#demon goat leg lady

[kit-williams]

Perturabo & Penelope Drabbles

Collection of random ass plotpoints that will eventually be made into proper fics (also remember ya'll if you wanna be on my regular non-husbandry tag list please ask me)

@bispecsual @egrets-not-regrets @moodymisty @bleedingichorhearts @liar-anubiass-blog

@thevoidscreams @barn-anon @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @squishyowl @ms--lobotomy

@nekotaetae @sleepyfan-blog

Non tag list people but people who I want to see this @the-raven-lady @remembrancer-of-heresy

So how this goes will be

A one line premise

the blurb

Pertrabo asks Fulgrim something (Pre Horus Heresy)

I realized something that Bo might had only casually thought of. He'd be going into their marriage knowing he would outlive her. She went into it and was fine probably musing she would be the first of many perhaps Perturabo was initially content but then asked Fulgrim about it suddenly seeing the sadness in his eyes... maybe getting such raw advice as to "treasure her. They live such short lives." or "Perhaps you'll marry again akin to how they might get another pet. It will never be the same as that first one... the one you're so madly in love with... maybe you'll marry again"

Penelope's reunion with Perturabo: Peaceful

Penelope's part Her hair was out of place as she bit her nails... she could hear his voice... telling her to stop biting them. The ship had been boarded... Castor was the Judas goat... eager to welcome mother home but be a beacon to let Bo know exactly where she was. Ajax was being ferried to the secondary safe zone. She didn't know what a demon was... but she was trembling and there would be no Bo to comfort her in his arms just tucking her under his chin and making her feel like she is the most precious thing in the galaxy. She knew his footsteps... the room was dim as she took a final drink of wine to calm her nerves. The Automata outside were quiet... of course they wouldn't shoot their maker. She turned and looked up at the doors... before having to look down and only seeing a man a head taller then her with the most striking blue eyes... and cornrows of wires- "B-Bo?" Perturabo's part He might as well utilize his lesser used powers... he hardly cared about the shapeshifting and how he looked. But the way she looked at him and flinched as his hands were finally able to cup her face as they should have been. To kiss her as she deserved! To feel her form press up against his in a way that he only held fleeting desires for... the sensation of her wrapping her legs around his waist. His nose pressing into the skin of her neck as he had memorized this delicate smell ten thousand years prior... he always told her he would be okay with her death but he was a filthy liar... he had lied to himself and to her. He wasn't ready to lose her when he did... and no he wouldn't ever have to as now the Iron Mother would be /eternal/

A part just right after the part above and them having passionate sex this is some conversation they had just laying in the afterglow

"She was right Bo." She finally said with her head on his chest... it was quiet. It disturbed her and as if he read her mind she could hear the beating of his hearts again. "I know. I knew after I killed her." He says softly just drawing on her back, "I also realized you would have stopped me if you were there." He says staring at the ceiling he designed, every piece in their bedroom he designed and made. "I blamed myself. I had called you to follow me to Olympia. Even if you couldn't stop me from doing what I did you would have stopped me from being a monster." "What do you look like now?" He held her tightly shaking his head how many baselines looked at him in horror... how many tried to kill themselves. "No." He said in a tone to not question him. How easy for him to slip back into being a husband.

@bispecsual's character study/read of Castor

Castor is such a sad dude, he wanted to be at her side, wanted the glory of protecting his legion mother for so so long and he never got the chance, now she’s back and she hasn’t changed at all. It’s been no time at all to her, the universe hasn’t had a chance to break dear sweet Penelope who was always so kind to them all. He wants that love again, he wants her to smile, he wants to be her son again. His eyes would flash to that warm brown she remembers from uncountable lifetimes ago she’s now learning, just like his father he’s trying to look how she remembers him. “Aren’t you proud of me, mother?” He smiles with the giddiness of a little boy showing off a trophy he won, his teeth are too sharp, there’s blood smeared on his armor and she tries so desperately to remember the fresh-faced neophyte who positively beamed at her from his scout battalion. “I’ve risen to the rank of warsmith! Isn’t that grand?” He wants to grab her hands, wants to press them to his face and feel softness for the first time in so long. Father had always been selfish with his wife’s touch, glaring at any of their sons he stepped a bit too close to the warm maternal hearth fire of the Iron Warriors Legion. Some of his older brothers (the apothecaries) even got to touch her belly when she was pregnant, they said it was quite odd feeling Ajax kick from inside her womb but he still had wanted to experience it. She was back now, and so was their littlest brother, the heir of Olympia, little Ajax. He could finally have everything he wanted. He didn’t even notice the conflicted horror on Penelope’s face as she stared up at him. Oh sweet boy what had her absence done to you?

Penelope's reunion with Perturabo: Violent

Angsty ass idea: Penelope decides to fight and over the ship’s vox she addresses the 5000 men with her and asks them to help defend the ship with her. She may not have been a fan of fighting but she’s still the Iron Mother, it’s still her duty to defend her family. “I would never ask that you die for me, my sons. But today I will ask you to die WITH me if necessary.” Those on the bridge salute her. As if they’d ever refuse a call to arms from their legion mother But of course... How could she win against a Primarch? Much less against a Demon Primarch... She held Ajax tightly as it was getting quiet. Tears fell as she sat on the command throne just waiting. Castor came in looking like a kicked dog. Her sons were dead or captured but most likely dead given who her husband was. She tries her best to be strong... but she fails as tears roll down her cheeks. "Mother..." Castor says softly as others enter the room as bolters are holstered. She looks up at the impassive face looking down at her, "So now what." She says trying to sound fierce and defiant but it comes out broken and small. "You come home. Lest you want /all/ your sons dead." Perturabo says with blood... most likely Antioch's smeared on his weapon. He did not like to twist her arm... but he knew sometimes it was for her best... sometimes he had to manipulate her into behaving. She opens her mouth to say something before he murmurs, "No. I will not hurt our son." Again reading her mind as she stands up holding Ajax protectively as her attendants come back closer. She feels Perturabo pick her up as that move cements that it is over... she is back in his grasp. She sniffles as she feels him press kisses into the side of her head as she is carried to the Iron Blood. The Iron Amaranth is draped in red as she weeps for her sons as she is carried away as the warmth of her ship is replaced with such a cold cruelty of the Blood... she tried to fight the Lord of Iron and she broke first.

The Iron Mother with Perturabo receiving an unusual visitor

She looked down at the visitor ... hardly any of her husband's newer sons came to visit her. He did not look like a typical Iron Warrior... not as stocky. "Have you come to see the mother of Iron?" "Yes." His voice said. "I am a curiosity." She spoke with a warmth that all of her sons deserved even if these new ones frightened her. But it is why he kept her locked away in this seemingly endless place with what feels like a real sun... real weather... just it feels like a slice of Olympia. "You are. Castor talks of you fondly." He says and he watches her warm smile spread over her lips as she stands up and walks closer. She had begged and pleaded for her guards lives eventually promising to eventually bear Perturabo another child. "He is fond of me. What is your name?" She asks looking up at him. "I am Honsu." "Ah the half breed." She says before motioning for him to kneel as she looks over him. Touching his chin looking into his eyes before she hugs him and places a kiss on his temple. "A half breed you might be but like all my sons you get all of my affection."

Penelope confronts Pertruabo

I wrote enough that it would be its own short stand alone blurb HOWEVER I have a timeline for the Pertrabo and Penelope plot and really do not want to post stuff super out of order

Penelope realizing she's not dealing with the same Perturabo (No dialogue because it hasn't been planned yet)

She said too much... Penelope pales... She let out all her frustrations and sadness out at this thing that was in front of her far too small to be her husband yet he was! Her makeup ruined from the hot tears that ran down her cheeks as she crossed a line she looks down trying to figure out how to apologize but she wasn't sorry for everything she said just she knew she went too far. Her head snaps up when she feels his hand move her chin up... his face unreadable and a part of her was naturally scared. She wasn't ready for the soft kiss on her forehead and the gentle smile from him as she listened to him... validate her concerns and feelings... pointing out where she let her emotions get the better of her and misremembering things but recognizing her feelings in the moment? Penelope looked up at her husband confused as this was not the reaction she was expecting... the confusion leaves and is replaced as he whispers in her ear what he is going to do to her for her little outburst as she was thoughtless with her words... his tongue tracing her ear as he allows the extra bass in his voice, due to his ascension, to run down her spine. He could smell the immediate effect he was having on her body. And he couldn't resist as their hands gripped each other tightly and pulled at clothing that was in the way.

Lewd Idea: Penelope is a size queen; blame really only having a Primarch as a sexual partner for like a decade. And Perturabo being absolutely N O R M A L about his wife

Ajax the half primarch interacting with his demonic father

Ajax knew this presence! He knew it because it loved him! His formless body floated and rolled near the large warp presence as he popped and made his noises! Why wasn't he up? Was it like when mama was looking away? He needed this... he could feel mama holding him tightly... he missed papa holding him too... it has been so long since he was held by them both. Oh! He knew what do! He SCREAMED "PAPA" Shapeless eyes that burnt like fire formed and dissipated as they looked at the tiny floating "bundle" of wool. Both formless and shapeless... but they knew each other. 'pop' 'pop' 'pop' the little cloud made as tiny tethers tried to make their connections

Perturabo and Penelope being catastrophically in love with each other

there are moments like that for them of... having to get use to the new "normal" The fact that you can only interact with your husband through what you eventually learn is basically a metal puppet because if you see what he actually looks like now you might go insane Perty: I’m kinda a psychic eldritch being now Nelly: so does that mean you're no longer interested in me- Perty: no no I love you still Nelly: wasn't finished... are you no longer interest in sex dear? Bo: I've been half mast this entire conversation Nelly: Perfect or Perty: I’m kinda a psychic eldritch being now Nelly: figure it tf out I want your dick Perty: WELL WHEN YOU PUT IT THAT WAY

Alternative reunion with Perturabo if she had gone to Roboute

Penelope had resigned herself already... Her stepsons were dying. Roboute and Ajax back on Macragge waiting for the Iron Warriors... Of course they hid her away. Of course, Bo would find her... She could feel his presence bearing down on her like a breeze behind her eyes... The taste of ozone on her tongue. She already dismissed the handmaidens and just waited by the window... Roboute had lied about his death it seems... Penelope closed her eyes at the sound of sickening crushing noises outside the door. She was certain he was going to kill her for her infidelity. She looked to the poison unopened nearby as she knew it was foolish for her to let herself be found alive but... She was a foolish and emotional woman... She wanted to see her Bo. "Blue doesn't look good on you mother." Castor says entering the room, "Don't you have anything more suitable?" Penelope smiled sadly, her face having more wrinkles and her hair with more streaks of grey, "Unfortunately no. You all weren't supposed to be here so I did not bring anything..." "Father is eager to see you." "To punish me?" She asks softly. "No," Perturabo's voice distorted by his vox forces her attention to him, "To bring you home. Just like those Epics you enjoyed reading."

Perturabo has an unexpected visitor

There was something else on his planet. He groused as he couldn't feel which pesky brother was trying to seek his aid without being seen. He doubts it was Mortarion given how they had fought recently... He had laid the rules that Fulgrim was not allowed... Angron was to be redirected... Magnus was allowed only to a few selected places keeping him far from where Penelope and Ajax were being kept... Lorgar was trapped... Perturabo frowned as he started to pluck strands of reality like a spider feeling its web for prey. He frowns as nothing comes up and yet the feeling remains... He goes to pluck the golden thread gently to respond to Ajax's near constant plucking of their warp bond. His fingers slip through it... His entire consciousness looks down at to where the tiny bundle of golden wool should be at the other end of the bond and all he can see is blackness and feathers. Perturabo's hearts seize... Corvus was in his domain... And Corvus was where his wife was! The grim thought that danced across his mind as he rushed down was that at least Corvus wouldn't make her suffer unlike Konrad... But still he moved with a dying hope that she would still be there even if Ajax wasn't....

