#beheaded just wants a cool sword

[senselessalchemist]

The Beheaded makes a pitch

[arataka-reigen]

Damn,, Loguetown arc in the anime is so annoying

[cerastes]

as far as my circle of mutuals goes, i think you're the only cishet guy around these days

We held a tournament, Highlander style, where we beheaded each other after climatic sword duels and absorbed the fallen's power. I am the Last Cishet who absorbed all of their power, known only by my title: Son Boy Allowed.

No but jest aside, that post did make me think of the times it's been brought up that I Am This in spaces where that's not the norm, and, well, each friend group or community has its own story, and in my case, it happened to be that the majority of people in my friend group & adjacent community, over the years, came out as trans mainly plus a few other identities, and while I did not understand it at all initially (even considered it could be catfishing, because I am from ye olde internet where catfishing was rampant and an olympic sport), my logic was "ok I love this person, they are asking me if I can refer to them as the other gender now, and that that's what they really are. There's not anything wrong at all with that, nor do I think this person I consider my friend could have nefarious intents with this, like catfishing, because I know them, so sure thing, let's go with that" and with time, I learned more and more about these topics, either by my own initiative (because I wanted to understand more) and when committing faux passes, because my friends would correct me or pull me to the side (send an IM) going "hey uh Drimo, you reblogged something pretty bad just now, are you aware?" "oh fuck no why" and I'd always get a helpful explanation.

Which brings me to the point: As a cishet dude, it REALLY helped me a LOT to understand these topics to have not only loving friends that live those lives, but to have said loving friends that live those lives and are willing to assume that my fuck ups and oopsies were born from ignorance and good faith, not from a hateful and discriminatory hill, and who then kindly informed me of X and Y.

So I have to agree with that post! At the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing, I do think being able to tolerate the misteps of a well-intentioned cishet guy who might not know all the 1s and 2s of the dance does in fact directly correlate to healthy, cool friend groups and communities. Over the years, the majority of my net friends have come out as trans, and a few others as non-binary and genderfluid, and I've never really had a situation where someone blasted me for my misteps, instead explaining What Happened instead. I've learned a lot over the years, and in fact, as a therapist, I've helped trans kids come out and have explained the whole shebang to their parents, but as a cishet guy, again, initially this was all very arcane to me, so I am always thankful for the people that took time and care so we could remain friends and so that I could grow to be a more worldly and open minded person.

[superhero--imagines]

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! /Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here! / Part 5 Here! / Part 6 Here! /

 Part 7 Here! / Part 8 Here! / Part 9 Here! / Part 10 Here! / Part 11 Here! / Part 12 Here! /

Part 13 Here! / Part 14 Here! / Part 15 Here! / Part 16 Here ! / Part 17 Here! / 

Part 18 Here! / Part 19 Here! / Part 20 here! / Part 21 Here! / Part 22 Here! / 

Part 23 Here! / Part 24 Here! / Part 25 Here! / Part 26 Here! / Part 27 Here! / 

<This is Part 28!>   / Part 29 Here! / Part 30 Here!

A/N: It's baaaaack! A few updates; I know we used to have an update every week, due to mental health and general constraints in time -- This series will no update every other week. In the weeks between you'll get the sneak peak. I know it's not ideal, but with the pace the series is being written at this is the best I can currently offer. Hope you enjoy this part!

* It’s hard to describe the exact sensation that plagued the days after Luke’s betrayal.

* At first it wasn’t terrible, you would rouse from your cabin and make your way to the big house where a comatose Percy slept, pale blue light pouring from your hands.

* While he was still unconscious you could maintain a steady rhythm for your days.

* You would wake up in the morning, drink some nectar, heal Percy, have a snack, and go back to sleep.

* But the second Percy woke up, back to swinging swords and beheading monsters, it felt like every ounce of responsibility left your body.

* Your glass of nectar started to be a bit more full every morning.

* The full breakfast with coffee Dionysus laid out felt less appetizing.

* And you started to find solace in the relief of sleep.

* You watched the three moons of the Underworld all aligned in a burning red sky.

* “Are you okay?” The boy with scars on his chest asks.

* “Of course! I’m fine!”

* A plump red strawberry nestled in your palm.

* “If you want, my mother might be able to help, I could bring you to her.” The woman with hair the color of rust whispers, the cow nestled in her lap snorts.

* “It’s fine, I’m fine.”

* You sit next to a hippie in a strawberry field, her bright hair held up by a tie dye headband.

* “You’ve got to let that stuff go man.”

* “What stuff? I’m fine.”

* You drift from reality to reality, never really sure of what you’re experiencing or what you’re looking for.

* You stand in cold water that comes up to your calves, so clear and blue it feels like liquid aquamarine.

* You can see white doves in the distance, soaring to the place where sky meets water.

* “I haven’t seen you in a while.” It’s the boy from earlier, the one with pure white hair, Zeus’s personal secretary.

* He seems more tan now though.

* “You look awful.”

* He still doesn’t seem to have much tact.

* Flustering under your apathetic gaze, his cheeks bloom a rosy hue, hand up in surrender.

* “N-not in a bad way, it’s just you usually…” his gaze softens, his freckles glinting like amber under the sunlight. “You usually seem as vibrant as a fresh rose.”

* Well, that’s quite a compliment.

* “I was betrayed by a friend recently,” you shrug and he gapes “but it’s fine, I’m—”

* “No you’re not fine! How could you be?” He grasps your shoulders in his hands, forcing you to face him entirely. “You were betrayed by your friend, how can you be okay?”

* “Because everyone expects me to be.”

* The words snap whatever feeble grip you have on your emotions.

* You feel the intense burn before you feel the heat of your tears as life down your face, cooling at the nape of your neck.

* Despair you’ve kept carefully contained begins to curl off your form

* Your hands move to cover your face, tears collecting on your wrist as your furiously move to wipe the remnants of your sadness away.

* The boy doesn’t let you feel bad for long, paying no mind to the physical pain of the despair that curls off of your form, tugging you to his chest.

* “You’re just a child, you’re allowed to feel sad.”

* The tears come harder now, sobs muffled by his broad chest, his warm hand on your back.

* You wake up sniffling, blurry eyes taking in the ceiling of your cabin, your alarm clock flashing three fourty-two in the morning.

* You clutch your heart, feeling tears slip down your face.

* You swallow hard and shuffle on an old sweatshirt and your slippers.

* You walk across camp in quick steps, past the training grounds where you see a flicker of his figure, past the porch of the Hermes Cabin where you would laugh with him, past Thalia’s tree where you sat and had picnics, each step punctuated with traces of your blue despair.

* You still for a moment at the Big House, but continue down the hills, Dionysus as kind as he is, isn’t who you need right now.

* You make your way down to the small hill, the place you first met him all those years ago.

* You feel that burning again.

* Despair curling off of your body like an aura, the grass at your feet withering away.

* You kneel on the barren earth, tears sliding down your face.

* You place your hands out, flinching away at the last moment.

* ‘Asking for help is always the hardest part.’

* You take a quick breath, tears shaking from your eyes, pressing your hands against the earth twice and before you can fully think you say: “Aidoneus.”

