#The Retired Demon of the Maxed-Out Village

[ljaesch]

J-Novel Club Announces Nine Light Novel and Eight Manga Licenses

J-Novel Club has announced the following licenses: Title: The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects novels Author: Fuurou (story), Kinta (art) Release Date: Parts 1 and 2 of Volume One available now Summary: Dias finally returns home after decades of war. He’s hailed as a hero and promptly rewarded with his own domain… which turns out to be little more than empty plains. Population: zero. Dias,…

[armornick]

The Retired Demon of the Maxed-Out Village Volume 2

Today I finished The Retired Demon of the Maxed-Out Village Volume 2.

Really good series so far. A likable new character or two are introduced, and more backstory is provided for some of the more interesting characters. There's also a lot of great action scenes.

Next up, I'm continuing Reborn to Master the Blade.

[petrichoravellichor]

I’ve had a couple of people request this, so here ya go: my masterlist for the SPN Deserved Better 31 Days Creative Challenge hosted by the wonderful @foundfamily4eva ​, in which I basically tried to fix canon for as many of the characters as I could, not just Team Free Will 2.0 + Eileen (although those five all definitely got the endings they deserved, too!). 

Romance-wise, the following ships got at least one work featuring that ship as the sole/primary one: Destiel, Saileen, Midam, Dreamhunter, Dodio, AU Charlie/Stevie, Amara/Rowena. 

Individual character/platonic pair-wise, here are the characters who got at least one work featuring them as the primary character(s): Alex Jones, Bela Talbot, Becky Rosen, Benny Lafitte & Emma Winchester, Bobby Singer & Rufus Turner, Cas & Claire Novak, Cas & Jack Kline, Jack Kline & Amara, Jack & Kelly Kline, Donatello Redfield, Gabriel & Meg, Gadreel, Kaia Nieves, Kevin & Linda Tran, Miracle the Dog. 

(Crowley is also getting his happy ending, but what was supposed to be a short fic is currently at about 10k, so I’ve split that off into a separate project that will be up within a few weeks.) 

Lastly, some honorable mentions/characters that got their happy endings in minor roles in other fics: Alicia & Max Banes, Aaron Bass, AU Bobby Singer, Ellen & Jo Harvelle & Ash, Jenny the Vampire (well...not happy for her: I managed to kill her off twice in two separate fics and in ways that were infinitely more satisfying than in canon and was very happy about it 😄).

All fics are canonverse fix-its and are listed below the cut, grouped roughly by primary ship/featured character(s) and with summaries, approximate word counts, and links to Ao3 when cross-posting occurred. 

I hope these bring as much closure to those who read them as they did to me while I wrote them, and if they make you feel any sort of way, I’d love to hear about it via likes/comments/reblogs/asks! 💙

Begin and End There [T, ~5.5k words, Cas & Jack, Destiel]

After the Empty takes him, Castiel wakes up in the last place he expected, with a second chance at happiness when he reunites with Dean and the latter finally gets to speak his truth. (read on Ao3 or tumblr [part 1] [part 2])

Let’s Misbehave [G, ~600 words, Destiel]

They finally listen to the mixtape and dance. That’s it, that’s the fic. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Cas, Not Castiel [G, ~225 words, Destiel]

Another angel, Hester, had once bitterly remarked that Castiel was lost the moment he laid a hand on Dean in Hell. Years later, after all was said and done, Cas found that he agreed. (read on tumblr)

The Dead Man Lives, Carry On [T, ~1.3k words, Dean Winchester & Dean Winchester, background implied Destiel]

It’s one thing to tell yourself you’re bi. It’s a whole other thing to involve time travel. Then again, when has Dean Winchester ever done things the easy way? OR, the one in which a certain side character from season 1 gets dead a whole heck of a lot sooner. You’re welcome. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

From Heaven With Love [G, ~500 words, Cas & Claire]

During the first Christmas following Chuck's defeat, Castiel surprises Claire with a letter from her parents.  (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Home Is Where the Love Is [G, ~350 words, background Destiel, background Saileen]

Miracle POV, in which Miracle reflects on his new home/family. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Namesake [G, ~600 words, Destiel, background Saileen]

When Sam and Eileen first tell Dean they want to name their unborn son after him, Dean's reaction is one of shock. He plays it off with a joke, though. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Clear As Day [T, ~700 words, Saileen]

Newly returned to existence thanks to Jack, Eileen reunites with Sam; OR, the Saileen reunion we were denied in 15x20. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

It Takes a Village [G, ~300 words, Saileen]

Expecting their first child, Sam and Eileen talk about becoming parents. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Of Love and Loss (and Love) [T, ~350 words, Sam/every canon relationship he’s had w/ endgame Saileen]

For a long time, Sam thought he was done with love. (read on tumblr)

Mother of God [G, ~225 words, Jack & Kelly Kline]

After reuniting his angel dad with his two human dads and rebuilding Heaven, the first thing Jack did was visit his mom. (read on tumblr)

The Happiest Place on Earth [G, ~150 words, Jack & Amara]

In which Amara finally gets to bond with her great-nephew...at Disneyland! :D (read on tumblr)

Good Tidings We Bring [G, ~450 words, Donatello, Jack & Amara]

In which Amara returns Donatello's soul...for Christmas! :D (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Et Nos Cedamus Amori [M, ~550 words, Amara/Rowena]

Rowena wore the crown like she was born to it, and Amara had to admit, it looked good on her. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

What We Deserve [T, ~2.6k words, Midam]

After helping the Winchesters defeat Chuck, Michael avoids Adam until one day, Adam seeks him out; OR, the soft epilogue these two deserved, damn it. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

With Every Fiber of My Being [T, ~900 words, Midam]

After defeating Chuck, Michael and Adam choose each other. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Tender Loving Care [G, ~250 words, Dreamhunter]

Kaia's flu is nothing serious, but that doesn't stop Claire from doting on her.  (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

An Angel and a Demon Walk Into a Bar [T, ~2.1k, Gabriel & Meg]

After escaping from the Empty, Gabriel wanders into a bar, where it turns out he’s not the only one back from the dead. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Rebar Not Included [T, ~1.5k words, Dodio, background Destiel]

Jody and Donna help out the Winchesters by looking into an Ohio case involving masked vampires, and what do you know: not only do they manage to kill a certain side character from season 1 but they ALSO make it through without dying! Oh, and they kiss, just because they can. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Heal [T, ~1.1k words, Charlie/Stevie]

Charlie’s being distant, and Stevie doesn’t understand why. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Homecoming [T, ~500 words, Kevin & Linda Tran]

In which Kevin Tran gets the happy ending he deserved. (read on tumblr)

When Life Imitates Art [G, ~500 words, Becky Rosen]

Becky starts a new job as a staff writer for HBO's upcoming adaptation of the Supernatural book series. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Family Don’t End in Blood [T, ~300 words, Alex & Wayward Sisters]

A decade ago, if someone had asked Alex what family meant, she would have said blood and believed it. (read on tumblr)

Home [T, ~300 words, Kaia & Wayward Sisters]

In which Kaia finally has a home. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

The Golden Years [G, ~600 words, Bobby & Rufus, implied Bobby/Ellen]

In which, now that Bobby’s finally enjoying retirement in the new Heaven, he’d really like to just forget about that one time he kissed Crowley. Unfortunately for him, Rufus has other plans. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Be at Peace [G, ~600 words, Gadreel, background Gadreel/OFC]

In which Gadreel escapes the Empty and gets a soft epilogue. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

Well Met [G, ~200 words, Benny & Emma]

In hindsight, faking his own death is the best thing Benny’s ever done. (read on tumblr)

The Right Hand [T, ~175 words, Bela Talbot]

Some closure for Bela Talbot, anyone? (read on tumblr)

Screw Sad Finales: Here’s to Victory Parties! [G, ~350 words, Gen with a few non-TFW background ships hinted]

After defeating Chuck, Sam and Dean throw a party! With appearances by Cas, Eileen, Jack, the Wayward Sisters, Adam and Michael, Charlie and Stevie, Kevin and Linda Tran, Rowena, Amara, Garth and his family, Bobby, Max and Alicia Banes, and Aaron Bass. (read on Ao3 or tumblr)

[shemakesmusic-uk]

After releasing their album Play With Fire last year via Suicide Squeeze Records, Californian punk trio L.A. Witch are sharing a new video for their standout track 'Motorcycle Boy'. Speaking about the video, L.A. Witch singer and guitarist Sade Sanchez said "The song is inspired by Moto Boys like Mickey Rourke, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen, so of course we took a lot of inspiration from our favorite biker movies like The Wild One, Rumble Fish, On any Sunday, Easy Rider, Hells Angeles '69 and The Girl on a Motorcycle. I had worked with (director) Ambar Navarro and Max on another project and loved their other work, so we wanted to work with them on this. They definitely did their homework and came up with a cool story line. I got to feature my bike that I'd been rebuilding during the pandemic. It was nice to shoot a video where you get to do two of your favorite things, riding motorcycles and play guitar."

