#At the time of posting those are all the emperors featured | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladyloveandjustice · 8 months

Text

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023

I read a ton of good novels last year- 36 in all (and uh, 78 manga/graphic novels, but we'll examine that in another post). Here's a link to my Goodreads year in books (the manga is at the beginning, the novels start with Siren Queen) and my storygraph wrap up.

I reread a ton of Discworld this year, and it's as spectacular as ever. But what about new reads?

Well, here are my favorite books I read in 2023!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This is an autobiographical memoir about the abusive relationship the author went through with her ex-girlfriend. It's absolutely gut-wrenching, and at times, achingly beautiful. Machado uses the house she shared with her girlfriend, which she calls the "dream house", as a back drop. It's a place she always wanted and also a place she became trapped in, Machado's language is beautiful as she explores the relationship from different lenses-- The Dream House as Lesbian Cult Classic, the Dream House as Noir, the Dream House as Creature Feature, the Dream House as Stoner Comedy....All facets of the relationship are explored in a way that grips you by the throat and makes you remember everyone who ever tried to suffocate you-- but it also explores the hard work of moving on, of picking up the pieces, of living and embracing tenderness along with hardship.

I especially related to Machado's struggle to talk about abuse between queer lovers because of her fears of giving homophobes more ammunition...and when she says "we deserve to have our wrongdoing represented as much as our heroism, because when we refuse wrongdoing as a possibility for a group of people, we refuse their humanity", I felt that deeply.

This wasn't just one of my favorite books this year, it goes on the list of all-time favorite books. I wish I had this kind of writing style. I'll be returning to this again and again.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

A middle-grade novel about a Chinese-American teen who feels a bit alienated from his heritage, which becomes a bit of an issue once he finds out the First Emperor of China has possessed his A.R. Gaming Headset. Now he needs to close a portal to the underworld with the help of other kids possessed by emporers.

This was a whole lot of fun, and often quite poignant. I was unsure if I could really enjoy middle-grade books as an adult, and this absolutely proves I can. There's a lot of really interesting Chinese history blended with action-packed fantasy, and exploration of the complicated feelings a kid can have about their own heritage . The dynamic between Zachary and Qin Shi Huang was so entertaining with the Emperor being villainous, heroic, charismatic, detestable-- and Zachary realizing how his complicated feelings about him mirror his relationship with his culture at large. There was also a lot of fun with other historical figures, and Xiran's take on Wu Zetian is a joy. (Also, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh!, you'll probably like this, since Xiran says it was one of their influences).

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Rose is young woman who's raised in a fundamentalist Christian household, and she's a devout, obedient daughter. But some weird things are happening. She's seeing a terrifying demon everywhere, insects are coming out of her mouth....and she's possibly having feelings about other girls. What's going on?

Yes, this is by the Chuck Tingle who makes all those Tinglers. But THIS one... will make you tingle with fear! It's a great horror novel! It's skin-crawlingly creepy at times, but also does a great job digging into how fundamentalist dogma harms queer people, and the hypocrisy of such beliefs. The conversion camp aspect is handled tastefully, and overall it was a great spooky read that's also ultimately very affirming, cathartic, and hopeful.

Qualia the Purple by Hisamitsu Ueo

You might go into this thinking it's just a quirky yuri light novel about a schoolgirl and her crush who sees everyone around her as robots (like literally, when she looks at someone she sees a robot instead of a human). But it quickly becomes surreal queer psychological horror steeped in absolutely wild applications of quantum mechanics and thought-provoking time travel. Some of the quantum mechanics exposition dumps were a bit much but I deeply enjoyed having my mind cracked open by this book.

It's one of the most interesting takes of time loop stories I've seen. But it definitely covers a lot of rough subject matter, including a relationship with a serious age gap and extremely messed up relationships, so be cautious if you have triggers.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

This book follows Miri, whose wife goes missing on a deep-sea submarine mission for six months. Miri thought her wife dead, but she miraculously returns one day...but her wife has changed. She's like a stranger. She may have bought the horrors of the sea home with her.

This is a gripping exploration of grief and loss combined with a delicious, slow horror that creeps under your skin. There's excellent Lovecraftian and body horror elements to the novel, but it works very effectively as a metaphor for a loved one going through trauma, and a relationship starting to crumble because everything seems different. A moment that really stuck out to me is when Miri copes with her wife's disappearance by frequenting an online community where women roleplay as wives with husbands missing in space. The way the online drama of the community interacted with her grief was both funny and heartbreaking.

This is another example of a book that makes me deeply jealous with its lyrical writing, and another one for the ever-lengthening all time favorites list.

Otherside Picnic Volume 8: Accomplices No More by Iori Miyazawa

The latest entry in a series about two girls exploring an alternate dimension full of creepypasta monsters, while also falling in love with each other. See my other reviews here and here.

This volume has the payoff to a lot of careful character work and relationship building, and it was completely satisfying. In fact, it was...show-stopping. Spectacular. Incredible. I loved the exploration of how love, sex, and romance are so different for different people and it's impossible to put it in neat boxes. The frank and messy conversation our leads have about their relationship was perfect and so was that absolutely bonkers, wonderful finale. This is another one for the all times favorite list, and I loved it so much I wrote a extremely long review/recap here.

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

This was a well-researched, well-crafted, easy to read book that explores queerness (mainly homosexuality, bisexuality, trans and genderfluid expressions in animals, and even the question of if and how animals can related to gender) in the animal kingdom. Though it's definitely aimed at teens, I learned a lot from it (who knew female bonobos were such life goals) and it presented its information in a fun way. It included some interesting examinations of how proof of homosexuality and bisexuality in animals was historically suppressed and filtered through homophobic assumptions. If you want to learn a little animal science in an accessible format, definitely check this out.

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

The story follows Mia, a woman in her 20's living with her vampire mother. Her whole life revolves around not drawing suspicion towards her Mom. She also has to make sure to feed her Mom some of her blood every night--lest her mother fall back in with her abusive boyfriend and start hunting humans. But when Mia meets a cute girl, she starts to dream of living her own life...

It was a really interesting use of vampirism as a metaphor for both living with a parent struggling with addiction and having an abusive parent. It's just a well-told, heartwrenching tale that got deep into the character's mindsets. I thought the ending was bit abrupt and rushed, but it did make more sense once I realized this was the first in a duology. It's a fascinating take on vampires, and I'm interested in seeing more.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

This novel follows a middle-aged Muslim female pirate living around the Arabian Peninsula. She's supposed to be in retirement, but wouldn't you know it, she's lured in for one last job! I she rescues a kidnapped girl, she'll have all the riches she needs to set her family up for life. So Amina begins her adventure of fighting demons and monsters and ex-husbands. But the job might not be all it seems.

This novel is full of all the entertaining swashbuckling action and shenanigans that any pirate story should have. It's a rollicking good time, and feeds my craving for middle aged women going on quests and kicking ass. Amina's journey is a fun, wild ride full of dynamic characters and interesting mythology!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Juniper is friends with a successful Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, and has always been deeply jealous of her. When Athena dies in front of her, Juniper decides to steal her manuscript rooted in Chinese history and claim it as her own. But plagiarism might catch up with her...

This is a strong example of a book I thought was really well-done, but one I'm probably never going to read again. The way it depicted Twitter drama is just too accurate and I got anxiety. It did such a good job putting you in Juniper's awful shoes so you can feel the pressure close in along with her. The book's commentary on the insidious racism of the publishing industry was effective, and it made a horrible character's journey fascinating to follow. I was so intrigued yet anxious I had to force myself to finish the last few pages.

Bonus read:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree

A very cute novel about an orc named Viv who decides to retire from the violent life of a bounty hunter and run a coffee shop instead. She ends up getting a lot of assistance from a succubus named Tandri...and my, is that a slow-burn coffee shop romance brewing? This book reminds me a lot of various cozy slice-of-life anime, and it's nice to be getting more of that feeling in book form. I wish there was a little more specific to the fantasy world rather than making it a coffee shop that line up 1 to 1 to a modern day shop, but it was definitely a sweet read.

#year in books #my reviews #our wives under the sea #in the dream house #zachary ying and the dragon emperor #camp damascus #qualia the purple #otherside picnic #queer ducks #night's edge #legends and lattes #the adventures of amina al sirafi #books #queer lit #yellowface #r.f. kuang #xiran jay zhao #carmen maria machado

169 notes · View notes

nerdiel-has-no-braincells · 1 year

Text

BLLK Boys As Dads

Thank you to everyone who liked the first post! This one is part 2, which will feature Sae, Kaiser, Oliver, Bachira, and Reo

You can find part 1 here

These sweet boys are 20+ and are married to you fem/gn!reader

Warnings: Language, calling children dicks, suggestive themes

Sae Itoshi

The day you went into labor was the day Sae had a game. You were in the crowd watching him when your water broke

After Sae scored a goal, he looked for you in the crowd only to find you doubled over in pain with contractions and people surrounding you trying to help

His heart DROPPED and he ran to you, his coach yelling the entire time to get back onto the field, which Sae 1,000% ignored

When he found that you were in labor he left the game entirely to rush you to the hospital

Straight up ignored all of the phone calls from his coach. You’re far more important than the game

During labor, Sae was there holding your hand helping you with the breathing

18 hours later you gave birth to identical twins

Sae pressed his forehead against yours while praising you constantly while the nurses took care of their things

Let me tell you that seeing those bbs filled his heart with joy when he saw them both in your arms, the both of you crying tears of joy

Sae 100% is nervous with holding his own children, but when he does, you swear you could see his eyes gloss over as he looked at them with absolute love and adoration

You asked one of the nurses to take a picture with your phone of Sae as he spoke to your children, introducing himself and telling them how beautiful they are

You sent that photo to his coach with an apology and his coach immediately understood. They still won the game

Once the three of you came home, Sae took care of one while you cared for the other. One baby is hungry and the other needs a diaper change? He’s on it. Time to switch? He’s on it.