Penelope witnessing his death (another she went to Roboute timeline)((the image is the inspiration))

She looked back... She couldn't stop herself knowing there was a monster right there but she couldn't stop her mouth from forming the word for husband. It was her fault Macragge was being invaded... And it was her fault that flaming sword was stabbed deep into his chest. And all she could do was let out that dying shriek for him as his eyes never wavered from her own and she even through tears kept her eyes on him... It was her fault... And she would have to live with that...

Demon Perturabo being normal about his wife, the march of time, and totally not making anything profane for her

His mouth moved over each blemish of her skin being reminded how she got each one and where there was a fragment of his being the whole was deep in his workshop working... Flesh crafting... Because why should death come for Nelly? Why should he be /okay/ with only having her for a few centuries and even then her youthfulness will be gone after that first century... Why should he be okay with it? He never liked her being okay with being his "first" wife seemingly accepting the fact that she wouldn't be his only just accepting that her memory would fade in time... His tongue pushes into her mouth as she melts to his touch just as the flesh in his hands melts under his own... Fabius demanded a high price for his knowledge but it would be worth it. Each small scar was marked upon the skin...Flesh pulled to mimic Her stretch marks ... Even the odd asymmetry that she had on her face... The fact that her fingers on her left hand were millimeters longer then her right... Whimpers in his ear... Unlike from the body underneath his hands... He nuzzled the empty flesh body in his hands all just missing a soul to start it up. He wouldn't use it just yet... But in time she would have a form fitting for the wife of a Primarch... And he wouldn't have to worry about her falling to his corruption either... The high pitched sigh in his ear tells him she climaxed as his eyes return to the enclosure... He could feel the "rain" against him as they sat under a tree just enjoying a moment to themselves

Perturabo being a little evil (some of you might know this as being the gore sex idea...)

He rounds the corner looking at the body on the floor wailing... it shouldn't be awake or alive really. He could see the bone growth of the wraithbone construct having grown even when it should have been suppressed. He sends a son to go check on Penelope but as far as he can tell she is asleep and yet he can feel a shard of her soul in this imperfect body. "B- B- Bo." She struggles to say as her eyes are cloudy for Penelope it was a nightmare... hair and teeth falling out... pain... darkness... elements of the nightmares she was so use to having since coming here... she weeps wanting her husband to save her! To hold her while she sleeps... to feel... "Shhh I am here Nelly." His voice rumbles in her ear as her fingers grip his armor so tightly that the flesh rips free of the muscle. He should kill it and return the shard of her soul to her body... but his mask peels away as his blackened tongue licks her bottom lip as he closes the space between them... just a few kisses...

Penelope having a sensory overload in her new body

Penelope suddenly waking up in a body that feels too big for her... She's suddenly stronger.... Faster... Her mind sharper and she's scared because she went from feeling weakness in her joints and having to slow down to suddenly being in her prime again again thank you @bispecsual for the blurb Even better than her prime even. It would be overwhelming. Everything is too loud, too bright, too sharp. Al this information pouring into her mind at a speed she isn’t used to. Why can she hear Ajax’s little heartbeat rooms away? Why can she see the microabrasions on the cold steel walls? Why oh why can she feel this suffocating PRESSURE like a storm has been stuffed in the room with her? The choking, stifling, smell of ozone and the sensation of immense barometric pressure. She feels a touch against her cheek, so familiar but too sharp, too rough, on this skin that feels the same but not. She knows those calluses, she knows that warmth but instead of comfort it feels like sandpaper and glass right now. She hasn’t flinched away from her husband since she was a servant, but she can’t help it now. She doesn’t mean it. She tries to tell him that but her voice catches in her throat. Is it her throat? It doesn’t feel like it’s ever been used before. It’ll pass, she’s told. What will pass? What has he done? WHAT DID HE DO TO HER? My part again Perturabo's voice is soft... So soft as she struggles to control her body... She wails loudly as everything feels wrong and feels helpless and unable to control her body. Why do her limbs so heavy? She looks up at Perturabo trying to soothe her wiping away her tears all with a patient smile on his face After some time... Ajax looks at her with the same blue eyes as his father... A look on his face as if he /knew/ what his father had been planning... But Nelly would never accuse her son of that... No she just was feeling miserable and scared as she struggled to use her body again. She wasn't allowed back into her "home" until she could walk and talk properly again meaning she had to deal with what she was calling dealing with him Raw. It made her heart race and her feel like she was going to throw up and yet she could feel Ajax... That soft and fluffy feeling she always had with her son just amplified. She flinched at the sudden heaviness before the doors opened up to reveal the demon Primarch. She was upset at Perturabo but she had to wait to be able to voice it again... She was struggling to talk still and not bite her tongue off...

And Finally... another in the timeline of Penelope goes to Roboute first but of her dealing with the Inquisition

Pain blossomed through her cheek as she glared at the Lord Inquisitor who had dared backhanded her. If there was one thing she had learned being Perturabo's wife... it was /spite/ not that she didn't have much of it before becoming his wife but she learned how to weaponize it. The room was in an intense stalemate of guns and bolters and weapons all pointed, rifle red dots danced across his brow from outside the large windows. She exhaled from her nose like a grox bull as she turned back to face him; religious fanatics /all/ of them... but he especially so... "Was that that best you could do? I've had head serf mistresses beat me harder than that slap..." Penelope says ignoring the still red hot pain in her cheek. Such a passionate man stood in front of her as she goaded his anger. Her hand fiddling with the iron necklace... her finger pushing the hidden button on the Legion emblem on the necklace. A barrel pushed to her forehead, "Whatever trick you think you could pull isn't going to work. I don't see why the Regent bothered inviting /you/ in... a whore to a traitor." "Not a whore... a wife." Penelope says softly as if she is gently chiding one of her handmaidens, she is pleased that he allowed Ajax to be removed from the room by her handmaids. "Tell me Lord Inquisitor what do you know of my husband? Do you know how wonderfully brilliant he is-" She pauses inhaling remembering..., "How brilliant he was? How skilled he was inventing and crafting? He made the entirety of the Iron Amaranthos... all of her designs was his doing. So tell me... what do you know of him?" Penelope just smiles as he glares at her. "Tell me... do you feel like you have reflexes faster than a Primarch?" "What-" Her Iron Circle teleported in... two right next to her enveloping her within the personal shields of the automata. The Inquisitor was disarmed and two swords a hairs width away from his neck rested. Her Iron Circle was made to guarantee her survival... her sons were there to guarantee that Ajax could survive. "Aren't they beautiful?" She gestures to the automata. Iron Gladiolus flowers decorate the automata as they were far more visually appealing then his personal Iron Circle, "He hand made these." Her fingers brush along the delicate looking metal work, "Made to be exactly like his personal Iron Circle... made to keep up with a Primarch and be his honor guard. I told him they were overkill... it was far too much to give me five thousand of his sons and an Iron Circle of my own... much less four of them." Penelope's gaze dims slightly lost in the memory, "He told me four was only right since I was legion mother of the fourth legion." Sadness warbles in her voice but it hardens back as she looks at him leaning against Odysseys as Ares and Helios held the swords to his throat as Zeus took his place beside her.  /Why bother naming them?/ Perturabo said trying to keep the dismissive tone in his voice away. /Because you made them and everything you make gets some sort of a name/ "So Lord Inquisitor... Do you think your  reflexes are better than a Primarchs?" Penelope cooed pressing a kiss against the metal

[plutaztix]

Finished first draft designs of the hazbin cast- Alastor., Charlie, Angeldust, Nifty , and Vaggie.

Some of them got minor redesigns while others got revamped, so I’ll be going down the line and discussing my reasoning for each one (please note, these are not perfect, and probably are not animator friendly, I did this for fun, and a lot of the decisions I made were because I felt like it. Do not throw a fit if you don’t like them)

Alastor- when redesigning alastor I focused on 3 major details: that he was from the 1920s-1930s, he was from the south, and that he was a “radio demon”. I took away the voodoo stuff cause that felt like a really weird way to associate him with Louisiana culture, and instead went for the more “southern gentleman” feel using the slicked back hair and simple clothes. I also replaced his monocle with a full pair of glasses, because I think not being able to see his eyes makes him more menacing, same thing with the straight teeth. I made his color palette into warm browns to kind of give the vibe of an old timey radio- with a highlight of gold as well. Side note: I like to imagine he doesn’t open his mouth, and instead it just lights up like an actual radio- cause I think that’s cool character flavor. I also kept his deer motif cause ,apparently, it was supposed to connect with how he died- plus I’m always a sucker for the kind of evil character that has an innocent animal theme, super fun. (Also his microphone is sentient and does change the text depending on the situation)

Charlie Morningstar- I think Charlie is a lovely character, she’s one of favorites, but she felt pretty plain in some aspects. I learned that she was kind of inspired by porcelain dolls, which gave me an interesting idea of making into kind of a “devils Pinocchio”- because what’s more innocent than a doll imbued with the power of her father’s dreams? So I really leaned into the soft friendly doll look, giving her ball joints and large eyes that stare into your soul. I softened a lot of her colors and gave her rounder shapes as well as leaning into the goat aspects of her character, because i thought it could be fun to have her play off the deer motif that alastor has.

Angel Dust- My boy , my good lad. He is also pretty solid when it comes to design , however- HE DID NOT LOOK LIKE A SPIDER. I had no idea that his freckles were supposed to be eyes until I rewatched it. Soooo I definitely tried to make him more spider like by making his eyes more prominent and giving him pointy side burns that act as mandibles. I also gave him him his spider butt and some weird ass legs. Oh and , unrelated, I like to imagine he does burlesque.

Nifty- MY FAVORITEE , I love nifty guys, she’s my POOKIE bear. When going into her design I knew I wanted to make her look older since I thought it was weird how much she was infantilized so I gave her lipstick and pearl earrings to make her look more like a refine 1950s housewife, as well as give her an apron and cleaning gloves to make her feel more like a maid. I also leaned into her subtle bug theme by giving her antennae, and giving polka dots on her dress for a very subtle lady bug theme (cause she’s my little lady). Some more small things I gave her a little swirl in her bangs to call back to victory rolls, as well as some subtle hints of green to call back to the uranium craze of that time.

Vaggie- she was difficult. Initially, I had no idea what I wanted to do with her, but I think that’s also because she’s not a very fleshed out character? Her whole story is kind of , Support Charlie and be a fallen angel.(still love chaggie tho) So I took some creative liberties, and gave her a more mature look- with some periwinkle to act as a subtle hint to her angelic nature. I also gave her the monocle from alastor design cause I thought it made more sense for her? Like, if anyone is gonna have the one eyed visual aid it’s gonna be the bitch with one eye. It also makes her look more matured? And I gave her a moth broach to call back to her moth inspo.

Annnd that’s it! I’ll be working on the next batch soon, which will likely have husk and sir pentious, if you have any other people you wanna see lmk!

[radioisntdead]

Not the sender for the original ask but I'm sorry I cannot help but imagine an alternative where the reader summoning Rosie is the most angsty teen ever.

They're imagining the stereotypical giant red demon with goat legs and horns- but instead there is just a pretty lady and Rosie is CONCERNED because there is a teenager in the attic of their house summoning demons, not because of any normal reason but because whatever could a child need a demon for? Do they need help? Auntie Rosie will help!

Summoning a demon but instead of taking your soul you just get adopted. If you take this seriously (you don't have to) add as much angst as you wish.

Good evening my dear! Sorry this took forever to get out! It got buried in my drafts

I added a knockoff slasher dude solely to murk the reader because, I don't know as a plot for death?? I don't remember my thoughts when sleep deprived I'm so sorry

Anyways Auntie Rosie supremacy,

Rosie & reader

Platonic

Warnings!!

This isn't my best work, it was written late at night when I was mildly delusional, death, stereotypical slasher dude, OOC

You were home alone, sat in your dark and gloomy attic surrounded by lit candles, a book you had stolen from a shady book shop was open in your hands and you had drawn a summoning circle in red paint from the dollar store.

