashing dangerously as he glowered at his former friend beside him. If he wasn’t currently holding cups of water, you were certain he would clobber the man. 

Actually, nevermind. You didn’t think that would stop him at all. 

Ominis ignored Sebastian and moved past him, planting his feet in the dirt a handful of feet away from you. He chewed his lip thoughtfully as he considered something, and then he uncrossed his arms and pointed his wand in your direction. “Aguamenti.” 

At the same time your eyes widened and your hands flew up to protect your face, a stream of cold, biting water doused the entirety of your head. Your hair stuck to your cheeks, and you sputtered around the mouthful of water that you’d failed to avoid– a coughing fit starting up the moment you were able to breathe again. 

“W-What–” you hacked again, squeezing your eyes shut at the exact moment Sebastian dropped the cups he’d been holding to shove Ominis from behind. “What the hell was that for?!” 

Ominis whirled around and shoved Sebastian back. That only served to anger the brunet further, and just as he reared his arm back to prepare to swing on the Auror, Ominis held out his wand and did the same thing he’d done to you to Sebastian. The dark wizard was promptly dripping with water from head to toe, looking completely stumped in the wake of the impromptu shower, and his anger faded away into indignant shock as he pushed his wet hair off of his face. 

“What the fuck are you doing!?” 

“Dueling,” Ominis replied matter-of-factly, withdrawing his wand back to his side as he directed his next statement to you. “We’ll only use water and Protego. We limit the amount of damage we can do to one another that way, and you have to use your hands. If you fail, you’ll just end up soaked. If you succeed, then I won’t be the only dry participant.” 

Had he lost his damn mind? “I’m still hung up on the fact that you just tried to waterboard me!” 

“Please– you’re so dramatic. It’s just water. Now do you want to do this, or not?” 

Absolutely you did. If only to douse Ominis with enough water to form a small lake in the courtyard of Natty’s house. “Fine,” you spat, drops of lingering liquid flying from your lips like spittle. 

“You’re doing this too,” Ominis pointed at Sebastian firmly. “You could use an outlet for that temper of yours. But no fists, and no spells other than Aguamenti.” 

Sebastian grit his teeth in annoyance but shockingly didn’t protest. Maybe he was itching for a chance to go toe to toe with Ominis, too– even if it would just be with a harmless water spell. 

The three of you formed a triangular ring facing one another swiftly, your fingers flexing as you eyed Sebastian rolling his neck in preparation for the stand-off. You had never tried to cast Aguamenti without a wand, but Ominis did have a point: it was just water. If you couldn’t do it, at least you’d only walk away soaking wet. It was hot enough that the prospect didn’t bother you too much…

But you really wanted to prove yourself. Something about the Auror chastizing you for being bitter about your failures left a sour taste in your mouth, and you wanted to remedy that fact immediately. 

Sebastian– unsurprisingly– went first. He also predictably aimed his wand at Ominis, overlooking you completely in favor of his preferred target. Ominis cast Protego with a deft flick of his wrist, the shimmering purple bubble blocking Sebastian’s attack and causing the water to run harmlessly down the magical barrier. Ominis returned fire– or, uh, water– and Sebastian blocked it as well. You eventually gave up on keeping track of the two of them going at it so you could do what Natty had instructed. You visualized the water leaving your hand, imagining the feeling of the liquid, its temperature, and the force of the spray. The way your hands seemed to cool in the wake of your mental exercises made your heart jump with excitement, and when you lifted your hands to send out your attack, it actually happened. 

Ominis was still able to block the powerful stream, but his eyes crinkled with approval when the shimmering veil dissipated. “Very good. Now do it again.” 

Protego was another matter entirely. You hadn’t had time to figure that out, so when Ominis pointed his wand at you and sent a wide, cone-shaped burst of water your way, you failed to block it. A choked gasp tore from your throat when it hit you– the chill from the liquid stealing your breath momentarily– and then you were completely and wholly soaked. It was good that you were wearing your new sandals, because had the water hit your boots, you knew the leather would be ruined. 

The blond tsk’d mockingly, shaking his head as he said, “Not fast enough, it seems.” 

Swiveling your gaze towards Sebastian, you discovered that he was already looking at you with a degree of focus that reminded you of when you’d both dueled together in Crossed Wands. It was a silent means of communication that had served you well when you were students, and when Sebastian made a familiar motion with his hands, you recognized it instantly. 

Two fronts. He wanted to attack at the same time. 

A smile tugged at your lips as you nodded, knowing right away what he was trying to accomplish. Ominis couldn’t defend and attack at the same time. You would just have to bait the Auror into leaving himself exposed. 

You drew Ominis’ attention by grunting, lifting your hands to send another stream of water his way. Much like you’d hoped, he blocked it easily, pursing his lips in distaste from within his protective shield. “If I can read your intentions this easily, your real opponents will make short work of you in the future–” 

Just as the spell started to wane, Sebastian seized his opportunity to strike. The tail-end of Ominis’ focus was still on his barrier, and the dark wizard didn’t make a single sound as he sent out a rush of cold, concentrated water that promptly struck its target directly in the face. Ominis fell to the ground sputtering and threw his hands up to cover his ears as Sebastian’s Aguamenti spell bore down on him, the stream lasting a bit longer than was probably appropriate, but the wicked gleam in Sebastian’s eyes told you that he had been waiting for a chance like this for a long time. 

From over on the bench, Natty rose from her seat and took a step forward, her eyes narrowed distrustfully at Sebastian until he finally ceased his attack. He was none the wiser to her glowering, though. He was too preoccupied with watching the Auror wipe the water from his face. You were positively on edge as you stared at Natty, looking for any signs that she would intervene. It was at that moment you realized what she had said when you’d arrived in Uganda was true. 

If she thought for even a second that Sebastian was planning on doing something drastic, she would take care of him herself. 

It wasn’t until Ominis’ started laughing that Natty relaxed– her shoulders dropping and her gaze leaving Sebastian to fix themselves on the now soaked blond man. You were inclined to stare, too. He was laughing? Honest to gods laughing? You hadn’t heard him make a sound like that in a long time. Evidently Sebastian felt similarly, because he was staring at Ominis as though the man had grown a second head. 

“Are you… alright?” he asked cautiously. 

Ominis tipped his head back and raked his hands through his hair, pushing the now unkempt strands out of his face as he continued to howl with amusement sprawled in the dirt. Was he broken? Had the water gone into his ear and drowned his brain? What on Godric’s green Earth was so funny? 

“I should have known,” he started to say once his laughter had died down. “That was a clever ploy. More the fool I, for forgetting your duo-dueling tactics. I attended enough of your matches to know you’re both annoyingly in sync with each other.” 

From the corner of your eye, you could have sworn you saw Sebastian’s chest puff up with pride. He glanced over to beam at you, and you flashed him a proud smile. “I guess we’ve still got it.” 

“I didn’t think you’d remember the signal,” he admitted softly, loosely performing the two finger gesture once more. “Glad to see some things never change.” 

“I don’t think I could have forgotten it if I tried,” you admonished with a grin, thinking back on how frequently the two of you would practice together in the Undercroft. “I remember having dreams about dueling because of how much we trained.” 

A mischievous glint appeared in Sebastian’s dark eyes, but whatever crass joke he was absolutely about to make could leave his mouth, Ominis sighed and pushed himself to his feet. His damp clothing was now covered in dirt, but he didn’t seem to mind as he righted himself and planted his hands on his hips. “It’s good to know you actually can cast wandless magic when you’re not too busy wallowing. Have you tried it with your ancient magic yet?” 

You were too pleased with yourself to let the backhanded compliment deter your mood. “Not yet. I think lighting myself on fire set me back a few paces, but I’d like to.” 

“Then you will. We’ll start small– you can focus on the less deadly aspects of your abilities. If that works out, then we can go from there.” 

Natty– ever the voice of reason– stepped forward with a guarded expression on her face. “Ominis, is that truly a wise choice? Surely there are other spells she can practice with. I cannot help her with that magic– none of us can. We do not understand it.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ominis shook his head to himself before answering, “We can’t wait any longer, Natty. If she hurts herself, then so be it. We’ll be here to minimize the damage if it comes to that, but if she doesn’t at least try, then all of this will have been for nothing.” 

Maybe being nearly drowned had knocked some sense into Ominis. It put your mind at ease to know that he was on the same page as you. While you knew Natty and Sebastian were just letting their caution drive their decision making, it was time for resolve to supersede wariness. You needed to throw everything you had into your wandless casting if you wanted to stand a chance at becoming proficient at it. 

When it came down to it, water charms and Transfiguration spells weren’t going to save you in a fight. 

Ominis rolled his shoulders, taking point once again over the wet dirt he had previously been laid out on. “Alright. We’ll ease into this since I can’t exactly tell you how to use your ancient magic. You’re going to have to do whatever feels right. Do you think you can manage it?” 

The primordial magic that had thrummed to life in the middle of Hogsmeade all those years ago stirred within you, answering your summons with next to no effort. A small smile curled your lips– the simplicity of the action imbuing you with a confidence you hadn’t yet felt since beginning your casting lessons. Something told you this was going to come to you a lot easier than everything else you had tried the past few days. 

Nodding, you mirrored Ominis’ position and raised your hands. “I can do it. Just give me a target.” 

—

You were sweating, panting, and both mentally and physically exhausted from your training. 

As it turned out, you had been correct in your assumption that ancient magic would be infinitely simpler to cast without a wand. Whereas normal magic required incantations and gestures that had to be executed perfectly, your age-old abilities were inherent. No one had taught you how to use it when you’d fought against that Troll in Hogsmeade– it had just come to you naturally. 

It was instinctual. Easier than breathing, if you were being honest. 

Ominis, much to your amusement, had a difficult time keeping up with your flurry of attacks. He had been wholly on the defensive for the entire three hour period spent outside practicing. Once you’d gotten comfortable with your magic flowing freely from your fingertips, you had boldly taken to using your non-dominant hand to keep him at bay. Protego had no doubt been his most used spell, whereas you had been a silent hurricane of whirring, unpredictable magic. 

All in all, you were immensely pleased with the day’s outcome. 

In a bizarre turn of events, however, the sun had disappeared behind dark, foreboding clouds that brought along a sudden influx of rainfall. Natty hadn’t seemed fazed by it at all. Apparently it was normal for the weather to turn dreary every so often this time of year, so she had dutifully ushered everyone inside to escape the onslaught of water pouring from the sky. 

Between the rain chilling your skin, the dirt clinging to your clothes, and your sweat intermingling with both, a bath was definitely in order. Everyone had gone their separate ways to clean up, and it wasn’t until you’d filled the tub with warm, soapy water that Sebastian let himself into the bathroom.

Without knocking, you might add. 

“What if I was naked?” Your nose crinkled disapprovingly, your fingers still curled under the hem of your soaked shirt. If he had walked in a few seconds later, he would have gotten an eyeful of your breasts. 

He knew it, too, if his Cheshire-like smile was anything to go by. “Then I would be a very happy man.” 

Such a dog, you thought. “What are you doing in here? Did you need something?” 

“Not really. I was just thinking we should conserve water and make that bath a two-for-one special,” he waggled his eyebrows playfully. “What do you say, princess?” 

“The idea was I’d actually take a bath and get clean, not fool around and get water all over the floor.” 

Sebastian’s expression contorted into one of fake hurt, and he threw his hand over his chest dramatically. “You wound me! On my honor, I will be the picture of gentlemanliness and keep the water in the tub. I might even wash your hair for you if you ask nicely.” 

He could be such a brat sometimes that it made your head spin. Still, you found yourself smiling at his antics… he had changed so dramatically since the two of you had met again all those months ago. Sebastian’s demeanor was lighter, the shadows that had trailed behind him and haunted him noticeably absent. You remembered how potent the scent of dark magic had been when he had set foot in the dining room of the manor– how ominous and demanding his presence had seemed back then. Of course he was still capable of those things, and part of you knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to use any of the tools at his disposal to protect the people he cared about, but you weren’t much different. 