He even wakes up with you when they wake up in the middle of the night. Once he gets used to taking care of them, he tells you to go back to sleep cuz he’s 100% got it

He forgets about the baby monitor and you listen to everything, his soothing voice as he talks to them, praises of love and it just makes you MELT

He’s there for all of the milestones. He refuses to be anywhere but home for them

As they grow, of course the three of you go to every game as Sae argues the three of you are his lucky charms so away games, home games, you’re there

Bless these children they look like carbon copies of Sae and they absolutely ADORE him

Everyone sees Sae as this emotionless man but the moment the game is over and your children run to him, his expression does a complete 180 and he’s all smiles as his children run to his arms

Your children grow to be as athletic as he is, but only one is interested in football, which he’s more than happy to help teach, while the other wants to play volleyball, which is your forte (a/n it’s my favorite sport to play I miss it so much)

Sae. never. misses. a. game. 👏🏻 During the times he flies overseas, he has you FaceTime him so he can be there even when he’s not there physically

And guess who’s in their life? Their favorite Uncle Rin!

Sae’s not bothered by this at all. In fact, he wants Rin to be in their lives. Rin even teaches your football child some new moves

He’s also there for games, just the ones he can go to

The twins are super close to Sae’s teammates, but Sae is their favorite football player

He’s a proud papa and full of praises when his children play their games and achieve so much in their life ❤️

Michael Kaiser

Let me tell you something about this man

He may see himself as the emperor with such a high self esteem, but this man literally worships the ground you walk on

Every night when he comes home, he cuddles in your lap with his head resting on your growing stomach ever since you both found you were pregnant. It’s his favorite spot and absolutely LOVES it when you run your fingers through his hair

So when it was go time, he was ready with your bags and everything

Literally princess carries you to the car even when you protest that he’ll get dirty this man don’t care

He gets you to the hospital in no time flat. Man drives like he’s on the Autobahn the entire way

How he doesn’t get pulled over is a mystery

He wants to witness the miracle of childbirth so he’s there holding up on leg and watching the entire thing while excitedly telling you what’s happening almost like you can’t feel the entire thing because unfortunately for you, you were ready to push once you got into the bed

The entire labor lasted 2 hours and your baby was born with his blonde hair

Kaiser was the first to hold your child and he’s just tears

He kisses the two of you on your head while praising and thanking you

While he was annoying during labor, your heart melted nonetheless that he was so excited the entire pregnancy and birth and you just fell in love with him all over again

Once you’re home, he’s insistent that he does EVERYTHING because he truly wants to

Of course when you argue that he needs his rest for practice and games, he thinks about it and agrees with you, so he’s more than happy to share the responsibility

He is the literal cutest dad and he’s there for every milestone

Melted when his child said “dada”, even if it was their second word (first was amma, which is what his mother is called instead of grandma)

She is OBSESSED with her grandchild

She’s so in love with Kaiser’s little family in fact, as soon as Kaiser chose you to spend the rest of his life with, she was completely on board because she knew you were different from other women

He’s insistent that you don’t have to be at every one of his games but he’ll always look for you in the crowd

And there you are with your growing child, with them wearing his jersey and let me tell you, when he sees you both, his heart is so full of joy and love that it takes everything he can to not immediately run to you both

Except he actually does

His body moved on its own and before he knew it, the two of you were in his arms

His coach was yelling the entire time and you flicked Kaiser’s forehead

“What are you doing running out of an ongoing game?!” “Mein liebe! I didn’t mean to!”

Pouts the rest of the game both because of his own action and because you flicked his forehead

Once the game is over, he trudges up to you, still pouting

Seeing how pathetic he looks, you kiss his cheek and apologize (part just because he’s being annoying and part because you actually do feel bad when he was just so happy to see you two)

Your child makes it even better by wanting to be held by Kaiser and it just makes him so happy

Of course the paparazzi has photos of Kaiser speeding to you guys and hugging you, which appear in articles

Kaiser literally gives 0 fucks because he’s proud of his family

As your child grows, they’re a perfect combination of the two of you with Kaiser’s hair and eye shape but with your eyes and nose, which are Kaiser’s favorite parts of your face

And boy let me tell you this child has the self esteem of a god being the child of Kaiser

And he encourages it because he has the same self esteem. As much as you’ve tried, Kaiser’s genes just push through

Unlike Kaiser, your child prefers singing compared to football and let me tell you this. child. can. SING.

Even though your child won’t walk down the same path as Kaiser, he’s not upset in the slightest. In fact, he’s incredibly proud and supportive

Hires the best vocal teachers to help your child continue to grow with their vocals and even hires the best guitar teacher when they expressed that they wanted to learn guitar

This child ends up growing up to look GORGEOUS and uses the same red eyeliner as Kaiser does

Of course Kaiser wants another one to which you happily oblige because he’s such a good father

And he loves your second child just as much as the first

Oliver Aiku

When Oliver heard you were pregnant, he was estatic

While he was a playboy, he settled down the day he fell in love with you and it shocked you to no end because you knew he was a playboy

Anyway back to dad!Oliver

Thankfully you were both at home when your water broke so Oliver had it all taken care of. He was so calm while he grabbed the bags and helped you into the car

While you were getting contractions in the car, Oliver helped you practice the breathing you both learned in parenting class

Unfortunately there was a huge traffic accident that stopped all traffic so Oliver ended up pulling over and you had no choice but to give birth there

A few EMTs even came by to assist and Oliver was the one who delivered the baby

As soon as the baby was born, Oliver used his own shirt to wrap them in

Even covered in blood and afterbirth, Oliver thought they were the most beautiful being on this planet besides you

The EMTs ended up calling another ambulance to take you both to the hospital, the entire time Oliver was praising you. You’re his literal hero

Once settled into the hospital, Oliver peppered you with kisses

He would sleep next to you in the bed

There were a few complications so the baby had to stay in the NICU and Oliver literally did not leave your side

Thankfully after 2 days everything was fine and you both were able to leave the hospital

Oliver insisted on doing everything for you so that you could heal and because he genuinely wants to help take care of the baby

But when it came to feeding time, Oliver happily cuddled against you while leaning his head against yours as he watches your child feed

Literally cried when your child held his finger for the first time while you were feeding them

He did end up missing some big milestones but was still ecstatic to receive videos while he was overseas

Video chatted with you every chance he could

You didn’t even have to worry about his eyes wandering because they were only on your child

You became a little jealous but he always made sure to never keep his attention away from you

During interviews, he boasted every chance he could about the two of you and even showed photos of your child

Like Rin, Oliver posted his social media of pictures of the three of you

The one thing your child did not receive from Oliver was his heterochromatic eyes which honestly eased his worries because he didn’t want to subject his child to bullying kids are dicks

But damn other moms be complimenting on how gorgeous your child and husband is

Literally is a carbon copy of their father they might as well have just detached like cells from Oliver from their looks to their personality and to their absolute love for you

Oliver will have to figuratively fist fight his child for your attention

So once your child goes to sleep at night is when Oliver attacks

The amount of times this child has cockblocked Oliver has enough to force someone to babysit while he takes you out with which you’ll end up at a hotel

But seriously, Oliver is also a devoted father. He loves his mini-me so much

Takes them to practice and that’s where they discovered their love for football

Oliver cries when he finds out he’s not his child’s favorite player: it’s Sendo

This child unknowingly set up the biggest rivalry in Oliver’s soul and poor Sendo

So when Oliver offers to teach your child football, the lack of seconds it takes for your child to say no they want Sendo to teach them broke something inside Oliver’s soul

He ended up whining as he hugged you from behind while you’re cooking dinner

Give this poor man some love sweet child

After giving Oliver advice, he joined in on the training and fully bonded with your child

But he’s still not their favorite

It’s ok though because he’s your favorite player in Ubers and when your child starts playing in school, they’re both of your favorite

But Oliver won’t admit it to they’re face because he’s so petty about Sendo so he’ll literally tell them some random kid is his favorite

And because they are Oliver’s child, they’ll have the same reaction

You’re starting to get sick of this petty family

Bachira Meguru

You know this little ball of sunshine and nightmares when he’s on the field

The moment he found out about your pregnancy, he almost leapt into your arms out of joy and thankfully he did not because he didn’t want to hurt “babyichi”

Literally has contemplated naming your child this

Seriously

He’s such a kind and devoted husband to you like you literally don’t even have to lift a finger

Cravings hit you at 4am? My man got you he is up and already running out the door

Just like Kaiser, Bachira’s favorite spot is in your lap with his arms around your waist while he uses your growing stomach like a pillow

And he just talks to the baby telling them about his day and how he’s so excited to meet their “babyichi”