* He wraps you in his arms before you can croak out a word.

* “He betrayed me…HE BETRAYED ME!” You shriek, collapsing in on yourself like a dying star.

* He holds you tight, a hand cradling your head.

* “It’s okay, I’m here now, you’re okay.” He takes your despair like it’s his own, a monster who’s lived in his shadow all his life, only offering a single tear in its face.

* The hill outside Canp Halfblood is dyed blue that night, the divine boundary the only thing saving a dozen campers from melancholy dreams.

* “I keep wondering if there was something I could have done, something I could have said,” you sniff after you’ve calmed down, your face pressed against the soaked cotton of his button down shirt.

* He doesn’t say anything for a long time.

* “That boy…” you look up, eyes red rimmed. “Just as you have something you want to do, something you think only you can do, that boy feels the same.”

* You can see it, Luke, so distraught and torn after being a plaything for the gods for so long reaching out to the hand of a Titan who promised him a different kind of future, for him and for every child who came after him.

* “If you care for him,” Hades cradles your face in both of his palms, “if you care for that mortal boy like you were split from the same star, and carved from the same flesh, then I promise you nothing on earth, the underworld, or Olympus will keep you from reaching him.” He presses his forehead against yours and you nod.

* There was never any doubt.

* ‘If Luke’s lost his way then it’s no big deal, he has friends to bring him back.’

* “Do you feel better?” He asks, and you nod, your worn sweatshirt cuffs dabbing at your eyes. “Good, now drink.”

* He holds the flask to your lips and the sweet taste of your fathers slightly burnt chocolate chip cookies floods your mouth.

* “I lost your flask,” you suddenly remember, before sheepishly adding: “sorry.”

* He grins.

* “I know, it’s okay. It’s a miracle you all made it out—in comparison a flask is inconsequential.”

* His hand strokes your hair bank, his eyes warm as he looks down at you.

* “We’re all on your side.”

* “I know.”

* And you do, the proof is littered on your arm, blessings from each of them and every god they could find, trading favors and secrets to make sure you were secure.

* “As a king and a god, there will be times where I can’t show you explicit favor,” like he already hasn’t or something. “But if you call for me, I will always answer.”

* “Me too.” You’re not sure why you say it, just that it feels right, a smile illuminating your face. “If you call for me, I’ll answer you too.”

* He smiles so wide you feel like you catch a glimpse of the boy he once was.

* “Go, they're waiting for you.” He nods to Thalia’s tree, and you begin the climb up the steep hill, turning back to wave goodbye before he dissipates into smoke.

* When you reach the top, gold hued dawn breaking over the skyline, you’re met with three figures.

* Percy and Annabeth rush towards you first:

* “We’re going to go find him next summer,” Annabeth starts.

* Percy nods beside her. “We’ll bring him back.”

* Clarisse approaches you behind them. “He’s just going through a bout of teenage rebellion, a slap upside the head will set him straight.

* Grover nods beside her, still dressed in his nightshirt. “He’s just a little confused.”

* Dionysus smiles, “With all of us working together it’s just a matter of time until we bring Luke back home!”

* You feel the warmth of hope bloom in your chest, tears of joy stinging the corners of your eyes.

* “How could be possibly refuse when all of you are waiting for him?”

* ‘Because no one who’s lost ever stays lost.’

* Summer comes to an end, and for once everyone’s going home, you wave to Percy, Clarisse, and Annabeth as you part at the boundary line, going to your respective families.

* You think you see Clarisse cry a little when her mother greets her with a hug.

* “Everytime I pick you up from here I get the strange urge to shove you in the car and never bring you back.” Your father says when you’re nestled in his passenger seat.

* “What a completely normal thing to say to your child, do you have any other normal sayings or is this your best one?”

* “Alright smartass, you’ve got your uniform fitting the day after tomorrow.” You groan, a new year meant a new uniform.

* “They’re always so uncomfortable.” You mumble, face in your hands.

* You think about Luke more than you’d like to admit in the coming week, even out of camp you can’t help wondering where he is.

* Is he eating well? You think while you try your fathers new and improved risotto.

* Is he somewhere safe? You think when rain hits the glass window outside of Barney’s as the tailors fuss over your form.

* Is he able to sleep at night? You think when you’re cozy in your bed.

* And each time you strengthen your resolve.

* ‘I’m going to get him back.’ You think with every hearty bite of risotto.

* ‘He’s going to come back.’ You reinforce, meeting the tailors suggestions head on.

* ‘I’m going to save Luke Castellan, and not even Kronos can stop me.’ You manifest, right before you drift into silky black unconsciousness.

* You’re in a pavilion, ivory white columns on either side and white marble under your feet.

* Before you is possibly the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen, skin the color of dark amber, golden eyes, and tawny tresses.

* A jagged scar runs over his right eye, but even that only seems to accentuate the symmetry of his features.

* “Is there something I can help you with, godling?” He doesn’t spare you a glance, his eyes fixed on the green trees in the distance.

* You immediately fluster.

* Normally you would apologize, but instead what comes out of your mouth is:

* “Just because you’re beautiful doesn’t mean you can be cold, you know.”

* ‘Now I’m really in for it.’

* He raises an eyebrow.

* “Do you jest Demi-god?”

* You take the quirk of his lips as an invitation to sit beside him, taking in the scenery.

* “Whatever, like you don’t know you’re stupid hot.”

* “Hot? I think I’m the correct temperature.” He touches his forehead and you laugh.

* “No like…you’re handsome.”

* He smiles at you, and when he turns to face you, you realize where his left arm should be in a hood mechanical device in the shape of a human hand.

* ‘That’s interesting.’

* “I can’t say I share your sentiment.”

* “How did it happen?”

* He shrugs.

* “My Father betrayed me.” He shrugs.

* “Wow, your dad is super shitty.” Somehow he’s even worse than a deadbeat like Poseidon or a serial womanizer like Zeus.

* “Do you also have an awful Father?”

* “No, my Dad is the best.” He visibly deflated when you tell him that, earning a laugh. “But I recently had a good friend show a display of extreme betrayal.” Your eyes widen, the corner of your mouth twitching.

* “We could be betrayal buddies!”

* You said it as a joke, still you weren’t expecting the handsome man to laugh as hard as he did. You find yourself laughing along, waking up in your bed with tears in the corners of your eyes and laughter spilling past your lips.

* “What a wonderful dream.”

* You walk to school that morning feeling a little lighter. Excited to see all your old friends and classmates. Maybe you’ll even learn something interesting.

* ‘This is going to be a good year.’

* So imagine your surprise when you see a certain ocean-eyes boy at the gate.his gaze widens when he meets your eyes.

* “Hey (Y/N), do you go to Saint Catherine’s too?” Percy asks with a grin.

