#berserk novels

[mikesterreal]

Is it just me, or does pre-sacrifice Grunbeld look like Garou?

[ominous-feychild]

✦ OC Questionnaire Tag 2✦

Following tag from @the-letterbox-archives!

Characters from Sun and Shadow: Freya, Crow, and Daleira Characters from the Arcane Rifts: Gene, Tazin, and Mislav Featuring tAR's children leveled up! They'll be answering at 15, 17, and 17 years old respectively!

Questions: - "What's your relationship with your family like?" - "Do you have any hobbies? if so, what ones?" - "Do you dream often? what about?" - "What is the one thing you would not wish on your greatest adversary?" from @willtheweaver

"What's your relationship with your family like?"

Freya: Well... we don't even know if my dad's alive but... re-regardless, it was rough between us. He was never around, and I just... I missed him. I know it was his job, but I blamed him. It was just me in that house, you know? Like, I mean--sure! I chose that! But the only other choice was to live alone in the city instead, where I had to deal with people trying to suck up to me in order to get money or whatever! So neither was a good choice, yeah??? And--I don't know, okay? I... I hope he's actually alive like the others say. I guess... I'll probably apologize to him, alright? But that still sucked.

Crow: Oh, my father's great, yeah. ... What, you were expecting more of an answer? Daleira: Oh, I love my dad! 😊 ... not enough for you?... okay, fine. Um... it's difficult at times between us. He's busy taking care of Lynsmouth most of the time, so we hardly spend any time together. But, you know--I get that! It's a lot of work to uh--... do whatever it is he does? Honestly I'm not that sure, haha. 😅 But I'm sure it's a lot! So, you know, it's not a big deal that he doesn't spend a lot of time with me. I'm really appreciative of him finding me and taking me in to begin with, and I've really led a great life thanks to him, so! 😊

Gene: I... don't remember my family. Just like I don't remember anything else before I got here. But... (*looks away to think. Will not look in asker's direction again.*) I think Abi was my brother? Older--older brother. He... really helped me a lot. So in that case... good. But... thinking the word "family"... hurts.

Tazin: (*spoken through his teeth*) I don't have a family.

Mislav: (*fakest smile you can imagine and not even trying to hide it; voice falsetto*) Dead, thanks for asking!

Crow: Sike!!! Bet you thought I wasn't going to answer. 😘 How cruel of you to think so lowly of me!!! 😭

I wasn't kidding, my father's great, I love him. He taught me everything I know about--detective work and all, heh! We don't always see each other because he's usually working on cases, but he's given me everything I need to succeed in life and I'm thankful to him for that. So hopefully I'll make him proud on this case with Frey! 😉😊

(tragically, it is not a work I have created if someone's family life is good. But, omfg, until now, I didn't realize SaS was the story of goddamn DADDY ISSUES!!! 🤣🤣🤣)

"Do you have any hobbies? if so, what ones?"

Freya: Oh, um... dammit, I'm not going to get away with a lie, am I? (*Heavy, drawn-out sigh*) Okay, fine. I... like reading. I know this is really weird!!! But, uh, sometimes, while I'm inshore, I've found books in the water. Books! Perfectly fine! Little to no water damage most of the time! I don't know if Dad sent them to me somehow or what, but... most of the time, they're in other languages. Things that don't always line up with those I find in the library. But I've figured a few of them out over the years, and I think it's really fun!

Crow: Psh, nothing as boring as reading. (*Precariously leaning back against a bulging doorway. There's a creak and then--CRASH!!!*) SHIT-- (*Furiously opens the door. An endless pile of books comes falling out. Except... they're all related to their cases? Huh. Is their hobby... working?*) Yep. That's my hobby. Working. Tell my dad that, would ya? 😘 (Oh I think we see something deeper in the closet--) NO!!! DON'T YOU DARE-- (*we zoom in to see countless artistic collages made out of cut-outs from pictures in their books and magazines.*) ... (*Crow, face burning, melts into the shadows and hides in shame.* But??? That's a cool hobby??? WAIT, COME BACK, AZA--)

Daleira: Oh!!! I just love working with magical trinkets! You know, conduits--from gods, mortals, and discovered in the Faewildes! It's amazing figuring out how each of them work and trying to figure out if I can replicate them! Faer and I have gotten good at transferring magic between objects, but gods' conduits are especially hard to work with. Like, come on--can't they share some of their power with the rest of us??? :/

There's a few items from Soren we just can't figure out, though... and he wouldn't tell me where he got them! I mean, that would help immensely in trying to figure out how they work, but we've already broken a few of them and don't want to risk losing all of them! Especially since--... well. An-anyway-- 😅

I gave Freya one when we first met! She was showing clear signs of magical sickness, and I'd already figured out it was a magical restraint you could manipulate the strength of--which is amazing, you know??? So it would be awesome to figure out how it works! But-- (*continues rambling happily*)

Gene: Hobby?... (*Looks away. Will not look back.*) I... like to draw. It's useful. Maps. Nobody else is able to navigate around the sewers, but my maps... they stay right. Even though they change. So it's nice to draw... feel useful. And everyone likes me then. Not just Mislav and Tazin. If... Tazin does. I'm pretty sure he does. (*Shakes his head swiftly, then nods*) Right. He does. Sorry...

(*Anxiously picks at his hands, still avoiding looking anywhere near the asker*) And... I've always liked reading, I think. The real stuff. To learn. It took a while for me to learn Glavni, but I've been able to read by myself for a long time now. I enjoy it. (*Finally looks back to give asker a pained smile*)

Tazin: Does burning buildings count? 😉 No? Okay, fine. How about just plain-old casual arson? 😉 OH, COME ON, HOW COME THESE GUYS'-- (*continues screaming into the camera, but we cut to black*) (*We return to a moody Tazin pouting with his arms crossed... and surrounded in flames.*) Fine. I've always liked stupid stories. You know the ones--knight in shining armor, or the underdog rising up and saving the day--that stuff. And Gene's got me into his stupid fucking "learning" thing, alright? But that's all you're getting out of me, got it, you little-- {REDACTED FOR PROFANE LANGUAGE}

Mislav: Um... not really? I... guess anything that lets me spend more time with Gene? 😅😭

... I really liked it back when I was on the farm. But... it's gone now. And I don't think Adilzhan or Zhrizn would let me do anything like that again. And... (*looks away, voice going below a whisper*) I'm afraid to even try.