You’ve accepted this nickname

Once your water broke, Bachira was both parts excited and nervous while bouncing off the walls

Just like with Kaiser, he wants to be up front and personal with your lower region

Nothing can phase this man because his eyes are literally sparkling

“It stretches that big?! Wow!” “(Y/N) you’re amazing!” praises are thrown own

But he also praises you for how hard you’re working because he can see how much pain you’re in and he comes up to kiss your tears away

He’s not just there for the childbirth, he’s there to support you

As soon as your child is born, they’re born with a little tuff of brown and blonde hair and Bachira just MELTS

“Hey hey look (Y/N)! He/she has my hair!” The smile that stretched across your face seeing Bachira’s expression just so gentle and full of love was unreal

He video called literally everyone he knew to show your new bundle of joy for everything. EVERYTHING

First bath? Video call. First diaper change? Video call. First feeding? Attempted video call because you didn’t want to show your breasts to everyone he knows

He pouted like there’s no tomorrow because he just wants to share the happiness

But that didn’t last long because you were talking about family photos with his mom when she visited

Bachira pulled his phone out and asked his mom to take your first family photo which she was more than happy to do

Thankfully you had the time to shower before she visited so you were presentable

After the cutest family photo was taken, he set it as his lock screen

Now let me tell you that this man will bend over backwards (when you said this phrase he literally tried bless his heart the sweetie) to make sure you and babyichi are taken care of and are resting

And when he’s away, he has his mom check on you not because he doesn’t trust you but because he’s worried about the two of you and not being around causes him to worry

Literally will overthink the worst possible scenarios like a burglary, accident, anything so he’s always asking his mom to check when he’s away for games

As your child grows, they’re just. like. Bachira from energy to looks

So you have two hyperactive babes on the loose please help this poor mother’s soul

But you wouldn’t change that for anything

Bachira is the type who will do football tricks to make his own child laugh and his favorite game is the ‘What Is This Face?’ game he played in Blue Lock

Your child eats those faces up

As they get older, it’s their favorite game to play

Remember those football tricks? Your child wants to learn those too and this is how they learned their love for the sport

When you take your child to games, Bachira has a habit of showing off and your child continues to eat it all up

Bachira is their absolute favorite player and of course they want to learn every move

Their specialty? Dribbling

When you watch Bachira and your child play together, your heart just melts, especially knowing how he grew up

Ofc grandma comes and visits often and when she sees her son and grandchild playing, she has the same feeling

Bachira’s heart is so full of love from being a father that he begs for another child

Can you handle a 3rd Bachira?

Of course you can! You plan for your 2nd child immediately

Reo Mikage

Let me tell you this man weeped when he found out you were pregnant

For hours

Days even

Ok maybe not days but it felt like it to you

First person he called? Nagi

He even wept on the phone to Nagi. Nagi immediately hung up once Reo started crying

He hasn’t cried this much since your wedding day

Nagi was done with him even then but he was best man and was honestly too lazy to leave

The first thing Reo does in the morning is hug and kiss both you and your stomach. As well as when he leaves. And comes home. And is the last thing he does every day for the entire pregnancy

It melts your heart every time

Reo comes home from every away game with a mass amount of baby things and you have to literally have him call you to tell him to stop because the baby has enough things

Unfortunately, the day you went into labor, he was overseas and in the middle of a game

Once the game was over with their win, he checks his phone to see a call and text from you to tell him you went into labor and his. heart. SANK

He immediately FaceTimes you to apologize and check on you as he’s speeding to the airport in a taxi

By that time you had already given birth

It’s the one thing he regrets to this day

He ended up taking the next flight out and couldn’t make it to the hospital until 2 days later, which was the same day you could leave

Reo had his driver take the three of you home so that he could make up for everything he missed like holding his new baby for the first time

Reo kept crying and apologizing to you for not being there

It took so much to calm him down because you knew this could be a possibility and you’re not upset with him at all

He’s upset with himself and you understood this as well so you distract him with holding your baby once you got home

And let me tell you, that just made him cry more because he was just so happy

You didn’t even know this man could cry so much when you first met please send help

But you know this comes from the absolute love for his family so all you needed to do was hold him with one hand while your baby held your finger as they slept

Once you get home, Reo carries the car seat while you held onto his hand to go up the stairs to the elevator

As soon as you’re in the comfort of your own home, Reo sits you down and places the car seat in front of you so you could show him how to hold your newborn

Poor guy was so nervous, but as soon as he held them, his eyes widened with complete adoration

This child has Reo’s eyebrows

They’re a bald baby so the hair color is unclear but Reo sees this child as nothing less than beautiful because they were a combination of the two of you

Reo looks at you while grinning with tears in his eyes singing nothing but praises and thanks to you for making him a father

Little did he know you were taking photos of him and your child and sending them to his mother

She visited you a day before Reo flew in and it was almost as if she became the same woman Reo remembered in his childhood. She asked to keep it a secret because Reo and his family were still estranged

You also made your favorite photo your lock screen

Unfortunate for Reo’s team but after missing the birth of his own child he wasn’t missing anything else and ended up taking a break from football to be there for all of the milestones

Financially, he didn’t need it and Nagi still came over to keep Reo updated with everything happening as well as practices

Nagi absolutely adores your child

Sometimes you’ll find Nagi dozing off with them sleeping on him and you’ll catch Reo already taking pictures

But Reo does the same thing

When he learned about skinship, that was the only way he would hold his child

So there would be times where Reo would be napping with your child on his chest and you ended up using this as your new lock screen

Of course you’d also send it to Reo’s mom, who was so happy with knowing Reo is a loving and devoted father, which was something he strived to be in order to not provide the same childhood Reo had

In fact, the day he found out you sent pictures and updates to his mom, he was furious. Not with you, but his own mother to make you keep this a secret

You had to calm him and take fair share of the blame while explaining that his mom genuinely wants to be there for her grandchild

For the first time since he left home, he contacted his mother and invited her over. Just her

What you witnessed afterwards was a breakthrough in their relationship because again, Reo did not want to be like his father so after this, she was around more often

Once the child was a bit older, Reo went back to play football, which his mother supported

The three of you went to every single game of Reo’s

You end up finding out that Reo’s mom had watched every game since Reo went pro but this was her first time going to a game

You end up wearing Reo’s jersey number and surprised your husband with your child wearing it too

Reo’s heart was so full of love and adoration for his family that he and Nagi were unbeatable

After the game, he met up with the three of you and your mother sang nothing but praises

But guess what? There was one more secret

You were pregnant again

This time, he didn’t miss the birth since it fell outside of football season and his coach granted the last week off for him

This man still wept so much during labor and holding his newborn

As both children grew, the oldest resembled you and the youngest resembled Reo

The three of them would always play football together along with Uncle Nagi

And it was what they wanted to be growing up, just like their dad and uncle

Their favorite players? Reo and Nagi, of course, especially with their dynamic

At one point they asked why you didn’t play sports and your soul broke a bit when you said unlike their father and uncle, you weren’t a genius

Literally all four of them comforted you (Nagi because he felt left out)

_______________________________

Apparently tumblr causes my phone to overheat and drain the battery like mad so I’m sorry this took all day!

Taglist: @hazukiix @ririgards

Thank you everyone for encouraging me to write a 2nd part ❤️❤️❤️

Blue Lock is owned by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

578 notes · View notes

amorgansgal · 3 months

Text

A Night Sky With No Stars

I have failed dramatically at posting to a schedule for the Halsummer SFW Week! I was meant to post this two days ago, but got excited by a Gale fic and completely forgot, so I will post this one and the next day's one today! This features my tav Vanya and a bit of nudity, but nothing more scandalous than that!

Day 5: First argument/disagreement with PC

They fought off the githyanki who had turned up in the middle of the night. Halsin had only briefly caught Vanya swiftly making her way to the glowing portal and then she vanished from view. While he helped the other clean up camp and wash off the blood from his hands, his thoughts were solely on her. He could only pray that she was alright, that she would come back. He knew he should rest, yet his mind buzzed endlessly. Where was she? Would she come back? How long would it be? Would she return by sunrise or would it take a day, two, a week, a month? Jaheira, Aylin and the others who had slept further away from the fire had gone back to bed, but now Halsin was left lying on his bedroll, his eyes fixed on where the portal had been. He could not resume his meditation, he was too worried about her.

Finally, as the sun streaked the sky with gold, pinks and reds, a portal shimmered open and Vanya stepped out with Gale, Karlach and Shadowheart. Relief flooded through him and he got to his feet. Vanya bounded over to him and it was only when she stepped closer and into the first patch of sunlight that he realised something was wrong. Inky black veins covered her face, darker around her eyes and snaking out over her neck, shoulders and arms. Her eyes, that had become so beloved to him, those deep blue depths that so reminded him of the coast she came from and the god she worshipped, were pitch black. The irises and the whites of her eye were as dark as the night sky with no stars.

“Gods, what happened?” he asked as he cupped her face, looking over her for any other signs of injury or pain. But she smiled at him.

“I’m fine, we’re all fine. The Emperor offered me a special tadpole, so I took it. I'll be able to help more people, Halsin.” She sounded so pleased and delighted, but his stomach curled and he frowned.

“I thought you wanted to find a cure, not to become more illithid.”