Now that you were making progress with your wandless casting, you knew that you were on the path to becoming a force to be reckoned with if you ever found yourself or your loved ones threatened. You wouldn’t hesitate to kill if you had to. Life in this world called for nothing less. 

“Fine,” you relented with a sigh. “We’re just washing up, though. We already broke the bedframe. I’m not itching to add water damage to the list of things we need to compensate Natty for.” 

Sebastian’s good word turned out to be exactly that; good. He was well behaved in the tub, taking it upon himself to situate you between his thighs so your back was pressed against his chest. His sud-covered hands had trailed over every inch of your body as he cleansed away the dirt clinging to your skin, his fingers lingering in some areas longer than others. You hoped that no one was lingering around in the hallway, because the sound of your bodies disturbing the water wasn’t loud enough to mute your soft moans. 

Maybe he wasn’t the picture of innocence, but at least the floor had remained dry. You would take your victories where you could. 

After returning the favor and spending a questionable amount of time massaging soap into his hair, the two of you were the living embodiment of walking prunes. Your fingertips were wrinkled beyond measure, but you were both clean. You’d managed to side-step Sebastian’s attempts at corralling you into bed with him in favor of descending the staircase two steps at a time, laughing as his dejected groan echoed throughout the upstairs hallway. 

Seriously, such a brat. 

Everyone eventually found themselves downstairs in the living room, freshly cleaned and forced to lounge around lazily since the torrential downpour outside had yet to cease. You were happily curled up on the couch next to Sebastian, your legs slung comfortably over his lap as he traced absentminded patterns along your shins. Natty and Anne chatted in the kitchen as the two worked together to combine the Christmas dinner leftovers into a stew of some sort. Devlin and Ominis were surprisingly civil with one another as the two discussed their shared status as rare magic users. 

“It would be impossible for the Ministry to track every Metamorphmagi in existence,” Devlin explained, propping his elbow on the edge of his seat to perch his chin in his palm. “An Animagi has to register with the government, which is simple enough since learning the ability requires submitting a form for approval. But Metamorphmagi are born, not made. There’s no definitive way to know if someone is one unless they come right out and say it.” 

“But they should be tracked,” Ominis countered swiftly. They had been bantering on the subject for half an hour, and neither man was any closer to convincing the other of their opinion. It was amusing to watch, though. You were just glad there were barbed insults being thrown around. “Any shapeshifting ability poses a risk to the security of the country. The fact that you were able to walk into the Ministry disguised as an Obliviator proves that any Metamorphmagi with enough gall could do damage if they wanted to.” 

“Even so, what would be your plan? Make it compulsory for any presenting Metamorphmagi to travel to London and fill out a slip of parchment? That magic is old and revered by the people who inherit it. You would face a lot of push-back– and I’m telling you right now, the decree would be ignored by most families that possess the lineage for it.”

“Why?” Ominis furrowed his brow, thoughtfully twirling his wand between his fingers. He didn’t sound angry, just… curious. If there was one thing the Gaunt scion could appreciate more than rules and regulations, it was philosophical discussions. Even if he denied it, you knew he was enjoying the conversation, and the thought made you chuckle under your breath. 

Devlin shrugged before remembering who he was talking to. Heaving a heavy sigh, he relaxed into his seat some more and tipped the rim of his new hat back. You were grossly pleased to see him wearing it. “How would you feel if your rare magic that’s existed since the beginning of wizard-kind was suddenly policed? It depends on the family, but most bloodlines that carry the ability try to marry within the brood. It increases the chances of passing it on to their children, and their children’s children, and so on. Generations of Metamorphmagi have been born as the result of careful breeding, and you’re essentially proposing that they all tell on themselves so the Ministry can keep them under their thumb. It would never work– they would just isolate themselves more than they already do.” 

Ominis pondered the information silently for a few seconds, in which time you also found yourself reeling at the revelation. You supposed it made sense for any families with rare abilities to want to maintain the status quo and keep their talents contained within their circle. Obviously such a thing was likely frowned upon– inbreeding wasn’t exactly encouraged by the more progressive humans walking the Earth. But to hear what Devlin described… you couldn’t help but feel like it sounded awfully similar to– 

“Perhaps we aren’t so different.” Ominis’ flat voice drew your attention, and you glanced at him to find his knuckles blanching white around the handle of his wand. His lips were pursed harshly, and you knew he had to be thinking the same thing you were; it sounded a lot like what he had dealt with growing up. The Auror was intimately familiar with the concept of familial inbreeding. 

“Maybe,” Devlin smirked. “I don’t harbor any jealousy over you being able to talk to snakes, though. That’s just weird.” 

The easygoing atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the sound of a booming succession of knocks at the front door. It didn’t really sound like knocking, though– more like banging. As if someone was putting all of their strength into hammering against the wood in an attempt to be heard. 

Or to break the entrance down. 

That daunting realization had you up on your feet in a heartbeat. If someone was here to start trouble, you were prepared to act as the first line of defense. You were the one with the most magic at your disposal. Even though you had made ample progress with your wandless casting today, now didn’t feel like the appropriate time to put your skills to the test, so you snatched your wand off the couch cushions and hurried into the hallway. 

Sebastian’s large hand curled around your elbow to halt you in your tracks, snatching you back a step as he said, “No way. You’re not about to take point here, princess.” 

The knocking started up again, only this time it was distinctly softer. Weaker, almost. You narrowed your eyes at the dark wizard holding you back, “We have two dark wizards, an ancient magic user, and an Auror in one room. I’ll be fine opening the door.” 

You tried to yank your arm free from his grip, but it was tighter than iron shackles. Maybe you needed to forgo your magical training and start strength training somehow. Sebastian frowned and pulled you back against his chest, wrapping his arms around your shoulders to keep you in place. “Nope, not happening.” 

“You’re so difficult! Let go–”

Ominis brushed past the two of you wordlessly to head for the door, having decided that if neither one of you was going to answer it, he would just do it himself. Sebastian waited until the blond man was undoing the locks to release you, and you scowled at him before striding down the hallway to stand behind the Auror. Anne and Natty appeared at the end of the corridor together– looking incredibly confused in the wake of all the banging– but Devlin just murmured something that led to both of them staying put where they were. 

Sebastian came up beside you at the same time something thumped against the other side of the door. Ominis hesitated for a moment– readjusting his grip on his wand as he prepared for the worst– then pulled the entrance open a crack. 

It was quickly shoved all the way open due to the weight of the two bodies that had been sagging against it. 

You gasped at the same time Sebastian swore. Natty yelled something that echoed from down the hall, but you could barely hear her over the violent thrumming of your heartbeat in your ears. Ominis was left with little choice but to catch the blonde woman that bounced off of his chest, blood and rain water staining his shirt as he carefully lowered the lady against the floor. Sebastian had darted forward to catch the second person before doing the same, the combined bodily fluids of both individuals mixing with the rain water that soaked them to form a pooling, pink puddle beside the entrance. 

Ominis cradled the blonde woman’s head in his lap, his pale face turning unnaturally paler as he picked up on something you had yet to notice. Anne joined Natty in yelling at everyone from down the hallway, but no one answered them. You didn’t even think anyone could hear them. 

“What– Joshua?” Sebastian exclaimed, planting his hands on the redheaded Ashwinder’s shoulders to lightly shake the younger man. You had been so distracted by the blood that you hadn’t even noticed it was him. “Joshua! What the hell is going on?” 

“S-Sorry, Sebastian…” Joshua hacked roughly, wincing when the action caused more blood to bloom across his abdomen. The only reason you didn’t lose your mind then and there was because he didn’t cough up any important organs. “Had to… get your attention… s-somehow…” 

You shook your head in complete bewilderment, your stomach churning as you took in the messy state of the man you had lived alongside for weeks. “Gods,” you whispered, turning to look at the woman who had fallen through the doorway alongside him. Ominis was still hunched over her limp, bleeding body, but you could recognize the sharp jawline and rouge lips. 

It was Nora. It scared you to admit it to yourself, but she looked way worse than Joshua. It didn’t even look like she was breathing. 

“Nora!” Devlin’s voice was sharp– scared– as it bounced off the walls of the corridor. His heavy footsteps thundered closer, and then he was on his knees at his daughter’s side, cupping her cheeks and gasping when his palms made contact with her skin. Imploringly, he croaked, “Come on, baby girl– open your eyes. I’m here, Nora, please open your eyes!”

The entire display was close to cleaving your heart in two. There was nothing you could  say– nothing you could do to make things better. Ominis lifted his head to turn his neck in Devlin’s direction, his face drawn as he forced out, “She’s alive, but…” 

“But what!?” 

“Can’t you smell it?” 

Alongside the metallic scent of blood was something acrid– something foul, rotten, and familiar. 

Dark magic. 

“What happened?” Sebastian asked sternly, letting go of Joshua’s shoulders when he realized that shaking an injured person wasn’t the smartest thing to do. “Who did this to you?” 

Joshua was getting paler by the second. His grey eyes were losing light fast, and it seemed to take what little strength he had left to force the words out. 

“Victor… it was Victor. He came to the m-manor– was angry,” a wheezing sound rattled around in his chest, and you knew then and there that he was going to die if he didn’t get treatment soon. You knelt down to do something, but there was so much blood that you couldn’t tell where any of it was coming from, so your hands hovered helplessly over his chest. Grey eyes landed on you, recognition flashing across Joshua’s face as he grimaced. “Henri is… he’s with Rookwood. They’re looking for you. They want to kill you.” 

Sebastian’s jaw hardened, his expression becoming stormy. He said something to Joshua– probably reassurances that he would be alright and would be fixed up in no time. But you? 

You were frozen. Rigid. Your breathing was shallow, and your ears were ringing so fiercely that you couldn’t hear anything else. The peaceful bubble you had found yourself nestled in for the last three days had been carved apart with a metaphorical scythe in the span of thirty seconds. 

Victor was looking for you, and he had Henri acting as a bloodhound at his side.

[invaderzia1]

Horns (Wyll x Tiefling!Reader)

After breaking his promise to Mizora, Wyll navigates life as a brand new Tiefling. Luckily for him, he has support in his tiefling friends.

yes I’m aware the game isn’t out yet but I really liked that scene with Wyll and Mizora. Also this is set in act 1

Since disobeying Mizora, Wyll had been rather moody. Nobody could really blame him, not after the way she stormed into their camp and basically turned him into a tiefling, laughing about how some magic even she can’t fix. She left him with rather hefty horns on his head, leaving him to figure out how to navigate life with them by himself and laughing about how it’ll affect his reputation as the blade. So nobody was surprised when the heavy horns caused Wyll to struggle with his balance and maneuvering through his recent days, but they rather kept to themselves, all having other things to deal with then offer support to the poor man.

Except, you had been watching him. You had always found him quite charming and handsome, it honestly made you quite glad that he accepted traveling with you and the rest of your companions.

It had been a week since the incident and you’ve kept a close eye on Wyll, giving him space to process everything. But being a tiefling yourself, you couldn’t help but notice the lack of care he is giving his new horns. You knew what happened when people didn’t take care of them correctly, having suffered the consequences of failing to properly take care of your own.

Wyll is stood by the river near camp, having finished cleaning himself and getting ready to join the others for whatever food Gale decided to cook up. He barely even notices you sneak up behind him, too busy staring at himself in the reflection of the lake, still not used to his visual changes.

“You know, you gotta take care of them.” Your voice startled Wyll, causing him to jump slightly before turning to look at you. “Can’t just pretend they aren’t there or they’ll grow weird or get too brittle.” You moved closer to him, trying yo be cautious around him while assessing his new horns. “Kind of hard to tell right now what they’ll do, but I have some extra things if you need them.”