Tag list :

@holybatflapexpert @atomicsophia @fadingunknowncoffee @hopeworldsupremacy @padsfirewhisky @magical-dreamland @kookiedesi @kiritokunuwu @bleepmorp @flickeringlizard @luckyzipperscissorsbat @jessiegerl @undecided-as-always @officiallydarkgeek

@marsbars09 @yizhoutv @alicesolengg @luxaryllis-primaryacc @time-shardz @cryinghotmess @crow-with-a-hoodie @the-nerdy-fangirl @crackedpumpkin @geekyandgay98

@lazydreamers @agentsofblinks @justsomestuffiguessman @elodietea @mxacegrey @angelic-simp @astrial @babypink224221 @weaponb33 @redactedhimbo @heart-charming  @psychomanias @aliinunderland

@karnellius @lunavixia @cerberus-the-cutie @bes2005 @girlcrafter408 @loser-keiji @shadowsmusical @hazeofeleven

[shuttershocky]

It really is something how beloved Shimousa is when if picked apart it wasn't even that good.

WAIT before you all throw your shoes at me, know that I fully agree that Shimousa rules. It's the only FGO chapter I really want to see animated and done right. I also just don't think it was that good.

Shinjuku had the stronger narrative arc for its primary protagonist (+ antagonist) Moriarty, Salem made better use of its setting with some fantastic paranoia and the surprising introduction of the outer gods into Type-Moon, and Seraphix (the CCC event) was just Nasu showing off his skills by using the structure of the ballet Giselle and making Meltryllis follow Giselle's footsteps while making something completely different while Shimousa was a straightforward "beat these seven guys and then the boss" adventure. If it wasn't for Agartha existing, Shimousa might have actually been the worst part of Epic of Remnant. All of its strengths would have been vastly improved by being in a different, more visual medium (see: the manga version and its sick art), as the format (and just the prose + dialogue in general) just couldn't capture all the cool shit it was trying to show you.

Yet it's the most popular, and it's just so damn fun. Musashi's charisma is among the best in Type-Moon, and everything about her just clicks. Her character design is simple and yet instantly recognizable, she can turn on a dime between being the dashing hero and the goofball oaf, and most importantly, she dual wields swords. (That's rad as fuck.)

Musashi became so iconic they're literally making a whole game about samurai so she gets to appear in something else after FGO killed her off. What a star.

This part probably doesn't apply to as many people, but if you're like me and like a lot of old Type-Moon it was also just really great to see TM do dark fantasy / horror again. Shimousa went MAXIMUM chuunige: servants get horrifically corrupted beyond the point of saving and their eyes weep blood, Musashi's duels take place in a field of skulls underneath a blood moon, there's a terrifying scene where Musashi beheads Lancer of Purgatorio, only for him to keep laughing and fighting while his head reformed from warped flesh from his neck. We even got a new EMIYA remix out of nowhere. What the fuck.

Shimousa ruled so hard. I want an anime so bad, but at the same time I don't know if I can trust an anime to do it right now that I've seen what the manga did with it.

[artzychic27]

Something I’ve always wondered was how did King Marc and Nath of Hearts meet? I just love this couple so much-

Once Upon A Time…

On the night of a crescent moon, shaped like the smile of the Cheshire Cat, in the magical and quite odd, yet wonderous kingdom of Wonderland, the King and Queen of Hearts were blessed with a darling young Prince they named, Nathaniel. They showered their son with so much love and affection, doted on him every few seconds, and yet… Their praise and adoration for the young Prince of Hearts didn’t have the effect they expected.

Whenever given a knife at dinner, he’d nearly stabbed one of the servers. The Card Guards swore they had seen a gleeful look in his eyes when the King mentioned executing a traitor. The most gruesome of jokes only seemed to get a laugh out of the redhead.

The King and Queen were in denial for so long. They knew Nathaniel could be a bit of a wild card, but they were certain he’d grow out of it. He’d be their sweet Prince of Hearts, learn how to run the Kingdom when the time came, and stop treating the croquet hedgehogs better than he treats others.

Thirteen years had passed. Nathaniel’s violent tendencies have not vanished, and the King and Queen could no longer deny that. What had been concerning them the most lately was their son’s recent fascination with weapons, specifically swords, axes, and daggers. He would never go anywhere without his favorite dagger, explaining, “I would lose the element of surprise if I had an ax or sword strapped to my back, now wouldn’t I?”

The Kingdom was growing wary. They refused to have such a… A mad young man grow up to become their King. And yet, no one dared to speak out against the Prince of Hearts, not unless they would like to feel the cool steel of his dagger pressed against their necks. The King and Queen of Hearts also dreaded the day he would come of age and rise to power, most likely ruling Wonderland with an iron fist and executing all those who defied his rules, all 613 of what he had already written so far. They aren’t sure what more they can do at this point. Nothing could calm Nathaniel down apart from Tea Time and when he spent time with the hedgehogs. And even those weren’t enough to cool his infamous temper.

But, the more they thought it over, the King and Queen of Hearts wondered if maybe, just maybe, if instead of something, their Prince needed someone to quell his behavior. All it would take was the right connection with another young Royal or anyone really to divert his attention towards… Other interests.

With that in mind, a ball was thrown. All eligible Royals around the age of the Prince of Hearts were in attendance, yet, none were willing to even make eye contact with the dreaded Mad Prince of Wonderland. It would appear that the rumors spread to other Kingdoms, not that Nathaniel cared. The thought of ever co-ruling his future Kingdom sickened him. He’s not one to compromise. All ways are his way, and it will stay that way.

When his parents informed him prior to the ball that they would be finding suitors for him, Nathaniel wanted nothing more than to finally have their heads in his grasp. While they have done so much for him over the years, it was about time for a new ruler to take control of Wonderland and command the respect of all. But, he couldn’t exactly become King until he turned eighteen or his parents died. And he refused to wait five more years. But it just never seemed like the right moment to behead them. Usurping the throne was a fine reason, but he craved more than that. He was just unsure of what, but it needed to be the reason that really drove him to behead those kindhearted fools.

Having grown bored of the ball, the Prince of Hearts was about to make his way into the rose garden when his parents called him over. He scowled at the sight of their delighted faces. What could they possibly be so thrilled about? And then he saw… Him. The sickingly sweet Prince of a neighboring Kingdom, Emani White. Unlike the rest of the cowardly royals, he was not deterred by the behavior of the Prince of Hearts and believed he was… Kind deep down. Well, if the guards hadn’t confiscated his dagger, he would have beheaded the fool then and there. And if not for acting so familiar and having the audacity to rest a hand on his shoulder, then for attracting those verminous doves with that high-pitched warbling.

If the King and Queen of Hearts believed such a miserable excuse for a Prince would deter him from succeeding them before he turned eighteen, then they were positively… Mad. But, he enjoyed a game or two, so he played along, whisked the ditzy young Prince away into the hedge maze, and allowed his parents to believe Emani could be the one to “calm his temper.”

How he regretted it when the damned Prince just would not shut up about the forest, his animal friends, the dwarves he had met, or his step-cousin! Still, Nathaniel remained cordial and resisted every urge in his body to strangle Emani. After all, killing someone with your bare hands is simply uncouth and barbaric, and he would not stoop to such levels, no matter how much Emani irritated him.