Margo Price has shared a new music video for 'Hey Child', said to be the heart and “centerpiece” of her acclaimed 2020 album That’s How Rumors Get Started. It’s directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch. In the moving visual, the country star confronts the demons of her past. There are scenes referencing the time she spent in jail for substance abuse, as well as others depicting her struggles with addiction and depression. Price’s vulnerability is on full display here, and she ultimately uses it to heal and find strength again. Watch it down below. According to Price, 'Hey Child' was originally written back in 2012 “not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra.” She continued, noting how fellow country star and album producer Sturgill Simpson helped encourage her to release it: “'Hey Child' was a song that was written back in 2012 not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra. We were playing shows with our rock and roll band Buffalo Clover and occupying most of the bars in East Nashville. We had begun hanging with a rowdy group of degenerate musician friends and partying harder than The Rolling Stones…The song was about how many of our talented friends were drinking and partying their talents away but after a few years had passed, we realized it was just as much about us as our friends. I had retired it when the band broke up but Sturgill Simpson resurrected it when he asked me if I would re-record it for That’s How Rumors Get Started.” [via Consequence of Sound]

NYC collective MICHELLE has today unveiled their first new single of 2021. Titled 'FYO,' the track powerfully recounts the four lead singers’ experiences growing up with mixed race identities. The track arrives alongside a music video directed by the band’s own Layla Ku and Emma Lee. Speaking on the message behind the song, Jamee Lockard from the band shares: “'FYO' is about belonging to different worlds but feeling rejected by both. Growing up as a mixed-race minority in the US, my self concept was warped by other people telling me what I am and am not, pushing and pulling me between identities. Although my feelings of cultural dissonance still ebb and flow, now I have the vocabulary, support system, and perspective to unpack that inner conflict on my own terms. We should never give others the authority to define who we are."

With her new album Homecoming set for release on April 2 via Daemon T.V., Du Blonde is sharing the video for ‘Medicated’. Featuring Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Du Blonde says of the song, “‘Medicated’ is a letter to my 27 year old self who didn’t want to live anymore, from my now medicated, functioning and content self. It might sound depressing or concerning, but really it’s quite joyful. Like ‘look at how things can be if you hang around’. Shirley and I had talked about her adding vocals to a track and when I wrote Medicated it seemed like the perfect fit. She’s been a voice of reason for me many times when i’ve been struggling and it felt really appropriate to have her. I shot the video in my childhood bedroom using a green screen Girl Ray gave me at the start of lockdown,” she continues. “The spiders are a reference to a hallucination I had in my early teens where I pulled back my bed covers to see thousands of spiders writhing around in my bed, which now I see as a result of extreme anxiety. A lot of the scenarios in the video are a celebration of the things about me that I feel people might feel shame about. There’s so much stigma around taking medication in order to ease mental health conditions, so I wanted to express my feelings on the subject which is basically ‘I take medication and i’m stoked about it because thanks to that i’m still alive’.” [via DIY]

Back with her powerful Y2K sound, Spain's Rakky Ripper channels PC Music and Rina Sawayama on brightly catchy new single 'Whatever'. The new EP Xtra Cost is released  February 19. If you are over the age of 25, odds are that you can recall a very specific kind of pop that graced our launch into the new millennium. Since coined as "Y2K", chart music of that short era was flush with R&B beats, synthetic arrangements and sickly sweet hooks. Britney was the industry’s honey-highlighted princess whilst Christina made it dirrty. It’s something that Rina Sawayama has made 2020-relevant again with the release of her debut album Sawayama, whilst PC Music and Charli XCX took it to another extreme with the redefinition of what it means to be pop. Meanwhile, over in Spain, the alt-pop scene is flourishing courtesy of artists such as Rakky Ripper and her own unique blend of Y2K-meets-hyper-pop. Already gaining Charli XCX approval when the Mercury Award nominee asked Rakky to join her onstage at her Madrid show, the Granada talent shows crossover potential with her new single 'Whatever'. Punchy beats and playful synths capture the sticky heat of pop done well whilst its fuzzy guitar gives it an alternative edge, however it’s its hook-riddled chorus and Rakky’s Spanglish lyrical mix that make 'Whatever' a standout moment. “‘Whatever’ is the pop girl in my new EP Xtra Cost,” shares Rakky of her new release. “It’s my 2021 version of Britney, *NSYNC and the Spice Girls. The new video tells the story about two people who are in love but one of them pretends not to care, so the other person is always chasing.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

Things are afoot in the FKA twigs camp. In October, the R&B star revealed that her third album had been completed during quarantine. Now, she’s back with a new song called 'Don’t Judge Me'. It's her first since dropping the masterful album MAGDALENE in 2019. In addition to a stunning performance from FKA twigs, the track features UK rapper Headie One and producer Fred again…, who’s worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Brian Eno. 'Don’t Judge Me' appears to be something of a companion release or sequel to 'Don’t Judge Me (Interlude)', an early 2020 collaboration that also featured all three artists. Unlike the intentional vagueness of that song, the themes on this version are a lot more direct. During her verse and the hook, twigs begs her lover to hold her and appreciate the “precious love” she sends their way with a devastating urgency. Headie One takes a different approach in his verse and goes off about racial injustice and police brutality. “Know more about my people from the streets than from my teachers/ I done a million speeches/ No justice, no peace, ’cause we in pieces/ Officer, am I allowed to breathe here?,” he raps with a conversational directness. It’s a really powerful pairing from two different yet complementary artists with voices that demand the listener’s full attention. Check it out above via a dazzling video co-directed by FKA twigs and Emmanuel Adjei, who was heavily involved in Beyonce’s Black Is King visual album. Like all of FKA twigs’ clips, this one is truly something to behold. [via Consequence of Sound]

Girl Friday have delivered a surrealistic visual for 'Earthquake,' the powerhouse lead single from Androgynous Mary, their acclaimed album of 2020 out now on Hardly Art. 'Earthquake' is one of the band's most gloriously raging moments and sees the group power through three and a half minutes of unadulterated catharsis. Girl Friday’s Vera Ellen, who directed the new video, offers this, “The greatest love story is between a song and a video. I wanted to deconstruct the creative process. How do ideas find each other? What happens when the artist lets outside forces get in the way of an idea? How is an idea affected by us, the audience and our expectations? What does an idea have to do to become it’s complete, purest, self. Beyond anything, it’s a story of fighting for true liberation. This will look different for everyone but I hope people can project their own struggle onto the story, and relish in the freedom experienced by the characters (if only for a moment)."

J-Pop girl-group, FAKY has released their first single of 2021, 'The Light' with an accompanying music video. This song was selected as a campaign song for the horror film Jukaimura (Suicide Forest Village), the most recent work by the master horror director, Takashi Shimizu, who also directed The Ju-on (The Grudge) and Inunakimura (Howling Village). This up-tempo and cheerful track was created to add another layer of eerieness and uncertainty to the hair-raising storyline and themes of the movie. 2020 was a successful year for the girl group. FAKY hopes to further their success in 2021 starting with the release of 'The Light'. “Our new single ‘The Light’ is an uplifting song with its pop melody, powerful live band sound, and motivating message to move forward towards the light” - FAKY. The music was composed by up-and-coming music producer, Maeshima Soshi (Hypnosis Mic, Hey! Say! JUMP, Rinne and Sorane). 'The Light' expresses that moment when your heart quivers, just when you are about to change, with the theme being about overcoming conflict and having “power to strike out into the world.”