(BET YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE ALL HUMOROUS HERE, DIDN'T YOU!?!?! DIDN'T YOU!?!?! YOU FORGOT IT WAS MY!!! MY!!!! STUFF YOU WERE READING!!! *maniacal laugh.mp4*)

"Do you dream often? what about?"

Freya: I think I've had a lot of dreams in my life. Most of them, I've hated, but I... can't remember them honestly. Except... fear. Being afraid of them. So, heh, you know--nightmares. Normal stuff normal people deal with right? Especially kids, I've heard.

... but I've been remembering a bit more of them lately, since I... since I was in the shipwreck. (*Voice goes strained and breathy, like she's struggling to breathe*) And I... I think I'm in the water again. In--in the dreams. And there's something else there--

Crow: Ha, no. Do most people remember their dreams? (They're lying. They remember. Their dreams center around failure. Failure, and a desperation to prove themself.)

Daleira: Um... not really? We faeries aren't like you humans... our "dreams" are... different. Real. I try not to actually sleep because of that. I don't want anyone else getting stuck in them.

Gene: Not anymore. I used to. Usually... nightmares. Monsters and nature and things chasing me. I have a curse. When I sleep... my nightmares find me. I'll wake up surrounded in things. Once... it included the monster. (*He looks away and is silent for a long moment, remembering.*)

... thankfully I don't dream much anymore. The curse is still here, but it's kinder now. Better things come through.

Tazin: No, who's asking? >:/

When I do dream, it's weird stuff. Memories. Wishes. (*waves hand dismissively*) Normal stuff.

(Also lying. Sometimes has nightmares of the people he cares about abandoning him. Stabbing him in the back. Telling him things about himself he knows to be true, but doesn't want to admit. Telling himself to be better... when he knows he won't.)

Mislav: Yes. I remember the night I lost everything. And the ones who took it all from me. (*looks to Gene*)

... almost everything.

"What is the one thing you would not wish on your greatest adversary?"

Freya: To find themself alone. To lose the people they care about... or feel like those people don't care for them back.

Crow: A pointless end. If you have to die, you should die for something. Something meaningful. Something you care about.

Daleira: Whatever happens to what I eat. 😅 (She's not kidding--remember, she's not human.)

Gene: Starvation.

Tazin: ... to be alone. Or... for it to be their fault.

Mislav: What happened to me... what's happening to me.

I regret deciding to do all these characters...

Your questions: - What was the worst day of your life? - What's your worst nightmare? - If a monster asked you your worst nightmare, what would you tell it and why?

Tagging (with no pressure) @darkandstormydolls @yourpenpaldee @honeybewrites @fantasy-things-and-such @themboty @.the-letterbox-archives (avoiding double-tags) and whoever else wants to join!

Divider from @cafekitsune

[y-rhywbeth2]

Who decided the drow should have so much fucking lore anyway.

('I should've been a drow.' You can't fucking stand Cazador or your 'siblings' you would not fucking want to be a drow. Although I guess Astarion would make a fair Vhaeraunite.)

[twilightcitadel]

An Exploration of Medieval Fantasy Anime/Manga

Vinland Saga

Within the vast and magical realm of anime, there is a subgenre that transports viewers to medieval settings inhabited by knights, magic, and fantastical creatures. The allure of historical locales mixed with fantastical aspects is what makes medieval fantasy anime so captivating—it takes viewers to worlds beyond our own. We will examine the fundamentals of medieval fantasy anime, delve into its many subgenres, and offer a list of the top 5 shows that you simply must watch in this blog post.

Understanding Medieval Fantasy Anime

The rich tapestry of medieval European history serves as the basis for medieval fantasy anime, which infuses it with fantastical elements like magic, mythological creatures, and heroic quests. Both fans of fantasy and anime are drawn to the genre's distinct atmosphere, which is frequently characterised by knights, castles, and feudal societies.

Sub-genres within Medieval Fantasy Anime

High Fantasy Epics:

This category includes shows like "Berserk" and "Record of Lodoss War" which offer complex, expansive stories with huge battles and elaborate world-building.

Source: MyAnimeList - Berserk, Record of Lodoss War

Isekai Adventures:

A distinctive twist is added to certain medieval fantasy anime through the use of the isekai (another world) element. "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World" and "The Rising of the Shield Hero" propel their main characters into medieval-esque settings from the contemporary world.

Source: MyAnimeList - Re:Zero, Shield Hero

Historical Fantasy Blend:

"Vinland Saga" and other television shows skillfully blend fantasy and historical events. It offers a distinct viewpoint by fusing creative storytelling with historical characters and locations.

Source: MyAnimeList - Vinland Saga

Magical Academies:

Due to the presence of academies where characters train to become masters of mystical powers, anime such as "The Irregular at Magic High School" and "The Seven Deadly Sins" give magical elements to medieval settings.

Source: Fandom - Irregular at Magic High School, Seven Deadly Sins

Slice of Life in Fantasy Realms:

Some series, such as "Spice and Wolf" and "The Ancient Magus' Bride" blend medieval fantasy with elements of everyday life, creating a unique and immersive experience.

Source: MyAnimeList - Spice and Wolf, Ancient Magus' Bride

Top 5 Must-Watch Medieval Fantasy Anime

After examining the various sub-genres, let's take a look at the top 5 medieval fantasy anime, which are distinguished by their captivating stories, striking artwork, and endearing characters.

Berserk:

This epic work of dark fantasy follows the adventures of a lone mercenary named Guts, who has a tragic past, as he fights his way through a world full of corrupt knights and demons.

Source: MyAnimeList - Berserk

Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World:

Subaru Natsuki finds himself in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Middle Ages and learns he has the capacity to resurrect himself. themes of love, sacrifice, and personal development are all explored in the series.

Source: Crunchyroll - Re:Zero

Vinland Saga:

"Vinland Saga" is a historical narrative that follows the life of Thorfinn, a young warrior on the verge of vengeance in a world ripped apart by conflict and political intrigue.

Source: MyAnimeList - Vinland Saga

The Irregular at Magic High School:

Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba, siblings, enrol in First High School in a world where magic is accepted as a technology in order to learn how to deal with the challenges of magical academia and social hierarchies.

Source: Fandom - Irregular at Magic High School

Spice and Wolf:

"Spice and Wolf" is a delightful story that combines medieval fantasy and economics. It centres on the travels of Kraft Lawrence, a travelling merchant, and Holo, the wolf deity.