You took a deep breath before reading out the incantation written in the book, fully prepared for something grotesque to crawl out.

Wind came forth swirling around you as the circle glowed, the sound of the wind was almost deafening, you could feel your sweater clinging onto your skin, each loose thread itching your skin

You tried your best to ignore it as you continued chanting as something rose from the circle.

Once you had finished the spell you shut your eyes as the wind winded down.

"Oh my! You're quite young aren't cha'!"

Your eyes opened as you looked up, instead of some grotesque creature with blood and horns hanging off of it, was a lady,

Her skin was gray, she was dressed in early 1900's fashion and her eyes were pitch black, like a endless void.

"Are you going to say anything or are you just going to sit there with your mouth open catchin' flies?"

She said with an eyebrow raised.

"I, shit, I'm sorry I wasn't expecting someone so pretty? I was expecting more-"

"Well aren't you a charmer! Allow me to guess, You were expecting someone more demonic looking?"

You nodded, "Yeah,"

The woman tilted her head ever so slightly,

"Well aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

This felt like a trap, what if giving your name to her would give her control of you like a fae? Probably not, but what if it was?

"Likewise, it's a pleasure! You can call me Auntie Rosie!"

"I'm [Name], nice to meet you?"

"Auntie Rosie?"

You weren't expecting the creature you summoned to be a pretty cannibal named Rosie, let alone for her to adopt you as a surrogate nibling, telling you to call her Auntie Rosie and nothing else.

She had to leave soon after you summoned her because she had 'overlord duties ' and 'A town to run' but she told you to summon her again soon.

And so you did, the next time Rosie tutted at the messy attic, saying that you should tidy up the area more if you were going to invite guests over, she asked you to grab some cleaning supplies.

You snuck down into the hall, leaving Rosie alone for a moment, you were as quiet as a mouse as you tiptoed past your sleeping suspected serial killer of a godfather, managing to make it to the kitchen to grab a few cleaning supplies and a broom before sneaking back.

Rosie hummed as she began moving boxes around, shaking her head at the amount of dust and other things that littered the floor.

"I'm back, I got a broom, dustpan, and some Clorox wipes," you say as your head popped up from the entrance,

She said taking the broom,

"Good! Now let's make this place suitable, this much dust is horrible for your health! Horrible!"

You nodded, placing the remaining objects onto the floor and carefully picking up the boxes.

"You organize those pesky boxes dearie, I'll start sweeping."

The attic completely changed from gloomy to more refined within the day.

The boxes were stacked up forming a small wall with some free space behind it, the floors had been swept and sanitized (aside from the summoning circle) the candles were replaced with fresh ones, that book that summoned her was placed on one of the boxes.

Rosie had gone back and asked you to summon her back within the hour, bringing back some furniture with her.

She brought a smallish table, two fancy looking chairs, and a rug.

Rosie said as she sat in one of the chairs you in the other, drinking tea, you didn't know where she had gotten the tea from or when it got into your hands.

"Now that makes this place far better, far far better don't you think?"

You didn't like tea all that much but it felt rude to not drink it.

You wondered if it would kill you as you took a sip,

You glanced around at the open space, honestly it was overdo, you had been sleeping in there for a couple of years now and hadn't gotten around to it.

"Yeah, it feels less stuffy for sure,"

"As it should, now that's settled why did such a lovely young lady like yourself want to summon a demon?"

She asked setting her teacup down, getting straight to the point, you choked on your tea, clearing your throat you looked anywhere but in Rosie's void-like eyes.

It was silent for a few minutes,

"It's a long story, but basically parents went missing, moved in with my Godparents, Godmother went missing, Godfather started being suspicious, pretty sure he killed them, can't prove it and I think I'm next." You said in one large breath,

"Well shit, I wasn't expecting that, that's a very messy situation,"

"Auntie Rosie dearie."

"Yeah it is Miss Rosie,"

"Sorry Auntie Rosie."

You sat in silence for a moment, you fiddled with the hem of your sweater, did she believe you? Honestly you didn't particularly believe it yourself it was all suspected.

The attic felt gloomy again once Rosie left, you were once again left alone.

"Would you like me to eat him?"

"Par- Pardon me?!"

You let out a sigh before moving to one of the boxes pulling out a throw blanket and covering the circle, no one aside from you really came up there but couldn't hurt to be cautious.

You moved to the small space behind the boxes, you open another box pulling out a few two sleeping bags, layering them onto each other and placing a pillow on it, opening yet another box you pulled out a thick blanket, you laid on the sleeping bags, curling up into it and closing your eyes until sleep came for you.

A routine began, you'd carry on like normal, going to school, working shady part-time jobs, shoplift storage safe foods at large corporations like target, and go home before your Godfather finished work, sneak back into the attic, and depending on the day summon Rosie.

Rosie was concerned to say the least, you were young, not even a proper adult yet, and you were summoning cannibals in your Attic!

Not to mention how causally there was a whole missing people who were probably was murdered thing going on, would more detail go into that? No.

Rosie truly became an Aunt to you, bringing you trinkets, hyping you up, asking if you wanted her to eat your Godfather, after all that is what you originally summoned her for, but you didn't want to risk getting moved to a different area and having to redraw the circle to summon Rosie, what if you do it wrong? What if you never see her again?

So she didn't do anything to him, listening to your decision.

You would sometimes steal or buy something you think she'd like, and give it to her during her visits, she'd typically adore it whatever it was, because it came from you!

The two of you would have tea, give each other updates on life, and the afterlife.

It was nice, but like all nice things, it unfortunately came to an end.

You ran up the stairs, throwing your backpack at him to knock him down the stairs as you pulled out the attic ladder and hurriedly climbed the ladder up before kicking down the ladder to the attic, like a slasher protagonist, you hastily moved a few heavy boxes over the hatch.

He came home early, and when you walked inside the house to sneak upstairs into your attic, nothing was said, so it was concerning when he grabbed his murder weapon of choice and bolted off after you.

You just needed to summon Rosie and everything would be alright, they couldn't hurt you if Rosie was here,

You shakily pulled out the lighter that stayed in your pocket as you heard your Godfather shout your name, banging on the entrance.

Lighting the candles you scrambled to sit beside the circle, closing your eyes you began the summoning.

The wind began pushing as per usual,

The banging got louder, you could hear one of the boxes fall,

Just a few more seconds, and Auntie Rosie would appear, just a few more seconds and you'd be free, free from this lunatic, you could get a proper job that wasn't suspicious, probably go to collage, make proper friends that you could tell Rosie about with pride, you could give Rosie gifts that weren't stolen or cheap.

Just a few more seconds that's all you needed.

The hatch flew open, his eyes widened, no words were spoken, you didn't even get the chance to defend yourself when the murder weapon of choice, which was a machete because of course it was, stabbed into you.

Rosie appeared, smile dropping the moment she saw you on the ground, blood leaking into the Attic floors, the attic that she had helped you clean up, that she spent time with you in.

Rosie's eyes locked onto your godfather, bloody machete in hand, her mouth opened, revealing her razor sharp teeth.

Blood was splattered across the walls, Rosie wiped blood from her mouth with a handkerchief before kneeling down next to you and gently lifting you up into her lap,

Your eyes were glossy, and blood covered you.

You smiled up at her as she gently brushed away the hair from your face.

You tried to sit up but couldn't,

Rosie rubbed your back, trying to make you comfortable, unsure of what she could say to soothe you, you were dying and she could do much to stop it.

"Yes [Name]?"

"Auntie Rosie?"

"I,-" you take a painful breath, your last word privileges being revoked

"Shh, it's alright don't strain yourself, Close your eyes and rest dearie."

She said pulling you closer, rocking you gently in her arms until you breathed your last.

The door opened to the empty Emporium, Rosie sat in a chair writing down a grocery list,

"I'm sorry but the emporium's closed now!" She shouted over not looking up from her list.

"Auntie Rosie?"

Her head snapped over, eyes filling up with tears as she saw the very child that had died in her arms months ago, the child that she had adopted as her own, standing in her emporium with a nervous smile on their lovely face, the child she cared for had ended up below with her.

"[Name]? Oh my stars! my dear [name]!"

She got up from her seat, rushing over to embrace you, wrapping her arms around you as tears gathered up in your eyes.

"I missed you Auntie Rosie."

"I missed ya too Darlin', now-" she broke the hug and held your shoulders

"Let's get you settled in shall we? Are you hungry? I think we have some leftover pinkie fingers."

"I forgot you were a cannibal."

Rosie had prepared you a room, far better than the attic, because it was a legit room, with proper insulation.

You were staring in a mirror taking in your new appearance when Rosie knocked on the door,

"Sweetheart may I come in?"

"Sure! Come on in''

Rosie walked in and placed papers in front of you,

"Be a dear and sign these please"

"is this a contract for my soul?"

"Close! It's adoption papers, sign them."

Good evening folks, I crave sleep, also my apologies this was requested ages ago and I just now got to it, hope you enjoyed even though it's messy, I just killed off the reader the angst isn't that angsty

I wrote the angst first then everything else

[nevermorgue]

Hayley! I hope you're well! I come into your inbox to ask about your thoughts and opinions on each spectre, and your favorite ones! Love your blog! :D

HIIII!! I’m so fantastic thank YOU for coming in here. I love your art and your rambles.

My favorite spectres currently are Will’s and Duke’s. But I really love them all. I’ll go into the opinions now

Annabel’s Lady in White - I think she’s beautiful. I love her abilities and the whole bride thing she has going on. I at first wished her dress was more detailed but it’s fine to grow on me. I love the petals, and the hole in her chest is agonizing. Such a pretty spectre. kiss of death is just sooooo. idk her abilities are definitely one of my top favorites.

Morella’s Guardian Spirit - Plain-ish compared to the others, but still fantastic. I feel like her and Annabel are slept on because of how early they were revealed. I love how long her hair gets and the whole celtic vibe. and that she’s mainly defense with the healing and stuff! it’s very unique and it says sooo much about her past. if it were me i’d make her look a little less human wirh maybe more glowing or something but she’s still fabulous :)

Pluto’s Cryptid - im so so so interested in this because apparently domesticated cryptids are super rare? I wanna know more about the other cryptids poppet mentioned so badly. its so fucked that he has a collar too!!! he wanted to escape society but even in death it's like he's bound by the neck. I'm dying for info on that dumb coat too. He's so silly looking. I really wanna see his other abilities. I'll have a stronger opinion when that comes. Ada's Banshee

- I am dying to know what "Mark of the Grave" is so bad. And I love her confusing ass torso. Is she a shadow. is it a dress. I want to know. also LOVE how her limbs being detachable/having the stitch marks implies she was chopped up and buried like that. and her hat. thats a very "southern belle lady" sort of hat. she gets to be the lady she always wanted, just ugly and hideous!! love her and i love her spectre. "fear itself" is one of my favorite abilities and i hope she utilizes it more cough cough on will-