However, it seemed he would consider when the heathen dared to pick up and hold one of his hedgehogs. Everyone in the Kingdom knew Rule #47: Never hold a hedgehog belonging to the Prince of Hearts. Well, all but Emani. But, Nathaniel was more than happy to teach him the consequences of such a felony. He ripped one of the vines off of the hedges and checked to make sure it was sturdy. Before he could go through with his act, though, a lone figure emerged from the shadows and sent a chill down Emani's spine. The coward backed away as the figure made themself known under the glow of the moonlight. Nathaniel felt his heart stop. There, standing before him had to be the most breathtaking vision of beauty to ever grace his Kingdom.

His eyes were a toxic green and his lips were painted a beautiful blood-red.

So stupefied, the Prince of Hearts didn't flinch when the newcomer whipped out a dagger. He stalked toward Emani White with a sinister smile. "Emani," he crooned. "My dear, naive cousin; I believe I instructed you not to leave my sight."

Emani murmured several apologies, but the green-eyed newcomer only held the dagger closer to him. "Off you go, now," he said as if speaking to a child. "We will discuss your punishment afterward."

"Y... Yes, Marc; I apologize." Setting the hedgehog down, Emani scurries out of the hedge maze. Though, the Prince of Hearts is certain it will be hours before he finds his way out. Immediately, he turns his attention to... Marc, and once again finds himself captivated by his poison green eyes. He wanted him and only him, and not one of those pathetic excuses for royals his parents had lined up for him.

All he wanted was his Poison Prince. And he'll have him by any means necessary...

The End

@msweebyness @imsparky2002

[gamerbearmira]

Sister/ Auntie knows best (My attempt)

[Sister Gothel]

You all want to go outside? Why, Alma!

Look at you, as fragile as a flower

Still a little sapling, just a sprout

You know why we stay up in this tower

[Alma]

Sister, I know but..

[Mother Gothel]

That's right, to keep us safe and sound, dear

Guess I always knew this day was coming

Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest

Soon, but not yet

[Alma]

But..

[Sister Gothel]

Shh!

Trust me, pet

Sister knows best

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Sister Gothel]

Sister knows best

Listen to your Elders

It's a scary world out there

Sister knows best

One way or another

Something will go wrong, I swear

Ruffians, thugs

Large flames, Gunshots

Cannibals and snakes

The hunt

[Bruno]

No!

[Sister Gothel]

Yes!

[Pepa]

But

[Mother Gothel]

Also large bugs

Men with pointy Swords, and

Stop, no more, you'll just scare me

Sister's right here

i will protect you

My dears, here's what I suggest

Skip the drama

Stay with Hermana...

Siiissstttteeerrr knows best

(To the Kids)

Go ahead, get trampled by a Horse

Go ahead, get beheaded, left for dead!

Me, I’m just your Tia what do I know?

I only helped to bathe, and nurse you

Go ahead and leave me, I deserve it

Let me die alone here

Be my guest

When it’s too late, you’ll see

Just wait

Tiaaaaa knows best

(Sister knows best)

Sister knows best

Take it from your Sissy

On your own, you won't survive

Sloppy, underdressed

Paranoid, clumsy

Please, they'll eat you up alive

Gullible, naïve

Positively grubby

Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague

Plus, I believe

Gettin' kinda chubby

I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you

Sister understands

Sister's here to help you

All I have is one request

Alma, children?

[Alma]

Yes?

[Sister Gothel]

Don't ever ask to leave this tower again

[Alma]

Yes, Sister

[Mother Gothel]

I love all very much

[Alma]

And we love you too, sister

[Sister Gothel]

and I love you all the most

Don't forget it

You'll regret it

Sister knows best

----

THIS IS SO COOL...no but. Seriously. While the troplets might fall for it as easy, because you know, they've already been out, Alma definitely would. 18 years interacting with the same people, yes gullible. And she believes she has no choice but to just stay in the tower. The reasoning given to her seems to make sense, so she follows it <333

[2demon2slayer]

Hello, the new guy that kinda found the tsugoku AU in whim of fate and has been rereading all the entries religiously.

So, to the questions, how are Aoi's relationship with the resto of the characters, specially with Kanao, Kanae, Shinobu and Inosuke?

Does she do Insect breathing like Shinobu, with a modified sword because she's to weak to behead a demon or does she use a normal sword that also has poison?

Also I have this Head canon that Shinobu wants to speedrun her way to a Hashira so she can convince Aoi to retire a fully dedicate to being a doctor, but I would like to know what's Shinobu's personality in this AU?

Where do the butterfly girls Land on this, are they still nurses at the mansion?

welcome to the party! i'm glad you're having a good time!! this all started as a silly little roleswap au, but it's mostly thanks to you and everyone else who really enjoyed it that it's grown to be so big!

for the questions, aoi is at times a bit more distant with some of the others, because she's not super into the whole demon slaying thing. besides kanao, she's probably closest with zenitsu, inosuke, and tanjirou, mostly just because they hung out around her a lot since she was the only one of their friend group who had decent medical knowledge

inosuke, i'd say, is probably better friends with kanao at the moment than with aoi, but that's mostly because aoi's kind of . reserved? but methinks they'll probably get closer over the course of the story now that they've both got a bunch of kids to take care of

(as a quick aside, with regards to ships, i haven't said it yet but while i'll make allusions to various ships and many will be basically canon within the au, this story probably won't be super shippy or anything. it's about a bunch of friends doing dumb shit together and saving the country)

aoi is very close to her sisters, though! kanao is like her little sister, even though they're only maybe a couple months apart in age, and kanae and shinobu are her baby sisters! kiyo, sumi, and naho also come to be under aoi and kanao's care, but because they're a fair bit older than in canon, their relationship is a bit less "sisters" and a bit more "coworkers". they're still pretty familial with each other, though!

when aoi first became a demon slayer, she used water breathing! but over time, she realized that water breathing wasn't really for her. aoi is a bit scrawnier than kanao, and so she ended up picking up insect breathing to better cater to her strengths. this is also why she became a hashira a little later than kanao even though she became a demon slayer first

she does use a modified blade and poison, though she also still carries around her old katana from when she still used water breathing (y'know, just in case)

as for shinobu, she may have lost her parents, but she still has kanae and she's also been basically adopted by aoi and kanao, so she's still got a lot of life in her! she doesn't hide her personality behind niceties or politeness, she'll call you a dumbass straight to your face! she's stubborn and headstrong and she does what she wants!

for a while, after taking the kochou sisters in, aoi and kanao shared the task of training the two of them, but eventually kanae settled on learning flower breathing and shinobu on insect breathing. both sisters do know some moves from each other's style as well as some water breathing techniques (not the sword forms, just the concepts)

and also that's a really cool headcanon you've got there, so i hope you don't mind if i yoink it for my au! because wow, yeah, That's the reason shinobu would become a demon slayer. because shinobu is pretty perceptive a lot of the time (unless she doesn't want to be), so it makes sense that she'd see how much being a hashira really wears aoi down!!

[badsalmonella]

So I watched the filmed version of an older production of Camelot on Youtube and I have taken away:

- I find the first act's pacing in the revival is so good, I felt like that first act went by so breezily compared to this. Maybe it was the actors but the scenes felt stiffer? Made it kind of drag for me.

-I miss the song Follow Me. We couldn't have like incorporated the tune into Merlin death more???