“I’ll still find a cure, but for the time being, I may as well. I’m stronger, I’ve got more abilities…”

He swallowed tightly. He didn’t want to be selfish or berate her for making that choice, but gods… what if they didn’t find a cure? What if the tadpoles changed her entirely? What if she lost everything about her, her spirit, her joy, her love for new places and people? What if she was stripped of everything until the reason he had fallen for her was utterly gone?

“Oh, Halsin! Don’t look at me like that. I’m still me. I know it’s done something strange to my eyes, but-”

“I am not concerned about the change to your eyes, but the change to you and who you are. What about all the times you have insisted Gale to temper his ambition or begged Astarion not to seek vengeance and control? What then? Why is it fine for you to do this, but not for them-?”

“Halsin, it’s just a temporary thing. It’s just to give us an edge over our enemies and over the Netherbrain. Surely, we’re going to need every bit of luck and skill we can gather?”

“You have me and Jaheira and Dame Aylin and Isobelle… how much luck and skill do you need?”

She gave a shrug and for the first time in his life he was immensely frustrated by the more careless and unthinking side to her. Usually he delighted in her ability to not let things bother or worry her, but now… “What does that mean?” he asked coldly.

“I’m just trying to help people. I’m just trying to be useful.”

“You are useful!” he barked and several people in the camp shushed him. Wyll pulled a cushion over his head and Lae’zel glared at Halsin from her bedroll, then dropped her head back down and fell back to sleep again.

“Well then stop acting like I’ve done an awful, terrible thing. I’ve not murdered thousands of people and I’m not trying to take over a whole city, I’m just trying to be good and have a good chance of beating Orin and Gortash and the Netherbrain!” Vanya hissed back.

He sighed heavily, she was just trying to do the right thing. He knew her. This wouldn’t be about power or seeking glory or control over others. But gods he missed her eyes so much, missed the way they twinkled with life and mischief and happiness. He missed her freckles too, now that they were lost to the black spiderwebs on her skin. She was still beautiful and it was still Vanya, but he was so scared she was going to lose more and more of herself to this thing. He gently stroked her cheek.

“I am sorry, I do not think you won’t be able to control this, but truth be told I miss your eyes and I am scared you will lose yourself to the Emperor’s commands.”

“I won’t. You can trust me, Halsin. I’m not going to lose myself or become an Illithid. I promise. I’m still the Vanya you know and love. Now lets rest in your tent before the others wake up.”

‘But for how long for?’ he thought. ‘How long will you remain the Vanya I know and love. How long will the Emperor keep you in his clutches? Will he let you go at the end or will he want you to become an Illithid entirely? Will you heed me then or will you become something untouchable, unknowable, unloving?’

He let her take hold of his hand though and he stepped back into the tent with her, when the flaps were closed, she stripped off her clothes and curled up next to him on the bedroll. He closed his eyes and just tried to feel her, her warm soft skin, the rivelets of her hair, the way she entwined her fingers with his. He tried to pretend that nothing had changed and the woman lying next to him was exactly the same as she had been the day before. He held her tightly and kissed her brow, he didn’t want to lose her.

#halsin #halsin silverbough #halsin x tav #halsin x female tav #BG3HalSummer #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3

33 notes · View notes

tagedeszorns · 9 months

Note

(Violetbirdie here) I think it's complicated due to a variety of issues. 40k as a franchise is huge, but it isn't the sort of thing that tends to have overlap with tumblr type fanspaces. It also doesn't help that 40k is a fractured fandom featuring tons of different factions, so it's not like a standard fandom where there are main characters and a main story that people will always flock to. The primarchs are the closest thing we have to that, which is why there is naturally more content for them. In addition, fandom itself is in a bit of a flux state and has been ever since the 2018 nsfw ban which caused a lot of people to leave for twitter, which is now undergoing its own huge changes right now (and I just hate twitter on principle).

I suppose the one thing I think would help, would be somehow getting the 40k tumblresque fandom space more consolidated as a whole. Like, somehow have a blog that is popular for all factions that posts headcanons about everything, thus getting people interested in parts they don't normally think about. Because 40k is a huge time investment to learn about. I've been listening to audiobooks for what feels like nonstop for over a month, and even then I could only ever feel confident telling people about Emperor's Children. So it naturally is harder for new people to get into the fandom and focus on some of the smaller things because there is just so much. It's almost how I view your blog. I check it daily for fun art/headcanons/just general character stuff, and you made me more interested in some of the captains and such. But even then, you have your focuses. So a space even more general where someone would reblog art from everything 40k would likely be nice? Maybe I just miss the livejournal days of fandom. As far as more engagement, I think having silly things like character weeks which encourages people to draw or write or talk about specific aspects is a huge benefit. It sets a schedule and makes people feel like they are shouting less into the void.

But as someone new here, maybe its my weird perspective, but I don't feel like things are getting less popular. If anything, from just checking AO3, it seems like things are only getting more popular for less of the reddit type and more for the Tumblr wanting to see hot dudes and their complicated feelings type. Also more people are getting into 40k in this side of the space through rogue trader. Like people I never talked to about 40k are starting to look into the series because they played Baldurs Gate 3, and needed a new RPG to play, and conveniently Rogue Trader is filling that for them. So, I'm optimistic if anything. Sorry about the long ramble! Just kinda dumping my thoughts out.

I love Tumblr because, unlike Twitter or Bluesky, it allows for way longer, way more elaborately structured posts. I love it when artists don't just slap their pics into a post and be done with it, but instead add stuff like maybe "I read this book, here's a quote, and it gave me this mighty need to draw this". Or "please listen to this music here while looking at my pic! It goes perfectly with it!". Or just a multi-paragraph-essay (preferably very unhinged) about the character in the upper left corner.

This in advance, so you can see I'm totally with you on the "miss Lifejournal"-thing, because blogs are so much better than just 500 characters, four pics and nothing else. And why I think Tumblr is a very good replacement for Lifejournal.

The multitude of Tumblr-blogs with their many different angles are such a treat and provide such a rich ecosystem! I follow artists posting exclusively admech-stuff, others solely Drukhari, some writers focussing on just one Astartes Legion ... it's phantastic and the depth of their niche-knowledge is mindblowing.

I agree with you that this will be overwhelming for new fans coming from rather monolithic stuff like Rogue Trader. And the key to keeping those new people involved and making them feel welcome is showing them all this variety without scaring them away.

Maybe this new feature Tumblr is working on, can be helpful here. I haven't read much about it yet, but it seems the "Community"-feature has the potential to bundle stuff in a way that's more approachable for new and old fans alike. Maybe there's room for your idea of having "character weeks" (I like that! Sounds very MacDonald's. I'll have Fabius with extra pickles, please! 😁).

I'm sharing your optimism that both the new games and maybe the new series/movies will bring a lot of new fans over and some of them may even stick around. I am a bit wary that there's the possibility of a MCU-situation starting to build up, but since Warhammer-lore is in a constant state of flux anyways this might just add some spice to the mix.

So, yeah, hope for the darkest of futures!

#warhammer #Fandom #Tumblr #Meta #Warhammer 40k #Community

43 notes · View notes

potpourrifandoms · 1 month

Note

Do you ever plan to do more of chibi Warhammer drawings? I like those fun little shenanigans.

Especially the Poshmarines.

The Adorable Warhammer stuff? Oh, dude, I draw them all the time! I just kind of thought nobody liked them, so I don't post them anymore. They feel very silly. 😅

But, here are some of my random doodles! To peruse at your leisure.

Poshmarines (and a swolemarine) actually doing their jobs for once...

The Poshmarines' mascot is a goose named Petunia. She's very lovely and quite the opposite of their polite, posh, gentlemanly-ness. She craves violence in the name of The Emperor!! Also, the Poshmarines hang out with the T'au Ethereal Oracle, who lives amongst the tea plantations on Paxona Prime. He's weird, but he likes tea, so they get along well enough.

More doodles here 👇

Commander Dignified, Commissar Owo, and Inquisitor Paperwork often feature prominently in my doodling. They have a fun bestie-group thing going. And yes, Owo's real name is Roderick "Rory" Reginald-Bartholemew. I thought it'd be funny if he had a name he couldn't pronounce- sorry, "pwonounce" :3

Dignified and Owo are perfectly capable of doing their actual jobs, but seeing as most of the xenos and cultists on Paxona Prime seem more interested in sitcom shenanigans than any warmongering, the opportunities to fight are few and far between.

Paperwork enjoys doing his job, too, but as an administrator, that doesn't mean much fighting. Luckily he has Servitor Paperweight to keep an eye on him when he gets too caught up to take breaks.

Commissar Owo has an unfortunate admirer in the form of Slaaneshi cultist Seductive, though her seductions are not as seductive as she seems to believe, and Owo remains thoroughly un-seduced.

Speaking of cultists, Genestealer Cultist Teeth and their roommate, Khorne Cultist Blood, get up to lots of crazy hijinks, too. Mostly bickering with each other or doing their best to avoid Nurgle Cultist Hypochondriac, who lives across the hall from them in the same apartment building.

Genestealer Cultist Teeth's worst enemy is Sister Karen, who likes to act like a total Karen at the grocery store where they work. Luckily they have manager powers and a third arm with claws, so she's pretty easy to shoo away.