“What?” Wyll says in disbelief, almost self conscious about you having noticed how poor he’s cared for them the past couple days.

“If you don’t take care of them they might start grow weird.” You walk over, trying to get a better look at how his horns seems to be growing. “Or, they’ll become brittle and start to chip off.” Reaching up, you cautiously bring your hand to his right horn, but refusing to touch it until Wyll gave consent.

It takes Wyll a few seconds of going through his emotions before he leans his head down, letting you touch his horns. Your hands touch softly against it, standing on your top toes to get a better look at where they meld into his head. Then moving to look at the sharp tip of the horn.

“Hmmmm,” you let your feet fall flat again, letting go of Wyll, “I have an extra pad to smooth it down. They look healthy, but you are going to have to be careful of them getting over grown.”

“Like a sheep?” His voice comes out as a mix of surprise and disbelief, raising an octave.

“Yes,” you smile, finding it a little funny how that’s the only comparison he could think of, “like a sheep.”

He makes a noise of annoyance, accompanied by the sound of your laugh. As he looks up at you, he takes notice of your broken horn, recalling Karlach also has a similar situation. It feels rude to just ask, but he feels the situation permits it.

“May I ask what happened to your horn?” Wyll nods his head to your broken horn, instinctively your hand goes up to touch the nub.

“Oh this old thing,” you start, laughing a bjt to yourself as the memory surfaces in your brain, “fun story actually, when I first started traveling I didn’t have enough money to keep my usual tools with me. So I went without taking care of them. Ended up in a fight against a lone gnoll, thing got a good grip on my head and just took the rest of my horn off.” You can’t help but laugh, knowing to everyone else that seems wildly traumatic, but so much time has passed that you feel disconnected from it. “Luckily, I was able to even the score. We both left that fight pretty fucked up.” Your hand falls to the necklace around your throat, decorated with teeth that Wyll is now able to identify as gnoll.

Wyll’s mouth drops horrified for a brief second, then letting air escape his nose as he starts to laugh. It’s a weird and fucked up thing to bond over, but for the two it seems to work. As the laughter dies down, you put a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait here, I’ll go grab my bag and help you with them.” You say, then running back towards camp, leaving Wyll slightly flustered by your kindness.

You rush back, a brown bag tightly held in your hands as you come back. You gently lead Wyll to a large rock by the water, patting it for him to sit down, which he does. Placing the bag next to him, you jump onto the rock and kneel behind him, just like your parents used to do for you when you were young. Reaching into the bag, you pull a small vial of a yellowish liquid and a round brown pad.

“Alright, now this is horn polish, you can find it in most market places or you can make your own.” Your hand snakes over his shoulder, showing him the vial. “It goes on before you use this,” your other hand goes over his other shoulder, reveal the coarse rough pad of material. “This will help you buff out your horns and keep them looking smooth.”

Your hands disappear behind him, he can hear the vial open behind him and then feels your hands softly applying some of the liquid to his horns. You take great care in making sure you cover all of them, then wiping your hands off on your bag.

“This is going to feel kind of weird the first couple times, but it’ll get better, I promise,” you warn him, giving him a few seconds to brace himself.

The feeling of the rough pad against his horns is awkward and uncomfortable, almost like hearing nails on a chalk board. Wylls teeth grit together as he clenches his hand together, trying to brace himself as you go to work. He feels your body get closer to him, trying your best to comfort him while using both hands on his horns. You try your best to be both thorough while going quickly, recalling how much you hated this when you were a kid. To try and distract him, you opt to speak.

“When I was a kid, my dad used to help me with my horns. He was always better at this part than my mom,” you admit. “I used to start crying when she would do my horns for me because she was so rough with it. If I saw her with the pad in her hand I would immediately start crying and run off, trying to hide. She’d always find me though.”

“Really?” Wyll chuckles.

“Yeah. Looking back, I feel kind of bad about the trouble I gave her when she was just trying to help me. But at the time it seemed like a reasonable response.”

Wyll and your laughter blend together, the mood becoming more light as you continue to work on his horns. He starts to tell you small bits of his teen years, talking about the trouble he used to get in.

“Alright, now that we are done with this part, it’s time to move on to the finish touch,” your voice announces, slowly putting the used product back into the bag. You pull out another bottle, this one looking more clear than the polish, but a thicker consistency. Your hand rests on his shoulder, leaning over as you show him the bottle more. Wyll feels his heart rate pick up feeling you this close to him, but watches as you start to explain this product. “This is your last step, it’s a protective coating to keep your horns shiny and helps strengthen the keratin.”

“So, I just slather it on them?” Wylls face turns slightly to look at yours.

“Yeah, you don’t need much either, it spreads like crazy.” You lean back, popping the bottle open and reaching up to his horns again.

Slowly, your hands start to rub the oil onto his horns, being as gentle and smooth as possible. It grows quiet as you concentrate on keeping the oil only on his horns and making sure it’s spread as thin as it can be. Wyll, on the other hand, grows quiet as he enjoys the intimate position you are in. It’s been years since he’s felt this close to another person, having spent years to following Mizora closely. He allows himself to drift closer to your touch, feeling more at ease now than he has the past couple weeks, possibly even the past couple years.

“And that should do it,” you reach down and wipe off your hands on your bag. Wyll snaps back to reality, giving some space between you. You smile softly down at him, then gesturing from him to look at himself in the lake.

Wyll stands up and takes a few steps, looking down at his reflection and seeing how nice his horns now looked. Moonlight now illuminated them from the shine, its a small change but it makes him feel warm. It’s the first time since becoming part infernal that he’s felt content with his new appearance.

Wyll looks back up at you, still looking amazed by the work you had done. He takes a step closer, putting a hand on your shoulder as he speaks.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, I know it’s been tough for you.” You smile softly at him.

Wyll moves closer, as if he wants to lean closer. You prepare yourself for him to do so, your body leaning closer to his until a loud voice interrupts the both of you.

“Are you two done down there or should we just eat without you?” You both hear Gale ask, followed by comments from Shadowheart and Astarion that you most certainly don’t need to hear to know that its innappropriate.

Now both your cheeks flush red, flustered by being caught by the rest of the group. As you hear Astarion make one more comment, you start running up the hill and threatening to grab your a stake for him. Wyll just stands there, watching you as you start to argue with Astarion, hearing Shadowheart and Karlach laugh at the display. His heart fills with warmth as he looks back at his reflection in the lake, seeing the way his horns now shine with the moonlight. Grabbing your bag, he slowly makes his way back to camp.

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 66

We find out later this chapter that Thistle has memory issues. The Living Pictures in his house are probably there to help him remember everything important to him.

So the Island Lord was convinced to seal the dungeon after everything that happened. Ideally, the Canaries would be as uninvolved as possible, but Kabru and Mithrun falling down the pit made Pattadol decide to call reinforcements.

Since that hole is barely within the first floor and the first floor technically isn't part of the Golden Kingdom, Thistle probably doesn't have the power to fix the hole.

This elf is stunning.

Is this a Dark Elf? I love how Kui is using whites to show all the details on her. But she's still able to use black outlining to define her features as well. Who say's you can't draw black people in manga or anime? Anyone who genuinely believes that has a skill issue.

The ebony elf is a guard while the long-haired elf and the elf with the scar are criminals. I'd assume they are the criminals assigned to the ebony elf.

There are so many fun things going on in this panel.

Some of my favorite details:

Two elves are curious about Tade while another is scared

Hien is actually fairly tall and stands over several people in this shot

Namari is trying to pull Mr Tansu off the ebony elf while Kiki tries to diffuse the situation

Shuro does not like that he's been dragged into this situation

While Rin and Shuro were talking, Tade picked up and threw some of the elves and then got kicked in the head. Hien and that scarred elf kept staring each other down the whole time.

Good job Mr Tansu. You just killed the ebony elf, Shuro, and Rin. Also, I think Hien is still staring down that one elf even while her master falls to his death.

I'm so glad that all these plot threads are happening at the same time. It's hard to keep track of time in this series since there's no real day/night cycle.

That door doesn't match anything I've seen before (I think). I'm gonna guess it's the door up.

Fleki uses several different types of bird familiars and can even use several at once. She must be really good at multitasking.

Kabru's wrists have writing on them that looks similar to the spell that Izutsumi had.

The seal on Izutsumi summoned a hag from a star parking that doesn't seem to exist on Kabru. Marcille said Izutsumi's spell was a repurposed gnome spell. Maybe it was repurposed to bind a summoning spell to Izutsumi whereas the normal spell is used for general restraint. Kabru keeps his hands close to each other, so it's just magic handcuffs.

Pattadol also has that lip-biting nervous tic.

Scylla from Greek myth had a lower body of a sea serpent called a cetus. Dunmeshi instead gave it a wolf body.

Wouldn't it be funny if the Canaries encountered Giga Hepta-Head Marcille and Giga Double-Headed Flame-Ice Senshi earlier and that's why they show up in the visual about Laios's wish?

If the demon will eventually try to drive the dungeon lord above-ground, does that mean the Winged Lion wants to replace Thistle because Thistle stubbornly refuses to leave the dungeon? And this would also increase why Marcille would be an ideal dungeon lord since her wish necessitates expanding beyond the dungeon.

I hope we get more details about Utaya before this series ends. I want to know if the dungeon was a natural or artificial one, and if there might have been a dungeon lord and what their wish was. Also, I want to know about that part about the dead turning into monsters.

Mithrun has only one desire so he's easy to manipulate. It's easy to imagine him willingly eating, sleeping, and conserving his mana if you tell him it will let him beat the demon. I'd like to see Kabru tell Mithrun that he needs to poop if he wants to beat the demon.

It's always funny to cut back to the Touden party in a chapter with other groups in it. So many serious things are happening, and then we cut to what they're doing and they're running around trying to make curry.

Izutsumi always seems so excited to help out with the cooking. Remember how she perked up in chapter 36 when she thought Maizuru was going to task her with helping to cook something only to get mad when that didn't happen?

She was pretty focused and inquisitive while the party was making curry. Maybe she likes making things and performing simple, repetitive tasks that have clear end goals, and cooking happens to hit on that.

Where did they get that giant plate from?

That's a really cool use of Changelings. If Marcille's tonic works, then it would be possible to be immune to the spores and you could use them to transform different foodstocks. If safe utility methods are researched, they could greatly expand a restaurant's menu. Or maybe adventurers could use a changeling apparatus to vary their travelers rations.

Of course Laios's mental image of the Golden Country people include a minotaur and the minotaur has far more detail to it.

In Laios's defense, I would have done even worse at remembering Kabru's name if I was in his place. At least he has an accurate recollection about his face.

The scene on the first floor has escalated. Hien and that elf are now fighting each other, Kiki and Kaka are trying to drag the Tansu's away, and Benichidori is checking her makeup.

How did they get in this situation?

When the Winged Lion said it was going to restrain Thistle's power, I didn't know it meant by literally trying to restrain him and Falin.

Chilchuck looks like he's only pretending to celebrate. Meanwhile, Marcille is grabbing and lifting Izutsumi's hand in the air.

It's the raspberry thing all over again. The Red Dragon wants to show how much he cares about Thistle but Falin's personality is influencing how he expresses it.

The only time I can say Chimera Falin definitely spoke was at the end of chapter 36. There was that one moment in chapter 37 where she spoke to Laios, but I'm not sure if that was real or imagined. During the raid fight, she spoke incantations and managed to do one even after Kabru slit her throat.

I think her inability to speak is not because of Kabru slitting her throat. Instead, I think she was given some additional physical modifications after the fight and she lost her voice during them.