-Actually the whole Nimue scene popped off good for you girlie

-This might get me beheaded on the streets of Arthurian tumblr butttttttt..........I don't mind the lack of magic in the revival because tbh other than 1 scene there isn't reallyyyy a strong magic presence in the OG Camelot either 👀👀👀and even that one scene feels like kind of out of place Merlin and Nimue just come and go SO quickly.

-but I do love the more elaborate sets. Dude WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SETS AT THE LINCOLN CENTER?? 😭

-Young king Arthur was the right choice. I stand by that. Seeing an older King Arthur (with this characterization) is just kind of odd to me.

-no??? Sword fight?????

- I liked act 2 of this old version though. There were some really banger scenes and quotes I wish made it into the revival.

-I also like that Guinevere and Lancelot got a moment to be like "I don't like Mordred get rid of him" 😐

-Okay I know I just said I don't mind the lack of magic, but I also do like the motif of Arthur wanting to be turned into a bird. It makes me 🥺

-I actually like the catalyst for Arthur leaving the castle in both versions. In this one it was more of a choice and it makes it sad when he puts his trust in Lance and Genny to not betray him (and they do). But I also like in the revival how it's purely Mordred's manipulation and scheming. I just love a good scheme and I love seeing Arthur piecing together that he got GOT.

-Actually this proshot I watched cut out Fie On Goodness and Take Me To The Fair. WAR CRIMES.

-I miss Morgan Le Fay :(((

-ALSO THE STAGING OF THIS VERSION OF THE SONG GUINEVERE WAS COOL. Stan.

-It made me miss Andrew, Pippa and Jordan. What a dream team. Bring them back.

-There wasn't enough crazy sexual tension. I just think those three should want to fuck nasty. It just feels right. If they don't it loses something for me. I gotta be honest. Maybe I'm just a lil sicko 😔🤷🏻‍♀️

-But with that being said Aaron Sorkin why did you write out all lines where Arthur states love for Genny AND Lance???? Don't no homo my Camelot you bastard. Oh Jordan Donica, bisexual Lancelot truther, we're really in it now 😔

[agomeangelcat]

For your record of ragnork, how would the fighters react from both sides react to Jeanne winning? Also what would be some memorable interactions between her and the gods?

TW: lil violence.

Context: The God Joan faced compared her to his daughters, and asked her to smile before killing him, but before he could say the phrase Jaon just decapitated him.

Some of the Gods:

Zeus didn't expect a woman in battle, but he was acting as perverted as he was throughout the fight, and when Joan decapitated her opponent, he just stopped like: oh...shit.

Shiva didn't know whether to be angry or impressed that out of all the fighters, it was an almost completely fair fight using only swords, something like fencing. And seeing God being beheaded...it wasn't a pretty scene.

Loki just blinked with a smile, in disbelief, it was the death of a God more grotesque even if simple.

Thor, surprised that Joan can lift such a large sword, let alone kick the sword.

Buddah let out a loud "HA" because he knows that a woman killed in fire would show nothing less than fury in battle goes "What a woman!".

Hermes wonders if the warrior woman would be able to stop him, the idea of ​​her being able to keep up with him makes him curious.

Beelzebub, Simp mode on, as soon as Joan took the crucifix off her neck, Beelzebub was bright-eyed throughout the fight.

Ares was surprised by Joan's knowledge of fighting and fury, seeing her great soldier spirit, equaling that of a knightly muse.

Some of the Humans:

Sasaki, woman who can break him in half? he's in, Sasaki won't admit it but seeing Joan fight sparked something in the old samurai.

Leonidas, he's a gentleman, he just got on cheerleader mode loudly, he's proud of human women, he needs to talk to her.

Tesla, would like to have science class time with Jaon...literally to compare ancient and modern science through the eyes of someone like her.

Jack, thought a fair fight and lady, a fair lady for sure.

Interactions that would be very "Wow thats so cool":

Joan and Beelzebub would probably be "partners", I imagine something like the panels of One Punch man, Genos and Tatsumi (I don't ship them but the arts are good).

Joan being held like a cat wanting to show how badass she is, and Buddah says " Set fire to them Joan!” when she tries nothing comes out and she just says "I can't do it on command!" and Buddah goes: "She can't do it on command!"

Joan and Nostradamus are friends and he is the only one who can touch her without the armor...Apollo trying with all his might to touch her without the armor.

Imagine Joan enjoying the pampering of the modern world after suffering so much, she is full and beautiful in a white summer dress shopping, a reference to the intro of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's and Buddah is just the one who crosses her way.

[beneaththetangles]

First Impression: Hell’s Paradise

It’s feudal Japan and a man is about to be parted from his head. As the executioner raises his blade high, a narrator informs us just how difficult it is to behead a man, and just how ugly this is likely to get before the deed is finally done. But as the sword-bearer hacks away, something strange happens: the blade breaks and the supposedly dead man sighs in defeat. He just can’t seem to manage to die. Woe is he! What follows is a montage of attempted executions to rival a certain Boney M. song, none of which are successful. Our protagonist—because that’s the only thing he can be after having survived burning at the stake, being ripped apart by bulls (the poor bulls look the worse for wear after that one!), and boiling alive in oil—is looking weary as the death that he claims to long for, even as it continues to elude him. But does he really want to die? Like, really really? A mysterious lady scholar questions his adamant insistence that he has no ties to this world, nothing to keep that spark of hope alive in him, taking note of his every word as she interviews him in between execution attempts. Gabimaru insists that he is hollow inside—his name even proclaims it! But when he finally faces an executioner up to the task of taking his life, a daughter of Yamada Asaemon clan whose skill with the sword is unparalleled, will his story change? And wait, what’s that? An invitation to give up on trying to die and instead compete with other criminals to attain the Elixir of Life? Cool!

(Read More)

[madara-fate]

Now that the Swordsmith Village Arc has ended, what are your top 10 moments in Demon Slayer so far?

I'll leave this to the anime only moments since I've also read the manga, in which case my top 10 moments would probably be...

10. Zohakuten's introduction - Up to that point, Hantengu's emotion related clones had been powerful, but they still felt beatable, especially after Tanjiro used the burning sword on them. But then Zohakuten came along with that Ancient Pharoah style attire of his, and let fans see the true reason why Hantengu has the rank of Upper Four. His very presence froze Tanjiro and Genya stiff, and that's what I wanted to see. The Upper Moons need to be presented as near insurmountable obstacles, and technically that's what Zohakuten was, as Mitsuri would have been killed by him it wasn't for Tanjiro's timely beheading of the main body.

9. Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke working together to behead Daki - In my opinion, the worst thing about the Swordsmith Village Arc was the complete lack of Zenitsu and Inosuke. I love seeing the main male trio working together, and when they did so to behead Daki with their coordinated attacks, that was really cool.

8. Muzan wiping out the rest of the Lower Moons - That scene served to show the God-like presence that Muzan has among the demons, and how they are literally nothing to him. You could really see the fear that Muzan was able to instill in them, which was very effective in depicting just how far above everyone Muzan was in terms of sheer power alone.