Kinlaw's dark-pop quest has seen her shatter boundaries. Snapped up by Bayonet Records, her piercing, roving eye deconstructs her personal feelings, illuminating electronic structures in their stead. New album The Tipping Scale is out this month, and it expertly reflects the vagaries of winter, the spartan landscapes and the self-examination. Taken from the record, new single 'Haircut' deals with shifts in her life, with the urge to propel herself into something fresh. "I cut my hair to confuse myself," she comments. "It started as a mission to change who I was, to make a new and better version, but ended with my feeling like I no longer knew what I was mourning." A song about leaving trauma behind and embracing the possibilities of the present, 'Haircut' carries some inspired connotations for these troubled times. Kinlaw says the single offers "a question of personal power, and even speaking on this song today has been challenging because it was written when I was unsure if I had any power left. I think 'Haircut' can be a lot of things to many different people, particularly those who identify with the juxtaposition of in-depth, internal dialogue paired with everyday coping strategies. There is a sweetness to it, but also such substantial, unwavering difficulty. Today, I prefer to think of 'Haircut' as an anthem of resilience and an ode to the ways we keep going, we shapeshift, and we reinstall that there is a way to find what it is we are hoping to find." The visual leans on the intimate, opening up a window into Kinlaw's life, and her true feelings. [via Clash]

The Rhode Island born,  Los Angeles based singer, songwriter, musician and actress Emeline is known for her work with Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza as well as her solo music full of biting lyrics and catchy hooks. Her new music video for '6 Foot Deep' was filmed at the infamous Westerfeld Mansion a.k.a “House of Legends.” Icons like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin have lived there, as well as the founder of the Church of Satan. Covered in satanic etchings and scratches from his pet lions, the energy within the house added to the feel of the music video. Also previously used for the Russian Embassy, the house has featured on "Ghost Hunters" for it's haunted happenings.

The Charli XCX-crafted Nasty Cherry have returned with their first single of the year, 'Lucky'. The new track follows last year's Season 2 EP, and arrives as first taster of a new EP landing this spring. The band say of their new single, "'Lucky' is a song we wrote for each other during the pandemic where the six weeks we got to spend together felt incredibly precious and introspective. It's a reflective, sweet and spiky little song." [via Line Of Best Fit]

Griff has premiered the video for her incredible new single ‘Black Hole’. Launched as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World last week, the striking new visual sees Griff examine a past relationship through a surreal, Alice in Wonderland’-esque journey from the sewing room into self-discovery (directed by duo SOB). [via With Guitars]

Poppy Ajudha has shared her new single 'Weakness' in full. The London based artist blends together jazz, soul, R&B, and a whole lot more besides, resulting in a sound that is truly her own. 'Weakness' is a song about love, and it finds Poppy capturing that nuanced dichotomy between the rush of pleasure and an innate fear of being out of control. In a note, Poppy explains that her new single is "about feeling out of control and at the mercy of someone else because of how crazy they make you feel, but also feeling bittersweet about it, because you’re a bad b*tch and you don’t have time for that ish." The songwriter steered the video, too, a self-admitted "control freak" who oversaw the neat mixture of animation and a superbly styled set. "Self-directing was really fun," she comments. "I’m a control freak so it was great to get stuck into all the facets of making a music video. Choosing the team, the makeup looks, directing the styling ideas, writing the narrative, working out how to build the set. It definitely felt like a challenge to direct, star-in and perform choreographed moves for the first time but I love to push myself and am really glad I did." [via Clash]

GG McG’s latest single, ‘Good Morning’, is her first release this year and second overall, following ‘Boom’ in 2019. The song was written on GarageBand during lockdown and was produced by Japanese Wallpaper’s Gab Strum, mixed by Konstantin Kersting and mastered by Andrei Eremin. “‘Good Morning’ is about the total, complete chaos of the past year and the feeling of waking up every morning, reading the news and being blown away by just how much worse things were than the day before,” McGauran said in a statement. [via the Music Network]

Singer HyunA dropped her seventh mini album I’m Not Cool on Thursday, singing of the ups and downs of being the “cool girl” on stage. The album’s title song 'I’m Not Cool' sings about the nice things she tells herself. “It’s really about my originality. I try to compliment myself before going onto the stage. I tell myself it’s not bad to be myself. I’ve long dreamed of this moment right now, and I feel like I’m a bird flying freely in the sky or a flower blooming in the field. I know I cannot be loved by everyone, but I become perfect with just one person’s love. The song is about these kind of every day thoughts.” Donned in exotic outfits and flashy makeup, HyunA said she “became a snake” in the song that sings “No one’s as intense as I am, like salmosa. I tried to show as much of myself as I could in the music video. I wanted to show how intense the ‘not cool’ HyunA could become when fully set,” she added. The creativity behind the title track comes from the unique minds of herself, singer and the founder of her agency P Nation Psy, and her best colleague and boyfriend Dawn. “We worked on the song while just chatting about it endlessly with each other,” HyunA said. “When Psy threw in a big catchy chunk, Dawn would creatively unfold this, adding fun elements to make it fit my style and state of mind. I personally like writing those rebellious lines. Mingling these three minds together, every day, was just so much fun.” [via The Korea Herald]

THYLA are sharing their first new music of 2021, with new single 'Breathe', a track that the band confirm will appear on their long-awaited debut album, set for release later this year. Putting 2020 firmly in the rear-view mirror, the Thyla ethos of putting one foot in front of the other serves them well as they look toward what a long-awaited debut album might sound like. As self-confessed underdogs they've developed an attitude that aims at turning the possible into the inevitable, and with the hypnotic 'Breathe' they reach for reflective, melancholy sounds to accompany what is a time of intense loneliness for many. It is a theme that has been creeping into Thyla's music for some time, and 'Breathe' sees them further explore the idea that, in a world more connected than ever, we are paradoxically more shut off as individuals. 'Breathe' shows yet again that even at their subtlest, Thyla are capable of carving out an impassioned pop world full of the intricacies of our much-missed IRL interactions. Lead singer Millie Duthie offers these thoughts on the track: "'Breathe' was written in the early hours of the morning. Eventually we chanced upon this really vibey atmospheric lick that you hear in the intro, and the whole song grew from there. The song blossomed into a slightly melancholic dream-pop bop, it’s bittersweet and has a slightly inconclusive feeling to it; imagine a film where the main character never actually gets the happy ending you’ve been so long yearning for. The result of how the instrumental sounded no doubt manifested lyrics that held the same sentiment. The song is about loneliness, estrangement from family and close friends, yet despite this, feeling a sense of inner strength about the situation. It’s like recovering from a breakup and realising you’ve come out stronger, but a reflection of the scar tissue that resulted from the trauma."

[saiyef]

Raising Children in a Fantasy Setting

I don’t know why but I really come to like this specific niche, where, in either in an Isekai/Native Isekai, the Main Character just finds a child, adopts that child and spends the series raising the child. Series that are part of that niche are:

Isekai Yururi Kikou: Raising Children While Being An Adventurer

Summary: After the god, Sylphyleel, accidentally killed him, Takumi Kayano is transported to another world by Syphyleel in a younger body and with OP abilities in order to make amends. While grinding in the woods, Takumi finds twin children who he names Allen and Elena. Allen and Elena are also OP and Takumi decides to raise them also becoming an adventurer with them as his party.

Thoughts: This series is just fluff. It’s just Takumi being a nice dad while twins are cute and happy, with some standard Isekai adventuring and fighting sprinkled in that has no tension due to Takumi and the twins being so OP. There’s really no emotional depth or tension beyond that. It’s just cute happy fluff.

Boukensha ni Naritai to Miyako ni Deteitta Musume ga S Rank ni Natteta

Summary: Belgrieve is a middle-aged man who was once an adventurer but quit after losing his leg not long after he started his career. He retired to his hometown in the countryside where he more or less lived a quiet life, occasionally helping his neighbours with farm work, collecting herbs or patrolling for monsters. One fateful, he finds a baby in the woods and adopts her. Naming her Angeline, he raises her and trains her in swordsmanship until one day she decides to become an adventurer herself and leaves for the capital. Now, Belgrieve is in his 40s still living a quiet life in the village while Angie has become as S-rank adventurer but is desperate for time off so she can go home and visit her dad.

Thoughts: This is a pleasant series. It follows two plot threads, of Belgrieve living in the countryside helping his neighbours and reminiscing on his days raising Angie and of Angie working as an adventurer in the capital with her party. Belgrieve is just really nice man who just wants to help his neighbours but is somewhat self-deprecating due to his failed career as an adeventurer. Angie completely idolises and adores her father and is desperate to visit him but is constantly obstructed from doing so by the adventurers guild being short-handed and needing Angie to deal with crisis after crisis, but still doing so anyway due being raised by her father to be just as generous and selfless as he is. There seems to be a bigger plot ahead with a Demon King, but right now it’s just slice-of-life of Belgrieve and Angie living their lives.

I'm a Middle-Aged Man Who Got My Adventurer License Revoked

Summary: Douglas Ford was once legendary adventurer to the point of being called the World’s Strongest Magician and a member of the Hero’s party. Now, as a 37 year old man, he is suffering from deteriorating health that comes with his age but his most distressing ailment is a mysterious disease that slowly, but permanently, lowers his Max HP every time he uses a magic skill. The Hero's party forces him out and the adventurer's guild revokes his license after he fails a few quests. A few months later, while Douglas wanders aimless and alone doing whatever menial job he can find, he encounters a demon...only to discover it’s a human transformed by a curse. He attempts to cure the person with a magic skill, despite the fact that such an act would kill him...except the spell was deflected and hit him instead, curing him of his “disease” which turned out to be curse. He then cures the demon, who turns out to be a young girl called Ravi. Douglas decides to take Ravi to find her a home and also find out the reason he got cursed in the first place.