A lot of Thistle's memories with Delgal are them sharing food together. The Winged Lion took something from him that's made him who he is now, and I think it took Thistle's desire to share. And without that, Thistle's wish to protect his kingdom and its people was twisted into a desire to keep everyone and everything and see them as possessions.

And if his desire to share is gone, then Thistle cannot fathom the joy of sharing food and feeding people you care about. So maybe he took away the peoples' ability to enjoy food because feeding them became a hassle.

back

[aribirdie]

Wicked: A Review

Alright, I've watched it like a billion times now. And now I have really figured out what I think about this movie.

Lets get the simple good stuff out of the way:

I really love the little details that have went into this movie, the world building, the well-done CGI, basically all the visuals are incredible. The costume design is whimsical and fun, giving a lot of character to the movie. (although I think the asymmetrical buttons on the green jacket that Nessa wears at the beginning is really unflattering, just because it gives the illusion that shes sitting in her chair uncomfortably. She slays like every other look tho so it gets a pass lol.)

I also love the larger inclusion of animals in the movie, giving more reasons to sympathize with them (live, laugh, love Dulcibear). The music is incredibly well written, and I feel that 90% of the music carried over really well into the movie. The scene that really stood out to me in this movie HAS TO BE the dancing scene in the Ozdust Ballroom, the music being silent, then swelling and changing as Glinda joins in. Elphaba CRYINGGG?? it gets me every time.

Now onto the more wicked stuff:

HOWEVER, I think that the 10% that does NOT carry over well is incredibly apparent and even hurts the movie. I think that the spoken parts of the music, namely in No One Mourns the Wicked, where the movie just lets the music cue play, having the governor whisper the word "green." In my opinion, it takes a lot of punch out of the lyrics, and how looked down upon she was at birth. This happens at various times in different songs throughout the movie, but this feels like one of the more obvious and somewhat distracting instances. (Of course this excludes the parts that were written to be spoken, most prominent in The Wizard and I).

Elphie/Erivo

Another major issue I have with the changes to the music comes from how, specifically Cynthia Erivo sings some of the more iconic parts. I know we've all heard the iconic riff, but I wouldn't have a problem with the way she sings it if the movie didn't stop breaking the momentum that part of the song purposefully builds. They keep cutting Cynthia off, breaking the tension, then expecting the audience to care when they try to go back to where she was. When in fact, the would need to rebuild that climax all over again. Now that part of the movie feels more like waiting, impatiently and bored, for her just to do the thing. Rather than being on the edge of our seat, anticipating. And dont even get me started on the "it's MEEEEE" in Defying Gravity

My final gripe with the movie regarding Elphie is her friggen visions. Do they effect her or not? Can she physically see them or are they in her head? I need to movie to stick to its own logic PLEASE. Because in The Wizard and I, she sees the vision on the statue of the Wizard. However, later in the movie while outside Dr. Dillamonds house, it seems so powerful that it knocks her back, and she sees it in her head now. I totally respect that this movie may be making a stylistic choice with her visions, but I really need to know if this is a magic thing she can do (as the Dr. D scene implies), or if its just her being idealistic (Wizard and I).

Erivo does a great job both acting and singing as Elphie. I do think some of her riffs are a little over-chewed, but who can blame her? Such an iconic role, I'm sure she just wanted to leave her own personal mark on it. (and I personally think her "maybe some of us are just different" bit in the first scene with Dr.Dillamond is hard to watch shes #notlikeothergirls. It could've been delivered more as a crashout to make it more compelling imo) However, there is one scene in particular that completely destroys some of the humor of the original musical. Humor that helped keep the whimsical nature of Oz prominent throughout the original show. Right at the beginning of Loathing, where Glinda and Elphie are writing to their respective parents, has the fun moment where Glinda tries to describe Elphie. And Elphie simply describes Glinda as "blonde." In the musical this line was used as a device to encompass how that seemed to be the only word to encompass how annoying Glinda is to Elphie. In the musical, Elphie says it like "shes just a typical blonde," making her seem like a walking eye-roll for Elphie. However, in the movie this line is flippant, a simple fact. Glinda is just blonde. I think that the line delivered this way implies that Elphie doesn't really concern herself with Glinda. Which goes against the next 15 minutes of what the movie describes. The movie shows them feuding, shows how Elphie talks mad shit to Nessa, and yet shes just "blonde" to Elphie?

Glinda/Grande

I really miss the yellow dress, I cant lie. I feel that the change from yellow in the beginning of the first act to her iconic pink during/after the Ozdust Ballroom (Dancing Through Life) strips some subtle character building from her. The yellow in the beginning helped show her off as a flat, blonde, rival. But then when she really connects with Elphaba she changes inside and out. She becomes pink, a mix of colors, as opposed to a primary, simple one. She becomes a more complex character that we as an audience see differently.

Side note: I also think that she is too platinum blonde, it really washes Ariana out, making her seem vaguely beige in comparison to the vibrancy of Elphie. And throughout the movie, it doesn't change with her, which I think the change to pink from yellow would have really helped to highlight.

I know that this next one is really about to make some stans very mad. I think that Ariana is just not camp enough to be Glinda. I know, and I'm sorry to all her stans, but I think that she was just really flat to watch in comparison to Cynthia. While I think she has some shining moments like "I didn't get my way" causing her to be carried by her side-character friends, or "I can't hear your responses because this is a letter," there are far too many moments where the jokes or subtle silliness of Glinda has falls short. (then when Kristen Chenoweth comes out it really feels like a smack down on Grande tbh, the MOUTH SMACK WAS SO FUNNYY)

Example: When Glinda and Elphie are exchanging secrets after Dancing Through Life, there were so many opportunities for her line delivery to be expressive and out there. But instead she says it all in one sentence in the same tone. "okay I'll go first" could've been delivered in a more, begrudging silly way, to emphasize that she really wants to go first. Rather than said in one flat tone. I think it really would have given Glinda more character, and more chances to become a sympathetic person for the audience to connect with.

Now, I hear you all chanting: "SHE WAS FUN IN POPULAR!!"

And you are SO right. Popular is really her chance to shine, and to be silly, over the top, etc. And she does take this chance, but this feels like a glimpse into the Glinda we could've had. In the scene afterward, Glinda is back in her muted pink uniform, washing her out again, not even a glimpse that shes different from her experience with Elphie aside from the fact that she sits with her now.

Now I hear you chanting once again (damn yall stop yelling): "MAYBE SHES ONLY BOISTEROUS AROUND ELPHIE, SOCIETAL PRESSURES MAKE HER ALL DEMURE AND MUTED, ETC"

AND TO THAT I SAY i disagree. The train scene shows Glinda being the same amount of expressive as she was in the BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE. She talks more but at the same tone/level, AND HER CLOTHES IN "ONE SHORT DAY," WITH NO OTHER CLASSMATES AROUND ARE STILL MUTEDDDD. I know that this movie is meant to try to tone her down a bit so that she doesn't come off as completely ridiculous.

HOWEVER I really think it means that we lose a lot of her character, and we lose what makes Glinda a fun sympathetic character. In the movie she's less lovable because she's less silly, making it harder to feel like we're losing an integral part of the story when she leaves Elphie. ESPECIALLY in her costumes, the vibrancy was such a wonderful contrast to Elphie's dark black clothes. I am so sad they nerfed my comphet girl. These changes make Elphie and Glinda's split feel very different. In the musical it really feels like they've changed eachother. Whereas in the movie, we see Elphie change, but Glinda barely seems different (thanks to the lack of drastic/noticable costume changes #bringbacktheyellow, and the fact that she seems muted in tone with classmates, AND the Wizard/Madame Morrible).

I truly hope that for the second part of the movie, she really shows this contrast off better (spoiler alert), between how happy she was being best friends with Elphie to how sad she is to put on a happy face for the people of Oz. I really hope she allows herself to act more out there, just as her side character friends do, and just as how Elphie/Cynthia even acts at times.

GELPHIE

alright, now that all that's out of the way, i feel that it is incredibly important to mention that I am a GELPHIE TRUTHER. Glinda is the only one who truly knows that Elphaba DOES care what others think, and dances with her. Glinda is the first to accept Elphie and to call her beautiful.. I know that Fiyero becomes more developed in the next act, and maybe it will convince me to accept the heteros (/j). BUT if it follows the musical (as it almost definitely will), GELPHIE all the way.

"maybe you're not as powerful as you think you are." Is one of the most heartbreaking lines in the movie for me. And not because Glinda is "being mean," but because it sounds likes she's hoping that Elphie isn't. She doesn't want Elphie to go, she doesn't want to shake up the world. She wants to be able to be WITH her. But she can't take that leap. She can't go against everything she knows, sending her with a cape into the world during Defying Gravity.

Despite being different people on different paths, they truly accept each other, and make each other better people.

If that isn't a love story then I don't know what is.

If you read all of that THANK YOU. I hope you enjoyed my takes or at least got the chance to see the movie from a different perspective. While this movie has some issues I think it was practically perfect.

TLDR:

Casting: 8/10

Costumes/set design: 9.5/10 (the Ozdust Ballroom is STUNNING)

Singing: 10/10

Adaptation from Original: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

[cozymochi]

Hi it’s🍍 anon again! Hope you’re having a good day/night!

I’d love to hear your yap sesh, but which events do you see your ocs participating (being coerced) in?

Tia’s a given since she’s the prefect she’ll be in every event (being the absolute girlboss that she is)

ITS MORNING FOR ME SO I GOT ALL DAY. Well it was when I started writing, lmao.

For the main in-game events we’ve seen? None. Well, excluding Scary Monsters, Beanfest and Port Fest. But, those are like, school-wide participation with mobs so that doesn’t really count, does it? Also Master Chef/Culinary Crucible I can also see happening since that’s also a school thing. …And maybe Spectral Soiree but like, the entire school got kidnapped to sent to the ghost realm for a party, so that probably doesn’t count either. 💀

(I am very much treating them as NPCs who have virtually nothing to do with whatever the main cast do, since… well, they are NPCs in the grand scheme. …With faces.)

With existing events, it’s hard to say, because if it isn’t a schoolwide event, my brain automatically will take in the reality that they well, weren’t there. At least not as mains. But, chalk up my hesitance mostly being from my distaste of throwing characters into situations they weren’t initially present for. If I do do it, I’m very much a “if something gets added in, something else needs to be cut out” for balance reasons. With exceptions of course. I’m not hyper strict “grrr canon this canon that”, I just think having limits nets better results for creative problem solving.

…Though, If I’m reading vignettes, I do sometimes slot the boys onto faceless NPCs if it makes me lawl.

You cannot tell me that the faceless guy who tripped in Diasomnia and almost sent a plate flying into Malleus’ face wasn’t Cecil sakshshgshsvj (See: Sebek’s Tsum)

BUT… If Fairy Gala having a “Remix” taught me anything, and the many many Halloween events, it’s that completely alternate versions of previous events starring different characters can happen and just kinda be there. I think it would be very funny if they had tsums, that’d be chaotic. It’s a little easier to work with if it’s an alternate version of an existing event or say, a seperate starter concept or Hometown events.

…

OKAY PREAMBLE OVER, NOW FOR THE REAL CRUD.

Optional further reading of my dumb conceptual yapping under cut.

[THESE ARE ALL THEORETICAL CONCEPTS. There are no visuals and virtually no stories beyond extremely early pitches. It’s not clear if I’ll ever act on these. Some more likely than others but, it’s hard to say. No promises.]

Cecil Mugwort

> Revenge of Pumpkin Knight (After-Halloween Event?)

Piggybacking off of the original Scary Monsters and taking place the night the festivities end. Featuring Idia’s beloved B-List movie, Pumpkin Knight. Except, the “Sleepy Hollow” allusions are at the forefront. Fun and games are over, it’s time to do some real scaring. Especially towards plebs who can’t respect good material if it bit them in the face. Aside from that gambit, the plot of this is currently murky.