7. Gyutaro and Daki's backstory - I'm glad that not every demon has to have a sympathetic backstory, because it makes those that do, like Gyutaro and Daki, seem even more impactful. You could truly see the struggle they had to endure during their childhood. When Gyutaro said in his despairing voice "What happened to 'fortune and misfortune are intertwined'? Both fortune and misfortune should come by turns!", that hit hard.

6. Rengoku's death - I don't think many people expected Rengoku to die during the Mugen Train arc, but it proved to be highly significant and has been referenced multiple times since. The one thing I didn't like about it was how Tanjiro was calling Akaza a coward and saying how he didn't lose, because that was just pure cope on his part. Akaza wasn't a coward for seeking shelter from the sun, and while Rengoku may have protected everyone, he got dominated in the fight itself, that's the bottom line. That aside, this was a very touching and pivotal moment.

5. Revealing the rest of the Upper Moons - Because when you remember the immense struggle and how it took absolutely everything that Tengen, Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu and Nezuko had to just barely defeat the Upper Six, the weakest of the Upper Moons, then watching the rest of them get revealed one by one had much significance. The fights against Akaza, Doma and Kokushibo are gonna be epic because those guys are problems.

4. Tanjiro beheading Rui (or so it seemed) - The most epic part of Season 1, bar none. The animation, the music, Nezuko's assist with her Blood Demon Art, and the way Tanjiro sliced off Rui's head was just so smooth, it's hard to explain. It was one of the cleanest, and most satisfying decapitations I'd ever seen.

3. The Rengoku vs Akaza fight - At that point, it was definitely the best fight in the series thus far, and it was the first time we had seen the immense power of the Upper Ranks. The Hashira had been presented really powerfully, so Akaza coming in and demonstrating the very large power difference between himself and Rengoku was a much needed wakeup call.

2. Nezuko's sacrifice and subsequent survival - The way Tanjiro was panicking and hyperventilating as he struggled to decide whether to help the villagers and finish Hantengu, or save Nezuko was extremely well done, you could really hear his panic. The soundtrack as the scene was going on was beautiful, Nezuko making up Tanjiro's mind for him, the flashbacks of their time together, Tanjiro's rage as he finishes off Hantengu, and Nezuko's "Ohayo" as we see her smiling in the sun for the first time since the very beginning, were all very well done.

1. The final fight leading up to Gyutaro and Daki's defeat - The cinematography and fight choreography for these scenes were absolutely out of this world. Tengen returning, Zenitsu unleashing his Godlike Speed technique, Tengen and Gyutaro going HAM on each other, Inosuke returning, Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke working together to simultaneously take out Gyutaro and Daki, the Upper Six... Prior to this, I couldn't remember the last time I had been blown away purely due to the god tier animation of a fight scene, but this was something special.

As a manga reader though, I know that the best is still to come. The Infinity Castle arc is gonna be peak Demon Slayer, and I can't wait.

[possuminnit]

tell me about,, ur,,, OCS!!!!

SORRY I TOOK AGES GETTING TO THIS i wanted to answer it on my pc for typing reasons. umm i know i havent really talked about any of them but since i went on a dive into looking into my neph lore yesterday ill tell you about her!!! (link is art of her lolz)

so baseline info about the mc server i was going to do with irls because thats where she started; we were all making silly characters to play over i think it was summer break just because we could. basic thing is a lot of things would happen to our character, then something very major, then the next day they would wake up in the mc world. so everyone was from a different universe basically. i think each lineup was like... two were aliens/alien-esk but each from different little worlds <- not super sure, one was more from a modern world, one was from a pjo universe, then neph was from a old time-y royal thang. (100% chose that because i had techno;s crown on my skin and wanted an excuse to keep it also because i was very into royal aus when i made her)

OK so basically her story is like. any royal au you'd ever read inthe world. she grew up with her parents heavily disinterested in her, leaving her teachers to deal with her bc they were like who care we just need you to wear the crown one day and rule so we can chill forever. acted decently the same with her brother who is like 4 years younger than her or something. who cares this is not about him !!

her story is a lot of just being ignored and being both understanding and vaguely spiteful over it whatever, she deals, does her school yada yada. one day she ends up getting pissed off after her birthday is ignored once again so he goes to the royal guard and is like hiii! train me :3 and her being prince he was like. yeah ok ? sure. whatever. uerrmm she trains, shes like awesome really, she gets better than the guard over the time its cool its whatever shes just cool like that. Whhile she's training she meets one of the guards, also in training, her name was evelyn . You already know they fall in love 🔥 but its secret they cant really tell about it because of a lot of reasons ehhh whatever. years pass its pretty cool they also get caught a few times but dont Amen. changes on neph's 21st birthday though, her fuckass dad catches them kissing, drags both of them to the court in front of the queen and is like GUESSS WAHT.!

the king and queen order for evelyn to be beheaded. and she is, in that moment, and neph has to watch it. neph is ordered to be exiled but shes like you literally just killed the love of my life <- does some cool quick thang and yanks a sword from a guards hand and starts demolishing the court room. she doesnt get away unscathed obviously, shes a little fucked up and bloody but she does not care she keeps going 🔥anyways she kills her mum and dad, steals her dads crown, then dips. and then yay wow she wakes up in the mc world !!!!!

theres some other things in-between there, and even more about her after the whole dropping into the mc world but ehhh... u get her baseline lore thats ok. i willll say she does fall in love again and is so sick and twisted over it ❤️Sorry neph

[theanonymousfoxsimp]

Uppermoon + hashira reacting to an overwhelmed s/o

Extra conext: the reader does vary on reactions with each demon here

Nsfw themes,minors DNI

TEAM UPPERMOON + muzan

Featuring: kokushibo,akaza,douma,muzan

Muzan

This demon understands WAY too well when you're overwhelmed. He's not the most sympathetic but he tries

He stops what he's doing and forces you to sit down and drink something to calm your nerves

If you need to scream,then scream,if you need to hit something until you cry? He will allow you to do so until you are done

He busts out those special pet names he only uses in private with you if you're in public. Can and will behead a demon if they make a face at you or him

Definitely brings you your favorite snacks and asks what it's about

If you don't explain,he will find out one way or another,either via demon mind reading or just slowly bringing out each detail in any rant he can get

If you do explain, he will listen thoroughly and offer to behead a demon for you if he has to

Definitely lays you down in his bed and gives you cuddles

He's a good cuddler,hates to admit it but he's good. He only does it if you want cuddled however

These are the moments he genuinley smiles and feels human whenever he's around you,he dosen't really care if a demon walks in,he's their lord,he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

Definitely carries you around if you're exhausted from how overwhelmed you are,has a blanked and uses it to wrap you up like a confortable sushi roll

Definitely trusts akaza to keep an eye on you if he does have to take care of buisness,mostly the buisness being a demon or person that caused you to be overwhelmed

Tries his best but he's not perfect

Kokushibo

Very clueless,very very clueless up until the point you scream out of frustration.

Immediately concerned,sword drawn,hand on your shoulder while looking around,immediately asks if you're okay

If you say no,he picks you up and carries you to your room for a talk

If you say yes,he still yoinks you to your room to talk

Pulls you into his lap,all eyes on you and he's listening intently to make sure you are okay.