Thoughts: I love this story and Douglas in particular. Douglas is a guy who wants to live for the sake of helping people and became an adventurer for that purpose. When he loses his job, he desperately tries to convince the guild to give back his license only to get rebuffed with cold indifference by the guild and laughed at by the other adventurers. When he leaves, he’s pretty much just biding his time until the day he dies and is completely and utterly alone, with no family or friends. When he starts travelling with Ravi, he struggles a lot with his decisions regarding Ravi (such as whether or not he should keep his distance with her) and makes plenty of mistakes but he always acknowledges what he did wrong and decides to become a better parent with what he learned from that mistake. He started out as someone who’s life more or less ended and struggled to decide what to do with his life afterward, finding joy in becoming a parent and living for someone else’s sake.

Maid kara Haha ni Narimashita

Summary: When a high school girl dies in an accident, she’s reincarnated as “Lily Ruzsa,” a girl that became the friend then maid to a noble’s daughter. That same daughter married the crown prince, and thus Lily became the “Royal Maid” that helped with issues around the palace. One day, she’s unexpectedly asked to work for the powerful magician, Leonard Mariel, who has taken in Jill, a young girl with lots of magical potential, and he wants Lily to move into his household to be her mother, because unlike the other women he’s asked she doesn’t try to seduce him or marry him so he trusts Lily to focus on raising Jill over forcefully forming a romance with him like said other women. Lily agrees, moves into Leonard’s household to raise Jill alongside Leonard and his 3 contract Spirits forming close-knit family.

Thoughts: This series is heartwarming, sad and very funny. Lily is very strict and outspoken around but is also very loving. She quickly loves Jill and devotes everything to raising Jill, maintaining the household, cooking meals for everyone and so on. She’s also pained by her memories of her previous life (in particular her loved ones she left behind) filling her with sadness and regret and also resulting in her having an intense aversion to romance and getting married like her mother nags her to do, conflicting with her growing feelings toward Leonard. Leonard is a man who, while a talented mage, struggles to communicate and socially interact with other people due to his troubled upbringing, in particular constantly causing misunderstandings with others with blunt way of speaking or not speaking at all. Despite this, he is a caring man as he found out that Jill had a similar troubled upbringing and wanted to make sure she grew up happy with Lily’s help, all the while becoming more expressive and feeling thanks to Lily and Jill’s influence.

[avengers-nextgen]

Facts About Phase 3 Kiddos

Drew:

Obviously Drax’s daughter.

Her first word was War. But it sounded more like “Ooooaaar” With wild arm flailing.

She was actually carried past full term and only came out when she decided to. She’s a stubborn girl.

Her sister Nova wasn’t pleased about having a sibling at first but they grew to be thick as thieves.

Drew likes braiding her mother’s hair and she’s gotten very good at intricate braids because of it.

She also tried to braid Drax’s ‘hair’ and he pretended along with her for the sake of it.

Nova taught Drew how to hold her first weapon.

Drew’s original name was Ophelia before de selected the earth identity of Drew.

Kubu:

He’s an only child.

He was in charge of militia forces in his village and has an extremely tactical mind.

He was determined to become a royal court military official before things went askew.

Most of his family and friends have died from starvation, war, or looting.

Kubu was in charge of feeding the youngest in his village. All of whom looked at him as a hero.

Kubu actually learned martial arts from a retired soldier who was simply trying to enlighten Kubu. When the soldier learned of his pupil’s intent he stopped tutoring Kubu at once.

Kubu created his own shit modeled specifically after the black panther suit for the sake of a politcial statement. They may be independent but they still are the same.

He’s extremely good at math but also very astute at reading. Anything he believes will aid his knowledge in combat, strategy, warfare, and politics he’ll devour.

For some time he had a stray cat but the feline died from a sickness he didn’t know how to treat.

After that he spent some time studying medicine.

Killian:

He has met all of the X-Men and he idolized then for a very long time.

It wasn’t until he nearly lost his mother on a mission that he began to doubt how super the Really were.

When it happened a second time Killian tried to come up with excuses so his mother wouldn’t go to fight crime. He’d fake being sick, etc.

Once she caught on he couldn’t get away with it anymore.

To cope with his worries he actually got super into Pokémon as a kid and collected a bunch of cards.

He used to battle with some kids at recess until his card binder was ruined by bullies.

After that, he decided Pokémon was stupid and he resorted to being by himself at all times.

Killian learned how to treat wounds at a very young age so he could help his mother.

He has no idea who his father is and prefers to keep it that way.

Killian loves his mother more than anything, but he also wants to protect her and help her which lead to his visualization of a hero less world. It would keep her safe and out of harms way along with all other supers. He knew other kids were hurting like her was.

Max:

Max’s family is very religious and because of this they refuse to use proper pronouns.

Max learned to tune them out but it was still difficult because all they wanted was parental approval.

Max adores hockey and is extremely good at it.

Max had a pet turtle growing up named Squirt.

Max is actually ambidextrous. Originally left handed, they purposefully learned how to use both hands equally since so many things were integrated for right handed people.

Because of their being ambidextrous it makes Max twice as deadly on the ice while playing hockey.

After the super power incident with contaminated fish, Max’s parents pretty much did what you shouldn’t do and essentially tormented their “son”.

Max was subject to visits of priests, extremely hot baths that scalded the skin, etc. all in hopes of purging the demons in Max’s body. In reality Max just acquired the ability to shape shift.

Because of their parents, Max ran away as the story says.

Harper:

Harper’s time in prison was lonely. She learned to keep to herself etc, and no one really wanted her around anyways.

She was finally caught for conning a bunch of people out of money and the courts weren’t very kind.

Though no one else knows it, Harper actually has an extremely enchanting voice. When she chooses to she can lure people much like a Siren into doing almost anything. Thus, booking gigs full of rich assholes paid off.

Of course the money all went back into helping her family but that only worked until she got caught.

Her parents know both about the siren voice and her criminal activities but both parties pretend to be none the wiser. It’s safer that way.

Harper’s mother and father have nothing but heartbreak because they feel that they’ve failed to provide as parents.

Harper refuses to believe that and has nothing but complete faith in her family. She’s often said every family has at least one rotten apple. She’s willing to take that burden if her sings get a better shot at life.

She’s specifically got Algonquian heritage and her family participates in some of the traditions still. (Hence: reference to the feather dance) though it’s usually taught from father to son. However, Harper’s taken to it because her father is so busy.

Anything else you wanna know about them just send in an ask!

[pokemaniacal]

Pokémon Moon, Episode 15: In Which I Awkwardly Attempt To Bond With A Strange Girl Of Dubious Usefulness

“I’ll do my best to keep up,” Lillie promises me as we step onto dry land.  “I’ll be fine!  I’ve got Max Repels with me,” she says confidently. “Uh… you know those only repel Pokémon of a lower level than your own, right?” “…oh.  Well… I have you too, right?” “And Nebby,” I point out. “Nebby is still unconscious!” “Yeah, but he’s… like… heavy, right?  You could throw him at people.”  She gives me a shocked look.  “Just spitballing!”  We start walking.  “What level is Nebby, anyway?” “I have no idea…” Lillie answers, a little despondently.  “He’s not actually my Pokémon; he’s just been travelling with me.” “So you’re really not a trainer at all?  Seriously?”  She shakes her head.  “With a mother who runs a huge Pokémon conservation organisation?  And a brother who… well, I mean, he’s a dick but he’s clearly got talent!” “I always wanted to be a scientist, like my mother… I never wanted to travel.  But what happened to Nebby, the way she…” Lillie breaks off, and is silent for a few seconds.  “Pokémon trainers really do amaze me.  It seems like a hard path to walk, and even so, you don’t let yourself be held back by the fear of seeing your Pokémon friends get hurt.  You just keep striving forward together…” “Eh… sometimes you do have to cut and run.  Like, being a trainer means being powerful, and being powerful means you have to do what’s right… well, when it’s convenient, obviously… but it also means you’re responsible for your Pokémon, and when it’s someone else’s skin you’re risking, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is show a bit of basic natural cowardice.  Take hiding from the Aether Foundation, for instance.  The brave thing to do, the noble thing, would have been to go back to Aether Paradise, confront your mother, and demand she take you back and treat Nebby better.  But that would have been stupid, because she would’ve literally fed you to a demon.  Hiding wasn’t the bravest or noblest way you could’ve played that, but it was the way that didn’t get you or Nebby killed.  Cowardice got us both we are today; don’t knock it.”  Lillie listens, nods a couple of times, and falls silent.