I just want Cecil to the Ichabod Crane in this situation who is going to be the main brunt of an extremely elaborate prank by Idia. (He has partial inspiration from Ichabod, not huge, but I did look at him in terms of vibes.)

Cast not established.

> Unnamed Mage Competition (Cecil Hometown: Currently unnamed village, Shaftlands.)

There’s a magic competition of some sort in his quaint little hometown. He drags some school peers with him. I do not have the details for this sorted out, but a theme about siblings is something I’d like to be present. That, and learning about Cecil at a more personal level outside of school. As of now it’s mostly referencing two different eps of Sofia the First, but mushed.

Cecil’s older fraternal twin sister, Claudia, would be introduced.

Potential Cast: Jade, Cater, Silver, MC/Grim

> Sam’s New Years Sale

It’d be funny. Put him in retail.

————

Nyoka Wadjet

> Unnamed event (Nyoka Hometown: Currently unnamed city, Sunset Savanna)

I do not have the details for this sorted out. Something about the Wadjets in particular and some sort of weirdly specific holiday maybe. It also involves exploring the reptilian culture in Sunset Savanna.

The new face that could be introduced is not established yet, it’s still up in the air. There are no names or designs yet.

Nyoka’s personal attendant would be introduced.

Potential Cast: …being reworked.

> *reads smudged hand* Sam’s New Years Sale also

Put him in retail.

————

Emilio Estrada-Alvarez

> Unnamed “Carnaval” event (Emilio Hometown: Shining Peninsula, *Unknown Country).

Emilio finally relents to his cousins pestering, and opts to return home for a big ass Carnaval. This really huge country-wide event with loud music, food everywhere, competitions, costumes and all sorts of good times. Most notable for the bedazzling lights implemented throughout. In his town it’s about celebrating light and love between others of all kinds and how it’ll shine forever or something. It’s meant to reflect the standards set by a Queen from legend who wielded a scepter whose love for others and her people was said to be able to control light itself.

This year his cousins family is spearheading the event in his town. She’s more swamped than usual since it’s her first time doing that, and wants Emilio’s help. And Emilio, being the dip he is, drags others with him. Though given who he chose, he might be trying to prove something. Also being crowned King of Carnaval is cool, maybe he wants that. Shenanigans ensue. As any hometowns go, Emilio will be explored further outside of school.

Emilio’s cousin Marisol would be formally introduced.

Potential cast: Ortho, Jamil (maybe), Malleus, MC/Grim

Shoutout to my various consultants who are not on tumblr.

> Unspecified “Día de los Muertos” type event. (Halloween Event? location not established)

Exactly what it says on the tin. No real further info here beyond that because it’s the most obvious thing. It would be very relevant to Emilio in particular on a personal level. Shoutout to dead parents. I might not do this though.

> Port Fest Alternative Remix

Something about boats now, probably. He likes sailing and is competitive.

——-

[scarlet--wiccan]

I do kind of feel like the narrative should do more to establish that Billy is going to be Wanda's successor- that's definitely what we're meant to infer, both from him inheriting her powers and the reveal of Scarlet Witch being a family title- but pretty much every time we get a look at Distant Future Billy, he's always taking after Stephen instead, both visually and title-wise.

It wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't for the fact that current Billy clearly likes being associated with Wanda and the idea of continuing her legacy, and he doesn't hang out with Stephen all that often. He wasn't even in Strange Academy. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see them bond, but that hasn't really happened outside of that one issue of New Avengers back in 2009.

I'm not sure why Billy would be in Strange Academy, unless it was in a role similar to Nico's, which... I mean, I'm glad she had something going on after Runaways ended, but I cannot think of anybody less qualified to teach. Maybe the two of them could've been TAs, or maybe Jericho could've let them audit some classes to round out their magical training since they're both too old to enroll. But if I had to guess, I'd say Empyre was probably on the docket when SA was being planned out. Not that characters can't be in multiple places at once-- or that it's difficult for Billy to travel between Earth and the Alliance-- but that was a big event and a big status-quo change for him.

There are two versions of Future-Billy-As-Sorcerer-Supreme. One is from a the single-issue special Avengers: The Children's Crusade: Young Avengers-- and yes, that is a horribly confusing title that also makes this issue really hard to look up. This guy dresses just like Stephen and literally calls himself "Doctor Strange." He appears opposite Tommy as "Quicksilver," Teddy as "Captain Marvel," and Eli as "Captain America." Everyone's leaning into their actual legacies, and then there's Billy, cosplaying some guy he couldn't be less related to.

The other version, who has appeared in far more comics, was introduced in a 2013 X-Men event called Battle of the Atom. This guy is both Sorcerer Supreme and a member-- sometimes leader-- of the X-Men. This story was written a couple years before the Axis retcon, when the character was still ostensibly a mutant. There a few different versions of this character from a few different timelines, but he always goes by "Wiccan," and even though his costume contains references to classic Doctor Strange designs, it's still uniquely his.

Both of these future versions of Billy were created well before "Scarlet Witch" was retroactively established as a hereditary title. I don't know if things would be different if that was a part of Billy's lore from the get-go-- I think, for both silly gender reasons and a general desire to give Billy a unique identity, most writers would still avoid calling him "Scarlet Witch," but I think it'd be nice to see him take up the mantle in one or two alternate timelines. Certainly if Tommy's going to become Quicksilver....

[whiteboardartstudios]

Goodbye, Gendaen

fan art for @mtqcomic

Thoughts and LONG ramble under the cut! (includes spoilers!!!)

A while ago (like last week maybe?) I realized that I've been following this comic for almost a year, and I still haven't drawn Mysta yet! I figured that with the recent end of Chapter 3 and that *huge* lore drop (I was NOT expecting that oh my goodness the theory wheels are turning in the void that is my brain) now would be a pretty good time to draw her! So that's where this came from! :D

I thought that it would be fun to draw Mysta looking sort of like a knight? Partially because it makes for cool posing and composition but also because I think that if she was in D&D she would be a paladin due to the whole "Hero sent by Destiny" thing (I considered sorcerer or warlock as well, but her moveset is mostly melee at the moment so I thought that paladin fits better. Plus this opens up the possibility of Gendaen being an Oathbreaker paladin, depending on how that whole situation with the Crimson went. (also now I kind of want to put the main cast of mtq in D&D even though I don't actually know a lot about D&D ToT. I think Eth would be a ranger maybe multiclassed into something magic-related, because rangers have a favored enemy mechanic that gives them advantages on fighting a certain type of enemy, which could be Crimson enemies for D&D Eth. Yele is (kind of obviously) a druid because of the whole dryad thing, and Zaïl is definitely giving rogue energy to me.)) Anyways, D&D-related sidetrack aside – hello??? End-of-chapter-3 lore drop? (/positive) I have SO many questions. First of all, what happened to convince Gendaen to switch sides? For someone who allegedly spent his entire life trying to cleanse the Crimson, it would've taken one heck of a worldview-upending revelation to get him to join it. With the information we currently have, it seems pretty clear that Gendaen isn't mind-controlled or corrupted or anything – not just because of the reasons Eth gave in page #169, but also because from all the interactions we've had with Nelun Soma'o/Gendaen, he seemed to be pretty chill? I pointed out in my first fan art post that it doesn't seem as if Nelun Soma'o is being built up to be a villain character and is instead more of an antagonist with a slight mentor role, and I think that still kind of holds up now. Gendaen definitely wants Mysta to help him and/or the Crimson with something, and as Yele said in that recent comic, things aren't really adding up. I'm still slightly suspicious of the Order of Learning as well (insert person pointing at conspiracy theory board meme here lol), since you would think that if Gendaen and Eth are really close then Gendaen might have told Eth about the whole Crimson situation, right? On Page #250 (which is marked as 150??? probably a typo but idk) Gendaen says that he didn't want Eth to be roped into this whole situation, which could be a reason for keeping him in the dark – though if he knew Eth really well then he might have suspected that Eth wouldn't just let him disappear and would go searching for him. Another possible reason (in my theory) if the Order is evil or something and Gendaen learned something that he shouldn't have learned, maybe he knew that Eth wouldn't believe him because of his loyalty to the Order? I may just be connecting random dots and calling it a picture here but *something* is going on and until we get more clues on what that may be, I'm sticking with this theory lol :P EDIT, I was rereading Gendaen's character sheet and it says there that he has a strong code of honor and fights for the underdogs (not the exact phrasing but it's close). 👀 does that mean the Crimson is in some sort of underdog position? 👀

Anyways back to the drawing a little, I gave both Gendaen and Mysta a sort of braid-like element in their designs to sort of tie them together a bit visually (Mysta's is on the sides of her head, which is kind of hard to see so I added a little ribbon to show that parts of her hair is tied back, and Gendaen's is in his golden hair accessory thingy). I think that there's definitely some sort of correlation between Gendaen's disappearance/switching to the Crimson and Mysta being sent to Sol Ybberia, and I also think that both of them are going to play an important role in whatever happens in the future, hence the braids (to show that their destinies are kind of intertwined, as the two Heroes of Sol Ybberia). I also thought that it would be fun to put Gendaen in a stained glass window instead of actually physically being present, because up until the Nelun Soma'o reveal, all the things we know about Gendaen are basically all from Eth's recollections of him, which for me definitely paints a bit of a "Character haunting the narrative" kind of vibe. I also think that with the Nelun Soma'o reveal, the somewhat glorified (for a lack of a better word – I think Eth might be a little biased when it comes to Gendaen, considering that Gendaen has been missing for about 5 years, if my math is correct? 5 years feels like a long time to me and I think that if a person important to me has been missing for that long then my impression of them would definitely start warping to how I want to remember them/who I wanted them to be and I might start unintentionally ignoring the things that doesn't quite match that image in my head. Speaking of/case in point, Eth's reaction to the Nelun Soma'o reveal!) image of Gendaen that we had got thrown in a metaphorical blender with our idea of the Crimson at the time, and it just makes things a whole lot more complicated in a very interesting way. (If you look at the bottom right of the image you can see Nelun Soma'o's cloak coming out of stained-glass Gendaen's cloak, which I thought would be a fun little detail to include). Hence, the stained glass is kind of the "perfect Hero who disappeared to advance the plot" Gendaen and we can see Mysta kind of splitting the glass with her Rotted Fork from a composition point of view, referencing that huge lore bomb she dropped a couple of pages ago and how that changes our (or at least my) perception of Gendaen as a character entirely. I really do like the plot twist, as I think it makes Gendaen a more 3-dimensional character with more complicated motivations and narrative significance, as before I mainly knew him as "predecessor to Mysta" and "one of Eth's sources of motivation", but now he my understanding of Gendaen also extends to things about Gendaen himself and not just about his role in relation to other characters (for example, "Gendaen is helping the Crimson for reasons currently unknown" or "Gendaen is planning something that involves Mysta??? and he's in the Void??? And apparently Mysta is supposed to jailbreak him out at some point in the future?" He definitely has something planned behind the scenes, I don't know what it is and I want to find out).

MORE THINGS about Gendaen (can you tell that he's my favorite character at the moment ToT), what's up with those last words? If I'm correct (and I think I am, I scrolled all the way back to the page where the gods were introduced just to check this ToT), Nomù is Compassion? How is compassion related to Gendaen's alliance with the Crimson? I mean, when you think of the Crimson, compassion definitely is NOT the first value that comes to mind. Right now it seems that to me, Gendaen's plan with Mysta and the Crimson and the Void is connected to Nomù somehow? (the "I won't disappoint you" is definitely interesting). I don't have a lot of thoughts or theories on where this might be going, I just thought that it was something interesting to metaphorically chew on for the next while. It definitely seems like it has some sort of narrative significance, at least.