Source: Fandom - Spice and Wolf

My Own Dark Fantasy Realm

Hi there, fellow fans of dark fantasy! Thanks to your unflinching support, our blog—which is packed with tales and inspirations of dark fantasy—is making waves on TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Even more thrilling is the fact that we're creating a captivating Trading Card Game to further engross you in Twilight Citadel's eerie mysteries. Explore the depths of the shadows with our website, where you can get eerie yet lovely phone wallpapers and posters. Furthermore, we've got you covered with free resources like desktop wallpapers and profile pictures to make sure your gadgets are brimming with eerie fantasy atmosphere. Come along with us on this surreal adventure, where fears come true and shadows dance. Are you prepared to welcome the gloom?

Conclusion

We've travelled through a variety of sub-genres in our investigation of medieval fantasy anime, learning about the distinct fusion of imagination and history that characterises this fascinating subgenre. Whether you're looking for a way to escape into magical worlds, high fantasy epics, isekai adventures, or historical fantasy blends, each series offers something different. Medieval fantasy anime has something to offer every anime fan, whether they are drawn to magical academies, epic battles, or slice-of-life moments in fantastical settings. Prepare yourself for a captivating journey as you explore the world of medieval fantasy anime, which is full of magic, knights, and mythological creatures.

[berserker-showdown]

ON the Right wielding a blade too big to be called a sword... Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough more akin to a heap of raw Stone. the bearer of the God Hand and champion of the Greeks. The OG berserker himself: Herakles! and illya

ON the Left stands the General of Repetition, the second half of Red Hare, the famed warlord of the chinese Three Kingdoms Era, a Mobile Fortress of a Servant: Lu Bu Fengxian! and Rani viii

[bluecatwriter]

A hurt/no comfort fic, because apparently I like making myself even sadder than I am

Well, I did it: I wrote the attack on Lucy from Dracula's point of view. Big content warning on this one, obviously...

(Rated Mature. Contains spoilers.)

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Re-listening to Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian to wrap my reviews of the Artemis Fowl series and uh...

Yeah, yeah I had definitely forgotten about the berserker zombie spirits buried below Fowl Manor.

This is gonna be a TRIP.

[crabbarts]

still thinking about Paladin of Souls,, man was that a banger of a book

[la-hannya]

Some Guin Saga art dump from my favorite anime that's underrated in the west 😩 (1)

[milarqui]

Scarlet Lady: Kung Food

Directory - La Befana

“Of course I know enough Chinese to greet him, Alya! That's not the problem!” Marinette said, going back and forth at her home's main hall, a complete bundle of nerves.

Today, Maman's uncle, Wang Cheng, was coming to Paris. It would make her nervous even if it were just that – but her great uncle was actually a very famous chef, who had come to Paris to participate in an international cooking contest. And, worse of all, he didn't speak French, so she had been forced to brush up her Mandarin with Maman's help.

“So what is the problem?” Alya asked.

“The problem is that I'm so nervous about meeting my world-class great uncle that I keep flubbing the pronunciation!”

“So?”

“So, pronunciation in Chinese is the difference between asking 'How are you' and calling someone a horse!”

“Chill out, M! I know what to do, just hang tight,” she replied, and suddenly the communication stopped.

“... she hung up on me!” Marinette said, shocked at the betrayal.

And, right on cue, someone called on the doorbell.

She opened the door, and saw a man of clear Chinese origin, with close-cut hair, thick eyebrows, a thin moustache and solid complexion. She noticed his resemblance to Maman: clearly, this was her great uncle, Wang Cheng.

“你好,” the man greeted. She was glad she could understand at least a basic sentence as 'hello'.

“Welcome Marinese, you're Chinette!” She internally yelled as she realized she had once more mixed up words. “Agh! I mean – welcome to Marinette's, you're Chinese...?”

Oh, right.

“Ah, er, no, in Mandarin...” she muttered, trying to remember the words. She offered him the bouquet of flowers she held in her hands as she welcomed him. “歡迎來到這個家!”

No good, I'm too nervous!

Her great uncle either didn't seem to notice her nerves or did not pay any mind to it, as he nodded while taking the bouquet.

At least he might appreciate my gi–

And then he plucked one of the roses.

He's destroying it?! He hates me already!!

Not a good beginning.

Still, she bid him inside, and led him to the main hall – where she realized that she now had another problem: with the language barrier, there was no way to even make small talk!

Her great uncle silently thanked her and sat down, leaving everything in an awkward silence that lasted for a couple of minutes before the doorbell rang again.

“I'll get it!” she shouted, eager for something to break the awkwardness, and she all but ran for the door.

“H-Hi Marinette!”

“Adrien?!” she asked, shocked. Here was Adrien, wearing a nice jumper and panting a little.

“Alya called saying you needed someone who speaks Chinese?” And he bowed. “I am at your service!”

“Really?!” God, Alya had saved her, and was sending her a miracle in the form of a friend! “Thank you, Adrien! You sure got here fast too!”

“Oh, uh, I was just in the neighborhood,” he replied.

----

He wasn't going to tell her that he had run all the way from his house.

----

The car meant to take Wang Cheng to the Grand Paris Hotel for the competition arrived, and the two teens piled in with the cook, who sat in the middle of the backseat.

“程師傅, 你是第一次來巴黎嗎?” Adrien asked. Marinette wasn't certain, but she thought he was asking about coming to Paris for the first time.

“哦, 我很久以前來過一次,” Wang Cheng replied.

Something about being here before?

“You speak very well!”

Marinette felt her eyes were about to pop out, because that had been her great uncle who had spoken.

“Much better than my French,” Wang Cheng continued, unaware of the whiplash he had just given her.

“I didn't know you spoke French!” Adrien said, just as surprised as she was.

“Very bad! My French is very bad!” Wang Cheng replied, apologetically.

Marinette pouted. All this fear that she would screw up, and it turned out that her great uncle could speak French just fine?

“Mood.”

----

“On 'The World's Greatest Chef', the best culinary masters from around the globe have been blowing our minds with their creations!” the speaker stated, clearly passionate about the event, as the view of the Grand Paris Hotel switched to the arrival of Wang Cheng and his companions. “Only one will win the title of World's Greatest Chef! The winner's dish will also become the new Mayor's Special at Le Grand Paris' menu!”

----

“Cheng Shifu!” the mayor said. “It's a joy and an honor to have you on the show's finale!”