We soon arrive at Hapu’s home – an ancient adobe house on Poni Island’s southeast coast – and are greeted first by her Mudsdale, and then by Hapu herself.  After exchanging pleasantries, Lillie gets down to business and asks for directions to the Kahuna… which is when Hapu drops the bombshell that the Seafolk chief was unwilling to.  Apparently there is no Poni Island Kahuna.  There hasn’t been one for years.  You’d think someone (I’m looking at you, Hala) might have mentioned, before sending me off on a quest to defeat four Kahunas, that there were only three of them.  The Island Challenge – an important rite of passage for Alolan Pokémon trainers – has been impossible to complete since the death of Hapu’s grandfather, who was the previous Kahuna.  The island deity Tapu Fini, the Tapu of Hope, just… never appointed a replacement.  I guess it never seemed important?  This is why you should never make legendary Pokémon responsible for human institutions; they have different priorities, operate on radically different timescales, and will occasionally just screw you over without really meaning to.  Human leaders will demand gold, castles and expensive cheese, but at least they’re reliable.  In any case, Hapu apparently does have some kind of plan to get us the help we need, and asks us to meet her at the nearby Ruins of Hope.  Before we can leave, though, an old woman who introduces herself as Hapu’s grandmother offers us one extra little bit of help: another riding Pokémon. “Oh!  Thanks, but… well, Hapu already lets me summon her Mudsdale, so-” “I’m not talking about Mudsdale,” the old woman says, chuckling.  “I’m talking about this.”  A burly Machamp steps up behind her.  I raise my eyebrows. “Uh… how exactly do you ride a…?” “Like this.”  She gives the Machamp a little gesture, and it steps up to me and, before I can react or say anything, sweeps me off my feet and gently cradles me in its lower arms. “Whoa!  Um.  Wow.”  I twist my head around to look at the ground, then up at the Machamp’s face.  It gives a jolly, booming laugh.  “This, uh… you know, I kinda have a dream that starts like this, except in the dream it’s always been a human guy…”

Machamp provides Sun and Moon’s equivalent to the Strength HM, allowing us to move large stone blocks in our path – conveniently, since the entrance to the Ruins of Hope is barred by a series of exactly such blocks.  According to Lillie, Tapu Fini is said to have the power to “wash away all impurities,” and might be able to restore Nebby.  I’m sceptical – the Tapu have no love for Ultra Beasts – but if Lillie wants to give it a shot, whatever.  The ruins are somehow smaller than I was expecting.  There’s no expansive tunnel system filled with wild Pokémon, no obstacles or puzzles beyond the initial sliding block barrier, just an inner chamber with a raised dais.  When Lillie and I enter the room, Hapu is kneeling on the dais, speaking in a quiet, measured voice to a stone statue that I take to be a stylised representation of the Tapu. “I’ve read about them, you know…” Lillie whispers to me.  “Alola’s sacred ruins, and the guardian deities worshipped within.  The books say that they are… well, capricious.  Encounters with them do not always end as you hope.” “Hmph,” I grunt in response.  “Sounds about typical for deities.  Irresponsible bunch of manipulative little twerps.”  Lillie looks at me nervously.  “You heard me.  If Tapu Fini doesn’t like it, it can come out and tell me to my face…” I pause and look around.  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Meanwhile, up on the dais, Hapu has raised her voice slightly.  I can tell now that she’s speaking in a very ancient dialect of Alolan, but I can’t understand a word of it.  As her incantation ends, she is enveloped in a halo of golden light.  She reaches out with both hands and takes a small object hanging in the air in front of her, and the light fades.  Hapu clutches the object to her breast and bows her head. “I give my thanks for your great blessing.  I will do my best, for the people and the Pokémon of Alola.”  And just like that, Hapu stands, chosen by her god, the new Kahuna of Poni Island.

“Oh!” she says as she turns and sees us.  “There you are.” “Congratulations on the promotion,” I tell her.  “About time too, by the sound of it.”  Hapu smiles and shakes her head. “These things happen in their own time.  The Kahunas are chosen by the Pokémon we worship from among the people living on each of the islands they watch over.  My grandfather died very suddenly, and, well…” “…you weren’t ready.  But there were no other young trainers on Poni Island with the skill to replace him,” I finish.  She nods. “In the old days, when Poni Island was more populated, there would have been other candidates… I tried to follow in his footsteps, but I was not chosen back then.  So I set out on my own sort of Island Challenge, travelling Alola and trying to grow stronger.”  She looks at me with a hint of envy.  “You must really be something, Chris.  To be given a Sparkling Stone by the Tapu, even as a stranger to our shores.”  I glance down at the Z-Ring Hala made for me on my wrist. “Oh- oh, I’m not looking to take anyone’s position, if that’s what you’re getting at.  One run-in with Tapu Koko is quite enough for me.  Besides, I got the impression Kahuna was a lifetime position?” She chuckles. “It is – usually.  But retirement is possible.  You should consider keeping your options open, if you find you feel like staying in Alola.”  I hesitate. “…I’m fine, thanks.”  Hapu shrugs and turns to Lillie. “Lillie.  The Kahuna you wished to meet is right here.”  Lillie blinks and looks confused for a moment. “Oh!  Oh, yes, of course!  Um.”  She clears her throat.  “Please, then, Kahuna Hapu – tell me about the legendary Pokémon!” As it turns out, Hapu doesn’t know much more about Lunala or the summoning ritual than we do – but she is able to point us to the twin of Lillie’s Sun Flute, which is kept on a shrine on Exeggutor Island, an uninhabited little nothing of a place near the Seafolk Village.  Exactly why the flute is kept there apparently escapes her, but it’s definitely tradition, and if there’s one thing I’m learning about Alolan traditions, it’s that it’s best not to question them in polite company.  She also knows where we can conduct the ritual – the Altar of the Moone, on the island’s northeast coast.  Once we have the Moon Flute, we’re to meet Hapu at the entrance to the Vast Poni Canyon, and travel together to the Altar.

A short ride later, in one of the Seafolk’s damp, rickety Magikarp-styled runabouts, Lillie and I are unceremoniously dumped on Exeggutor Island’s only serviceable jetty.  The island is long and narrow, low and close to the water at the south end, with sheer cliffs rising straight up out of the sea at the north end, and a winding, gently sloping trail connecting the two.  We quickly learn how it got its name: it’s inhabited mainly by Exeggcute and Exeggutor, belonging to a curious Alolan subspecies.  The Exeggcute seem identical to their Kanto cousins, but the Exeggutor have almost comically long necks that sway precipitously in even the slightest breeze… and apparently have Dragon-type abilities.  Because Dragon-types obviously made way too much sense when all we had to deal with was Altaria, Mega Ampharos, Noivern and Goodra. “You.  Cortana McSiri.  Explain,” I tell the Rotomdex. “Zzzzt!  Azz it grew taller and taller, it outgrew its reliance on pzzzychic powers, while within it awakened the power of the zzzleeping dragon!” “You just made that up; that doesn’t make any sense at all.”  The Rotomdex buzzes indignantly, flies into my backpack, and turns itself off.  “Impudent little electronic charlatan,” I mutter.  The Rotomdex bleeps back on, delivers a mild shock to my lower back, then switches off again.  “Hey!  If you keep pulling that kind of $#!t I swear-” “Chris!  Hurry up!” calls Lillie, who has already set off up the path towards the island’s summit.  I shrug and follow her.