There might be more things that I wanted to talk about, but I can't really think of them off the top of my head right now (it might be due to the fact that it's currently quite late in my time zone ToT I am sleepy) so that's all from me for now :D (Also dropping the version of the drawing with just the lineart here because I think it looks really cool)

I hope you have a really nice day and/or night! :D

*a starry rift in space opens up in front of me and I faceplant into it like it is a mattress* (gotta make that dramatic exit!) [Image ID: The first image is a colored and rendered image of Mysta from the Mysta's Terrarian Quest webcomic standing in front of a stained glass window of Gendaen. She is holding the Rotted Fork spear from Terraria, and she has a determined expression on her face. The stained glass shows Gendaen with his back turned to the audience, and one closed eye is visible. His cloak is flowing to the right of the image, where it emerges out of the stained glass as it fades from green to dark grey. Crimson vines, green trees, and white clouds surrounds Gendaen in the stained glass. Outside of the glass portrait, real crimson vines are creeping along the stone walls that the portrait is on, framing the portrait and Mysta in the middle. A red light source is shining down from the upper right corner of the drawing. End ID.] [Image ID: The second image is a work-in-progress version of the first image without any color and only some minimal shading, with all shades being in monochrome. Mysta's lineart is noticeably darker compared to the line art of the background. End ID.]

EDIT: Forgot to add image ids, they're here now TwT

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Now, back to Volume 1 Chapter 9!

Insurance Ladies know they are going above and beyond what is normal here. But, they still continue as consummate professionals.

THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!! SO CUTE SO CUTE SO CUUUTEE!

I like the tiny little details that hints something about the characters too.

The most obvious things are Milly's childish expression (playful) and Vash's one leg raised on the seat position (gremlin). However, "no nonsense" Meryl's feet are placed inside the table's rings! You'd expect her to put them by the side of the table but nooooo!!! They need to be IN the ring (she's not above them all!). LMAO.

Tbh... I think the Kaite & Vash relationship feels more fleshed out here in the manga than the anime. I guess it's because of the Rem conversation. It added more weight to their interactions.

Also, they're adorable! Kaite is one sharp kid calling out Vash's bullshit. Vash, like a dog with a bone, keeps deflecting.

Oh wow. This is a huge difference from '98. Kaite was totally alone when he approached the crew.

And this is just as painful and hard to see because, you can absolutely understand the crew's reaction and feelings. What Kaite did was wrong. At the same time tho, he is just a kid who didn't know better. Taking out their grief and fury on him is not right.

Gosh... It makes me think of Little Vash and The Great Fall.

I wonder what exactly went through Vash's head here. In my perspective, Kaite is reflecting Vash unknowingly in this scene. But it's so painful because he's just a kid. He should never have been put in this position. He is too young to be on this path for atonement and redemption! It's just wrong.

Hmmm. Another big difference. Interesting. The Plant was never mentioned in '98 at all.

So, Tristamp followed this manga arc more closely. Some elements are remixed such as Wolfwood replacing Kaite, the Gung-ho Guns substituting BDN as a threat, and the race is avoiding destroying a town instead of avoiding falling off a cliff. All beats are the same tho.

HOWEVER!

I think '98 has a more logical timeline personally because they are in a hurry to stop the ship right? It's a critical moment. If you think about it, there should not have been enough time for Vash to regroup with Kaite after the duel. So, '98 having these two events happen simultaneously is actually good.

Another benefit is Kaite's offer to help feels much more genuine when he was alone and away from Vash in '98. It really sells the idea that this is entirely his own decision despite the risks of retribution.

Of course, Vash didn't influence him in the manga too but by visually having him there with Kaite, it kinda undersells it imo.

Oi. Vash. That's no way to talk about your sister!

While I do appreciate the changes on the Plant design in Tristamp, I really like the '98/Manga more. They're both excellent designs for Sci-Fi but I just really like the 90's flavor of magical Angel Power Plant... which appeases my thing for magitek.

Tristamp tho is a modern flavor of alien Faerie Power Plant - not bad but not my cup of tea. However, the glowing lines feature is wonderful! It reinforces the idea of them being power plants because they have "circuits" in the body. Restraining myself from saying Magic Circuits!

Oh... This is a really fascinating set of panels that I think both '98 and Tristamp haven't adapted well.

'98 kinda skipped this. However in Tristamp, the emphasis on Plants is very clinical. Not sure if that is the best way to describe it, but, in the plants feels so much more objectified in Tristamp. I guess the horror element about the human-plant relationship is further emphasized there.

It's contrasting the manga which seems to be more focused on the awe-inspiring side of it like in the scene above. The scientist waxes poetic and is practically making a religion out of the whole thing.

I guess, to put it simply, the manga effectively shows how humans see Plants worthy of worship. Meanwhile, Tristamp displays how humans see Plants as just a life-essential battery.

So beautiful... Oh...

What if the re-design happened because animating expressive individual feathers would be a pain for Orange staff? GASP! Is that why everyone's hair were cut short?! Because hair is tedious to animate. OMFG... IS THIS WHY MILLY WAS CUT OUT IN SEASON 1 since she really really long luscious locks?!

I kid. I kid. 🤣

Oh. That's really clever remixing by Studio Madhouse. So '98 Miss Purple Avenger Episode is like a "Prototype" of this manga arc. This is where Vash having to prevent an explosion of a Plant came from.

Okay. Another great difference... I've been saying that a lot in this chapter. Sorry.

In '98, Vash dealt with this alone and the only witness was terrified. It focused more on the mystery.

However, here in the manga, Vash is not alone. Humans must work with him to save the Plant and everyone. He can only buy time but it's up to them to stop the whole thing. It's a really nice display of Vash's hopes and beliefs regarding human-plant relations. ----> BTW, the art in this page is really pretty and interesting! (1) The almost "gradient" like transition of Vash's coat to the bulb is so creative. (2) The drawing of the Plant resembling a blooming flower: feathers as ray florets, the plant/sister as the disk floret, and the wires as receptacle/stem.

These pages are so gorgeous and the way the slowing down of the heartbeat was shown through the interspersed tiny panels is just really good.

ROFL. The human instinct of "I don't know what's going on but it's helping so I won't pry anymore and I'll just roll with it!". Love to see it!

I think this arc is so good because it justifies Vash's often criticized brand of hope - his endless patience at giving humans chances to bridge the gap between their species.

Humans can work together and save themselves with just a little push. They won't rely on exploitation forever.

People can realize when they are wrong. They can atone and redeem themselves. They do not stay cruel and ignorant forever. They are capable of change. ----> Also, this art is so perfectly adapted in '98. This page, actually, all the pages relating to this collective effort of humans to save the ships (with a bit of an assist from Vash) is so heartwarming to read. ----> Oh... Kudos again to '98 because since they relegated the 'Vash prevents a Plant explosion' to an earlier episode, the episode covering this particular plot had him out of commission. So, the stakes have become higher. Humans must set aside their differences and work together to save each other and Vash too.

And finally, humans are more than what they seem. They are complicated. What could be an enemy at first could turn out to be an ally that can save you later.

This entire conclusion to the conflict is just good and very... Vash. This is what he wants for Knives to see and understand about humans.

I think '98 really did well in adapting the essence of this arc. Tristamp is complicated because now, on hindsight as I read the manga, the episodes are basically hard-carrying and working overtime telling multiple plot lines at once!

Let's see... in Tristamp's version of this arc:

Wolfwood was working double time in the narrative as "Kaite" and one half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity". Not to mention he has his own conflict going on too.

Meryl was the second half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity" that works with Vash (Plant) in saving people.

Unfortunately, with BDN being replaced by the Gung-ho Guns, there is nothing that echoes the "Hidden Depths Enemy Turned Ally"... character...No way... OMFG! WOLFWOOD WAS SUBSTITUTING FOR THAT ROLE TOO IN THIS ARC!!! Poor Woofwoof!

Roberto is a unique addition since he is a Tristamp OG, but I think he represents well the approach taken by Orange with Trigun. He is like the "Flaws/Indifference of Humanity". He is good but experience had turned him into someone that's jaded and refuses to rock the boat (unlike Meryl). His age and 100% ordinary human status prevents him from surviving long enough to change his disposition too (unlike Wolfwood). It's pretty in line with Orange's more emphasis on the "darker" aspects of the story.

WHA-?!!!

Eh? Eh? EHHH?!!

WHY WAS THIS CHANGED IN '98?!!! THIS IS ADORABLE AND COOL!!! AHHHH!!!! NOOOO!!!!

But... then there won't be Meryl and Milly supporting injured Vash. NOOOO!!! Augh. AND THERE WON'T BE TRISTAMP VERSION OF THIS! AHHHH!!!!

Oh. So, the singing is in the manga too. That's a surprise. I thought it was a '98 original scene.

Awwww. ಥ_ಥ

[animegoil-vnc]

Yingdu Episode 1 Reactions

Ah the animation is so beautiful already. While I am not looking forward to another S2 action-oriented season, it's true they really upped their action animation and it's crazy seeing it applied to a basketball scene like in S1.

Lol at LG's face when he's shooting the ball.

Omg I can't believe Vein appears already in the first minute. What a flashy old-fashioned gun, feels like a Western type thing.

LOL he has to whip off his cape, truly a diva, c'mon XD

Oh bb girl what did you think a chair was going to do in the face of a gun. Still, I commend your courage, more than I'd do in that situation.

NOT TIME TO GET SENTIMENTAL AT THE PHOTO LG

OMG NO NO NO SO CXS *DID* SaVE LG "like you once did for me" NOOOO

Omg we've really got the death scene already

WAIT IS THAT CXS WITH GOLD EYES? Is he coming from the future already? fuck, yes he is, so he chose to die *again* for LG (or... or wait if he's alive in the future, it must mean he failed to save LG the first time and came back to make sure he could - so he DID go back to save LG once!!!)

OMG THE POWER TRASNFER, shown visually by the ball metaphor NOOOOO T_______T

Oh shit I didn't realize LG got shot too.

Have we not seen that image before? Of the birds in the sunset?

Oh damn, so the shakespeare sonnet book that LX has been holding this whole time is *Lu Guang's*???

and he stored that photo in there? Hmmm guess we'll find out if that's in preparation (aka this isn't the first round) or it was just a sentimental thing.

Wow LG realized very quickly that he now has CXS's power.

OMG HAHAHAHHAAHHAA GOT HIT IN THE FACE Sorry that shouldn't have been so funny, great way to change the mood quickly

YES TOUCH HANDS ALREADY MEANINGFULLY LIKE YOU'RE IN A FIC T_T

Huh, I thought they met in high school??? They're in Uni here already? Is this a translation error or school system difference? Their ages and school levels have never lined up :/

Omg so cute - CXS smiling at LG's text (even though it was just a freaking OK emoji smh) as a cute song plays.

Hmmm LG's eyes aren't gold anymore, is that just because it'd be annoying to show them as gold then entire time and it'd interfere with future time travel indicators?

Coser presumably is cosplayer? Crunchyroll fix your subtitles

CXS's teasing voice towards Lu Guang is THE BEST <3 <3 <3

UM WHAT

LU GUANG IS THE COSPLAYER????

LU GUANG LIKES ANIME???

CXS SAID LG IS A BEAUTIFUL BOY??

DID LG GET INTO THE CLUB FOR PLOT PURPOSES? omg he so did

Aaaaw so the guanguang nickname didn't come from CXS :(

Lu Guang in the outfit <3 <3 <3 <3

Qiao Ling also looks so cute in her outfit and trying to beat CXS

DEFENDER OF JUSTICE QL!!!

Lol at how freaked out she looks about the mixup

Am I the only one who thinks the "heroine" looks like WWX from MDZS?

Seriously LG, you're like "this time travel series is something I could related to" ? Little loose lipped there, hm?