Cryptid Bob, who lives as a stowaway on an Aelderi Craftworld, often utilises his latent psyker powers to cause problems for the hapless Eldar who are still struggling to find him and send him back to the Imperium of Man (one of his powers is that people forget seeing him almost as soon as they look away from him, so he can have full conversations with the Eldar and then slip away when they're distracted and they won't remember to catch him).

My favourite character to draw, though, is the humble T'au Merchant, Por'La Det'ermined.

Aha! Had you fooled, didn't I? He's actually an Ambassador!

Aha, fooled you again!! He's actually actually a T'au Super Spy!!! He mostly just spends his days chilling in the marketplace on Paxona Prime, though, handing out Greater Good pamphlets to anybody who'll take them. There's not a lot of badass espionage to be done on a planet as silly as this... :/

#asks #warhammer #wh40k #art #my art #traditional art #unpolished art #silly #not lore friendly #not canon compliant #but goddamn are they fun to draw #I am a water caste girlie so Det'ermined has my heart #He is lots of fun to draw #I do have a soft spot for Commissar Owo and Genestealer Cultist Teeth though #they are also lots of fun to draw #so while they may not be very grimdark...#I love them very much <3 #thanks for the ask!#have an awesome day! <3 <3 <3

12 notes · View notes

let-us-cultivate-our-garden · 7 months

Note

Hey, I stumbled across your last post addressing the toh blog critiquing fans of belos and how they engage with the show and i'd like to put my 2 cents in as an au creator who has belos featured in my aus.

When I made arofam, I was just goofing around, it was before s2 officially aired and I thought at work one day "oh, belos and this gg kid look like parallels to luz and eda, wouldn't an au swapping them be funny?". I made that au based solely on that, and everything after that was straight up just me trying to work around everything the show was throwing at me and try and adapt it in the au. It became more emotional with time, but it wasn't built on a foundation of trying to make his canon self less bad nor excuse anything he did. (Undoubtedly that goofy au just made me more invested in those characters over time).

Like we didn't even know belos's plans, his abuse of the ggs, his brother, nothing, when I made the au. The show really had to make me work to make belos likable in my au after that.

I say this because it's why it's wrong to always make assumptions about ppl based on what they create or are engaged in. You don't have to like the content yourself, but there's a variety of reasons ppl make aus with philip in a prominent role. Some wanna explore him in unique ways that canon can't, some are intrigued by his backstory and wanna play with that, and some are like me who just woke up one day and thought " Ok, but what if we did a silly with him?".

It would be wrong to categorize everyone into one box, with the same ideals and same opinions. Not everyone will have the same draws but assuming the worst of a fan who likes to play with the main antagonist in noncanon work or personally have different opinions on his execution in the show is extremely judgemental and hurtful because a lot of these fans are just having fun and have very little malicious intent.

If you have criticism of the work and wanna kindly address it to the creator, then sure, they might be allowed to give their opinions on where they were coming from while they're at it in case the work was misinterpreted.

But you can genuinely hurt ppl and creators by throwing them under a " bad person" label without allowing yourself to understand them or their work and why they made the choices they did.

I guess the point I'm making here is, fans engage with the media they like for a number of reasons, if you're going to make accusations on them, at least have clear solid reasons rather then basing it on pure assumptions based on work that might not even really be that deep in the first place or even just the comments of a few fans.

If they're being purposely malicious and awful then sure.

But sometimes it's really not that deep, some ppl just wake up one day and wanna imagine a swap au with belos or wanted a cooler death.

People shouldn't be crucified online for that.

100% agree with you there! I've stated before that this fandom has a tendency to connect a person's morality to the type of media they consume or how they engage with it. It's really unsettling, tbh.

You don't like AUs that redeem Belos? Or make him a goofy uncle? Or make Caleb the evil emperor?

Then don't read them. You're not the target audience.

In other words...

I hope any and all creators with a Belos AU aren't discouraged because some ninny on the net, who thinks they're the arbiter of social justice, got mad because they decided to have fun with a fictional character.

Fandom is not activism.

Just chill and let people put the old man in a dress.

#the owl house #emperor belos #philip wittebane #fandom shenanigans #asks

22 notes · View notes

jedimandalorian · 1 year

Text

Ahsoka- Notes on Episode 3 and Kiner’s musical score:

Opening scene featuring mysterious, percussive new music.

Huyang trains Sabine, who is using a wooden practice saber (bokken). Ahsoka makes Sabine wear a masked helmet, reminiscent of how Obi-Wan trained Luke Skywalker. “I can’t see. How am I supposed to fight?” The music continues to emphasize percussion and plucked stringed instruments, intensifying along with the practice duel itself.

Music continues with title card and episode name, “Time to Fly.”

Camera follows A-wings to New Republic fleet. Fanfare of brass instruments. Music fades out for scenes inside hallway of Home One. Minimal music used to set a mood for briefing room scene.

We meet Jacen Syndulla who wants to be a Jedi. The incidental music sets the mood for this scene and the next one aboard Ahsoka’s ship. Sabine and Ahsoka talk about the Force and Jedi training accompanied by plucked strings and sustained tones.

Huyang: “I suppose you do come from a long line of non-traditional Jedi.” (I was cackling when he called out the Disaster Lineage that way.)

Sabine attempts to use the Force, and more mysterious music that seems unrelated to the Force theme is heard. A two note motive based on an ascending perfect fifth is heard in this scene. Since Ezra’s theme begins with an ascending fifth, this could be an indication of why Sabine is training so hard. She’s doing it for Ezra.

Holographic message from Hera. Ahsoka’s ship approaches Seatos. Music intensifies when space dogfight ensues. Battle music doesn’t present any familiar themes.

The first appearance of the purrgil is accompanied by vocalizing by an angelic-sounding chorus. Incidental music intensifies as the battle in the clouds continues.

When the ship has landed in the forest, Ezra’s theme is played softly after Sabine says “I haven’t seen those creatures since the day Ezra disappeared.” She looks happy, excited, and hopeful.

The music for the final scene with Baylan is sinister and reminiscent of music associated with the Emperor in the OT. The dum dat-dat dum dat-dat rhythmic motive from the beginning of episode 1 and the end credits music is used here, then the now-familiar end credits music plays.

Update: The Ronin motif is the ostinato that has the repeated rhythm that sounds like dum dat-dat dum dat-dat. I am glad that we now have a name for it.

Links to previous posts about the music of Ahsoka

Episode 1

Episode 2

Main Character Theme Music

End Credits Music

#sabine wren #ezra bridger #star wars #ahsoka series #sabezra #ezrabine #star wars rebels #kevin kiner #ahsoka show #Ahsoka show music

43 notes · View notes

hermitadaymay · 4 months

Text

Today we take a break... or show our love for all the friends the Hermits have made!

There are plenty of shows, podcasts, competitions, other servers, and more woven into the internet ecosystem around Hermitcraft, and plenty more people involved in them: just as a small number of examples, Season 9's Rift opened up to a whole server of Emperor friends, and there are always allies to be made in MCC and enemies to be made in the Life Series. Today is for celebrating all of those who, while they may not be Hermits themselves, exist and entertain in proximity to them.

Post your Hermitfriend-related fanwork of any kind with the tag #hermitaday for a chance to be featured on the @hermitadaymay blog!

Fanfiction can also be posted on AO3 to the Hermit-a-Day May ‘24 collection.

BONUS DAY DOLLAR DRIVE! Throw a buck toward the fundraiser to help us support Gamers Outreach in their quest to bring gaming to kids spending time in the hospital!

#hermitaday #hermitcraft #bonus day #hermit friends

36 notes · View notes

shxrry-blossom · 9 months

Text

So... I was talking with a friend about my favorite characters of all time - Yona & Athy - and we realized that they both share the same mbti lmao

But other than that, both actually share a lot of features.

Starting with the fact that both are the only princesses in the kingdom, heirs to the throne

They both have extravagant physical characteristics (yona with her red hair and Athy with her jewel eyes)

Also their bangs look similar and they have wavy hair

Just look how pretty they are:

They both had their first love with another more "soft" person Yona was in love with Soo-won and it was never reciprocated while Athy had a crush on Ijekiel but she was the one who rejected him (fun fact: soo-won and ijekiel have the same mbti)

Also, they both dance!!

Now we go with the most important: Both have an important relationship with their father for the story; Yona's father was widely criticized for being a coward while Athanasia's father is...rather feared.

And both parents were the second heirs who became king/emperor after killing their older brothers (for different reasons)

Both had their mothers dead most of their lives.

They both fell in love with their childhood best friend (fun fact, Hak and Lucas also share mbti lmaooo)

And in fact, their relationships with them are also similar. Although Hak is a much better person than Lucas, both couples are childhood best friends who grew up together, both - Lucas and Hak - spend their time protecting and helping their princess, also pend their time bothering them and making them irritated.

Another thing is that Yona and Athanasia both have a complicated relationship with their cousin; Soo won was one of Yona's best friends along with Hak until he betrayed her by killing her father on her birthday while Athy at first did not want to associate much with Jennette due to fears from the novel but in the end she also managed to become in Athy's best friend but never betrayed her. (Although it was because of Jennette's black magic that Athy's father died in the first life and made Athy's magic explode which led to her father losing his memory and then he will try to kill Athanasia. but Jennette didn't know about that in that case it was anastascious fault)

They both have they own Lily! In ANY Lily becomes a close friend to Yona who helps her when she needs it and admires her while en WMMAP Athy's Lily is actually her mother's best friend who always defended and protected her from everyone.