Prospero's Shadow Man - i am dying to know if he can take the mask off. imagine he's like. a sickly corpse looking kind of thing. like himself but rotting or weak as hell. i LOVE his abilities i just wish he had more detaaaailing. hes so cool and handsome though. i also think its super weird/cool how he has to activate his abilities with the stopwatch. i havent seen any other spectres have a "trigger point" like that. would he be rendered useless without it? Montresor's Dybbuk - nipple rings. sorry anyways - i love the chains. because it's not like he's using them, he's the one chained. and the whole. goat legs thing. bc goats are associated with the devil for some reason. I wonder why that is. idk i just love the whole demon thing. because he's been seen as such since like. his birth. and he cant even escape it in death. love it love his shit. his ability to force his way into peoples' memories is CRAZY too i cannot WAIT to see more of that. Eulalie's Chimera - SOOOO pretty. So aesthetically pleasing. I love how she can make stuff with her dreams!!! and the fact that its implied she can yank malevolent spectres back into their regular forms is soooo cool. and just the fact that she can neutralize other spectres in general is such a unique power. shes like defense similar to morella, just in a different way minus healing. i love her. i really dont dislike any spectre i just love them all. Berenice's Strigoi - I will forever be mad that her teeth count as an ability but WHATEVER. She's still badass. I can only imagine how it must feel to basically lose your hands. I'm really excited to see what "Bloodlust" as an ability does. like there are so many cool spectre abilities we havent seen in action yet. The bite that makes you drunk will forever be iconic too. I love her look and i love how her whole outfit is directly correlated to her time period. also love how like each mouth on her is like. its own being. she cant control it. Duke's Poltergeist - I need to like control myself because I will yap nonstop about this one. The NEONS the colors are just fantastic and I LOOOOVE HIS EYES. THE EYES. all of his abilities fuck so hard and i love how like. his "hypnosis" isnt really like full hypnosis its more like a very powerful suggestion? and he couldnt even figure out how to get ada out of it? like he didnt TELL her to use her ability on montresor, he just kinda planted the idea in her head. i also noticed that one of his abilities IS levitation despite us seeing other spectres float on multiple occasion. so the key difference here is the telekinesis portion of the power. just thought that was silly. love him. i love duke. he's my 2nd fave. Will's Doppelganger - i physically have to stop myself from writing a page's worth of bs here. He has DIRT IN HIS JOINTS. like he's DIRTY. like buried and forgotten!! and if he's dust bowl era like so many of us think, perhaps its that same dust. he was left buried in it...forgotten. unidentified. And and and he's SO OP. everyone IC is underestimating how he has one of the most powerful spectres. He was able to almost fool the misfits as duke, he honestly did a fantastic job. He has to memorize so much. like its genuinely impressive. and then his ribbons. notice how they wrap around HIM before/during use. like he's fucking tangled in in them too, not just his victims. i dont think he's ever been free. he's never not been wrapped up in someone else's shit. he's never been "william". i- i need to stop. hes the best. best spectre- and i pray that the characters realize how much POWER he really has.

[satureja13]

The Morning after Winter Solstice

When Ji Ho woke up, Vlad had already left. And Ji Ho was glad he did. It would have been too awkward to wake up next to him. There was a lily on the bed. A symbol of Vlad's love for him. All obstacles are out of their way now. No curse and no need to cut the Bond anymore. They have a home now in the Otherworld and they are save there. Only thing Ji Ho has left to do is to learn how to love Vlad...

Vlad stepped out of the sanctuary. Dtui and Rubyn are already up and busy with the pedestals. They are trying to figure out how to send the Boys back and forth between their home in the Otherworld and this world. Dtui: "Morning Vlad! It went very well as I see. You have your eyes back! The others are at Ichiraku's." Vlad: "Morning. Ah, yes ^^' and thanks!"

Jeb and Jack noticed Vlad's good old eyes: "Oh my finally!" (Saiwa is sulking because neither Vlad nor Jeb told them why they showed up without their shirts yesterday... Jeb even in his hot cowboy outfit...)

And really, Vlad regained his black eyes! It seems the Bond has forgiven him for trying to bond with Morgan and murder the Bond...

A little later Ji Ho joined them. Jack: "Ji Ho! How do you feel after you shoved Caleb Vatore from your bed and your neck? For Vlad ^^' "

Ji Ho flushed. But he sat next to Vlad <3 Saiwa to Vlad: "You must be a very good boy now to not make Ji Ho regret his decision ;)" Jack: "Ah lucky Genji! He left together with Lady Demon and Caleb in the limousine!"

They indulged their breakfast and chatted for a while. Knowing they'd return to their new home soon. Together. Ah, it's been a while since I've seen them so carefree and happy! Only - Kiyoshi's place is empty. Let's hope they get him out of that tree soon.

Saiwa: "You still haven't told us why you showed up without your shirts yesterday..." Vlad: "What happens behind the fence, stays behind the fence." Saiwa: "Yeah? What if I kill you behind the fence?" Jeb: "Vanië, such things happen when riding the fence. I told you it's dangerous. You never know from which leg of the Trousers of Time you'll emerge when you hop in the waistband. Let's just forget about it, hm?"

Pff. Sai went over to Dtui and Rubyn to discuss when they are going to send them back home. Rubyn: "We still have no idea how to send you back and forth by yourself. If we send you back now, either Vlad or Ji Ho has to stay here with their meteorite." Saiwa: "Oh. No that's not an option. Other Jeb urged us to stay together..." Dtui: "While I cast my spells here yesterday, I figured a few things out. We already know that the meteorites, together with the crystals, allow you to teleport to certain places. Rubyn could be able to build a portable device for you. But we need more information about the powers of the crystals."

Saiwa: "Oh we'd found an amazing website with all the information about the crystals when we were on the clue hunt in Selvadorada!" Dtui: "Unfortunately we need information from a specific old book. This wisdom is not shared on the internet. Saiwa. We can't send you home yet. We need you to go to the library in Windenburg to find this book. Make sure nobody recognizes you there. The Council is still after you. I'm sorry." Rubyn: "Hey, you've already managed harder stuff, right?" Oh no...

Then poor Saiwa went over to the Temple with Dtui to discuss Kiyoshi. Saiwa: "We've made good progress and I'm positive we'll get him out of that tree. Little Goat already shows up from time to time. I'm just not sure how to interpret Other Jeb's message. When he urged us to stay together, did he also mean Kiyoshi? And If yes, how is he supposed to stay with us in the Otherworld when he has his duties here at the Temple. And for the Resistance?" Dtui: "I fear Kiyoshi can't return back here anyway. Kōjin banned him from the Temple. And he's of no use for the Resistance either as it is. Keep him with you and look after him. He still has so much to learn." Oh no...

Ji Ho: "I hope Genji isn't sad I chose Caleb. Over him..." Jack: "Don't worry. He also chose Caleb ^^' Anybody would ;) " Vlad: "Tch...this bigheaded goth kitten. And what is even going on with his hair?..."

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest 🛺 'Home crappy Home' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: 🌴 'The Expedition' from the beginning ▶️ here 🎤 'Putting the Boys Back together' from the beginning ▶️ here 🥀 'Disbandment of the Group' from the beginning ▶️ here

[tertain-the-original]

Okay I’m baaack! It’s time for more nerdy demon species theories under the cut.

This species is one of my personal favs, I’m going to nickname them Baphomets, or Baphs, for now. They have goat faces, feet, but their bodies are more lizard-like. SOME of them have snake tails, but not all of them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t pure bred Baphs, it’s just smth like the straight and digitigrade legs on imps. They also have a candle on their heads and wings.

Here we have the receptionist, who is part Baph and part sea demon because of her squid-like appendages. And this guy here in line is part imp part Baph.

I believe that the Baphomets originate from the Sloth ring, ruled by Belphagor.

Hellhounds kinda speak for themselves… they’re dogs that stand on two legs lol. They come in a lot of shapes and sizes so there isn’t really a specific way to tell them entirely apart. I saw this guy \/

They might be an imp and a hellhound? But I’m honestly not really sure.

^ this lady here is a nice representation of the Goetia … which I think are meant to be all bird-like demons. Which upsets me to no end because the actual descriptions of demons is so much fun and I would have love to have seen them in the Helluva Boss style… but now they’re just BIRDS. Like, yes Stolas is an owl in the actual text, but Paimon in the text is a man with a beautiful face riding a camel… in the show? Just a bird.

Mini rant real fast: the WORST is that Andrealphus, Stella’s brother, is a PEACOCK but his design in the show looks NOTHING like a peacock!!! Are you kidding? They got Asmodeus as a rooster right but not the LITERAL PEACOCK?

Anyway…

Now these demons… I got no clue. I thought maybe they were Greed’s demons, but I can’t tell if they’re just demons wearing jester outfits or if that’s really how they look. It’s the one ring I haven’t figured out yet!

Anyway, that’s all I really have to say about that. I really love spotting the mixed demons in the background it’s so much fun!

[elizadraws]

Six Yōkai references to Studio Ghibli films

An avid lover and aficionado of Studio Ghibli’s work, I see references to and from it practically everywhere. Most recently at an exhibition about yōkai.

Yōkai are a class of supernatural creatures that roam the realm of spirits in Japanese folklore. The Japan Foundation organised traveling exhibition titled “Yōkai: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” introduces these curious spirits through a diverse range of media, including nishiki-e prints, emaki picture scrolls, sculptures, toys and films.

Apart from the harmonious and subtle color palettes, the lush and peculiar imagination of the ancient artist, his experienced hand drawing each brush stroke, and the excitement of seeing a picture scroll in real life, what really intrigued me were the images that looked like a scene from a Studio Ghibli film. Listed below are some of the references I spotted.

1.Mount Ōe Picture Scroll and Princess Mononoke  First in line was this one illustrating the heroic tale of the brave samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who, according to legend, exterminated the quintessential yōkai Shuten-dōji, a mythical oni or demon leader of Japan. Although decapitated, the demon’s detached head still took a bite at the hero, who avoided death by wearing multiple helmets stacked on his head.

Close-up of Shuten-doji biting at his decapitator. Source: The Japan Foundation

In Princess Mononoke, on a few occasions Lady Eboshi warns her people that it will take more than a single shot to kill a wolf god: “A wolf’s severed head can still bite.” Ignoring Ashitaka’s warning and attempt to stop her from committing yet another godslaughter, Eboshi succeeds in murdering the Forest Spirit. This victory is short-lived, however, as soon after Eboshi gets her well-deserved punishment for angering the gods when the wolf god Moro’s decapitated head bites off her right arm: “Moro’s head. It moved on its own,” feels like Eboshi had foreshadowed her own misfortune.

Wolf god Moro’s decapitated head after she mutilated Lady Eboshi. © Studio Ghibli

2.The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Picture Scroll and  Howl’s Moving Castle  This is more of a visual than content resemblance. The big headed tengu and courtesan riding the cart instantly reminded me of the Witch of the Waste’s disproportionate head when she is similarly looking through the window of her palanquin carried around the city by her loyal henchmen.

Tengu and courtesan riding a cart pulled by a toad. Source: The Japan Foundation

Close-up of the Witch of the Waste. © Studio Ghibli

3.The Nue and Princess Mononoke’s Forest Spirit  If you have ever leafed through The Art of Princess Mononoke book you might know that the Forest Spirit (shishigami) didn’t always have that same soothing smile and piercing eyes that are both amicable and cruel. In the early stages of his development his face was more human-like and uncanny than it is now. Though at first glance he resembles a deer, the Forest Spirit is actually a combination of several animals. This blog post lists them as follows: a red-monkey face covered with blue patterns, cat eyes and nose, goat ears, big body of a wild boar, the fur of a serow, and the tail of a dog. As a whole his appearance is one overflowing with peculiarity.

The Forest Spirit preying on a Shinto tree branch. © Studio Ghibli

Similarly the Nue, a legendary yōkai or mononoke, in The Tale of the Heike, is described as having the head of a monkey, the legs of a tiger, the body of a dog and the front half of a snake for a tail. In other writings it is sometimes depicted to have the back of a tiger, the legs of a tanuki, the tail of a fox, the head of a cat, and the torso of a chicken.

The Nue is also said to have the ability to shape-shift, often into the form of a black cloud that can fly. Much like the Forest Spirit who at nightfall changes to the giant Nightwalker (deidarabotchi).

Another similarity worth mentioning is that in both cases the mythical creature is indirectly murdered by the Japanese emperor. Lady Eboshi intends to give the Forest Spirit’s head, which is believed to grant immortality, to the Emperor in return for protection from Lord Asano. In The Tale of Heike, the samurai Minamoto no Yorimasa slays the Nue, because its very existence causes fear in the Emperor who falls ill and is unable to recuperate.