Not the best at talking but god he listens so well,suggests murder a few times but he genuinely listens

Will run his hands through your hair like you do for him,his arms wrapped around you like you do for him

Happily gives you kisses if you ask for it,doesn't smile but he cracks a grin eventually if you joke about it

Definitely tries to say a few stories about his old times as a swordsman to distract you,just to break the silence

Naked cuddles,he doesn't mean to but his clothing come off eventually and honestly he is physically cool and SOFT,like a nice cold pillow you love

Nothing sexual comes out of it,he just likes the skin to skin contact and just gives you the best cuddles he can manage,probably sprouts an extra arm so he can just give you head pats

Definitely eats the person who caused your frustration,if its not a person,he tries to get you to talk it out

Makes the best tea for you both,probably dosen't even clothe himself before he does

Douma

Horrible to talk to about stuff like this,would not reccomended it unless he actually wants to help,which he does,he's REALLY horrble at showing it.

Bribes you with human limbs if you become really really aggressive from being overwhelmed, tends to treat you like one but it WORKS

Headpats for days

Cuddles,naked cuddles? Cuddles in the bath,cuddles in the springs,cuddles in a meeting,cuddles EVERYWHERE

Loves giving you neck kisses to direct your attention elsewhere if you asked for it

Listens intently, interupts but stops when you continue talking over him

Allows you to scream at him and use him like a punching bag,really just laughs at it

Eats the person who made you like this,doesn't even give it thought, just eats them

Definitely has had to talk to daki about comforting you properly,or even akaza if he's around(he was laughed at by akaza until he found out how serious he was)

Definitely tries his best,he does his best,he brings you out with him just to make sure you aren't stressed whatsoever. Won't even make you fight unless you want to take out some anger

Came across the person that made it worse,watched you attack it and mangle it. Pretty much a bit terrfied for his looks if he allowed you to mangle him

Akaza sometimes tags along if you ever need to release some stress out on slayers,actively encourages you to hit people while douma chills there

Douma hands down will make the best drinks for you both and use his demon blood art to make it cold

Akaza

The best out of all the uppermoons,hands down KNOWS how to comfort you

Activley encourages you to spar with him to take out some anger

Activley will punch a hole in someone if he finds out they're the reason,even if its douma,he will punch a hole into him

Naked cuddles,naked cuddles?non sexual naked cuddles. He finds skin to skin contact is better when comforting you

Definitely lets you scream it out and cry it out,he doesn't see you as weak if you do. He loves hearing your emotions,he's a mamas boy after all

Brings you foods and drinks you like,even if they're hard to get,he will get them somehow

A Genuine sweetheart,loves making sure you're okay

Absolutley molly rocked a demon who made fun of you for breaking down in the middle of a battle for territory. Just...flicked his head off with barley any effort which scared you

Cheers you on if you want to fight demons alone,he's just chilling on the sidelines with two cups of tea. Cheers whenever you get a little too violent and release some pent up stress

Makes sure that even if you aren't stressed,you still are taken care of and probably forces(in a nice way) you to talk it all out even if you have some concerns on what you'd say

Really doesn't care if you curse or yell at him,he knows you're stressed and takes it with a grain of salt

Probably goes a bit soft whenever you're around,cracks alot of jokes to cut through your tension. His jokes aren't the best but hes trying so hard for you

Cuddles? Yes many cuddles,even if its the middle of a meeting,he will pull you close and keep an arm around you even if he receives nasty looks from the other demons.

Kokushibo is honestly a bit worried when you won't talk to him,he would normally talk to you but he can tell you are stressed and tries to hint at akaza that you are(hes the reason akaza even noticed in the first place)

Probably steals some extra kimono's from douma to keep you warm since his are strangley warm?? Despite being so cold to the touch??

Will force you to stay in your room and only lets you leave if he's with you,always has his hand intertwined with yours whenever you two leave the infinite palace or the cabin

He does give you the offer of sex to take your mind off of it,he goes at your pace and doesn't force it to go at his pace. Its all about you

[ladyloveandjustice]

Carmilla: The End

The ending bit of Carmilla is definitely my least favorite, not because she dies, which I knew was going to happen, but because Carmilla herself isn’t actually in it a bunch, which makes everything 100% less entertaining.

Also the way she’s taken out is just anticlimactic and eh.

Basically, Carmilla offers Laura one of the ‘anti-vampire charms’ they were sold, crowing about how great and effective it is, then merrily continues feeding on Laura. Queen shit, and the best part of this section. Laura starts getting sick, a doctor comes and kind of guesses what’s going on, people start staying up with her.

After that, Carmilla’s Dad’s Friend whose daughter mysteriously died comes by, clearly hunting Carmilla. He, Dad, and Laura head to the ruins of the Karnstein castle (aka where Carmilla lived when she was alive), he relates a very long story about how he took in a beautiful young girl who was abandoned by her mysterious mother, how his daughter was in love with her, how his daughter got sick and died, and how he found a weird creature over her and went after it with a sword and it turned into the girl and fled. AND THAT GIRL...WAS CARMILLA! yes we all knew that.

Anyway he’s tracked her, because these assholes hate to see a girlboss winning, and when Carmilla comes he swings his axe at her, but she catches his hand and makes him drop it, Again, queen shit, but after that she just peaces out. And then Laura goes home and the dudes  just...find Carmilla’s grave later, where she is sleeping (also with her eyes open so this was a vampire lore thing we don’t do anymore for some reason, WHY NOT, IT’S COOL) and drive a stake through her heart (and beheads her and stuff). THE END.

It’s really unsatisfying and boring, because Laura never gets to talk to Carmilla after the reveal of what she is, or even really react to it, when the entire story up to that point had been their relationship. It’s just “and you listen to this story, and the men save the day in the most banal way possible, the end”. You can still have the men save they day and have Laura and Carmilla talk! Having Carmilla try to get to Laura one last time, come with a final offer of temptation- and keep in ambiguous whether she really wants them to run off as vampires or is just going to kill her, have Laura not know what to do/be upset at the betrayal/reject her/be tempted/whatever the hell works for your victorian mores just have her feel SOMETHING- and then the men swoop in and fight her off, whatever, that would STILL be more satisfying that what we got here.

There’s also so many loose ends to this story you’d think LeFanu wanted to do a sequel- who were Carmilla’s mother and henchmen? Where are they? Why does nobody try to find them and just act like the threat is over now that Carmilla’s dead? Who turned Carmilla into a vampire? Also, I guess the implication is Carmilla HAS to go back to her grave to sleep sometimes, but it sounds like she’s been traveling all over the place, how does she always get back there, idk. 

There were some really funny vampire lore stuff here though- like according to LeFanu, It is part of the Vampire Curse they can only use dumb anagrams if they use a different name (Carmilla’s real name was Mircalla and she also went by Millarca) which is incredibly funny. Like would Carmilla burst into flame if she called herself Marcy. Also Laura is all like “the idea vampires are pallid is just melodramatic fiction” because nothing else that happens in this book is melodramatic.