As we climb the hill, Lillie and I are caught in a sudden rainstorm, and take shelter beneath a rocky overhang.  After a few minutes of awkwardly staring out into the sheets of water, Lillie attempts to make conversation. “Rain in Alola, huh…” “…that’s your icebreaker?” I ask.  “Literally talking about the weather?”  Lillie glares at me, and for a moment I see Gladion’s piercing eyes in hers.  “…whoa, okay.  You have a talent for that.  You should ask your brother for some pointers some time; I’m convinced he could kill a Donphan by looking at it the wrong way.”  She looks stunned for a moment, then laughs. “My brother… we’ve grown so far apart, but if we can’t save my mother, he’s all I’ll have left…”  She stares out at the rain again.  “This… reminds me of one time, when I was little.  I’d seen it in a movie… this man singing and dancing in the rain.  I had to try it myself.  My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked that she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella.  And then… she smiled… and she danced with me in the rain…”  I frown. “It sounded like she doesn’t have quite the same fond memories of your relationship… what happened?” “I… don’t know.  She just… changed.  All she could think about was the Ultra Beasts… and Null and Nebby both ended up suffering so much.  And I couldn’t do anything.”  I frown again. “There’s a lot of things that can change a person.  Despair, hunger for power, conviction in a cause you thought was more important than anything… to be honest, legendary Pokémon can f&%# with your brain pretty hard too; I’ve seen all of the above.  All at once, in some cases…” “Do… do you think we can save her?” “Honestly?  I have absolutely no idea.  The last guy I can think of who went through something similar to your mother… well, I don’t really know where he went, but he’s definitely not coming back.”  Lillie’s face falls, and she is silent for a while. “What are you going to do once you finish your island challenge?” she asks eventually. “What I came to Alola to do in the first place.  Hit the beach!  I’m gonna need a holiday to recover from this holiday…” “Is that all?” she prods. “…well,” I say slowly.  “There’s… this guy.”  Lillie looks puzzled for a second, then understands. “Oh!  Ohhhh, you mean… there’s this guy.” “…exactly.” “Alola’s a nice place for it,” Lillie points out.  “People always say this region is one of the most romantic settings in the world…”  I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I read the brochures too.  But… well, the last time I saw him, I… kinda treated him badly, and…” “I see…” A sudden look of comprehension crosses Lillie’s face.  “Wait, we aren’t talking about Hau, are we?”  I blink and nearly fall over backwards in shock. “Wh- what?  No!  No, god no!  Just… wow.  No.”  I shudder involuntarily.  “I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s really sweet and all, but… god no.”  Lillie raises her eyebrows.  “No, seriously, Hau is… look, he’s a great guy, in his own random and incoherent way, but he’s… more like a little brother to me.  A really, really annoying little brother.”  I shake my head.  “No.” “…I think the sun is coming out.” “Oh, thank Arceus.” It turns out we were already quite close to the hilltop.  At the highest point on the island, a simple stone shrine prominently displays the thing we came for: a flute, intricately carved, coated with pristine blue lacquer, and bearing a crescent moon symbol. “Now we have both flutes!” Lillie exclaims. “Don’t get too excited,” I tell her.  “That was the easy part.” “I don’t know if it will really summon the legendary Pokémon, but we can at least try!  If nothing else, we’ll have sounded the flutes in offering, just like people used to do.”  I shrug. “I guess it is a once in a lifetime sightseeing opportunity…”

Back on Poni Island, we return to Hapu’s home and turn north, towards the entrance of the canyon.  The terrain is harsh and dry – I can see why so few humans choose to live here, and how the only ones who do might become skilled and tenacious Pokémon trainers.  Equally unsurprising is how few of the tourist brochures choose to put Poni Island front and centre…  Suddenly, Lillie grabs my arm, interrupting my musing, and points ahead at the trail leading into the canyon.  The path is blocked by half a dozen Team Skull grunts… including B.  Lillie and I exchange cautious glances and approach them.  Lillie decides to open the conversation. “You’re from Team Skull.  What is it that you want from us?”  B looks right at me for a few seconds, then back at Lillie and speaks to her. “We heard about what you numskulls got up to at Aether.  Do you really know a way to save our boy Guzma!?” “Um… well, we- that is, we’re trying to-” Lillie stammers. “We might.  Why do you care?” I ask. “Tell us!  Now!” one of the other grunts yells.  I look at her and raise one eyebrow. “Or what?”  B gives her a warning glare, but she’s already rushing forward, hurling a Pokéball. “We can make you talk, even if we have to cut you to the bone!”  Her Pokémon, a Fomantis, materialises between us.  I sigh theatrically and flick at one of my own Pokéballs with a finger.  A few seconds later, my Decidueye is standing over the unconscious Fomantis.  He hoots smugly, takes a bow, and returns to his Pokéball. “Where were we?”  The grunt stares in shock for a few seconds, then recalls her Fomantis and runs off.  B ignores her and addresses me. “If anyone’s goin’ after Guzma, it’s gotta be us.  You tell us the way; it’s only just!”  The other grunts nod and murmur their approval. “Lillie and I have in our possession a pair of flutes that may – and I stress may – allow us to conduct a summoning ritual for a legendary Pokémon capable of pursuing your boss and the President of the Aether Foundation to… wherever it is they’ve gone.  Now-” “So hand over the flutes, li’l homeslice!” he interrupts. “Even if you had the necessary archaeological knowledge to perform the ritual correctly… which frankly I doubt… you know I can’t possibly entrust a power like Lunala’s to a group like yours.  Um.  No offence.” “Yo, that ain’t fair!” B protests.  “We ain’t what you think!”  I look at him quizzically. “Why do you even want Guzma back?  From what I’ve seen, he treats all of you like garbage.”  Several of the grunts shift their weight awkwardly. “You wouldn’t understand,” B says, looking at his feet. “Try me.”  He shakes his head. “…Guzma’s… he ain’t always been a great boss and all, and sure he could be a bit more chill, but…” “…he’s like family,” Lillie suggests.  B looks at her quietly for a few seconds. “Yeah.  Team Skull’s the only family what most of us’ve got.  You’re the Prez’s daughter, right?  You gotta see why we have to do this.”  I search his eyes, and see no hint of deception. “You feel responsible for him.” “If I’da helped you out the other day… if we’da held Guzma back…” “He wouldn’t have gone with Lusamine; I see your point…” I finish.  “Listen, we’re mostly looking for the President.  But if it’s that important to you, we’ll see if we can find Guzma on the way.  Now, if you don’t mind-” “That ain’t good enough!” B shouts, stamping his foot.  “I’m comin’ with y’all!” “What?  B, we-” “Sure!” Lillie proclaims brightly.  I spin around to look at her. “What?” “It can’t hurt!” “It can hurt!  I- I can’t guarantee his safety; it’s bad enough I have to look out for your stately backside, and –” “Wait,” Lillie interrupts.  “Wait a minute.”  She looks back over at B, and points at him.  “Is this…?” “Yes,” the other grunts chorus, rolling their eyes in unison.  B turns bright pink. “Why shouldn’t he come with us, Chris?” “I- but- I- I told you why-” “I’ll battle you!” B blurts.  “To prove I ain’t gonna slow you down!  To prove I’m hard enough!” “Oh, don’t you start that $#!t again-” “Well, I think you should do it,” Lillie says.  “You did say you had something to make up for…” “What?  I didn’t-” “Zzzt!  I’m with her on thizzz one, boss!” the Rotomdex buzzes from inside my backpack. “Nobody asked you, you malfunctioning audiobook!” I shout over my shoulder. “Yo, we doin’ this!?” B demands, his hand by his Pokéballs. “I liked you better when I thought you were evil,” I tell Lillie with a glare, and step forward to fight B.

To B’s credit, he’s been practicing.  Not only has his roster swelled to five Pokémon with the addition of a Raticate and a Mareanie, they’re strong enough to give mine pause for thought.  Still, with mostly Poison-types on his team, he has trouble fighting back against my Psychu meaningfully after my Toucannon blows up his Raticate.  A few minutes later, we stand victorious once again. “I’m not giving up, even though you beat me!” he shouts defiantly.  “I’m part of Team Skull!  We’re thick as anything!”  I open my mouth to retort, but stop myself. “…not going to take the easy comeback; it’s beneath me.” “That’s enough,” says a familiar voice from behind me and Lillie.  I turn around – and see Plumeria. “…oh, hi, Plumeria!” I start, as brightly as I can manage.  “Please don’t kill me.”  She stares daggers into my skull for a few seconds.  I gulp audibly. “Hmph.”  She turns to Lillie.  “You, girlie… Lillie, right?  You really ready to do this finally?”  Lillie says nothing, but nods.  “To be honest, I’ve treated you really badly.  I guess it’s probably to late to apologise now, though.”  She pauses for a second.  Lillie says nothing.  Plumeria shakes her head and continues.  “But look… Guzma… he really likes the President, you know?  She’s the only one who ever seemed to understand how strong he was.”  Lillie looks back at her sadly. “The President… my mother is- she’s selfish.  She lavishes her love only on those she deems worthy.  But I will save her.  We will save her.”  She glances at me.  “I still have something I need to tell her.  And…” her gaze flicks to B for a moment, “I think I can save Guzma as well.”  Plumeria follows Lillie’s eyes to B, then grunts and looks back to Lillie again. “You know… deep down, you’re kind of like the President.”  Lillie’s eyes widen and she opens her mouth to protest, but Plumeria cuts her off.  “In a good way.  You’ve gone in a different direction, but I can tell you have the same strength in your convictions.  Bring Guzma back if you can.  No one can make up for what they’ve done if they’re gone.”  Lillie nods. “I’ll do what I can.”  Plumeria turns to B. “So.  Looks like you were special after all, kid.  Standing up to be a leader in Team Skull.  You’re the real deal.  The realest Pokémon trainer we’ve had in a while.”  He blinks a couple of times. “Um.  Thanks, sis.” “Take good care of our little princess here, okay?  And…” she stops for a moment, as if to think, then nods to herself.  “Take this.”  She tosses B a small purple crystal.  “It’s Poisonium-Z.  I know you don’t have much use for it now, but… someday.”  She turns to me, and says nothing for fifteen solid seconds, just glaring a burning hole in my forehead.  Finally, she speaks, in the friendliest, most casual tone I’ve ever heard her use. “If B doesn’t come back in one piece, then Pokémon or no Pokémon, I will flay every square inch of your body and feed what’s left of you to the Sharpedo.”  A single high-pitched squeak escapes my throat as Plumeria signals to the other grunts, then spins on her heel and stalks off.