Minamoto no Yorimasa defeats the mythical beast Nue. Source: The Japan Foundation

4.The Foot Washing Mansion and Spirited Away  This nishiki-e print depicts a large-footed yōkai monster that descends from the ceiling and demands to be washed. The story is one of seven stories in the famous Seven Wonders of Honjo and goes as follows: At the time when the flowers were sleeping and the ushimitsu plant was blooming, a horrible, rotten stench would invade the house, and a giant foot bristling with hair would descend from the ceiling accompanied by an enormous sound. If you washed the foot, it would soon disappear back into the ceiling. But if you didn’t, the giant foot would rampage through the house until satisfied.

The large-footed yōkai descending from the ceiling. Source: The Japan Foundation

Most of Spirited Away’s plot takes place within a bathhouse for gods and spirits, known as kami, whose proprietor is the greedy witch Yubaba. The majority of these kami habitually visit the bathhouse for a regular wash to keep themselves clean — unlike the unwelcome enormous and foul smelling guest who imposes his presence and causes turmoil. He smells so bad that at first everybody, unsuccessfully, tries to prevent him from entering the bathhouse. Eventually they realise he is harmless — only after Chihiro cleanses him and sets him free from the taint of humanity.

A kami being washed at Yubaba’s bathhouse. © Studio Ghibli

5.Tsuchigumo and Princess Mononoke’s Tatarigami Tsuchigumo, which literally translates to “dirt/earth spider” is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, and also the name for a race of spider-like yōkai in Japanese folklore.

From the Japanese middle ages (Kamakura/Muromachi/Azuchi-Momoyama periods, or the late 12th to the early 17th centuries) onward, these renegade clans i.e. Tsuchigumo began to be depicted as giant, monstrous spiders. In The Tale of Heike, the samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu, a member of one of the ruling clans, is depicted how he heroically defeats a giant spider yōkai known as the Tsuchigumo — which is actually a metaphor for him exterminating his opponents.

The Samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu defeats Tsuchigumo i.e. the clans opposing him. Source: The Japan Foundation

Tatarigami (i.e. “cursed god”) is the giant creature from Princess Mononoke that attacks the Emishi village and curses its last prince, the protagonist of the movie, Ashitaka. Behind the shape, resembling a giant spider covered in worms, hides the colossal boar god Nago. Nago is the first god that Lady Eboshi shoots using the then newly developed hand cannons. The iron ball lodged in the boar’s body causes him great pain, which only intensifies his anger and hatred towards humans. Blinded by his desire for revenge, he goes far to the east where, instead of Lady Eboshi, he punishes the native Emishi tribe. While trying to protect his village, Ashitaka kills the demon, but unfortunately the curse falls on him causing the young leader-to-be to leave his homeland.

The aboriginal Emishi tribe that Ashitaka comes from is one of these renegade clans that have been fighting for 500 years against the Japanese emperor — Yamato. They have been losing against him, and now, with their last prince being cursed to death, they are certain to die out.

Tatarigami getting ready to attack the village of the Emishi tribe. © Studio Ghibli

As the samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu exterminated the opposing clans — Tsuchigumo, so did Ashitaka in a way, by killing the Tatarigami, wipe out this endangered renegade clan, i.e. his own people. Thinking of it this way, the weight Ashitaka bears is enormous.

6.Personified Daikon Radish and Spirited Away’s Oshirasama According to Japanese ideas of animism, spirit-like entities are believed to reside in all things, both the living and the dead, including natural phenomena and objects. Kami and yōkai inhabit the spirit domain and in shape or nature can be either humans, animals, plants, natural phenomena or artifacts. Like for example this daikon radish (can you spot it?) appearing on omocha-e play pictures made for children’s entertainment as early as the Meiji era (1868–1912).

Yōkai-themed omocha-e. Source: The Japan Foundation

Root vegetables like radishes and carrots have often become internet sensations due to the occasional deformations they suffer. Their wonky shapes might have displeased a farmer in the past and ended up in the garbage instead of as pickles. Similar destiny had already befallen the objects of a house possessed by spirits. Discarded while the house was being exorcised, the aggrieved objects transform into yōkai and start plotting their revenge.

Oshirasama (Radish Spirit or Great White Lord) is the white, hefty, slow-moving guest at Yubaba’s bathhouse who resembles a radish sumo wrestler. His name, Oshirasama, is also the name of a kami of agriculture in the Shinto faith.

Radish Spirit riding the elevator alongside Chihiro. © Studio Ghibli

Have you noticed any of these? Do you perhaps know of another reference I might have missed out. How about re-watching the above mentioned films with this newly gained perspective?  Japanese folklore is rich, extraordinarily original and beautiful. And so are Studio Ghibli’s films.

Source

[ask-de-writer]

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to CLASSICAL FANTASIES

THE FISHERMAN'S LEG (Part 2 of 20)

A sequel to Dee 1/2 Demon

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

6373 words (work in progress)

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

All rights reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

TUMBLR EXEMPTION

Blog holding members of Tumblr.com may freely reblog this story provided that the title, author and copyright information remain intact, unaltered, and are displayed at the head of the story.

Fan art, stories, music, cosplay and other fan activity is actively encouraged.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

New to the story? Read from the beginning HERE.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Soon they were all kneeling in their proper places in the Tribunal. Even Chansa the goat was sitting quietly by her mistress, Sunma. The stone mason was kneeling beside his friend and neighbor, Satsuna san.

Magistrate Lim knelt behind his low official table of black lacquer. The scribal table to his left was empty. He began, “Miko san, is there cause that you are not by my side making the record of this case?”

She bowed to him, answering, “I fear so, good Magistrate. I am one of those bearing this complaint, which has four parts.

“The first part, which is involved in the other parts also, is the direct violation of your written order requiring Minami san to have no thing to do with the Shop of Repairs and its customers, the Chiasu Estate properties, or the persons of Dee san, Patsu san, Satsuna san, and myself.

“The second part is the direct trespass of the Chiasu Estate property with vandalism of the fence about it and an attempt to cause serious harm to the Chiasu boat house which is being rebuilt.

“The third part is the trespass of the Shop of Repairs with unruly and violent behavior.

“The fourth part is laying violent hands upon Sunma san, dragging her from the table where she was sharing noon meal with us as an invited guest.”

Magistrate Lim nodded, grave of face. While taking out brush, ink and paper, he replied, “I see. Please bring me Fisherman Minami's file and then resume your proper place.”

Miko got up and went to another room. Soon she returned with the thick file which she gave to the Magistrate.

He leafed through the file and pulled out several papers. He carefully read through them before asking his constable, “Canra san, please tell me the circumstances of this arrest.”

From his place standing behind the kneeling Fisherman, he answered in an official voice, “I was patroling the market area when I heard Patsu san calling for a constable. When I arrived at the Shop of Repairs, I found Minami san on the floor unconscious. There was a luncheon laid out on the shop's table, one place of which had been scattered to the floor and its teacup spilled.

“As Minami san is barred from the Shop of Repairs, the properties of the Chiasu Estate, and from the near presence of the young ladies who run and administer them, I secured his arms.

“While I was doing that, the stone mason Imari san entered the shop. He had an empty package of powdered chalk which he stated that Minami had used to adulterate the mortar that they were planning to use this afternoon. I was informed that this action would have seriously weakened the mortar if it had been used.

“This constituted another trespass and violation of your written order as well as vandalism of the work on the boat house that the Chiasu Estate is presently re building.”

The brush in the Magistrate's hand was writing swiftly as he listened. Looking up attentively, he inquired of the whole group, “Is there more that I should know before actually hearing from the principals of the case?”

Patsu raised a finger and bowed to him, “There is another thing, but it is only indirectly related to this. I went to the fish market to buy us some large prawns for our luncheon. He was not in and there was nobody there to sell anything. I waited for fifteen minutes, during which four other customers came and left empty handed.

“Minami san returned at a run from the direction of the Chiasu boat house site. He railed at me that I was trespassing and to get out. I told him that I was waiting for him so that I could buy some prawns.

“He stated angrily that he would never sell anything to me or any of the others of the Shop of Repairs or our mothers.” She paused to chuckle and added, “As I left, I told him that he certaily would not be able to sell anything to us unless he was actually in his fish market and not out messing with what we are doing!”

Deceptively mild of voice, Magistrate Lim asked, “Minami san, did you actually say that to Patsu? Did you truly mean it?”

Knowing the cost of being caught in a lie in the Tribunal, Fisherman Minami growled, “I did. I will not serve them or their mothers.” He gestured rudely with his thumb at Patsu and the others, “Those girls are a source of great evil.”

Shaking his head sadly, Magistrate Lim drew yet another paper from the still thick file. “Please read this. It is the agreement that grants you the exclusive right to sell fish to the people of Sabo.”

While Fisherman Manimi was glancing through the document, Magistrate Lim quickly drew up another paper. As he took back the agreement, he said quietly, “This confirms what you have just told me, Minami san. If, after re reading the agreement, you stand by your statement, verify that I have written accurately what you said and sign it down the left side with this brush. I will then counter sign and seal it with the Tribunal's chop.”

As he slashed the characters of his name down the left side he snorted triumphantly, “There! It is official now! I don't have to sell any of you so much as a minnow and I won't!”

Magistrat Lim attached the new document to the agreement, saying, “It is true, you no longer have to sell to any person that you do not wish to. That unfortunately violates the agreement and voids your exclusive right to sell seafood. A primary requirement of the agreement was that you must sell to any who are not being unruly and who have the needful cash. Any other may now open a shop to sell whatever seafood they wish.

“We may now get to the arrest that has brought you here. I would first hear from the stone mason, Imari san.”

Satsuna's friend, the mason Imari, bowed deeply to Magistrate Lim and stated, “What you have already heard was most accurately related. My workers and I were having our noon rice in the shade of the newly rebuilt Chiasu warehouse. When Minami san sneaked in with the package of chalk, he looked about but failed to see us, in the shadow.

“When he opened the package and stirred its contents into our mortar mix, we yelled at him and gave chase. He fled to his fish market. Returning, we found the package and discovered that it was chalk. That ruined sixty five copper cash worth of mortar. I took the empty chalk package to Dee san.

“Satsuna san, who is wise in the ways of stone work, told the others what it meant. I asked if we should test the work already done to see if this evil trick had been done before.

“Constable Canra asked me to. We took a gimlet and tested the work already done. Just over a third of our work had already been ruined.

“The total of the loss, with removing the damaged work, cleaning the stones, repairing the walls, and the time lost that should have been used for new work, is of silver cash, one string and twenty two. Of copper cash, three strings and seven.”

“I see, Imari san. Thank you.

“Now, Dee san, what can you tell me of this affair?”

Dee smiled as she bowed the small bow that was her right, given by Lord Umayu. “Patsu san went to get us some things for our noon meal. We had hoped for some of those large rock prawns that the Fish Market sometimes has.

“She came back with the vegetables that we wanted but had to get some chicken for the reason that you have just heard. Between my Aspect of Fire and Satsuna's skill with seasoning, we cooked up a nice lunch, with plenty of both rice, chicken, vegetables and a sweet sour sauce to go over all.

“Sunma san and Chansa came by, which we expected. Not only are they welcome guests, we owed Sunma san five meals for one of the cheeses that she makes from Chansa's milk.

“Patsu was up, feeding Chansa some kudzu, which she loves.

“Minami san rudely charged into our shop. He was yelling that our shop was a place of business and that Sunma san should get out! He grabbed Sunma, dragging her away from her food.

Chansa defended Sunma san by butting Minami san behind the knees. At the same time, Patsu delivered a cross foot kick to his midsection. As he was falling and folding, Patsu pulled her knee back some and rabbit punched the back of his head, which bounced off her knee and knocked him out.

“Patsu called for a constable and Canra san answered. The rest you know.”

Patsu looked about brightly and held up a finger. When the Magistrate nodded to her, she returned the small bow, which, like all the girls of the Shop of Repairs, was her right, given by Lord Umayu. Smiling, she offered, “However this falls out, girls we need to make a boat to feed our families.