Overall my thoughts are ‘it’s okay’, interesting beginning, boring ending, at least it’s a quick read, Carmilla IS an icon and the best character. I liked that she enjoyed being a vampire and would actually defend her lifestyle and genuinely seemed to believe death was a blessing therefore she wasn’t doing anything wrong, it made her a little more complex than ‘IM EVIL’.

As for the implications, it’s definitely meant to be a cautionary tale and any sources who think it’s ‘doesn’t present homosexuality as antagonistic’ are kidding themselves- whenever Carmilla hits on Laura it’s very clear she’s also tempting Laura towards death, meaning lesbianism is tied up in ‘die and lose your soul to be with me’- which is cool for me, a modern reader, who’d love to run off and be a vampire with a cute girl, but from a Victorian perspective it’s damning your immortal soul and Bad. And though the book is clear in the epilogue that vampires do this to people of all genders, aka that there are het vampires killing people too, which does make the messaging a little more neutral, Carmilla only targets and kills women. It doesn’t blatantly say “beware the gays’ but I think the implications ARE supposed to be there, which is unsurprising. That doesn’t make it any less fun though, because as a modern reader, I love Carmilla, love her weird seductive techniques.

The books attitude towards women is interesting, and I think one thing I can say for it versus Dracula so far is (in addition to going SO much harder on the homoeroticism), it’s less blatantly misogynist in as far as actual text. There’s stuff you could interpret subtextually- Carmilla the independent woman with no father, just a “mother”, bought down by fathers, the fact that the father’s listening to their daughters pleas for female companionship invites death and calamity- but there’s no lines that slap you in the face with “This is a Female Character Written by an Insufferable Victorian Man” like the line about how “men are too good for women we don’t deseeeerve them” in Dracula.

Like Laura’s narration is pretty believable, it never even says “I do X because I am a woman”, which I was braced for. Women are overall presented pretty neutrally, and even though she’s a villain, it’s clear Le Fanu was somewhat fascinated by Carmilla’s intelligence and power, as we get so much of her.

Laura’s also noted to be intelligent in the prologue, and her dad is just as easily fooled as she is and even dismisses some of the things Laura picks up on- Like Carmilla’s ancestor looking just like her- to his folly. Him dismissing “peasant superstitions” is a clear sign of his folly, so that’s nice,

Anyway, disappointing ending aside, it was a quick read with a great vampire, and it’s fun to consider it’s place in gothic fiction, and I’m glad I read it. Definitely interested in the retelling that was mentioned to me in the comments, since it’s free on Kindle, I’ll read that sometime!

[twilightmalachite]

ABYSS - The Ocean of ■ That Drips Downwards 5

Author: Akira

Characters: Souma

Translator: Mika Enstars

"If you mess with a human’s stuff, you’ll get a big scolding! “Bad!”"

Season: Winter

Location: Kanzaki Residence

Reminiscence. Right after the funeral for Kanata Shinkai’s mother, at Souma Kanzaki’s residence…

Souma: [Reflection Letter].

[I, Souma Kanzaki, disobeyed my parent’s teachings, with this profigate]

Pro… pro… profliga…

Profligate, was it? There, there it is! ♪

(Hm, you can find anything in the dictionary!)

(If I don't use the right words, I won't be able to convey my feelings correctly.)

(Maybe I should carry a dictionary with me from now on.)

(Dictionary in the right hand, sword in the left!)

(Yes, I’ll be unstoppable! ♪)

(Though I’m still small, so both are still too heavy for my stature…)

(But I’m not allowed to touch the sword, a family heirloom to be eventually passed on to the next generation. Not even for rituals. It’s to be only viewed from afar.)

(Someday, I hope to become a person deserving of it!)

(A full-fledged samurai, always with a sword at his waist.)

(And to achieve that, I must repent earnestly here and train myself.)

Souma: Hmm. [with this profligate behavior of mine, I have violated the taboo and disgraced my family name.]

[Hereafter, I vow to reflect upon my behavior so that I do not make the same mistake.]

Hm, all done. The brushwork is good and the content is good. Perfect workmanship.

Now, to deliver this to Father…

(Hm? Is there a guest? Who is it that Father’s talking to?)

(I mustn’t interfere. I’ll wait for a bit. I don’t want him to raise his voice at me again.)

…Oh, a cat’s in the garden.

A cute, cute little calico kitty![1]

Move on, there are no fish here! If you’re gonna fish, fish elsewhere.

If you mess with a human’s stuff, you’ll get a big scolding! “Bad!”

(Hmm… I had no intention to eavesdrop, but Father’s voice is so loud I can hear what they’re talking about.)

(…I-I keep hearing my name here and there. I’m embarrassed. Are you complaining to your guests about your son’s incompetency?)

(But Father~! I’m reflecting properly! I shall never again repeat the same mistake!)

(Please forgive me already—Hm?)

(God? Did Father just say “god”?)

(…That mysterious child I met at the funeral that day seemed like he was a god.)

(Now that it’s been said, it makes sense, that’s the kind of atmosphere he had…)

(And, although my household isn’t of a shrine, and instead of samurai, we seem to be a household involved in Shinto rituals for generations.)

(I’ve observed rituals many times. I’ve rehearsed all sorts of things for them—)

(As to ensure that rituals honoring gods will continue to be carried out flawlessly.)

(It’s not something that Father has said explicitly, but that’s the impression I’ve gotten.)

(Because on that day, I unknowingly met a great person of whom I will eventually serve.)

(As my superior, of a higher class, I was not even allowed to even speak to him to begin with.)

(And so, it only makes sense that I’ve been scolded. If it were the olden days, something like beheading would have been too lenient for such an unforgivable act.)

(I’m reflecting properly… I swear I will never again defile God’s eyes.)

Souma: (No, that god was wearing a mask of sorts, it’s possible that he hadn’t been able to see me.)

(Although that does sound a bit lonely…)

(The fingertips of God that touched my head that day were gentle, soft, and warm.)

(He felt sacred to me, even when I didn’t know that he was God.)

(Is that how God is supposed to be?)

(Then, it would be wonderful to serve and worship them, wouldn’t it?)

Souma: …Hm?

(Hmmm~? What is it that Father’s been talking about since a bit ago?)

(“Abisu”? What’s “abisu”?)

(I keep hearing that word from Father and the guest.)

(Somehow, the atmosphere is kinda extraordinary… Like a warlord before entering a great battle. It’s cool.)

(But, what's this “abisu”? It’s a word I don’t yet know.)

(However, heheh, I have a dictionary right at hand!)

(I can look up words I don’t know right away. As such, it is important to understand every mysterious thing that surrounds us!)

(A, a, abisu. Abisu… Oh, here it is!)

(What does it mean?)

(Umm, it’s English, meaning “hell”.)

(Or, it can mean a deep… …What reading is this? Umm, I think I saw it in a book once, and worked hard looking it up in the dictionary back then too?)

(Right, abyss! Abisu means abyss (shin’en)!

(A very deep, pitch-black ravine within the sea.)

(It can also mean “deep sea” (shinkai) huh? Hm, hmm… I’m learning a lot!)

← prev | story directory | next →

1. Fun fact! The "mike" (三毛) from "Mikejima" (三毛縞) means "calico". Madara has a pretty strong cat motif throughout his character.