And honestly I was going to end here by saying that despite these similarities they had different stories like that Yona had to flee the castle because Soo-won had ordered to capture her and I suddenly remembered that in fact ATHANASIA ALSO HAD TO FLEE FROM THE CASTLE BECAUSE HER DAD LOST HIS MEMORY AND WAS GOING TO KILL HER.

But well since I read wmmap, athanasia has always reminded me of yona even if they obviously has many differences since Athy is reincarnated while Yona is not, they are still quite similar and it also makes me think that if Athy had not been reincarnated and Claude had not rejected her then she would have become someone very similar to Yona but those are just assumptions. I love both girls that's why I made this post <3

#who made me a princess #athanasia de alger obelia #akatsuki no yona #wmmap #manhwa #manhwa woman #yona of the dawn #yona of the red dawn #literally my manhwa it girl #and my shoujo it girl #wmmap lucas #akatsuki no yona manga #son hak #hakyona #lucathy

36 notes · View notes

jackdollnan · 1 year

Text

Poro Analysis

i know this is an art blog mostly but on occasion i like to make it a graphic design blog. Behold with only the finest graphic design heres my poro unicorn lore board. Contains Spoilers for all of the Music Festival Arc, Heart Breaker, Deviculum

I mostly was curious on what irl lore of the unicorn got added or adapted into poros creation. I'll go more specific about my points Under the cut. Lord i hit undo on this editor and it erased almost everything i wrotei had to rewrite most of the post :',C

Ars Goetia Amduscias Demon

The Ars Goetia describes Amduscias taking the Appearence of a Unicorn, as well as: all manner of Trumpets and Musical Instruments to be heard but not soon or imediately, and can cause the trees to bend and incline according to the Exorcists will. And Amduscias is often described as the one playing or in charge of the music that can be heard through hell, as well as having a thunderous voice and being asscoiated with thunder.

Poro's Character greatly tracks with the music Theme. Poro is shown to be a Sound and Music Specialist, giving Critique and concerning Invites to Students after their Performances. Poro's own Claim to Fame was being Delkira's personal Musician giving a battle Concert with Delkira.

Poro's own Character Design with that Piano lookin Cut, Cello Detail and Pinstripe Suit, Notes on the End of those side hair pieces, and carrying a Conductor's Baton

Poro's yells loudly once getting to the School about the Crime, according to Poro, of re-allowing the use of the Royal One(talk about a thunderous Personality). Poro at the End of the Arc, once convinced, and painfully, for Wett defects with Kirio and Wett of the Six Fingers who answer to the Thunder Lord, Baal.

The last bit about being able to cause trees to bend, in the last panel Poro with Kirio and Wett are seen entering Brush to exit Babylus. The thought of such tall dark Brush, despite atleast the spaced out Center of Babylus's Campus, covering an Individual as large and tall as Poro for a masked Exit- no Clue if controling Trees is part of Poro's Powerset but still an interesting coincidence alluding back to Amduscias.

Qi Lin

I wish i had more historical/primaray sources to look from but alas modern feng shui websites will have to do

The Qi Lin has stories about the Rarity of its Appearences. The Qi Lin only showing up when a great outstanding Ruler is present in Time or when a great Sage(mostly Confucius mentioned) dies. There is also a legend that an Emperor of China was at the Yellow River and saw a Qi Lin on the Water, as it walked it cleared the River and Surroundings of all the Dirt and Stuff and the Emperor saw the Symbols on its Back and used them to create the first chinese writing System.

The Bit about the outstanding Ruler and Sage seems to match up well with Events and Characters. Poro being very Loyal, even to Poro's own Detriment, to Delkira as, when ever someone mentions Delkira most Demons admire Delkira in this demon Kingdom(?) Country(?).

It even matches with Iruma's Setup, Sully calling on Poro to see Iruma in hoping Poro will be impressed to rank Iruma. Plus we all know Iruma will become the next Demon King via the Prophecy, Poro is witnessing the fledgling King.

Not that all Qi Lin have to have exclusively one Horn but with the overlapping Traits of its Dragon like Features, Poro's Design echos back to the Qi Lin with Poro's Tail having a smooth Underside, spikey hairy Outterside, not to mention the clattering Heels in lue of Hooves

As an aside the Ming Emperor, Emperor Yongel, was gifted a Giraffe, that was called, equated to, and or associated with the QI Lin, very smart on the gifters part. I thought this was so funny given Poro's size, no clue if Nishi intended to it to match up with Poro but lucky for Nish-sensei it works out.(3rd picture of section of court painting of said Giraffe)

European Medieval Unicorns (i recomend skipping to the Poro paragraph and back reading this one)

Unicorns had a variety of many myths, associations, and metaphors attached to them but the Myths from Medieval Europe stand out most prominently here. Its been a variety of Animals over the Years, its Predessor being an Ox, the Re'em from the Bible, Goats,Asses (Donkeys), Horses, overall some sorta hoofed Creature and one Horn.

The first main Attribute to this Unicorn Myth is the Unicorn's Horn having Properties to purify the sick and ill, specfically treat and cure Diseases and Poison. Those who were able to successfuly find and hunt would gain such a treasure.

Later on it gained another Adaptation - The Unicorns purifying Power later becoming intertwined with the Purity of virgin Maidens, that a wild Beast would only allow itself to be near/in the Arms of a Virgin Maiden because the Unicorn could sense/was in awe of a Maiden's Purity(and or the maidens Purity matched that of the Unicorns), only for it to be a Trap, for a Group of Hunters to come out from Hiding to chase/capture and the slaughter with perhaps some Level of Immortality from the Unicorn for the Unicorn to not fully die after all that. Other versions of the story have the virgin naked and the Unicorn does some sorta sexual encounter with the Virgin.(i can't make this up)

Later the whole Saga became Metaphors for Sex/Love/Marriage. People being reigned in and tamed by the Love or down -badness of their Partner/Spouse as a wild Unicorn is tamed in the arms of a Virgin. People eventually settling down and finding Love. - no relation to the modern practice/notion of a 3rd person joining only in the sex lives of a married couple.

There also became a very Christian Metaphor to emerge along side the love Metaphor. The power/essence of Christ was reigned in by a virgin Mary, mirring that of a Unicorn being allured to a Virgin. That the whole Hunt of the Unicorn was a metaphor for the Crucifixtion and Ressurection of Christ, with wild purifying powerful Unicorn parralleling the Goddlyness of Christ, its Hunt for the Crucifixtion, Its slight immortality with the Ressurection from the dead, and circling back with the purifiying Power of the Unicorn being drawn as a Metaphors for Christ the Redeemer.( i also wish i couldve made this up)

Lets get back to M!ik

Seeing Unicorns being described as wild Asses seems stunningly on Brand for Poro, with Poro's Abbrasiveness at times and trying to beef with kids this coincidence is pretty funny.

Poro's major Arc of the Music Festival is coping with the Loss and the never return of Delkira as Poro regrets never getting the chance to technically date Delkira and never being able to see him again. It's all the more highlighted when in Sully's flash back when Poro, in a sour Mood expresses how its been too long since Delkira's Disappearance. Despite finding more Comfort with Change after Iruma and Co's Performance Poro hard flips back into Copium once Wett talks about reuniting Delkira. this all reads to me of Poro being wild all around unless Delkira is present to be the one true love of Poro ala wild Unicorn and love Metaphor.

There seems to be a bit of confusion about Poro's gender based on Poro's Presentation and specifically language Presentation. English Pronouns i can't really say anything about not least since the manga is being translated from Japanese with different Features and Practices- no doubt this gave the translators some trouble on how to adapt the wording, maybe a bit more cumbersome to other Languages than English. For whatever its worth Poro mentions being a Maiden and a Lady in EN fan translation.

tho i did start a paragraph about Poro's Gender this speaks more about the Purity and maiden Aspect of the Myth with the Unicorns sensitivity of/purity matching that of a virgin Maiden's. The comparison feels most matching when Poro apprehends Wett after Wett tailed Poro and Poro goes(paraphrasing), I was feeling a yucky presence a maiden can sense that type of stuff, it's alluded to it being Poro's ability to hear the heart beat Pattern and read that off to the overall Mood and intentions (based on action) of a Person, but it also matches well sensing/reading Wett and the Antgonists' unpure Intentions and drive up their villiany Status.

this part is a bit more head cannon-y: Poro was doing a bit of maiden sensing on Eliza when she says, we'll pierce you with the finest sound, and Poro's own Quest/Hunt for Love, a kindred spirit to Eliza's, finding Love for Love's sake.

another head cannony one is Poro's lines crying, that Delkira despite not giving personal attention to the women around him, Poro still says he did eventually(and like a simp still be wanting Delkira). If Poro was reading Delkira's Purity or smth. This line kinda reads a little ambiguously with that whole maiden/purity sensing idea in the background, vs the idea that Sully had a secret love child with Delkira and it became Iruma. lmao you heard it guys Poro believes in the Iruma is a direct descendant of Delkira theory, just kidding. Too bad Poro couldn't sense Delkiras heart beat when Delkira ghosted them at the office.

a little incongruous to the previous point of Delkira being the one and only for Poro- is Poro's Preferences(not for Men in general) but the inclusion of the younger Students in Babylus, who are, i guess, Boys and, as Poro puts it, young Men.(Poro is so desperate for hitting on high schoolers at this age.) Poro seems quite Old being Contemporaries with even Sullivan and with the Students of Babylus seeming rather inexperienced with Romance it seems to track with the Myth, the Unicorn is sensing the purity of/allured by Virgins, or at least, those who have far less romance Experience. This is Unfortunetly why i argue Poro's influence to be aligned with this Version of the unicorn Myth, Poro's odd combo of a romance thru-line despite hitting on kids, and lines with equating to be a maiden it feels like it matches beat for beat of the medieval Unicorn myth.(Unless the qilin also has meanings of sex love and romance which it might, i could use more details).