Aw, CXS saying silly stuff but thinking about his parents in his mind :(

LG you're too foreshadowy already

Huh...? Divination? Hmmmm.........

YES, TOUCH HIS MOUTH lololol

Feels hard to switch gears and focus on someone else when the tension is so high of what's going on with our boys, but it's nice to see the tone changing a bit more to what we liked of S1.

Q-QL... did you really just... throw that book?

Oh wow, so that's how they started the idea of "looking for lost things as a side gig" and the "ritual"/magic that QL thought they did for it? Though if she was present the first time LG did divination, I'm surprised she didn't ask to be involved later.

I really love how off-hands CXS has always been with LG. For someone who can be so good at pestering, he really lets LG have his space and doesn't push with personal things.

Surprised LG admitted he'd made that up? He's acting super suspicious in some ways.

Mmm yes, CXS, definitely can't leave him alone <3

Ah this is so fun to see how LG coming into the studio and becoming partners happened and the side gig <3

First Bridon mention!

Ah this sounds super sus.

Lol QL thought so too.

omg this is the funniest way for LG's powers to be coming up

So guess you can have multiple powers at once if he can be traveling back in time and using his photo-reading

Lol at CXS vibrating with impatience

I literally yelled "CAN YOU LOOK AT THE--" and then they crashed

OH NO CXS, this is the start of your sentimentalism and fake acting??

LG I can't believe you would keep doing this business with CXS after he's already defied your rules and acted impulsively from the beginning and then KEPT going?

Oh noooo this keeps getting sus, CXS where the heck are you going? And has she not noticed the earbud he has?

Damn we're already in a hostage situation.

Man, they're already playing Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi's relationship and CXS already freaked out at them threatening LG <3

Welp, first episode, first female side character death

Huh, LG is really honest with CXS, and without much prompting. Is this his natural state of being, or is this selective honesty for the sake of his plan?

HMMM?? CXS said LG's eyes reminded him of his parents? ELABORATE

OMG LU GUANG OFFERED TO STAY - HE OFFERED!!!!

Apologies? Oh no... LG totally knows what CXS is referring to with this parents... that's the apology isn't it?

HAND CLAP ABOUT TO HAPPEN??

Lol partners for life, wow CXS your mind went straight to marriage? Lol at LG correcting that immediately

AAAW CXS LOOK SO HAPPY TO HAVE A PARTNER <3 <3 <3 <3

Well that was a lot of fun! Good balance of sentimental and action and foreshadowing - some things didn't quite make sense yet but I'm sure they will, and the pacing is a lot better than S2 so far - let's hope it stays that way!

[nitewrighter]

Watching Disney's "Wish"--No idea what to expect but mostly here for Chris Pine. Pray for me.

-Old school storybook opening sequence which is clearly meant to be evocative of Snow White, Pinocchio, etc. But it's very hard to play it straight in a Post-Shrek world.

-Jesus the world's most painfully expositional dialogue.

-Oh god the body language and the timing of the expressions... Disney has only had one (1) Heroine Concept since they popped out Moana and none of them have been as compelling as Moana.

-Rosas has Duloc vibes. Disney really did not consider the post-Shrek implications of this writing and worldbuilding.

-TANGLED REFERENCE.

-Oh god the Seven Dwarf Besties. Like... to what end??? Who is this for??? This is too many characters for one scene??? If they aren't in the title maybe don't dump 7 on your main character???

-Every time I hear that the Queen and King were originally written to be a villain power couple I'm soooo depressed at looking at this queen. I do like this character design.

-CHRIS PINE THIS IS WHAT I'M HERE FOR.

-ANIMATION REFERNCE.

-Aw hell yeah that's actually a damn good villain turnaround.

-Goddammit yeah again making the Queen ignorant of the whole evil king thing is sooooo disappointing and boring compared to the concept arts.

-Eyvind Earle inspired backgrounds are pretty good.

-This is a really creative concept with very interesting worldbuilding implications but goddamn Disney is just falling so hard back on what it thinks is fun and poppy and marketable and also the music is being pulled in like 5 different directions.

-Why is there a raccoon in the Mediterranean.

-Snow White Wishing Well reference.

-GOD the 'Well that just happened' dialogue.

-Is that a fucking Luma from Super Mario Galaxy.

-Alan Tudyk is here now.

-Oh so this is gonna be a *heist* movie. That's why she's got 7 besties.

-...again kind of disappointed that the Star is basically just a Luma and not a heavily ADHD-coded guy like we saw in the concept art.

-Bro the music in this is SO ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT'S PAINFUL. Chris Pine's villain song was just upbeat pop. Like practically Hanson. And then there's a song that's just.. literal straight up political revolution played completely straight.

-Saba's gonna fuckin die.

-You can tell Chris Pine is having so much fun being a campy charismatic villain he deserves such a better song than the one he got.

-Mage hand!!

-Maleficent ass magic effects.

-Man the movie did *not* set up the tone shift sufficiently.

-Jesus this is a specific ass political revolution song.

-I think this is the first Disney Princess to start, like, a full-on coup.

-Okay so they had to make the queen good so that Asha wouldn't be completely obliterating the government.

-Damn there's just a guy in full Peter Pan costume I guess.

-...straight up Fairy Godmother name drop. I THOUGHT THAT CLOAK REFERENCE WAS BUILDING UP TO SOMETHING.

-This movie is like 80% visual references to previous Disney Films--JESUS ENDING WITH THE MICKEY MOUSE EARS FIREWORKS AND A WINK.

-like... I get that it's Disney's 100th anniversary but it's also like... you could have made a short celebrating that and let this like.. be an actual movie.

[letters-from-dekarios]

(I really love this idea!! I hope you'd allow me to indulge in sending my ask as my storm sorc/tempest cleric tav who gained a bit of a crush on our favorite wizard after the Weave scene!!)

To Gale,

Firstly, I am not avoiding you. It is a pure coincidence that we so happen to miss each other quite often lately, and that is why I am sending this letter. I am definitely not embarrassed by our connection in the Weave and what you could have felt from it.

Now that that matter has been dealt with, I would love to hear about your experiences growing up learning about the arcane arts. After spending that night with you, I am ashamed to admit I have never felt that same amount of fondness, passion, and understanding you have for the Weave. While I 'know' that what's flowing through my veins is raw, powerful magic, I have never really taken the time to 'understand' it - like how one can be aware of being alive, but not how to properly live. I hope that makes sense.

I would love to hear more about your thoughts and experiences with the Weave, and with your permission, I hope to learn more about the Weave from you. Perhaps by learning and understanding you and your magic, I can understand and better appreciate myself and the power I have been blessed with my whole life.

Your loyal companion,

Thalia

Dearest Thalia,

Please know it is with utmost respect that I feel honored my guidance in your manipulation of the Weave would make you feel such a way. It’s not every day that one captures the feeling the Weave brings like you did. I’m privileged that you felt so comfortable with me as to share that.

And, do know, that I take no offense to your taking time to yourself. My first interaction with the Weave and its magic, as you know, was when I was a mere child. Even then, the feeling had me almost bashful! The warmth felt within Mystra’s embrace is quite the overwhelming spirit. You have no need to apologize.

As aforementioned, my beginnings with the Weave were… complicated. I began to sense the magic as a young child, and by the time I was eight, I was beginning to practice fully-fledged spells. You may recall having mentioned a man named Elminster, both a dear friend and my mentor. Given that Mystra had a brief respite from the mortal world, it was he who guided me through the Weave, with the help of Mystra’s remnants in the magic world, and taught me much of what I know now.

I took to the teachings rather quickly. One might say I was a prodigy, and I think it’s quite a fitting title. At just ten, I had conjured my very own Tressym! Tara, my beloved feline friend, was one of my first complete conjurings who managed to stay longer than a few moments. Perhaps it was out of pure spite for my mother not allowing me to adopt a kitten, I shall never know why Tara stuck around with me.

Amidst it all, the overall feeling was one of overwhelming power. I did not start with the understanding I have of it now. I’ll be the first to admit my beginnings with the Weave were awkward. I, more than once, destroyed my mother’s fine items and was made to repair them. It was chaotic— a surge of all sorts of emotions each time I used the magic bestowed upon me. It was as if, with just a flick of the wrist or a word spoken just right, I could destroy everything around me.

It took time and quite a bit of effort to grasp the Weave by its reins and tame it to my liking. This is what drew Mystra to selecting me as one of her chosen as she grew to restoring her full power.

With growing older, entangling my soul with the magic I possessed became easier and easier. Soon enough, I needed no teacher at all. The conceptualization of the Weave and its intertwining in all magic takes getting used to. I would be more than happy to elaborate on other spells with you if you’d let me.

It’s hard to put into words how the Weave makes a person feel. You experienced it, what it’s like within the moment, trying to describe that without the visualization or the emotion behind it can become confusing. Especially for those who have not or have rarely touched the Weave.

Please, visit with me whenever you would like. I would be more than delighted to guide you as best as I can in mastering the concepts of your magic that I do understand.

From the desk of,

𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔

text reads: gale dekarios

p.s. it took me a solid hour trying to find information on gale and mystra and the timeline with elminster (and what his relationship with elminster really was like). at some point i said ‘screw it, i’m interpreting this how i like’ so while i try to be accurate, as best i can, im just doing what my little head tells me to ~ kore

[atamascolily]

The curious incident of the elephant in the night parade

The Rebellion Production Note includes a sketch of the "pumpkin carriage" that Sayaka and Nagisa ride in as emissaries of the Law of Cycles, which is good because we barely get to see it in the actual movie.

From face on, it's hard to see that there is, in fact, a pumpkin there, because it gets overshadowed by the pink circle behind it. The profile shot is not much better because Madokami's body blocks most of it.

(side note: love how the original Walpurgisncht pennants are re-imagined here, since Madokami moves under her own power instead of being towed.)

I also completely missed the cute little Pyotr (Nagisa's mouse-like familiar) on top!

The pumpkin is an obvious fairy tale reference and an allusion to Homura identifying herself as "the pumpkin" in the Cake Song. In the accompanying text, Inu Curry says that its color should be the same as the one in the Cake Song, but that changed somewhere in the animation process, because the carriage is orange and the Cake Song pumpkin is primarily green. Or is the carriage orange now because the squash has "ripened"? (for what it's worth, there are plenty of kabocha varieties that are green when ready to eat, so IDK if that's why, but it's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head).

Oh, and weirdly, there doesn't seem to be an obvious "door" to the carriage--even if it's folded up/not visible while in motion, it's striking that the window we do see is similar to the same window that has served as a symbolic representation of salvation via the Law of Cycles from the very first scene of the movie. Inu Curry's notes say that the window frame is white, just like that other window.

I had originally wondered why this carriage was necessary, since Madokami was theoretically only going to take Homura's soul away, not her physical body, but based on what happens to Sayaka in the ending of the original series, magical girls claimed by the Law of Cycles can vanish completely (body and soul), probably so they don't leave any unsightly corpses behind, although there appears to be some inconsistencies about this in Episode 12. But the carriage is such a great metaphor, I can't even bring myself to quibble about stuff like that.

So does Homura gets a carriage ride with an escort instead of flying off hand in hand with Madoka, because she's special--or does every magical girl get this treatment now? It doesn't really matter because Homura has her own ideas, but either way, it was a nice thought, I guess? Once again, Shaft goes for "what looks cool in the moment" rather than visual consistency.

In keeping with my ongoing obsession with the "peacock's tail" emblem that keeps popping up, I'll just say that the elephant's tail is the same shape and the knob on its harness has part of the same pattern... which does make sense because Walpurgisnacht uses that motif and this her repurposed elephant familiar.