Marinette looked awkwardly; the mess with Rogercop and the man's utter lack of initiative during Darkblade's attack were still in her mind. Never mind everything about Chloé.

“It's so uncomfortable when he's nice. He even called him Shifu!” she said, and Adrien nodded in agreement. “Sorry for wasting your time, Adrien. Maman never told me he spoke French...”

“Hey, I got to practice my Chinese!” he said. He was so nice, seeing the silver lining in most things! “And I got to see you.”

Before she could react to that, came the world's earsore, just as painful as it was during classroom time.

“O-ho! So it's your uncle competing, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Chloé said. “Only a loser would try to compete with soup! As a judge, I'll be sure to fail him~”

Chloé was a judge? If she didn't know the Mayor, she would have wondered what the hell the Mayor was smoking. Instead, she just turned up the heat.

“Well, it's a good thing there are 4 other judges with better taste than you!” she shouted, poking Chloé on the chest.

“Hey! Adrien, are you gonna let her talk to me like that?!”

Adrien looked on, arms crossed, and looking at Chloé with confusion.

“Did she say something wrong?”

She could have kissed him for that.

“Ugh! You're gonna regret this!” Chloé screamed, and she went back into the hotel, leaving them alone.

----

“I think Cheng Shifu would be proud of you defending him,” he told Marinette, who looked aside, clearly unhappy about something.

“Actually, I don't think he likes me,” she replied. “He didn't talk until you came and he ripped up my gift...”

He had seen the man keeping some flower petals in his pocket, but he hadn't realized they actually came from Marinette. This was something he needed to correct, stat!

“No way! Cheng Shifu said he improvises with 'fateful things' that come his way!” he said, remembering an interview from the program. “He plans on using the flowers in his soup!”

“Really?” she said, recovering her smile, and Adrien knew he had succeeded.

“Of course! Besides, who wouldn't love you?”

“Uh, Chloé, Scarlet Lady, jury's still out on your dad...”

Welp, that question had backfired.

“I meant people with taste.”

----

“A-chooo!” Gabriel violently sneezed, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that the design he had been working on was now covered in saliva droplets and a bit of mucus. Grumbling, he put the paper aside, blew his nose on a handkerchief, did his best to clean up the remains, and put another sheet on the desk.

I don't know why, but I'm sure someone is talking about me. And not in a good way.

----

Tikki knew Chloé was about to put yet another of her stupid ideas to task, but, unfortunately, she could tell there were other people around, so she couldn't just come out and find out herself: she had to guide herself by what Chloé was saying.

“M. Cheng? Marinette's looking for you,” she said, and Tikki heard heavy footsteps passing by before Chloé left her purse on a table. “Let's see if the judges like this soup after this!”

When she came out, she saw Chloé holding two large jars, one containing pepper, the other salt – and pouring them into what she presumed was Marinette's uncle's soup.

How petty can Chloé be?! Tikki thought, flying at Chloé in an attempt to halt her.

“Chloé! You can't just–!”

“Shut up, Tikki!”

Her lips suddenly sealed up, preventing her from continuing to speak, and she mentally cursed the literal-mindedness of the magic that forced her to obey (most of) her wielder's commands.

“This is what Dupain-Cheng gets!” Chloé declared, ignoring her as she tried – in vain – to get rid of the seal, rolling all over the table. “Huh, I didn't think you'd actually shut up!”

Tikki also felt like cursing Chloé.

----

“Time to determine the fate of Cheng Shifu's Celestial Soup!” Alec declared, as the Chinese chef stood before the judges, each of them having a dish full of what he had crafted. “Let's get tasting!”

He was thankful for his great-niece, who not only had done her best to welcome him in spite of her nerves, but also for the inspiration her flowers had given him –

“ECH! It's like kissing the Zombies' singer!” the rocker in the center of the table complained, holding his stomach. “O stars!”

“HUH?!” This couldn't be! He had tasted the soup when it was done, and it was as magnificent as ever!

“It's... inedible,” the chef next to the rocker added. Knowing that a fellow chef – especially someone he knew to be fair and competent – would not lie, he approached the closest dish, the one from the yellow girl, and took a taste.

“ECH!” he said. The taste was horrible! Someone had added so much pepper and salt to this that they overpowered the gentle taste of his Celestial Soup! “I–I never used these ingredients! This is sabotage!”

“But who would do such a thing?” the hotel owner asked.

“It was Chloé,” Marinette's friend intervened.

“Definitely Chloé,” Marinette confirmed, approaching him. “Uncle, you're right. Chloé ruined your soup because I made her mad.”

“Marinette, you didn't make Chloé do anything!” Adrien argued, but it was in vain.

“Shame is mine, not Marinette's,” he stated.

“Uncle...” Marinette tried to add, but it was too late. He had lost.

“I will never be the world's greatest chef.”

He walked back to the kitchen, internally raging about the lost opportunity, the chance of proving his skill wasted because someone had sabotaged his soup. He began to put everything in place for later cleaning -

- but then he saw a purse.

A purse he had seen hanging from the shoulder of the yellow girl when she said Marinette was looking for him.

A purse that had not been there when the soup was served.

A soup that the girl had not tasted – because she had known what had happened.

“Or maybe...” He grabbed the purse, as if trying to crush it between his hands. “Shame is on bratty yellow child!”

----

“Kung Food, I am Hawkmoth.”

“Ah! How are you speaking to me?!” Marinette's uncle shouted.

“Oh no, another foreigner. Now I have to explain myself...”

Inside Chloé's purse, Tikki was terrified. She was witnessing an akumatization in the first line, and there was nothing she could do about it!

Chloé, you idiot, you left me behind!

----

Suddenly, the four people that had eaten the sabotaged soup began to complain of stomach aches.

“Oooo, ouch!” Marlena Césaire twisted in pain.

“FUCK! That hurts!” Jagged Stone shouted.

“Hahaha! You ate my soup, you became my slaves!” a man said. He slightly resembled Wang Cheng, but only slightly – now, he had golden spiky hair atop his head and in his face, thick white eyebrows that seemed like clouds, red paint over his forehead and around his mouth, and skin dark as coal. Almost like a demon from Chinese legends.

Immediately, the afflicted stopped twisting and stood straight.

“Yes, Master,” they replied at the same time, no longer complaining of pain.

“Your first orders – grab the bratty girl!” the Akuma stated, pointing his finger at Chloé, who was speaking on the phone...