The team:

Tane the Decidueye Male, Timid nature, Overgrow ability Level 45 Steel Wing, Leaf Blade, Synthesis, Spirit Shackle

Rhea the Toucannon Female, Lax nature, Keen Eye ability Level 44 Bullet Seed, Roost, Beak Blast, Brick Break

Ashley the Psychu Female, Timid nature, Surge Surfer ability Level 44 Discharge, Hidden Power (Ice), Nasty Plot, Psychic

Joanna the Salazzle Female, Timid nature, Corrosion ability Level 44 Flamethrower, Nasty Plot, Sludge Bomb, Toxic

Sigourney the Golisopod Female, Careful nature, Emergency Exit ability Level 44 Brick Break, Payback, First Impression, Leech Life

Zygarde Genderless, Sassy nature, Aura Break ability Level 40 Safeguard, Stone Edge, Dragon Dance, Thousand Arrows

[londontheatre]

Hampstead Theatre announces its Autumn season 2017 for the Main Stage

The world premiere of Prism, based on the life of legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff, is written and directed by Terry Johnson and will star Robert Lindsay and Claire Skinner.

The world premiere of Nicholas Wright’s The Slaves of Solitude, adapted from the acclaimed novel by Patrick Hamilton, will be directed by Jonathan Kent.

The first production of Simon Gray’s Cell Mates since 1995 will be directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall.

New Initiatives

Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire: The Next Playwright Programme is an opportunity for playwrights with new ideas, talent and energy to develop their craft under the mentorship of award-winning playwright Roy Williams.

The Downstairs Club, a free membership scheme for under 30s, will provide better access to Hampstead’s cheaper tickets across the Main Stage and Downstairs.

PRISM: Robert Lindsay

Artistic Director Edward Hall comments, ‘I’m extremely proud to announce such an exciting body of work at Hampstead Theatre this autumn. With two world premieres on the Main Stage, Terry Johnson’s Prism and Nicholas Wright’s adaptation of The Slaves of Solitude, and a long overdue revival of Simon Gray’s Cell Mates, our aim is to continue to provide endless nights of top quality and entertaining theatre for hundreds of thousands of theatregoers. I’m personally looking forward to Gray’s gripping espionage thriller and I hope to help it gain its rightful place in the repertoire as a serious, brilliant piece of British drama.

I’m also proud to introduce ‘Inspire: The Next Playwright Programme’, where 18 – 25 years olds have the opportunity to be mentored by Roy Williams for a year, developing their writing skills and script ideas. We also hope our new membership scheme for under 30s will provide even better access to our cheaper tickets across both of our auditoria. This scheme will offer priority booking ensuring that great theatre remains accessible to the next generation and is an expression of our commitment at Hampstead Theatre to audiences of the future.’

PRISM Written and Directed by Terry Johnson Starring Robert Lindsay and Claire Skinner 6 September – 14 October Press Night Thursday 14 September 7pm

‘The first time I held a prism and turned it to the light it did what the Impressionists struggled a lifetime to do; it embraced the light, split the light; it seemed to understand the very secret of light.’

Hampstead Theatre presents the world premiere of Terry Johnson’s delightfully witty and poignant new play Prism, based on the extraordinary life of double Oscar-winning cinematic master Jack Cardiff. Robert Lindsay returns to Hampstead Theatre (How I Got That Story, 1981) as Jack, ‘the man who made women look beautiful’, and will be joined by Claire Skinner, Rebecca Night and Barnaby Kay.

Legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff has retired to the sleepy village of Denham, Buckinghamshire. His days of hard work – and play – on some of the most famous sets in the world are now long behind him, as are his secret liaisons with some of the most famous women in the world… Surrounded by memorabilia from a lifetime of ‘painting with light’, the writing of an autobiography should be an easy matter – were it not that Jack would now rather live in the past than remember it.

Terry Johnson returns to Hampstead following his sell-out hit Hysteria starring Antony Sher and Ken (Hampstead Downstairs). His writing and directing theatre credits in the West End and on Broadway include Mrs Henderson Presents, The Duck House, End of The Rainbow, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, La Cage Aux Folles, Rain Man, Whipping It Up, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Hitchcock Blonde, Entertaining Mr Sloane, The Graduate, Dead Funny, Hysteria, Elton John’s Glasses and The Memory of Water. Further theatre credits include revivals of Oh What a Lovely War and Fings Ain’t What They Used T’Be as part of the 50th Anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s legendary Theatre Workshop at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2014, Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, The London Cuckolds and Sparkleshark at the National Theatre, Lost Land and The Libertine (which was nominated for five Jeff Awards, including Best Production) at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago. He is a former Literary Associate at the Royal Court Theatre where he has had five of his own plays produced: Insignificance, Cries From The Mammal House, Hysteria, Hitchcock Blonde, and Piano/Forte, and has directed two further premieres including Joe Penhall’s Dumb Show. His television credits include Not Only But Always (Channel 4, which won five International Award nominations, Best Film at Banff and the Best Actor Bafta for Rhys Ifans), The Man Who Lost His Head and Cor Blimey! (ITV), The Bite (BBC). His film Way Upstream was chosen for the London Film Festival and Insignificance was the official British Entry at Cannes in 1985.

Barnaby Kay plays Mason . His recent theatre credits include Buried Child (ATG), Welcome Home Captain Fox (Donmar Warehouse), King Charles III (Wyndham’s), Raving (Hampstead Theatre), The Captain of Kopenick, Danton’s Death, Closer (National Theatre), Eric Larue, As You Like It, Twelfth Night and The Herbal Bed (RSC). Barnaby began his stage career with Max Stafford-Clark’s company Out of Joint, appearing in several productions including The Break of Day, Three Sisters, The Libertine and The Man of Mode. Barnaby’s extensive television and film credits include The Five, Wallander, Dr Who, Conspiracy, Oscar and Lucinda and Shakespeare in Love.

Robert Lindsay plays Jack. His theatre credits include A Christmas Carol: In Concert With The London Musical Theatre Orchestra (Lyceum Theatre), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre, West End), The Lion In Winter (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Onassis (Derby Playhouse/West End), Aristo (Minerva Theatre, Chichester), The Entertainer (Old Vic Theatre) for which Robert received an Evening Standard theatre Award Nomination, Hamlet (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester) Power (National Theatre), Richard III (Savoy Theatre), Oliver! (Palladium Theatre), Cyrano De Bergerac (Theatre Royal, Haymarket), Becket (Haymarket) both for which Robert received an Olivier Award Nomination, Me and My Girl (Adelphi Theatre) for which Robert won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Recent television credits include Bounty Hunter, Genius, Galavant, The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl and My Family. His film credits include Grace of Monaco, Wimbledon, Fierce Creatures, Divorcing Jack and Remember Me?

Rebecca Night plays Lucy. Her recent theatre credits include Racing Demon (Theatre Royal Bath), The Meeting (Hampstead Theatre) A Flea in her Ear (The Old Vic). The Grapes of Wrath (Chichester Festival theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (West End/Theatre Royal Bath/Tour) and The Master and Margarita (NYT – Lyric Hammersmith). Her television credits include Maigret, Agatha Raisin, Lark Rise to Candleford, Starlings, Wuthering Heights and Fanny Hill. Her film credits include Dartmoor Killing, Suspension of Disbelief and Cold.

Claire Skinner plays Nicola. She made her Hampstead Theatre debut last year in Rabbit Hole, Claire most recently starred in The Father at The Wyndhams Theatre, having transferred from The Tricycle. Other notable theatre credits include Blurred Lines, Mrs Affleck, A Winter’s Tale, Othello (National Theatre), Deathtrap (Noel Coward Theatre), Moonlight (Almeida and Comedy Theatre), Measure for Measure (RSC), The Importance of Being Earnest (The Aldwych) and The Glass Menagerie (Donmar / Comedy Theatre), for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress and won both a London Critic’s Circle Award and Time Out Award for Best Actress. Television and film credits include Critical, Outnumbered, Inside No. 9, Silk, Doctor Who, Lark Rise to Candleford, Sense & Sensibility, Homefront, Poirot, Sleepy Hollow, Life is Sweet and Naked.