However, there are some noticeable differences between the original elephant and this new version:

Walpurgisnacht's elephants from the original series and the Eternal recap movie have a different symbol on their sides - a sun-like drawing vs. the circle with cross quarters. There is a cryptic note here that I don't fully understand that says something like "emblem of the window god"--presumably Madokami?--but I'm not confident enough to say for certain what's going on here.

The ears are also different--the original elephant has a plain green ear, while the Rebellion version has a black and white series of diamonds with circles inscribed within them--another one of Homura's motifs, at least in the Rebellion Production Note.

Preliminary designs for Devil Homura's salamander motif featuring the same "diamond with inscribed circle" symbol.

Finally, both elephants' eyes are covered with "button-like" blinders, just like the horse on Homura's boat in the middle part of Rebellion.

Elephants are a symbol of wisdom, so the fact that they're blindfolded here is interesting; there's also the saying "an elephant never forgets" which seems pertinent in light of Rebellion's emphasis on memories. They are also a traditional vāhana ("mount" or "vehicle") of deities in Hindu and Buddhist iconography, which again fits with the mandalas and other symbols of divinity that Madokami and Walpurgisnacht share. However, I should point out that here that in this case, no one is directly riding on the elephant, as is usually traditional in these genres of religious art; the elephant is towing the vehicle intended for Homura's enlightenment/ascension/release and Madokami is not dependent on it for her movements. So, lots to unpack there.

(Also, if I'm reading the Japanese text right in the Rebellion Production Note, Sayaka wanted to use a helicopter instead, can you imagine?)

Another page in the Production Note shows the original design for the carriage, and I'm sad it got cut because it was rad as hell:

Sayaka, rolling up to Homura in this thing: "Get in, loser, we're going to magical girl heaven." *screeching tires*

The title of this post is an allusion to "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time" from one of the Sherlock Holmes stories and the "Night Parade of 100 Demons" (Hyakki Yagyō, 百鬼夜行) from Japanese folklore, which parallels Walpurgisnacht's original circus and this smaller remixed version in Rebellion.

[greenplantlizard]

toQger 1-10!!!

in a world where secret colourful trains powered by imagination fight evil dark trains powered by,,,, not that, five people with amnesia board a magic train to become... Ressha Sentai ToQger!!!!!

oh this is joyful already

VERY cool grunt design this season

the super power of women, i fully understand

this man is married to that puppet, this i know

so they all knew the each other as children, interesting,,,

guy literally named right

he believes in himself so hard he wins

poke poke

this is going to be so hard to tell who's who in fights, but it's also so so fun :D

ok so the mech's kind of underwhelming,,,

a robot has arrived

is she single

IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-D-DUEL

"they treat line switching like a toy gimmick!!!"

facts and logic man

oh yeah, we've got a new single braincell crew here to rival the kakurangers

MIDAIR GREENSCREEN TRAIN DUEL

hmmmmmmm choices to be made,,,

oh wagon,,,

oh they've got a SPOOKY monster this time

like, the toQgers' aesthetic is mostly pretty charming, but shadow line's is fucking COOL

ahhh she's a roleplayer

SO THAT'S THE EPISODE THE INFAMOUS IMAGE IS FROM

infinite train money

bad news, the money is not infinite

interesting villain dynamics happening here

we're celebrating all public transport in this one

when i drop the uhhhh, the goddamn,,,

when the train is EVIL

oh,,, oh that just plugs into the arm,,, ok,,,

she carry on my cars

some sort of car,,, ranger,,,

oh hey it's another entry in the list of sentai monsters that eat everything

a really big fish

very long arm

welp, time to go finding wild trains!!!

tokatti's being as normal about being leader as red racer

awww schwartz just wants a train collection,,, i support him actually

right plays a wii minigame to dodge schwartz's sword

perhaps you guys have a flatter team structure than you think you do

as much as toQ-oh isn't the best mech visually, i do appreciate all the different resshas' having different powers

grita and schwartz is the best sentai romance plot so far actually

ninjas huh,,,,,,, that feels like foreshadowing for some reason

i dunno if it's hikari's coolness that makes him intimidating, and more that he punched a door

this monster is red

hit him with the whatever attack

megaman slide

this is why communication is important

"im hard! im hard! im hard!"

interview with a baby

oh,,,,,, quickest motw death???

wuh oh they made him into smoke

i am very normal about wagon in that i desire her carnally

fun game, terrorism tag!!!

HIGH VOLTAGE SCREAMING TRAIN ACTION

existential puppet crisis

grandpa train

love it when a sentai team fuck around and get in a fun competition

mio meets a mysoginist

the others may assume mio's in love with this guy, but actually she's just thinking of what if a girl was punching like that, source: im psychic

marionette shadow said what if can make him worse

diesel-oh is perhaps more pleasingly shaped than toq-oh

the villains are trying to group project so hard

I LOVE a good writing themed monster

"tokatti dies at dusk" ok calm down inoue

why is it always the baseball children

AWESOME finale to this ep

coming up,,,, some plot,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 2/6/2024

some weeks it's really hard to come up with a snappy little bon mot to put here

listening

Barbarella, by a fuck of a lot of people. yes i DID watch this movie this week! this is the single catchiest theme song i have ever heard. i cannot link the actual opening credits scene bc tumblr will censor that shit SO fast. spotify

-

reading

Rebecca Roanhorse's Tread of Angels novella. this is an urban magic old west religious fantasy novella. VERY sangfielle friendsatthetable vibes, there's an old west mining town centered around the body of the demon Abbadon, which is being mined for its powerful properties. demons and angels have sort of interbred throughout the human population. there is some deeply nerdy catholic bullshit and i say that as someone who was in catholic school for fifteen years. actually let's just take Roanhorse's explanation

the setting and premise are not where the novella bites off way more than it can chew. the main character, a cardsharp, has a chanteuse sister being held accused of a murder and she's got 48hrs to prove her innocence. the time limit and general structure is good, and it uses its side characters wisely, there's just a fuck of a lot of them.

in general, this novella does not have the emotional room to make its emotional beats really count. for example, there was a second breakup with an ex after a night of passion that mostly just left me confused. more broadly, the main character has an oldest sister's selfsacrificing nature that has twisted into utter ruthlessness with regards to her sister, and i'm both impressed Roanhorse managed to convey that in so few pages and annoyed bc i really wanted to see more of that in way more detail. due to the nature of it being a novella, the series of escalating decisions she takes feel very jagged in their escalation. i hope that makes sense.

it's got really interesting ideas! i want to know more about the ideas! i wish this was a full book instead of a novella, so the ending hits a little better instead of a Well That Just Happened way. from this interview it seems Roanhorse also wanted it to be a full book, but it was sort of a "i need something short and sweet so i don't go insane while adapting my other book for TV" (which is very exciting!!!)

-

watching

really a bizarre set of films. extremely unemployed energy in this watchlist this week. largely composed of "what's on my letterboxed watchlist and also available for free on tubi, with brief forays into hulu"

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013, dir. Chow). loved the overall visual design of the antagonists and the monsters, did not overall love this movie. it is a solid martial arts showcase and the first twenty minutes with freshwater JAWS are the most tightly plotted. it kind of flounders (lol) after that. can't find a gif i like.

INU-OH (2021, dir. Yuasa) genuinely healed my heart a little i think. queer (complimentary, not queer in the western massachusetts housing coop way) feudal anime glam rock opera. i am sooooooo picky about bad dads in movies as a driving force but this really soothed my daddy issues. stuck the landing on both storytelling and visuals.

Barbarella (1968, dir. Vadim) WOW Jane Fonda was hot. this was both sillier and less porny than i was led to believe (if we ignore the softcore porn opening credits). however horny this movie was it was not brave enough to have some girl-on-girl action with barbarella and the evil empress, even though the evil empress never seems to actually learn her name and just calls her “pretty” or “pretty-pretty”. shoutout to the one fic on ao3 that rectifies this situation. certainly a piece of scifi history, i wish modern scifi was as brave with its theatrical set dressing, i think one viewing is good enough for me bc i cannot stop thinking about how all the women on set might have been treated.

john philip law popped up and i said out loud to my cat “hey i know him from cowboys”

Flower Drum Song (1961, dir. Koster) got conned into watching this by the hotvintagemen poll bc i wanted to see what james shigeta’s deal was, and if he did have a sort of ratpack sensibility as the propaganda described. he does! however this movie is unrelentingly awful. it is so so so slow. all of its comedy is racism-based. it feels like a three and a half hour two-VHS set instead of two hours. i like to think i have a stronger stomach for older media and am able to consider things as products of their times but this is my upper limit i think. one brief fleeting moment of cool production with this triple mirror effect

Dirty Dancing (1987, dir. Ardolino). we were trying to find something to watch on either peacock or hbo max, and when i said "oh i've never seen that" out loud my my best friend said "that's insane we're watching it". i did not hate this movie, but i feel like i missed some critical window of development in which i would have had to see this movie to really love it. i had sort of an abnormal high school experience and i am a smidge too old to relate to bildungsroman any more. but it was cute! it was fine! i think patrick swayze’s jawline could cut glass. this film was made after Roe v Wade (1973) and i feel like the backstreet abortion b-plot has done this interesting 180 from sort of a historical novelty to a real threat and terror again. fun!

that’s it for the watching section i promise

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playing

im doing the thing where i play a game for ten minutes, put it down, and then pick it back up again, which is probably not terrific for the health of my elderly switch. but whatever. what have i been up to in breath of the wild?

not a ton of progress map-wise, but did make it up to zora’s domain.

i was planning on the camel being the first divine beast, to get that over with bc i had such a devil of a time in my last playthrough, but the thing about the desert is it’s really far away.

dicked around the dueling peaks stables for a while without managing to defeat that guardian and unlock that shrine. so it goes. i think i really need an actual guardian shield from one of the minor tests of strength shrines instead of a normie shield. this line and sidequest made me laugh— it wasn’t terribly hard to find this little cache but it was a tricky bit of gliding.

didn’t realize the horses don’t have that much vertical threat perception, just like real horses. this little band walked right under me and i failed to glide down and land perfectly on someone’s back, which did freak them all out.

i think my new favorite place in a game is this little grove clinging to the side of the dueling peaks. it felt very peaceful and cozy. nothing can get me up there and there’s more than enough room to make a little campfire and cook dinner and not roll off the mountain in a sleeping bag the middle of the night.

also fully kitted out my house bc i had a very successful mining expedition along dueling peaks. EXTREMELY forgiving and generous secondary opening area imo, thanks game

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making

i started this glitch sampler pattern by tumblr's own mathysphere (not @'d bc this is a fuck of a long post) at the beginning of the pandemic, june 2020, while thinking "eh let's give this friends at the table counterweight thing a shot" got most of the way through both counterweight and this piece, put it down bc i was so annoyed with all the confetti stitches (random one-off stitches of colors that aren't anywhere near other stitches of the same color. i think i resorted to fraychek at several points in the rover square) and then put it down so long i had to throw it out during the great moth debacle, bc it was partly eaten.

here's what it will look like finished, and a link to buy the pattern

i think this time around i am a much better technical stitcher (the first crack at this i didn't know the loop method of starting, or pin stitches, or really any alternate endings except running the tail under the last few stitches). i usually stitch with three strands bc i like the look, but i think the loop method with three strands is overly fiddly. i have not picked up cross stitch since mmmm 2021, but any mistakes or unevenness in this will simply contribute to the glitch effect. i'm going to go back and backstitch the four "frames" and key portions of the sampler to highlight portions of the glitches (eg the yellow and blue centers of the spiral galaxy, the interior of the eclipse, perhaps add an antenna to the rover).

still not my tidiest back, but hey. it's going to sit in a frame and not have any sort of friction or extra force applied to it ever

i am really looking forward to framing this in a deep shadowbox, i have an idea about how to mat it with little melty cutouts for the drips at the bottom.