“Also, as we have always kept up the rent on our old acrobat show space, we could put up walls and a roof to sell any catch more than what we can use.”

Minami snapped, “You cannot! Only I can sell fish in Sabo!”

Magistrate Lim returned gently, “You are wrong, Minami san. You have officially breached your exclusive sales agreement. For that reason, they can.”

Facing Patsu, he reminded, “Patsu san, this is a Tribunal and certain rules must be followed. While you are correct about what you may do, this is the wrong situation to discuss it.

“For now, we must deal only with Minami san's recent indiscretion.”

Patsu smiled as she bowed to Magistrate Lim, “I do apologize to the Tribunal. It was such a fine idea that I felt the need to give it voice. I should not have been so impetuous.”

Returning her bow, the Magistrate smiled, “Your apology is accepted, Patsu san.”

Bowing politely to Sunma he requested, “Please tell me of this unfortunate affair.”

She gave him the deep bow that he was due as she replied, “It is as you have heard. On Firstday of this week, I sold the Shop of Repairs one of the cheeses that I make from Chansa's milk. They offered to pay me by my choice of ten of copper cash or five luncheon meals shared in their company along with some fodder for Chansa, too.

“I chose the shared meals, of which I have received two. Today was the third one. It was interrupted by this miscreant laying violent hands upon me and spoiling my serving, which spilled when he dragged me from the table.”

She smiled at Patsu and at Chansa as she went on, “Both Patsu san and my Chansa came to my defense. Patsu then called for a constable and Canra san answered. The rest you know.”

He bowed to Sunma and inquired, “What outcome do you wish of this affair?”

She bowed back and stated firmly, “While I know that the others only seek civil remedies of Minami san; fines that he can pay off over time, I wish to make the assault on me a criminal charge. Set him the fine as a criminal, which he must pay in only one day, or be sent to the gaol or work on the roads of Sabo.”

To be Continued

<==Previous ~~ NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to CLASSICAL FANTASIES

[koko-stu]

This is just gonna be a Helluva Boss ramble. I've just been pondering if there is a connection between hellborn demons of a specific circle, and the prince that rules it. Though of course there might not be one after all.

For example, the greed ring. There are a lot of Sharks intermingling with imps and the like, yet Mammon looks to be like a four-armed money pimp clown. But a little digging reminded me that Leviathan is usually depicted as a sea beast, so maybe the sharks are actually from the Envy ring? As far as we know, we haven't seen a depiction of envy in the show thus far. And in honesty, the sharks might be Greed born due to "loan shark" word play.

And I know that a lot of princes of hell aren't going to be 100% based on the actual reference, but they get some key points nailed down. For example, Asmodeus (as I can remember from religious depictions) is said to have animal parts like a dragon's tail, kangaroo legs, and three heads, one i think is a lion. Ozzy (in the show) is animal-esque, with bird feathers, legs more akin to a bird, but does have three heads, and a lion's mane. Queen Bee is a bigger diversion from the original Beelzebub depictions, but kept the basics details down, such as association with insects, and the shape-shifting.

Kinda makes me wonder about the depiction of Belphagor: they are often depicted as a demon on a toilet, or as a naked lady (I think). But the main demon types that are associated with Sloth are Baphomets, or basically sheep, goats, and rams. That and the Sloth ring is in charge of creating drugs, from pharmaceutical to hard. Meanwhile, Belphagor is often the guy to go to for invention ideas, and is the reason why people invent so many things. So, that could be a fun interpretation to see; a naked goat lady with Chronic diarrhea.

Also, going back to Mammon for a bit, I thought I read somewhere that that specific demon can turn people to gold, and can control crystals and the like. So that might be fun.

Edit: I just though of what if the Envy ring is just filled with shape shifting fish people full of social media users just trying to one-up each other. It would be a trendy Innsmouth. And Leviathan just would be something crossed between and angler fish and lion fish, always doing internet challenges.

For Wrath, Satan could be a wild-west centaur that's on fire. That or he could be like a rattlesnake monster with guns at the end, like the main bad guy from Rango.

I'm just excited for seeing interpretations of deadly sin headliners.

Edit #2

I got too obsessed with drawing with sheep demons, so here. This can be interpreted as either the possible stand-in for Belphagor, or a general Sloth doctor. Point it, this is my creation, not Spindlehorse's or Vizi's. If they came out with an official Belphagor design, and it turns out to be similar, it is purely coincidental. Further down the line, I might tackle the other undrawn demons.

[sydsaint]

My quick overview of Money in the Bank! Overall, it was a pretty good show. 7/10⭐

‼️MITB 2023 SPOILERS AHEAD‼️

So happy that Iyo won the women's match. Love her 💜 Zoey was my sleeper pick to 2 win but I don't quite think she's ready yet. Trish is making her better every week tho. Iyo and Bayley are gonna have some drama now. I know it! The handcuff spot ending was great! I loved the creativity. Zelina showed out with that Code Red from the top of the ladder. And all the ladies where serving this their gear. As they should.

Gunther kicked Riddles ass, as he should. The match was good and Gunther looked great as always. Drew coming back was the highlight of that segment. He and Gunther are gonna kick the crap out of one another soon. And I honestly see Drew as the one to dethrone Gunther. Perhaps with some help from The Brawling Brutes again since Vinci and Kaiser are still a factor.

Surprise ! John Cena showed up and hinted that Mania may be in London in the future. My Aussie husband Grayson showed up and he and Cena had a good promo battle. Possible Cena/Grayson match in the future?? Because I'd love to see that when Grayson's leg is good to go. Grayson had a killer shirt on as always. That's one more to add to my wardrobe when I've got money.

Finn and Seth put on a banger match. Kinda wished it was Demon! Finn tho. Judgment Day is so clearly gonna break up soon and I am all for it. Finn needs to be free of the shit Rhea and Dom have going on. So does Damian. Personally, I think that Finn should start tagging with JD McDonagh and Damian should get a singles run.

Not a huge Cody fan but he kicked Dom's annoying ass so yay Cody! The match was okay. I've always found Cody kinda eh. And Dom's character with Rhea is just annoying.

Didn't really care for the tag match until Shayna pulled a GOATED move and smacked Rhonda up. Hopefully this either means Rhonda is gonna be gone for a while or Shayna is gonna give her the work in a full match/fued. Also, I'm happy for Liv getting the belt back. Don't really care for Raquel 🫠

Bloodline Civil War was a great match! Jimmy and Jey both showed out and proved that Roman is slowly becoming irrelevant. Loved seeing my man Solo kick ass! (even if it was his bro's ass😭) That's my man and I can't wait for him to drop Roman and get back on the same page with his bros. Romans's time on top is coming to an end and I can't wait for him to drop the belts. I'm a shield stan for life. But that man has become so bland both with his promos and his in-ring work. It's time for someone else to have the belt and be on top. I 100% think that Jey should be the one to dethrone him. Poetic Justice if you will.

The men's ladder match was 🔥🔥🔥. Shoutout to my man Ricochet for putting Logan through that table with that amazing spot. Shinsuke and Butch both looked really solid in the match. Hopefully, they'll let Shin get more screen time. (also let Pat come back. I miss him jamming out to Shin's music) Logan was okay in the match. His ring work is getting better. He works well as a heel and I loved the boys all ganging up on him. (not a Logan hater. Just thought it was funny) Damian did solid work. He was my sleeper pick and I didn't mind him winning. Though my husband LA Knight should HAVE WON THE MATCH!! Triple H will be hearing from my therapist. Papa Trip hinted after the show that Knight is gonna get a push soon because of all the attention he's getting. I can see him going after Austin's US championship since Theory's run is dry as hell and it's about time he dropped the belt.

Extra random thoughts.

Wade Barrett looked fine as fuck in that pink blazer. I'm obsessed and in love 😍

The Sami and Kevin segment was great. Love my chaotic BFFs

Rhea needs to drop the title already. Cuz girl ain't doing shit with the locker room.

Asuka V Iyo outta be 🔥🔥

[echantedtoon]

If Charlie And Damian Were Siblings

Ah. The wonderous Hazbin Hotel. A place for second chances in the chaotic place that is hell. Where a sinner could mend their old ways and earn a chance to go to the wonderous fluffy cloud heaven above...Now only if it was more accepted by others around here. It didn't have the best reputation or start to be honest. Being embarrassed on live TV, their first and only patient starting a terf war, and not to mention having the very powerful and feared Radio demon as a business partner. HECK! Even Alastor didn't believe it would do any good. He said himself that he was intruiged to see all the failed residents as entertainment.

Gosh this really was a doom to failure wasn't it?

Even her own parents didn't approve of this. What kind of hope could she possibly have if her own family didn't even believe in her own cause? Which is why she found herself curled up on her bed, under the blankets, crying her eyes and heart out. She didn't want to be disturbed right now. She just wanted to be alone, and have her five minutes in peace. The two little goat helpers of hers made small chirping sounds and attempted to get her attention away from under the blanket. But to no avail. She almost didnt hear the knock at her door but she could never mistake the staticy voice.

"Oh, Charlie.~ You have a visitor," A voice sang from the other side of the door.

Silence came from the room. Before the lump under the pillow shifted and curled in onto herself.

"G-Go away. I-I don't want to be bothered right now.,

"...Alright, Dear. But you should know- Im respecting your privacy by knocking, but showing my authority as your business partner by coming in anyways." The sound of the door suddenly slamming open and hitting the wall caused her to suddenly sit up with a yelp and stare at the new arrival standing in the doorway and smiling down at her. Seeing her frown he tilted his head. "Why the long face? That's not the Princess I know."

She sniffed and reached a hand up to wipe her face. "S-Sorry, Al. Im not feeling too good." She flinched and looked up when she suddenly felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"That's no way to behave! Now buck up and wear that beautiful smile of yours." She was suddenly yanked from the bed by her hand and thank goodness he still held onto her because her legs felt like jello and she would fall over any moment. "Now you know you're never fully dressed without a smile! You should be fully dressed when meeting your guest now!"

She didn't argue with the taller demon, and aloud herself to be walked out the door and into the hallway. It gave her the excuse to wipe away her tears and try to get her feelings in check. They continued to walk down the hall and to the flight of stairs that went down to the first floor or more specifically the main lobby, Alastor hummed a strange tune while he walked with the smaller lady.

"And here we are!" She was given a sudden shove forwards and stumbled a few feet. "How about this folks!? Royal to Royal visitation!"

She trip on the last step and was just about to face plant the floor when something stopped her, leaving her inches away from the floor. But luckily something had snagged the back of her shift and she was slowly lifted up and back standing on her feet. Staring at her was Alastor who was smiling as usually, but another floating red entity was right next to him. Smiling and staring at her with red and black eyes.

"You should really watch where you're going, Sis." It snickered. "Or else you would've ended up like Jack again."

She stared at the floating thing more,....before a giant grin broke out on her face and without a moment's hesitation grabbed the floating thing in a hug against her sad sorry self. It in turned gave a couple laughs before looking around at the hotel surrounding him, before landing back on Alastor.

"Impressive digs. You really know how to bring in the big shots, huh? Not bad."

She giggled a bit more before snuggling into his red fur. She may not have the support of her parents or all of hell, but at least her brother showed his love for her passion.