The commissioning of Prism was funded by NEXT DECADE, a joint Hampstead Theatre/AKO Foundation initiative.

Prism: starring Robert Lindsay and Claire Skinner at Hampstead Theatre

THE SLAVES OF SOLITUDE By Nicholas Wright Adapted from the novel by Patrick Hamilton Directed by Jonathan Kent 20 October – 25 November Press Night Monday 30 October 7pm

‘Have I shocked you? Have I bruised the delicate feelings of the English Miss? Miss Missed-her-chance. Miss Missed-her-man. Miss Prim. Miss Prude’ Hampstead Theatre presents the world premiere of Nicholas Wright’s The Slaves of Solitude directed by Jonathan Kent. Adapted from Patrick Hamilton’s much-loved story, this new play weaves a fascinating blend of dark hilarity and melancholy in a story about an improbable heroine in wartime Britain.

1943, Henley-on-Thames. Miss Roach is forced by the war to flee London for the Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, which is as grey and lonely as its residents. From the safety of these new quarters, her war now consists of a thousand petty humiliations, of which the most burdensome is sharing her daily life with the unbearable Mr. Thwaites.

But a breath of fresh air arrives in the form of a handsome American Lieutenant and things start to look distinctly brighter… Until, that is, a seeming friend moves into the room adjacent to Miss Roach’s, upsetting the precariously balanced ecosystem of the house…

Nicholas Wright returns to Hampstead Theatre following the sell-out hit The Last of the Duchess (Main Stage, 2011) and A Human Being Died That Night (Downstairs, 2013). His other plays include Treetops and One Fine Day (Riverside Studios), The Gorky Brigade (Royal Court), The Crimes of Vautrin (Joint Stock), The Custom of the Country and The Desert Air (RSC), Cressida (Almeida Theatre at the Albery), Rattigan’s Nijinsky (Chichester Festival Theatre), Travelling Light, Mrs. Klein, Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter (National Theatre). He adapted His Dark Materials (National Theatre), and wrote versions of Naked and Lulu (Almeida), John Gabriel Borkman, Three Sisters (National Theatre) and Thérèse Raquin (Chichester Festival Theatre and NT). His adaptation of Pat Barker’s Regeneration was produced in Northampton and on tour in 2014. His opera libretti include The Little Prince (Houston Grand Opera) Man on the Moon (Channel 4) and Marnie (ENO 2017 and New York Metropolitan Opera 2018); television credits include Armistead Maupin’s More Tales of the City (Channel 4) and three episodes of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO/BBC). He wrote 99 Plays and co-wrote Changing Stages with Richard Eyre.

Jonathan Kent returns to Hampstead Theatre following Good People, starring Imelda Staunton in 2014. He was joint Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre between 1990 and 2002, which he founded as a full-time producing theatre. His productions included Britannicus (also West End/New York), Hamlet (also Broadway), Plenty (West End), King Lear, The Tempest, Platonov, Lulu (also Washington), Coriolanus (also New York /Tokyo), Richard II, Naked (also West End), Phèdre, The Government Inspector, Ivanov (also Moscow), Tartuffe, Hamlet (also Broadway), Gangster No 1, The Life of Galileo, Chatsky, The Showman, The School for Wives, Medea (also West End/Broadway), The Rules of the Game, All for Love, When We Dead Awaken. Other theatre work includes Sweet Bird of Youth (Chichester Festival Theatre), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Broadway), David Hare’s Chekhov Trilogy: Ivanov, Platonov & The Seagull (Chichester Festival Theatre and the National Theatre), Gypsy (Chichester Festival Theatre and the West End), Good People (The Hampstead Theatre and the West End), Private Lives (Chichester Festival Theatre and the West End), Sweeney Todd (Chichester Festival Theatre and the West End), The Emperor and Galilean (National Theatre), A Month in the Country (Chichester Festival Theatre), Marguerite (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Oedipus (National Theatre), The Sea and The Country Wife (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Faith Healer (Dublin/Broadway), As You Desire Me (West End), King Lear (Sheffield Crucible), Hecuba (Donmar Warehouse), Hamlet (Japan), Man of La Mancha (Broadway), Le Cid, Mother Courage and Her Children and The False Servant (National Theatre).

Patrick Hamilton was born in Hassocks, Sussex in 1904. He and his parents moved a short while later to Hove, where he spent his early years. He published his first novel, Craven House, in 1926 and within a few years had established a wide readership for himself. Despite personal setbacks and an increasing problem with drink, he was still able to write some of his best work. His plays include the thrillers Rope (1929) – on which Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rope was based – and Gaslight (1939), also successfully adapted for screen in the same year. There was also an historical drama, The Duke in Darkness (1943). Among his novels are The Midnight Bell (1929), The Siege of Pleasure (1932), The Plains of Cement (1934), a trilogy entitled Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky (1935), Hangover Square (1941) and The Slaves of Solitude (1947). The Gorse Trilogy is made up of The West Pier, Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse and Unknown Assailant, which were first published during the 1950s. He died in 1962.

CELL MATES By Simon Gray Directed by Edward Hall 30 November – 20 January Press Night Thursday 7 December 7pm

‘Spies betray people. That’s what we do. It becomes a – a habit. Difficult to break – even when it’s not – not strictly necessary’ Hampstead Theatre presents Simon Gray’s deftly funny play Cell Mates which has been unperformed since 1995. Directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall, this absorbing drama explores how personal freedom is an illusion and even friendship must have carefully circumscribed limits in a world where deception is a reflex response.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London, 1961. One of Britain’s most notorious double agents, George Blake, is serving a 42 year sentence – that is, until he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Irish petty criminal, Sean Bourke. Both men are eccentric outsiders, and each sees the possibility of escape – and not just from prison – through the other. But once on the outside, can their mutual dependence survive the mounting pressures they face from MI5, from the KGB – and indeed from themselves?

Simon Gray wrote more than 30 stage plays including Butley, Otherwise Engaged (which both received Evening Standard Award for Best Play), Japes, Michael, Japes Too, Missing Dates (premiered together at Hampstead in 2014 as In the Vale of Health), Close of Play, The Rear Column, Quartermaine’s Terms (winner of 8 Obie Awards), The Common Pursuit, Hidden Laughter, The Late Middle Classes (winner of the Barclay’s Best Play Award), The Old Masters and Little Nell. He is the author of many plays for television and radio, also films, including the 1987 adaptation of J L Carr’s A Month in the Country, and TV films including Running Late, After Pilkington (winner of the Prix Italia) and Emmy Award-winning Unnatural Pursuits. His acclaimed works of non-fiction are An Unnatural Pursuit, How’s That for Telling ’Em, Fat Lady?, Fat Chance, Enter a Fox, The Smoking Diaries, The Year of the Jouncer, The Last Cigarette and Coda. The dramatisation of his Diaries, The Last Cigarette, co-authored with Hugh Whitemore and directed by Richard Eyre, played in the West End in Spring/Summer 2009. In 1990 Simon Gray was awarded the BAFTA Writer’s Award. He was appointed CBE in the 2005 New Year’s Honours for his services to Drama and Literature. He died in 2008. For more information please visit www.simongray.org.uk

Hampstead Theatre’s Artistic Director Edward Hall’s productions include Filthy Business, Rabbit Hole, Firebird, Wonderland, Sunny Afternoon, Raving, Chariots of Fire, No Naughty Bits, Loyalty, and Enlightenment. As Artistic Director of Propeller, his Shakespeare productions have toured worldwide, played both in the West End and on Broadway, and have won numerous awards both in the UK and overseas. Other theatre work includes A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (National Theatre), Edmond with Kenneth Branagh (National Theatre), Macbeth with Sean Bean (Albery), The Constant Wife (Apollo), Julius Caesar (RSC), Henry V (RSC), and The Deep Blue Sea (Vaudeville). Television work includes The Durrells, Partners in Crime, Restless, Downton Abbey, Strike Back, Spooks and Kingdom.

Casting for The Slaves of Solitude and Cell Mates will be announced in due course. http://ift.tt/1QRvupl

http://ift.tt/2qBlZ5f LondonTheatre1.com

[armornick]

The Retired Demon of the Maxed-Out Village, Vol. 1

Today I finished volume 1 of The Retired Demon of the Maxed-Out Village.

Pretty cool novel. The actual plot gets going pretty quickly, which is actually a nice change. There's also some interesting setup for later volumes.

Next up, I'm finally getting to the latest Dahlia.