And now its time for the Jesus metaphor, Oh man you thought i was done.

Going back to the Christian Metaphor for the Maiden lures a Unicorn, only for a band of huntsmen to begin pursuit and the Unicorn gets Injured and kinda dies but then lives. The Europeans found a way to Pack in a Jesus metaphor with the Wild Unicorn and its purifying Power repping Christ the Redeemer, the Unicorn only appearing in the Presence of Virgins Of course Mary, the subsquent Hunt repping the Crucifixtion dyin for ya sins and purifying horn, and the Unicorn living cause semi immortality and Christ live-dying with god or what ever the point of that story was.

Guess who else was invited to do some ressurecting, it is part of Baals plans to recruit Poro for Delkiras "reuniting," for Baal just straight up power grab. (honestly i didn't know much about unicorns before hand was not expecting jesus or the virgins thing to come up.) Blehh that means Iruma, Ali and Delkira, could be like the unholy demonic Trifecta, (Delkira)the Father (Iruma) the Son (Ali) the Holy Spirit not expecting to see iruma with another jesus parallel.

crack theories: Poro cleared Kirio of his Debuffs. It'll be a race see who will get to Delkira first catch Delkira as a Deer, or Ali or Delkira go full vampire Mode.

ok im done congrats for reading this far now you too get this cursed info

#amduscias poro #character analysis #m!ik manga #m!ik spoilers #mairimashita! iruma kun #mairuma #M!ik theories #was not expecting so much time on this #was not expecting saucy unicorns #was not expecting jesus reading #theres a few very scary pictures on google of vampire jesus #even if nishi didn't want to put the full oompf of all the unicorn lore into Poro im still impressed that they all refernce back to it.

40 notes · View notes

thezanyarthropleura · 4 months

Text

YET ANOTHER KAIJU FILM REC LIST

(Selected and arranged to account for modern tastes, as well as to highlight specific wants for fans of Godzilla: Minus One and/or Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire)

Notes:

Titles can be confusing, when in doubt differentiate films by year of release

"Showa" generally refers to films made from 1954-1980, while "Heisei" generally refers to films made from 1984-2006, with "Millennium" being a specific series of Godzilla films made from 1999-2004, within the Heisei era (the actual notation refers to the Japanese Emperor, but this is slightly offset with how it's used for kaiju films)

I've tried to list where the films can be watched, for free if possible, but this can change at a moment's notice (for instance, the TokuSHOUTsu Youtube channel currently has a livestream of almost all the Showa Godzilla films and one for the MST3K episodes featuring 6 Showa Gamera films and Gorgo, but I have no idea how long those will stay up)

More context and history about the kaiju film genre can be found at the end of the post

GROUP 1: EVERYONE

These films are the peers and equals of Minus One and GxK, in only the best respects.

The Gamera Heisei Trilogy - Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), Gamera 2: Attack/Advent of Legion (1996), and Gamera 3: Revenge/Awakening of Iris (1999)

I would recommend this trilogy to ANYONE - even those hesitant to watch anything that isn't CGI, or that still don't think kaiju films can be good cinema. No matter what you're looking for in a kaiju film - engaging monster action, compelling human drama, deep metaphorical significance, fun action-adventure, hard sci-fi, spiritual eastern fantasy - these three movies are bound to be among the best at it. They're nearly unanimously praised as some of the best kaiju films of all time, and are the ONLY classic films with that honor that can visually compete with modern tastes in special effects.

Among the three: Guardian of the Universe is probably the closest analog to GxK, a fun action-adventure film about a girl who communicates with a giant monster. Revenge of Iris is closer to Minus One, introducing a darker mirror of the first film's story that invokes trauma and loss to great emotional impact. Which all leaves Advent of Legion in the middle, as a fairly formulaic but well-executed sci-fi alien invasion story.

These films are available free and subtitled on Tubi, or free and dubbed on Pluto. In a rarity, the dubs are done with love and care by fans of the genre and while they may not be the best way to watch the films, they're fairly decent.

GROUP 2: MODERN/NICHE

These films either excellently or acceptably compete with modern visual effects, but in other areas, are ultimately more dependent upon viewer tolerances and niche interests.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

If you want to cry about Godzilla, this is it, this is the movie. Possibly the classic film that delves the deepest into the idea of kaiju as sympathetic, tragic beings, this film leans heavily into hard sci-fi and features a kaiju opponent inspired by the titular creature from the Alien franchise. It's the seventh film in the Godzilla Heisei series, but as most of the previous films are currently stuck behind rights issues and difficult to find, I'd recommend jumping into this one as a standalone (or, if anything, watch the original 1954 Godzilla film first, but if that doesn't interest you it's not necessary). This movie is readily available for free, subtitled on Pluto or dubbed on Youtube.

The Kiryu Duology - Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

These two films face a number of pacing and production issues, and due to scheduling conflicts, the main heroine, mech pilot Akane from the first film (arguably one of the most compelling human characters in the entire Godzilla series), was unable to return for the sequel beyond a brief cameo. But despite feeling unfinished, not all the emotional weight of this duology is lost. The ethics-focused, techno-spiritual story being told still packs a punch, and visually, out of the entire suitmation era this is the best Godzilla, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla have ever looked on-screen. If first checking out the original 1954 Godzilla and the 1961 Mothra interests you at all, it may enhance the viewing experience, but if not, dive right in! Both these films are free on Pluto TV, but do keep in mind Against Mechagodzilla is the dubbed version.

Gamera the Brave (2006)

I've said it before, but this is the movie that most closely reminds me of Minus One, with its modern filmmaking style, deep emotional themes, and in particular, having a bright and hopeful appeal to humanity in a genre where many of the more serious films are tragedies. Personally I rank this one right up there with the 90s Gamera trilogy, if not even higher, but to appreciate it, you really do have to be here for a children's fantasy film with more charm and heart than fast-paced kaiju action. This film is free on Tubi, subtitled.

GROUP 3: CLASSIC

These films require a tolerance for the special effects of the 1950s through 1970s, which I realize some modern audiences may find difficult to appreciate, but are otherwise highly recommended.

All four of these films are available free and subtitled on Pluto through Criterion, and are additionally part of SHOUT! Factory's catalogue and playing on the livestream.

Godzilla (1954)

If you've seem Minus One or Shin Godzilla, the obvious route is, of course, to go back to 1954 and experience the original cinematic masterpiece of Godzilla as a nuclear horror. The one caveat I'll mention is that a lot of Minus One's effectiveness is in subverting one theme present in the original, so this will, in a way, feel like a step backward thematically.

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

The outright most comparable classic film to GxK - a fun island adventure film wherein various entertaining personalities are shipwrecked and must work together to thwart human baddies and even recruit the help of Godzilla! This is one of my personal favorites, and while Mothra only appears briefly in the film, it expands on her lore quite a bit.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

This film is wacky, resembling an abstract art house film at times, but in many ways is a revisitation upon the dark, deep metaphors of the original, this time warning of the dangers of pollution through a truly terrifying monstrosity that gives Godzilla one of the most brutal fights of his career.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Along with the original and Hedorah, this completes a trio of more dark and serious Showa era Godzilla films. It's the only Godzilla movie of its era to be written entirely (not co-written) by a woman, tells a dark and tragic tale, and yet is the height of 1970s superhero Godzilla as he takes on two powerful opponents at once.

GROUP 4: GRAB BAG

I'll throw in four more: these are just some of my personal recommendations and favorites that don't fit neatly into the other categories.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

The original and archetypical "multiple monsters team up to fight a greater threat" movie. This one is consistently on the edge of being called an objectively good film, but can be considered too cheesy and campy to make the cut. Nonetheless, it's a fun time, and it's also pretty much the only classic film where Godzilla and Mothra interact positively, if that's appealing to you. Like the other Showa Godzilla films, it's free through Pluto and SHOUT! Factory.

Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

I really just wanted to put a Showa Gamera here, and this is one of my favorites. Just the campy, wacky, good time that is Showa Gamera, with a side of ocean theming - this extremely cheap film was partly funded through Kamogawa Sea World, which is the primary location featured in the film. It's free on Tubi along with the other Gamera films, and also makes a great MST3K episode, even if the version of the film used there is very low-resolution and the underwater scenes in particular suffer a little.

Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

Somewhat unique among its contemporaries for being a 2000s era film that features Godzilla as more-or-less the protagonist, with human characters that advocate for understanding and respecting him. It's an incredibly cinematic film - I would describe its special effects as ambitious, not always effective, but regardless it would be a great intro for new fans if it were more accessible. Currently, it's tough to track down, but another rare case where the heavily-edited US dubbed version is perfectly acceptable, and even sometimes considered superior to the original.

Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998) and to an extent, the whole trilogy.

I unashamedly love these oft-maligned films that are actually very comparable to the Heisei Gamera trilogy... in all respects but objective quality. Fun fantasy kaiju films featuring tiny women who fight each other with swords and flying mounts, while a superpowered giant moth beats up two space dragons and takes a break in the middle to beat up a genetically-engineered dragon. Lots of rainbows and lasers, and a vague, underlying exploration of the conflict between those with peaceful methods and those with violent methods without completely villainizing either side. If any of that sounds interesting, check these films out, they're currently readily available free on Pluto after a long history of the third and most serious/mature film being extremely rare and seldom-seen.

FURTHER NOTES AND CONTEXT:

Inspired by western giant monster films like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and the summation of Japan's nuclear fear and trauma, the original Godzilla film in 1954 was a runaway success, beginning the kaiju genre as production company Toho ordered not only a direct sequel, but a broad scope of special effects films that ultimately gave us other classic kaiju like Mothra and Rodan.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the concept of a "Godzilla series" did not yet exist - Toho just made science fiction films, wherein some of them featured kaiju, and some of those, but not all, featured Godzilla. Many of these films were very loosely, and sometimes only retroactively, considered to be in the same universe or cinematic canon, creating situations where kaiju like Manda and Baragon would wander into Godzilla films after getting their start in non-Godzilla adventures like Atragon (1963) and Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965). (An example of a non-kaiju Toho film I would highly recommend is 1958's H-Man)

The 1960s also saw a "Kaiju Boom," where the genre was expanded beyond Toho to other studios in Japan and even to other countries. This brought about a number of new kaiju projects like Gorgo (1961), Reptilicus (1961), and Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967). The only of these films to be successful enough to spawn a series was Gamera (1965), from Daiei studios in Japan, and there were 7 Gamera films made from the mid-60s to early 70s. (Daiei has their own catalogue of Toku effects films, and also produced the kaiju-adjacent Daimajin trilogy (1966), period pieces set in ancient Japan about a giant warrior statue that comes to life)

Interest in kaiju films began to wane in the 1970s, and Toho largely narrowed its focus to a yearly Godzilla series with lower and lower budgeting. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) was the most cheeply-made of these, but several factors made it the most widely-known film in the US and solidified the genre's "rubber suits and cardboard buildings" reputation among the general public for the next 50 years. Also in 1973, Toho produced the giant hero television series Zone Fighter, where Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Gigan appear in several episodes. The series was made to compete with Ultraman and other television-based Tokusatsu, which was swaying audiences away from films at the time. (I personally know very little about Ultraman and other costumed hero Toku, but I know there are many experts on here who could answer questions about those)

Toho continued to make science fiction and effects films throughout the late 70s and 1980s, such as The War in Space (1977), but kaiju films were out of fashion. Gamera had a brief pseudo-revival in 1980, but otherwise it was a long drought from 1975 to 1984, when Toho began the Godzilla Heisei series: a series of seven films that continued in 1989 and picked up to a film per yer from 1991 to 1995. These films featured more strict continuity and the recurring character of Miki Saegusa, marking one of the first steps away from the previous practice of switching out the human cast entirely from film to film.

In the late 90s, Godzilla was absent yet again, as Toho made the rights handoff to Sony for the 1998 American film. In his place were the competing late 90s Gamera and Mothra trilogies, both relatively unique in featuring multiple recurring cast members and worlds that blended sci-fi and fantasy elements. In America, the poorly-received GODZILLA (1998) spawned a more warmly-recieved animated continuation in Godzilla: the Series (1998-2000).

In response to the critical failure of the 1998 film, Toho craved redemption and launched the Millennium Series: six Godzilla films that, with the exception of the Kiryu Duology, were all standalone in hopes of attaining theatrical releases in the US (only Godzilla 2000 succeeded at this). With a general failure of the 50th anniversary film Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), Toho put Godzilla to rest, seemingly for good. Gamera the Brave in 2006 was the last true suitmation kaiju film, critically acclaimed but also a financial failure.

In the intervening decade, CGI took over, and was the name of the game by the time Pacific Rim (2013), Godzilla (2014), and Shin Godzilla (2016) kicked off the new "Kaiju Renaissance," the present era that includes Reiwa Godzilla and the Monsterverse.

#kaiju #tokusatsu #godzilla #gamera #godzilla minus one #godzilla x kong: the new empire

7 notes · View notes

tarnishedxknight · 7 days

Text

FFXII Week ~ Day 6 Prompt: "My hands are stained with blood. I see little reason to stay them now."

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

- - - - - - - - - -

This is another great quote from FFXII, and it's one that's said during a conversation that revealed a lot about Vayne's psychology and the social dynamics of House Solidor. Solidors often engage in verbal gymnastics, if you will, saying one thing while meaning another, being manipulative to try to get their way, or hiding their true intentions behind flowery language. Let's analyze the conversation a bit and see what was really being said and the motives behind the words.

This quote was spoken by Vayne Solidor to his father, Emperor Gramis when the two were discussing future courses of action for House Solidor:

Vayne: "This crisis would not end were I gone. The Senate hates the very fact that House Solidor exists. By necessity, we must find reason to silence them." Gramis: "Necessity? Ah yes, necessity. Does that word free you, I wonder? You show no hesitation to solve matters with blood." Vayne: "The sword of House Solidor cannot be left to rust in doubt. It was you, Excellency, who tempered that sword." Gramis: "Is this your idea of vengeance?" Vayne: "It is my idea of necessity." Gramis: *growls in disappointment* Vayne: "If we do not act, it is not only our future you imperil..." Gramis: "So you would dirty your hands, to keep his (Larsa's) clean?" Vayne: "My hands are stained with blood. I see little reason to stay them now." Gramis: *disappointed growl* "So they are. And so House Solidor lives on."

The reason for this conversation is that Vayne is telling his father they need to silence their enemies/rivals to maintain power or House Solidor may not survive. He says this needs to be done out of necessity, as if there is no other way to stay in power or to diplomatically resolve the situation. Really, he's just looking for a way to eliminate all those who represent competition for the absolute power he wants for himself. For the rest of the conversation, Vayne tries unsuccessfully to sway his father towards his point of view.

Gramis is clearly not in agreement with Vayne, though he never outright says it. Rather, he makes it indirectly known that he doesn't approve by asking if the word necessity frees Vayne. From what? From putting in the work of finding a better solution, possibly but more importantly... from the responsibility and gravity of making the decision to enact more bloodshed, this time on the Senate. If it's out of necessity, well... then Vayne has no choice, right? It can't be his fault, he's only doing what is necessary. It frees his conscience, if Vayne even has one. Gramis' tone implies, however, that although that word may clear Vayne's conscience, it is not enough to free Gramis from his own.

In trying to push his father to agree to what he wants to do, Vayne manipulatively implies that if, out of necessity, the enemies of House Solidor are not silence, it's not only they whose future is in question, but Larsa's as well. He says this to try to illicit an emotional response from Gramis by raising the specter of a threat to Larsa in the hopes that Gramis will agree to silence the Senate to protect his youngest child.

It doesn't work, and Gramis asks Vayne if he's trying to do the dirty work, to dirty his own hands, so that Larsa someday won't have to. This is just as veiled a thing to say as Vayne's attempt at striking at Gramis' emotions towards Larsa. What Gramis is really saying to Vayne there is, "So that's your reason for wanting more violence, to protect Larsa? Why, because you care about his future and safety? Come on, I know that's not true... and you know I know it isn't." He's essentially saying to Vayne that 1) he knows Vayne doesn't really care about Larsa, and 2) there aren't any noble reasons behind his call for bloodshed against the Senate.

Vayne answers this by saying the quote of the day, that his hands are strained with blood and he sees little reason to stay them now. What he's saying there is... "Well I've already come this far, I've already used violence quite a bit, so why not keep right on going with it? And I intend to." It's a bit of foreshadowing, for right after this conversation, not only does Vayne follow through on his threat towards the Senate, but he uses that threat as an opportunity to also assassinate Gramis.

Gramis' final line to Vayne in this conversation is a telling one that reveals his opinion not only on Vayne's use of violence, but of the legacy of violence in House Solidor. He acknowledges that Vayne's hands are, indeed, stained with blood, and that because of that "House Solidor lives on." He's acknowledging here that, "Yes, and that's how our House has survived until now, through violence and blood." In a way, it's what House Solidor has become known for, it's how they've conducted themselves for a long time. And yes, they have stayed in power because of that, but Gramis tone reveals that he no longer feels that should be the way they maintain their power.

Vayne... no doubt caught that meaning behind what Gramis was saying, and beyond his own designs on the throne, that was likely the reason he decided to assassinate him. I feel like Vayne would have done it anyway at some point, but seeing that his father wasn't easily manipulated into seeing things his way, I think Vayne decided to do away with him a bit sooner than planned.

It's an interesting conversation, and it tells a lot about Vayne's motives and the way he attempts to influence and bait others using manipulative and indirect language. It's perhaps the most insidious thing about Vayne, the way he comes across as being calm, polite, intellectual, and pragmatic, when all really is, is a violent, manipulative, power-hungry person who ultimately becomes a dangerous despot.

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #FFXII Week 2024

4 notes · View notes