“And then, you know what she said?”

… completely unaware of the three people that were about to grab and bundle her up like a turkey for Thanksgiving.

----

I hope Chloé doesn't anger the Akuma and get herself killed before I get there! Tikki thought as she flew through walls and ceilings and tried to find her wielder. As disgusting as it had been to witness her pettiness, she was still the only one that could summon the power to stop the Akuma!

----

Marinette and Adrien watched on one of the screens the transformation her great uncle had undergone, as well as him taking control over the judges and capturing Chloé.

“It's impolite to leave the table without asking!” the Akumatized Wang Cheng exclaimed.

“What?!”

“Seal the exits!”

The two of them ran to the nearest entrance, but the glass was covered on the outside with a thick layer of a orange-ish liquid that had quickly hardened.

“What on Earth–?!” Marinette said.

“It's caramel!” Adrien identified it. “Delicious, but we're stuck now. I'm, uh, gonna look for your uncle.”

“What? Shouldn't we stay together?” Marinette asked. She might dislike horror movies, but she knew well that splitting the group was never a good idea!

“Oh, uh, I thought you could flag down Chat Noir?”

“You think he's really near by?” she asked, surprised, and Adrien nodded.

Closer than you think! he thought.

----

Flagging down her hero was surprisingly easy – just a few moments after splitting off from Adrien, she found Chat Noir, who seemed to have run to arrive.

“Chat Noir! You did get in!”

“Uh, yeah! Now, get somewhere safe while I deal with the Akuma!”

“No way! That's my 舅姥爷!”

“Marinette, think about your safety!”

----

Seeing the strange boy that had suddenly met Marinette, Kung Food had to ask Hawkmoth.

“Who dat?”

“Chat Noir, and Scarlet Lady will be here soon to keep you from finishing your soup!”

“Oh, surprise ingredients!” He turned to the rocker man. “You! Go get them!”

“As you wish!” he said, running like he had come out of some Japanese animation.

“Make sure you get Chat Noir first. Attacking the girl never ends well,” Hawkmoth counseled, and it was clear he was speaking from experience.

----

“You're not going!” he said. Couldn't Marinette see that her safety was paramount?

“Try to stop me!” Apparently not.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened –

“Your seafood platter has arrived!”

“Jagged Stone?!” he asked. The rocker was carrying a huge club that seemed to be made of fish and shellfish.

And then Jagged swung the club, forcing him to step back.

“Whoa! I only want your autograph, not your appetizers!” he said.

“Sure, I'll carve it into your chest!”

“This scampi happening!”

“Chat, oh my gawd,” Marinette exclaimed.

Not all puns can be winners, ma Princesse!

----

Chloé hung from a rope over the rooftop pool, as the Akuma supervised the transformation of its clean waters into a large, Olympic-sized soup, while the hotel's chef, her father, and the TV guy added the ingredients.

She would have to raise a complaint.

In fact, she was going to do it now!

“This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! I have done absolutely nothing to deserve this!” She ignored that her sabotage of the soup might have caused this Akuma. “My hair is going to smell like grease!”

----

As she saw Jagged Stone attempt to brain Chat Noir, Marinette noticed she was near a closet, and remembered two things about her favorite singer: he loved 'rock' n'roll' things, and he hated XY (which she kinda agreed with, XY's music was horrible).

So, she put her hand to the handle, and called out.

“Hey, Jagged Stone! I think XY is more rock'n'roll than you!” She felt like she would have to wash her mouth with soap once they were done.

“What?!” Jagged exclaimed, turning away from Chat Noir to charge at her. “I'll show you rock'n'roll!”

At the last moment, she stepped aside, opening the closet door –

“Whoop~”

“AGH!”

– and paving the way for Jagged Stone to literally crash into the closet.

The moment she closed the door, Chat Noir put a chair right under the handle, preventing it from moving and keeping the rockstar inside.

“Bien joué!” Marinette exclaimed, offering a fist to Chat Noir – which he immediately bumped.

“Okay, you can come,” he said, and she grinned.

“Yay!” Being able to help Chat Noir was awesome!

----

“Hey! Open the door!” the rocker man yelled from within the closet. However, Kung Food could see the chair blocking it, meaning that, unless he sent someone, he would have lost one of his slaves permanently.

Not that he cared.

“Incompetent disciple!” If the rocker man was unable to do his job, then he wasn't worth the effort to liberate. “You, hotel man! Do me honor!”

“As you wish, Master.”

----

Chat Noir led Marinette to the elevator: he had seen the images earlier, and he had noticed that the Akuma had been on the rooftop, so whatever he was planning was likely taking place up there. The elevator was the fastest way there, after all.

But, now that they were relatively safe, he could relax just a bit – and he turned to Marinette.

“You know, Princess, you and me? We could go places,” he said, smiling and giving her a wink.

And Marinette looked aside, with that adorable face-wide blush as she twirled her hair around her finger.

“Uh, well, like, up?” she stumbled, and he realized he was now in uncharted waters.

All the anime he had seen, and never had the girl actually answered this way when the male lead flirted with her! He felt his face also burning up in response.

“I mean, cuz, you know, we're in an elevator, so–”

The elevator suddenly stopped mid-way up with a shake, causing both of them to fall to the floor.

“AGH!”

“OW!”

Oh thank God, Marinette thought.

----

As the doors opened, and both of them stood up, they found another of the guests waiting for them.

“What?!”

“Mayor Bourgeois?!”

The mayor was holding in his hands, of all things, a large string of sausages and potatoes – which he began to wield like they were nunchakus.

“Royal Local Hot Pot, and its giant string of smoked sausages!” André Bourgeois stated.

“AN OPENING!” Chat Noir interrupted, growing his baton so fast that it hit the mayor straight in the face before he could react.

“OOF!”

The mayor collapsed, knocked out, and Chat Noir quickly used the sausage string to tie him up.

“Wow, you got him really good,” Marinette commented.

“No mercy on the battlefield,” Chat Noir replied, before they went back to running up the building.

----

“What an idiot! He's of no use!” Kung Food shouted, angry that the cat boy and Marinette had so easily defeated yet another of his slaved.

“Tell me about it,” Chloé replied. It wasn't the first time she talked smack about her father, so who cared?

“You two, take care of this!”

Alec Cataldi and Marlena Césaire promptly dropped what they had in their hands and ran into the hotel.

That was when Chloé felt something else on her back.

“Chloé!” Tikki whispered.