[valentinending]

i know you like the idea of a sweet, gentle momma for striker, but might i suggest my own personal alternative-- the roughest, toughest bitch to ever crawl out of the prairie. chews tobacco and spits brown goo at people. horrid posture, chipped horns, missing teeth, bathes once a moon. got rawdogged by a snake demons twelve years ago and is now raising his kid, and she's like a tiny goat-legged imp meanwhile her son is HUGE and she has to climb him like a lamppost to pull him by the ear whenever he's being a brat to her.

at the same time, behind the resting cunt face, utter lack of manners and concerning personal odour - she's sweet as pie. she loves her son very dearly, to the point of mother hen-ing him on occasion, to his grumpy protests. she's also got some sort of condition that has weakened her, so striker is understandably protective of her, cuz he needs to be a MAN and keep safe the lady of the house 😤 also she's the sort of mama to ruin any cool moments he has, so he's like about to leave on a hit or something, just had a whole arming up montage and all, and then she shows up with a lil tied up handkerchief and goes "a'ight junior, gotchu breakfast in 'ere, gotchu lunch, dinner too if y'sparse but ah'm nawt gon' lie ya could use some meat on ya bones... anyway here's sum morphine if ya get shot mugged a nurse for it, gotchu a bottle o' whiskey too, this 'ere severed hand to feed bombproof, n also--" meanwhile striker is sinking into the earth from embarrassment

Oh my goodness. when I tell you I had the WIDEST grin on my face when I read this

I can totally stand by this side of the story too. This idea gives me major Nicole Watterson vibes and I am aboutely for it

Thank you for suggesting this idea, I think I might take this into drawing consideration too or just make it a doodle by itself!

But this was a really neat idea

[kathyprior4200]

Helluva Boss S2 E4"Western Energy” (Part 1)

Part 1: “No, Not The Vet!”

Blitzo was driving in the gray I.M.P. van along the freeway, wearing his usual work outfit. He sat on a red worn seat. Loona wore her usual black tank top and pants with a white crescent moon on them. In contrast to her usual grumpy demeanor, Loona sat still next to Blitzo, her red eyes wide and her arms folded across her chest.

 “There is no reason to be sacred, Loonie,” Blitzo said. “I know we’re on our way for your very important…”

 He spoke in a whisper, “Hellbies S.H.O.T…”

 Loona’s eyes stayed wide as she stared at him.

 “…but I promise it’ll be quick and easy. It takes years to book an appointment at this place, it took five to get this one. And you’ve been doing a lot of field work, so you need it.”

 Loona stayed frozen.

 Blitzo briefly looked at the empty seats behind him. “Seems so empty without Moxxie and Millie here,” he thought.

 In contrast to the usual red sky, the sky above was pink. Blitzo had driven through a nearby portal and was now in the Sloth Ring. A skyscraper city stood in the background with some of the building tops decorated with golden horns. Other buildings were on rocks that hovered in the sky. Many of Sloth’s denizens were goat-like beings with candles on top of their heads. Some of them were lazy sloths with many eyes on their faces and fur. Advertisements displayed mattresses, sleeping pills and “Happy-PillZ”, hospitals, and vacation spots. Another billboard showed a black goat demon with a large red candle on his head sleeping on a mattress. “Baphomet’s Master Beds! For All Bedroom Needs! 66% Off!” Another sign read “Lord Belphegor wants you…to do it tomorrow!”

 Blitzo pulled up to large pink and white hospital building called “St. An’s” (Satan’s). There were a few disabled parking spaces, with horns on the white figure’s head on the ground. Waterfalls streamed down to the ground near the hospital. Labels on the building read “Financial Processing,” “Surgical Wing,” and “Pediatric Wing” while the sign in front read “Emergency.” Clouds and closed eyelid designs decorated the building. Venus fly trap plants were on display outside. The buildings on the floating rock islands had candle-like appearances. There were some trees on the rock islands with drooping leaves and eyes on them. Even the elevator music pouring from the speakers and the trickling of the waterfalls were enough to put anyone in a relaxed state.

 The staff were mostly goat-like demons with candles on their heads. The doctors wore pointed plague masks and were dressed in black. The hospital was infamously known for charging high fees, making appointments hard to get and deceiving people with pharmaceutical addictions. Not to mention the elaborate and expensive gift shop. They, of course, made great profit from it. Rumor said that the plague doctors helped spread the Bubonic Plague on Earth to harm humans. Like the succubi and imps, they were demons sent up to Earth to try and conquer mankind.

 Blitzo got out of the van and picked up Loona with both hands, carrying her over his head.

 “Come on, Loonie, come on, this’ll be over lickity split alright?”

 Blitzo carried her over toward the double doors. Loona struggled to get away, but Blitzo grabbed hold of her. As the double doors opened, Blitzo was dragging her into the waiting room by her tail. Her claws scratched the floor in protest. There was a round purple rug and several round yellow-pink waiting chairs.

 “Christ on a stick!” Blitzo swore. “I have waited five fucking years for this appointment! FUCK ME IN MY LITTLE RED HOLE!”

 Blitzo glanced at a demon lady who gave him a glare. She looked to be from the Envy Ring and had light gray skin and short dark gray hair with a white stripe along the bottom. Her eyes were neon green, and she wore a pearl necklace and a purple top. She had small black horns on her head and the legs of a goat. Her son had similar features, plus small gray and white fins protruding from his face. The demon boy was connected to a leash the mother was holding. The lady sat under a small note that read “ISO KIDNEY: I need your hip, NOT a scan, CALL ME, Chuck 555.” Another Venus fly trap plant stood in the corner. More signs read “no photos” and “no perfume.”

 “Hi. The fuck you looking at?” Blitzo asked the lady with a glare of his own.

 Blitzo slid up to the front desk. A demon goat nurse stood there with orange skin, pink hair, floppy ears, and long curved horns on her head. On top of her head was a white cap with a pink cross on it with small hearts in the corners. She wore a matching white shirt with the logo on it. A pink candle flame hovered above her head. Her four teal eyes were lopsided, two big and two smaller ones. A poster showed a smiling hellhound with a syringe sticking from its back and doing a thumbs up. “Get yours today, or else!” was shown in bold black letters. On the front desk was another Venus fly trap, a notepad, and a stack of papers.

 “Heya toots, I’m here for that S.H.O.T. for my Loonie Toonie.” Blitzo chuckled as Loona growled in the background.

 “The what?” the nurse asked with a dumbfounded look. A bottle of Happy Pill drugs was also on her desk.

 “Ugh, the B.U.L.L. shit my daughter has to get every year that you M.O.T.H.E.R. fuckers only allow us to schedule every five years. How the fuck you fuck up that bad anyway, Titty Haver?”

 Blitzo scribbled something on a notepad.

 “Oh, I can’t spell,” said the nurse.

 An annoyed Blitzo pushed the notepad forward. The nurse picked it up with her tentacle hands. “I can’t read either.”

 “The fucking Hellbies shot you fucking reeeee…” Blitzo began but then finished. “…eeeally can’t say that word anymore. The appointment is under Blitz.”

 “Uh, I don’t see any Blitz on the list,” she said, skimming through the notepad.

 “With an “O,” it’s silent you fucking…”

 Another nurse came over and flipped through the notepad. She pointed to Blitzo’s name and showed it to the first nurse.

 The first nurse lit up. “OH! An “O” right here, yep, yep. Like she said. Blitzooo, Blitzooo…”

 Blitzo seethed at his name being pronounced wrong. He revealed his flintlock pistol under his outfit.

 “Yes well, we will be ready for her in just a bit. Please take a seat Mr. “O.” said the nurse.

 The demon mother Blitzo saw earlier raised her eyes after seeing his gun.

 “Perv,” Blitzo waved his hand, slouched forward, and took a seat with his arms folded. He tapped his finger impatiently on his shoulder.

 Blitzo glanced and saw Loona whimpering and shaking under three chairs.

 “Oh, don’t worry Loonie,” said Blitzo. “It’s okay, it’s just one little prick, you won’t feel it.” He bopped her on the nose.

 “Ew, don’t say that, it sounds vulgar,” spat the demon mother.

 Blitzo glared. “Excuse me?”

 “Pervert!” mocked the lady, folding her arms.

  More hours seemed to pass. Blitzo swung his boots back and forth and Loona eventually lay on two chairs, half-asleep. The demon lady stared at her green cellphone.

 Blitzo tried to make the situation less awkward.

 “Soooo, nice weather we’re having, huh?”

 Just then, the boy demon pointed at Blitzo. “Look mommy! They let varmints in here!”

 Blitzo scowled. “The fuck did you just call me?”

 “A wild animal, a miscreant, a fire toad!” the boy replied. He was pulled to the side by his mother.

 “It’s not polite to call them that to their face, honey. Wait ‘til we’re in the car.”

 Blitzo stood up, teeth bared. “You got a problem with me? (censored “cunt”)?”

 The woman gasped and pulled her son close. “There is a child present, you filthy Wrathian!”

 “You’re one to talk, you pompous Karen Leviathan,” Blitzo responded. “And by the way, I’m not from Wrath, bitch. ALSO, my kid’s here too, and I don’t think she would appreciate you calling her father… ‘things.’”

 The mother raised her hand and called to the nurse. “Is there any way we can reschedule for a time when less of the unemployed rabble are out?”

 Blitzo scoffed. “Oh please. I bet the hardest work you’ve ever done is convincing your husband that little shit’s his.” He pointed to the boy and his eyes watered.

 The lady got in his face. “Oh yeah, and what do you do that’s SO important?”

 Blitzo smirked. “Me? Oh, I kill people.” He pulled out his pistol. “How does a two for one special sound, whore?” He aimed the pistol at her, and they both got into a wrestling fight.

 The nurse came out of the room. “Mr. “O,” the doc will see your hound, now.”

 Blitzo strangled the mother and the boy with his arm, then shoved them to the floor. Dusting off his pants, he carried a scared Loona into the room, blowing a raspberry behind him with his snake-like tongue. More signs read “helladays” “wait behind here,” and by a soap dispenser, “please cleanse your claws.”

 Blitzo sat Loona next to him on the covered patient chair in the small vet room.

 Not too long after, the doctor came in. He was a pink goat with teal horns, a white furry beard, and round glasses. He wore a white suit, dark pants, and a teal necktie. He had thick white eyebrows and a flickering teal candle in the center of his head. He had an upside down pink cross logo on his suit. He flipped through a notepad with his hoof-hands, sitting on a small chair shaped like a paw-print. His name tag read “Dr. Somma.”

 “Welcome, Bingo!” he greeted Blitzo. He then pointed at Loona. “And this must be Tuna!”

 Blitzo waved a hand. “Loona, yeah, and can you hurry up please? She isn’t a fan of shots, so let’s try and make this quick for all our sakes.”

 Nearby posters showed various hellhound faces showing various emotions – “How do you feels?” Another one showed a jumping blonde hellhound with “Don’t do this!” in bold red letters. Another one showed a red male hellhound looking in a mirror and wearing sunglasses. The caption read, “Look at your life…who is that dog?” On a desk were a bowl of treats, Kleenex, a sink with paper towels, and a radio with teeth around the round speaker.

 The doctor stood up. “Oh, come now, it can’t be that bad. I see hellhounds every day and there hasn’t been ONE that caused any issue.”

 He dug through a bin of needles and held up a giant needle with green liquid inside. Loona’s eye twitched and she growled, fur standing up. Sensing this, Blitzo raced toward the doctor and lifted him up just before Loona charged at the spot where he was moments before. Blitzo jumped before Loona could attack and raced off Loona to the other side of the room. Loona howled as Blitzo faced the doctor. “Yep, right there, told ya, dipshit,” Blitzo said. He took the giant syringe and the doctor stood in fear.

 For the next several minutes, Blitzo, Loona and the doctor yelled and barked and chased each other in circles around the chair. Blitzo was gripping onto Loona’s tail, trying to slow her down. The scared doctor found himself backed against a wall, syringe in his hands. Loona growled and crouched down like a wolf, drool dripping from her mouth. Blitzo spread his arms out wide from behind Loona. The doctor tossed the needle over Loona’s head and Blitzo caught it. With a yell, Blitzo charged at Loona with the needle. Loona moved out of the way and whacked Blitzo hard with her tail.