“Tikki! Where've you been?!”

“Someone left me in the kitchen,” the kwami said in an accusatory tone as she began to undo the knots. “I'll get you out now so you can be Scarlet Lady–”

“NO!” Chloé yelled, making Tikki stop. “I'll drop right into the soup and it'll ruin my hair!”

Tikki looked down at the (somehow) boiling soup, and wondered what had happened to this girl's self-preservation instincts.

Likely died with her good manners.

“You almost have a point there.”

----

Chat Noir began to pull Marinette up through the hole he had opened, as the stairs to this floor were locked and he'd rather not catch the attention of whoever Kung Food sent after them.

“We're almost there. Keep your guard up,” he whispered, and Marinette nodded as she stood up.

DING!

“Oh, great, now what?” he complained.

“The show will begin with a smelly cheese trial!” Alec Cataldi announced, wielding what appeared to be a crossbow that used cheese as ammo, while Alya's mother wielded a bow and an arrow that looked like some kind of cake.

Alec fired his weapon, and Marinette covered herself up – and when the cheese hit her arms, it exploded in a POOF! while releasing a mist.

“Ah! It stings!” Marinette complained; it was a very stinky cheese that had hit her, and the smell was so awful her eyes tried to counter it by producing excessive amounts of tears.

“MARINETTE!”

----

From his hideaway underneath Agreste Mansion, Hawkmoth palmed his face.

He had known this was going to happen. It had been the first thing he had warned Kung Food about when he learned the Cat was on scene.

And yet...

“Dammit, what did I tell you?” he said, still covering his face, because he really, really didn't want to look at what was going on right now.

----

“YOU'LL %$#€ PAY FOR THAT!” Chat Noir yelled, but instead of going after the most recent bane of his existence, he tackled his companion.

“Hey!” Marlena shouted, but he was past caring, and, forcefully grabbing the bow, he fired a cake arrow at Alec's back.

“AGH!”

Alec dropped his crossbow, and with his superhuman strength granted by the Black Cat Miraculous, Chat Noir tossed Marlena at the bald man.

“HYAH!”

“AH!”

With both of Kung Food's last slaves out of combat, he quickly approached Marinette, who was still rubbing her eyes.

“Ow,” she complained, her eyes still crying.

“Marinette! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, just a little watery.”

He sighed. She would be fine. As fine as one could be when smelling the kind of cheese Plagg liked, that was.

----

Kung Food was now too angry. His last slaves had been put down, and the only thing they had managed to do was to irritate Marinette's eyes slightly! He would have to put his plan in action.

“... I'm gonna cook the girl now,” he declared.

Chloé turned to the Akuma. In spite of everything that had happened so far, she hadn't realized what was the endgame for Kung Food.

“Hah?!”

“Time to add the main ingredient.”

And he began to slice the rope.

“No no no no NOOOO!” Chloé yelled as the rope began to break under the blade's sharp edge.

And, just as the last of the rope was cut –

“Gotcha!”

– Chat Noir jumped to grab her mid-air. Like a hero. Because that was what he was.

“Finally!” Chloé said, not even remotely willing to show any gratefulness even as she touched safe ground. Because that was what she was. “Took you long–”

“Just... just go,” Chat Noir said, pushing her away so he could deal with the Akuma.

With Tikki's help, she finally got rid of the rope keeping her arms tied up, and hid behind a corner.

“Hmph! Time for Scarlet Lady to put him in his place!”

Tikki looked down.

“... you mean the Akuma, right?”

----

“Fear not, everyone, for I have arrived!”

“Aw, man,” Chat Noir sighed. “Cutting it real close this time, Scar.”

He seriously suspected that she had just waited until there was little more to do than fight the Akuma so she could do a 'dramatic' entrance and steal the credit (as always).

“I showed up, didn't I? Lucky Charm!” she said, tossing her yo-yo upwards.

Suddenly, out of what could only be called hammerspace, Kung Food pulled out a sword that was oversized even by anime standards, thrice as large as the Akuma was – and made entirely of pepperoni pizza.

“I'm gonna cook you up real good!” Kung Food declared.

Scarlet Lady didn't even notice the old credit card machine hitting her in the head as it fell.

“STOP! MAKING! WEAPONS!” Scarlet Lady freaked out, hooking her yo-yo around several objects and throwing them at Kung Food, who just deflected them with his gigantic sword.

Meanwhile, Marinette had grabbed the Lucky Charm, which had almost fallen into the soup, and realized that the strip of paper that had been dipped was very sticky yet still tough enough. Realizing what she had to do, she began to pull from the paper and dipped it into the soup.

“HAHAHA!” Kung Food laughed, as he readied his mighty pizza sword for a down slash that would slice Scarlet Lady in two.

Or he would have, if Marinette hadn't jumped in and tangled him in the souped-up strip of credit card paper.

“Chat Noir, now!” she shouted. Chat Noir went for the only object that had been there the entire time – his bag. Opening it, he saw a chef's hat.

“Cataclysm!” he shouted, destroying the hat and freeing the black butterfly.

“I could've done that!” Scarlet Lady complained.

“Then why didn't you?” Marinette fired

----

With the Akuma butterfly purified, and Wang Cheng restored to normality, the jury convened and agreed that, since there was proof that his work had been deliberately sabotaged, he would be granted a second chance to show his skills.

Remembering what had happened earlier, Marinette ran to the hotel's flower shop and bought a bouquet of roses that she brought to the kitchen, where her great uncle was already hard at work readying the ingredients.

“Uncle? Would you teach me how to make Celestial Soup?” she asked, plucking a petal with a smile.

“With pleasure,” Wang Cheng replied: he was eager to pass on his skills to his grand-niece!

“Seriously?!”

Wang Cheng and Marinette turned to look at the owner of the shrill voice, who was the same person that had started the entire mess.

“After all that? I told you, I hate soup!” Chloé complained. Marinette was glaring at her, and Adrien – who was also at the kitchen, having volunteered to help protect from further sabotage attempts – looked at his childhood friend with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

“I don't see why that matters when your dad kicked you off the jury,” he said, completely deadpan.

Chloé blushed.

“Daddy doesn't tell me what to do! I... I resigned!” she said in an attempt to cover up her shame.

“Oh? Cuz I heard the evidence was too overwhelming to ignore!” Adrien replied, pointing to a corner near the ceiling. “Say hi to the camera!”

“Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Chloé said, unwilling to accept that her crime had been caught live while she wasn't paying attention.

And Marinette, meanwhile, gave her a look of pity.

How did you forget that CAMERAS exist?!

----

After preparation was finished, the Celestial Soup was served, and Wang Cheng even tasted some to show the judges that it was as good as expected. The three men and one woman proceeded to taste it, and some of them even moaned in pleasure: the flavour was as divine as the name implied!

The deliberation was short, and Alec Cataldi approached the chef, who was giving Marinette a one-armed hug.

“Your delicious Celestial Soup has received the best score in the show!” Alec declared, smiling and clapping. “Making you the winner!”

“Thank you,” Wang Cheng said, “but soup has new name: Marinette Soup!”

Marinette smiled. That her uncle had given her name to such a wonderful dish was amazing!

“謝謝叔叔!” she said, hugging him back.

----

The next day, Adrien returned to Master Fu's shop, in order to update him on the latest Akuma – and what had happened during the incident.

“And she figured out the Lucky Charm again!” Adrien said, once more praising Marinette. It was a common occurrence. “She's so awesome, I would've just thrown it at him!”

“Hmm...” Fu began, before turning serious. “And you say Scarlet Lady was very late this time?”

“Yeah, but that's not weird.” Adrien waved it off. “She's pretty lazy when she's not angry.”

“She claimed to be Mlle. Bourgeois' friend, yet she didn't show up to save her. Very suspicious,” Fu noted. Had he found his suspect for the robbery, after all?

“It would be if Scarlet Lady wasn't a big fat liar,” Adrien stated, interrupting his train of thought. “Chloé's hardly any better.”

Fu wasn't sure of how to take that assessment, so he chose to concentrate on the one person that had been robbed of her destiny.

“It's very fortunate this Marinette could help you.”

“Right?!” Ah, young love. “She's amazing, with or without a Miraculous!”

With?

“What do you mean?”

Adrien suddenly turned bashful.

“Ah, I did temporarily let go of my ring when Reflekta attacked, and Plagg lent it to Marinette.”

“She was that cat?!” he asked, surprised, and turned to look at the Kwami of Destruction. “Plagg! That was very dangerous!”

“It was no big deal!” Plagg said, flying with his back to him. “I knew Pigtails would give it back. And she did.”

“Hmm...” he mused, standing up. “Maybe it's time for a second look...”

Behind him, Adrien and Plagg looked at each other, wondering what that was about.

----

Evillustrator

@zoe-oneesama Let's hope Hawkmoth chokes on some Celestial Soup.

[ominous-feychild]

✦ Character Voice Tag ✦

Following tag from @honeybewrites!

Characters from Sun and Shadow: Freya, Crow, and Daleira Characters from the Arcane Rifts: Gene, Tazin, and Mislav

Lines to be used: - "Move over! I wanna watch too." @honeybewrites - "A little help, please?" @the-golden-comet - "Unhand me!" @the-letterbox-archives - "Okay, someone has to come up with a plan" @fractured-shield

"Move over! I wanna watch too."

Freya: "Move! Ugh--please, sorry!" *has already shoved her way past* Crow: *teleported through shadows to get to a better vantage point* Crow: "Excusez-moi!" *at the same time as slapping them aside with their wing* (note: they are not French.) Daleira: "Excuse me, please. I want to watch this too." Gene: "Uhm... ex-excuse me... please..." Tazin: "OUT OF THE WAY!" *meanwhile shoving people way more violently than necessary* Mislav: *way too quietly* "excuse me? I... excuse--vynost, I SAID MOVE!!!" *will shove if they haven't jumped out of the way of the screaming 9-year-old*

"A little help, please?"

Freya: "A little help over here!? Sooner rather than later???" Crow: "Ey! Over here! HELP!" Daleira: "Hey, could I get some help please?" Gene: *is not physically capable of asking for help* Gene: "Uhm... could-could I... please get some help?" Tazin: "Get your ass over here and HELP ME!" (note: read in a nasally, obnoxious 9-year-old's voice) Mislav: "hey, um... could I get some help? Please?"

"Unhand me!"

Freya: "what the--let go of me!" *will tear away from who/whatever grabbed her if she's able* Crow: *combat mode: engaged. Duck into their own shadows and teleport to get a moment to process the scene before reacting further.* Crow: *calmly, making eye contact* "you have less than five seconds to let go of me. Five. Four--" Daleira: *making eye contact, but trying to figure out if the grabbing was malicious or well-intentioned* "what's wrong." (hint: you do NOT want to be on her bad side.) Gene: *at the top of his lungs, voice cracking from under-use, and simultaneously yanking away with more strength than a 7-year-old should have* "LET GO OF ME!!!" (*panik attack*) Tazin: *insert unintelligible demonic screeching here. And imagine the grabber being set on fire. Because both will be the case.* Mislav: "LET GO OF ME!" *will yank away with, yet again, more strength than a human child should have. In fact, even more than a human adult if the grabber is intimidating. Will headbutt and leave a GNARLY bruise if necessary.*

"Okay, someone has to come up with a plan!"

Freya: "Guys??? What are we doing??? Don't tell me I have to figure something out!" Crow: *deadpan* "Don't make me break out Plan B. Trust me, you do NOT want Plan B." Daleira: *taking a deep breath and tying her hair back with a hairtie that JUST magically appeared* "alright, here's what we're going to do." Tazin: "GENE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING RIGHT NOW!!!" Gene: (regardless of whether or not ^^^ just happened) "I... I think I have an idea..." Mislav: "ohvynostpleaseno--does anyone have a plan??? Anyone??? Anything??? Ohvynostno--PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO USE IT!!!"

Your line: "Well, you see, Perry the Platypus, it all started on the day I (...) AND THAT'S WHY I PLAN TO CONQUER THE TRI-STATE AREA!" (in other words, if you don't want to Doofenshmirtz it, "This is why I'm about to do this No Good, Very Bad Thing. That is also why you are not going to stop me or change my mind." I thought it'd be fun with Doofenshmirtz's way, but either should work!)

Tagging (with no pressure) @darkandstormydolls @yourpenpaldee @.honeybewrites @.the-letterbox-archives (avoiding double-tags) and whoever else wants to join!

Divider from @cafekitsune

[universalambients]

The Forbidden City, 1928

[redsnerdden]

Jujutsu Kaisen, Berserk, and Invincible Battle In May's NY Best Sellers List

Jujutsu Kaisen, Berserk, and Invincible Battle In May's NY Best Sellers List #呪術廻戦 #JujutsuKaisen #SpyxFamily #manga #Invincible #Berserk

After another lengthy hiatus due to art commissions, we’re looking at the newest New York Times Best Sellers List for Graphic Novels and Manga for May. Image Credit: Viz Media A mysterious cursed spirit with a grudge against Maki flies into Sakurajima Colony. It evolves with incredible speed from cursed womb to adult form and threatens to overwhelm Maki and Noritoshi. Just then, two more…

[witchhuntress]

IF there’s a new Ghost Hunt anime…

I think it’ll be better to have a sequel with the later volumes & hopefully with the original VA cast & directors back. Imagine if they put in side stories, animating His Reality and Eugene short stories? (Even as a flashback ILL TAKE IT Or a transition ILL TAKE IT) in between cases?? HELL YEAH.

Like YEAH I WANT MORE EPISODES I WANT A 2 COUR ANIME FOR MORE THAN A DECADE’S WORTH OF WAIT. I WANT CRISPIER ANIMATIONS MORE GLITTERS ON NARU’S HAIR MORE ATMOSPHERIC OP AND ED SONGS MORE MORE MORE

I think the first season is already good tbh and it didn’t end as abruptly as other anime adaptations had halfway through arcs or serious plot points. Unless they plan to be more faithful to the novels and add in Taka in some parts for example and many more unseen unanimated scenes, I think the first anime did great cinema-wise even if it wasn’t totally perfect.

If they do remake it fully (50-70+ episodes pwease?🥺😂), I hope it’ll be a better yet still nostalgic & moving adaptation.

[mumblingsage]

I'm fondly remembering the time I read scans of Berserk on my high school library computers.

[miirshroom]

Miquella Thoughts

Seems to have been a lot of Elden Ring discussion lately about Miquella as a Griffith reference from Berserk. I have not read Berserk, and rather than make half-formed guesses about that I'd rather tackle the question of Miquella's motives from other perspectives.

I've been reading one of my old favourite fantasy trilogies recently - the Mage Winds by Mercedes Lackey. It occurred to me that this is probably one of the sources of my strong negative feelings towards blood magic. Blood magic appears in at least 3 other storylines in the same setting, in one way or another. But the villain of this trilogy is a blood-path mage named Mornelithe Falconsbane.

Blood sacrifices, violence, enslavement and compulsion are the typical traits of a blood mage - pain and energy from cutting a life short are what fuel this power. And one of the main interests of this particular blood mage is in experimenting with creating twisted creatures to use as weapons - combining animals in unnatural and tormented ways. Also Falconsbane made cosmetic changes to himself to become a sexy cat man. Like a lynx. After testing them on his unwilling and abused daughter. Unanimous agreement among protagonists that he's a beast with no redeeming qualities. 

A twist is that this villain is also a body snatcher. He set a spell a few thousand years ago powered by the energy of his own death that would let him survive in the void until a blood descendant is born with a sufficient level of mage power. Remember how I mentioned that 3 other storylines involve blood magic? Turns out the same guy is responsible for 2 of them. The spell is keyed to activate the first time the mage attempts a basic fire-lighting spell, which is typically the first spell learned by an untrained person. Blood magic spell activates and he takes possession of the body and destroys the original personality. But in this particular case he slipped up and the original person that he stole his current body from has been a prisoner in his own mind for decades. So the nature of the conflict shifts towards the climax of the trilogy. There is an absolute evil monster to be destroyed, but there's also an innocent person worth saving underneath all that. And the stakes are raised because killing one guy won't solve the problem - they need to break the immortality spell so that this ancient evil will never return.

Back to Elden Ring. In general it seems that Radagon's lineage is cursed in a way that involves blood magic. There's a connection hinted between Radagon and the Leonine Misbegotten - which are twisted and tormented manufactured chimera. There's a connection between Radagon and the Thorn Sorcerers who wear red cloth around their heads mimicking flowing red hair (or Messmer, but it's all the same lineage so I see little difference). There are also the cessblooded Omens, who should of course be counted as well because Radagon is Marika.

And there's Miquella who practices blood magic in watering the Haligtree and is capable of feats of craftsmanship beyond his years, as if perhaps he is working from the memories and abilities of something far older than his physical form suggests. The Bewitching Branch seems to pretty explicitly reference a compulsion spell (as well as using the sacramental bud as a component - more blood magic), which in my experience is never a thing used by protagonists in any story. Unless maybe your protagonist is a vampire. So, never used by protagonists who are good people and don't see human beings as sheep for slaughter. As a side note, I recently watched the 3 hour-long ContaPoints video on Twilight and I am...connecting some dots about the roles of Mohg and Varre in the story (I have also never read Twilight).

I dislike trying to make guesses about whatever exactly Miquella is up to. He's associated with dreams, which do not necessarily need to follow the same metaphysical logic as the rest of the Lands Between. But still, there are these vibes that I keep in mind until further information arises. From one perspective I suspect that Miquella thought to enter the Shadowlands and conquer this Land, so that he could manipulate the Lands Between from the shadows. This is the Jungian perspective of animus, which has recently become my favourite pseudo-psychology to dismantle.

From another perspective, it is possible that the Shadowlands is something like the void in that story I mentioned. There is an immortal lich who was fled to lurk in the shadows and waits for a chance to be reborn, and Miquella has chased him here to stop that from happening. This thought also dovetails with some planting that I've noticed that combines the King in Yellow with Koschei the Deathless. It starts back in Demon's Souls, I think - where the yellow monk cloth takes the shape of a tornado when it possesses a victim (The Koschei travels with tornados).

What's also up to interpretation is how literally or symbolically this is all being handled. Like, Mohg emerging from Miquella's blood is a very literal way to depict cursed blood full of demons. And it seems confirmed as of the DLC trailer that Miquella has deliberately left behind his empyrean flesh (same as Ranni, who also has sleep powers and travels in dreams. Coincidentally.).

It was to this land that Miquella departed. Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all things Golden.

As tempting as it is to speculate further on what exactly Miquella has planned for the DLC, all I'd say now is that I am dubious about his former intentions in the "waking world" of the Lands Between - not just of whether they were good intentions, but of whether they were ever realistic to achieve. But regardless of the past, there remains a possibility that the decision to abandon his metamorphosis plan coincided with a change of heart that resulted from the new perspective offered by the Shadowlands.