 “OW! Sorry!” Blitzo called. Blitzo climbed on top of her and managed to pin her arms onto the chair. Loona snapped her jaws and moved her head to the sides as the doctor aimed the needle at her neck. She dodged to the left, to the right and ducked. Clenching her fists, she broke free from Blitzo’s grip and swatted the doctor away with her clawed hand. He fell into the bin of needles and screamed as nine needles stuck out of him. He leaped into the air in pain. After Blitzo helped get the needles out of the doctor, he wiped his blooded lip, one of his eyes swollen. The doctor flinched as Blitzo then rode Loona like a wild bull. Loona tried to buck Blitzo off, but Blitzo managed to grab her nose and jaw and pin her face to the floor.

 Blitzo mentioned for the doctor to come over and the doctor nodded. The doctor walked over…and stuck the needle right into Loona’s butt. Her red eyes bulged, and she let out a feral howl of pain. Blitzo fell off her back and crashed onto the floor. The doctor helped him up, staring at the cracks in the floor from the impact. After Loona was sedated, she had a white cone placed over her head.

 At long last, after paying a very expensive fee of $666.06, Blitzo limped out of the hospital with Loona trailing behind him. The white cone was over her face. Blitzo opened the back of the van and the exhausted Loona slumped down belly-first onto the seat. Blitzo checked to make sure his arm wasn’t too broken.

 “It’s…it’s over Loonie,” Blitzo breathed. “We got through it. You won’t have to worry about it for another five years.”

 All Loona could manage was an angry slurred groan and a weak middle finger.

 “Thanks for…not killing me,” Blitzo added with a soft chuckle.

 In a tired silence, Blitzo drove them back to his apartment to rest and recover. For despite the dreamy atmosphere of the Sloth Ring, nothing felt quite like home than his small dwelling in Pride.

[lexieloeloe]

I call it the -Bar Scene- Another sketch

[elizadraws]

Five Yōkai references to Studio Ghibli films

An avid lover and aficionado of Studio Ghibli’s work, I see references to and from it practically everywhere. Most recently at an exhibition about yōkai.

Yōkai are a class of supernatural creatures that roam the realm of spirits in Japanese folklore. The Japan Foundation organised traveling exhibition titled “Yōkai: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” introduces these curious spirits through a diverse range of media, including nishiki-e prints, emaki picture scrolls, sculptures, toys and films.

Apart from the harmonious and subtle color palettes, the lush and peculiar imagination of the ancient artist, his experienced hand drawing each brush stroke, and the excitement of seeing a picture scroll in real life, what really intrigued me were the images that looked like a scene from a Studio Ghibli film. Listed below are some of the references I spotted.

1.Mount Ōe Picture Scroll and Princess Mononoke  First in line was this one illustrating the heroic tale of the brave samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who, according to legend, exterminated the quintessential yōkai Shuten-dōji, a mythical oni or demon leader of Japan. Although decapitated, the demon’s detached head still took a bite at the hero, who avoided death by wearing multiple helmets stacked on his head.

Close-up of Shuten-doji biting at his decapitator. Source: The Japan Foundation

In Princess Mononoke, on a few occasions Lady Eboshi warns her people that it will take more than a single shot to kill a wolf god: “A wolf’s severed head can still bite.” Ignoring Ashitaka’s warning and attempt to stop her from committing yet another godslaughter, Eboshi succeeds in murdering the Forest Spirit. This victory is short-lived, however, as soon after Eboshi gets her well-deserved punishment for angering the gods when the wolf god Moro’s decapitated head bites off her right arm: “Moro’s head. It moved on its own,” feels like Eboshi had foreshadowed her own misfortune.

Wolf god Moro’s decapitated head after she mutilated Lady Eboshi. © Studio Ghibli

2.The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Picture Scroll and  Howl’s Moving Castle  This is more of a visual than content resemblance. The big headed tengu and courtesan riding the cart instantly reminded me of the Witch of the Waste’s disproportionate head when she is similarly looking through the window of her palanquin carried around the city by her loyal henchmen.

Tengu and courtesan riding a cart pulled by a toad. Source: The Japan Foundation

Close-up of the Witch of the Waste. © Studio Ghibli

3.The Nue and Princess Mononoke’s Forest Spirit  If you have ever leafed through The Art of Princess Mononoke book you might know that the Forest Spirit (shishigami) didn’t always have that same soothing smile and piercing eyes that are both amicable and cruel. In the early stages of his development his face was more human-like and uncanny than it is now. Though at first glance he resembles a deer, the Forest Spirit is actually a combination of several animals. This blog post lists them as follows: a red-monkey face covered with blue patterns, cat eyes and nose, goat ears, big body of a wild boar, the fur of a serow, and the tail of a dog. As a whole his appearance is one overflowing with peculiarity.

The Forest Spirit preying on a Shinto tree branch. © Studio Ghibli

Similarly the Nue, a legendary yōkai or mononoke, in The Tale of the Heike, is described as having the head of a monkey, the legs of a tiger, the body of a dog and the front half of a snake for a tail. In other writings it is sometimes depicted to have the back of a tiger, the legs of a tanuki, the tail of a fox, the head of a cat, and the torso of a chicken.

The Nue is also said to have the ability to shape-shift, often into the form of a black cloud that can fly. Much like the Forest Spirit who at nightfall changes to the giant Nightwalker (deidarabotchi).

Another similarity worth mentioning is that in both cases the mythical creature is indirectly murdered by the Japanese emperor. Lady Eboshi intends to give the Forest Spirit’s head, which is believed to grant immortality, to the Emperor in return for protection from Lord Asano. In The Tale of Heike, the samurai Minamoto no Yorimasa slays the Nue, because its very existence causes fear in the Emperor who falls ill and is unable to recuperate.

Minamoto no Yorimasa defeats the mythical beast Nue. Source: The Japan Foundation

4.The Foot Washing Mansion and Spirited Away  This nishiki-e print depicts a large-footed yōkai monster that descends from the ceiling and demands to be washed. The story is one of seven stories in the famous Seven Wonders of Honjo and goes as follows: At the time when the flowers were sleeping and the ushimitsu plant was blooming, a horrible, rotten stench would invade the house, and a giant foot bristling with hair would descend from the ceiling accompanied by an enormous sound. If you washed the foot, it would soon disappear back into the ceiling. But if you didn’t, the giant foot would rampage through the house until satisfied.

The large-footed yōkai descending from the ceiling. Source: The Japan Foundation

Most of Spirited Away’s plot takes place within a bathhouse for gods and spirits, known as kami, whose proprietor is the greedy witch Yubaba. The majority of these kami habitually visit the bathhouse for a regular wash to keep themselves clean — unlike the unwelcome enormous and foul smelling guest who imposes his presence and causes turmoil. He smells so bad that at first everybody, unsuccessfully, tries to prevent him from entering the bathhouse. Eventually they realise he is harmless — only after Chihiro cleanses him and sets him free from the taint of humanity.

A kami being washed at Yubaba’s bathhouse. © Studio Ghibli

5.Personified Daikon Radish and Spirited Away’s Oshirasama According to Japanese ideas of animism, spirit-like entities are believed to reside in all things, both the living and the dead, including natural phenomena and objects. Kami and yōkai inhabit the spirit domain and in shape or nature can be either humans, animals, plants, natural phenomena or artifacts. Like for example this daikon radish (can you spot it?) appearing on omocha-e play pictures made for children’s entertainment as early as the Meiji era (1868–1912).

Yōkai-themed omocha-e. Source: The Japan Foundation

Root vegetables like radishes and carrots have often become internet sensations due to the occasional deformations they suffer. Their wonky shapes might have displeased a farmer in the past and ended up in the garbage instead of as pickles. Similar destiny had already befallen the objects of a house possessed by spirits. Discarded while the house was being exorcised, the aggrieved objects transform into yōkai and start plotting their revenge.

Oshirasama (Radish Spirit or Great White Lord) is the white, hefty, slow-moving guest at Yubaba’s bathhouse who resembles a radish sumo wrestler. His name, Oshirasama, is also the name of a kami of agriculture in the Shinto faith.

Radish Spirit riding the elevator alongside Chihiro. © Studio Ghibli

Have you noticed any of these? Do you perhaps know of another reference I might have missed out. How about re-watching the above mentioned films with this newly gained perspective?  Japanese folklore is rich, extraordinarily original and beautiful. And so are Studio Ghibli’s films.

Source

[ask-de-writer]

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THE FISHERMAN'S LEG (Part 1 of 20)

A sequel to Dee 1/2 Demon

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

6373 words (work in progress)

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

All rights reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

TUMBLR EXEMPTION

Blog holding members of Tumblr.com may freely reblog this story provided that the title, author and copyright information remain intact, unaltered, and are displayed at the head of the story.

Fan art, stories, music, cosplay and other fan activity is actively encouraged.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Patsu came back from trying to buy the young ladies of the Shop of Repairs some lunch. Dee looked up from the careful hammering of the work piece on her anvil. “Eggs and vegetables, Patsu san? What of the prawns that we wanted?”

Patsu sighed, “I got us a pair of chicken leg quarters too. As for seafood,” she shook her head, “Minami san was not in the fish market. While I waited, four other customers came, waited and left.

“As I was leaving, he came running up from trespassing your Chiasu Estate property, Dee. You know, where we have workers rebuilding the old boat house that was torn down so many years ago. He accused me of trespassing in his open shop!

“I pointed out that he was the one doing trespassing on OUR property and that I'd been waiting to buy some nice prawns!

“He blew up at me and said that he would never sell us or our mothers any sort of seafood at all, now or ever!”

Miko looked up from the calligraphy that she was writing and laid aside her brush. “That is an unfair business practice, Patsu san. By the laws that let him have the only fish market in the village, he must serve all who come and have the money to buy, unless they are being disorderly.”

As she was jointing and cutting up the chicken to add to the chopped vegetables already in the pot, Patsu observed, “He really does not seem to care about the law anymore. Ever since he came back from the war that captured the whole island of Corutsu for Lord Umayu, he has been a different man. Sometimes I wish that we had not healed him of his gangrenous leg wound.”

Dee took the pot with their lunch and focussed her Aspect of Fire on it, drawing on the heat of the forge's fire, it began to steam and smell pretty good. Satsuna, who was the best cook among them, took over with seasoning things. Soy sauce, honey, a touch of vinegar and some crushed cloves of garlic all went in and were stirred carefully.

With a bow, she gave the pot back to Dee. “Thicken it please, Dee san.” Smiling, Dee raised the delicate seeming inner eyelids over her golden vertically slit pupiled eyes and focused her Aspect of Fire on it once more. Lovely scented steam arose as their lunch thickened from a thin soup to a smooth sauce with the chicken, and vegetables in it.

Looking up the street, Patsu set up another bowl of rice topped with the fresh sweet and sour chicken and vegetables. At the glances from the others, Patsu pointed with her chop sticks.

“Sunma san is coming and Chansa is following her, like usual!”

“Healing Chansa's broken leg a few years ago was a fine thing that we did.” Satsuna smiled at the memory of helping another orphan to keep her “smallest herd of goat in Sabo.”

Sunma happily bounced into the Shop of Repairs, followed by her goat! Chansa looked about eagerly because when her mistress brought her to this shop, there was always a tasty treat for a hungry goat! And goats are always hungry.

Dee watched happily as Patsu got up and brought in an armful of freshly picked, bright green kudzu leaves, a favorite of Chansa's.

The goat, seeing Patsu for the first time that day, promptly reared up, head over sideways and did a leaning lunge of a head butt at Patsu! Patsu countered that by a friendly fist between the horns, only hard enough to stop the butt.

She commented, “Still remember smelling me all over those bandages and leg splints from when we fixed your leg, huh, Chansa san? Here. Fresh kudzu for you.”

Their greeting ritual done, Chansa took a few leaves from Patsu's hand and started to happily graze up the rest. Miko offered, “We seem to have served up an extra bowl of lunch, Sunma san. Will you join us?”

Dee quietly poured another cup of tea. Sunma was just kneeling to her place at the table when a large hand was laid heavily on the neck of her stout working shift! Fisherman Minami roughly dragged her back from the table!

As he did so, he snarled, “This is a shop! A place of business! Take your vile goat and go!”

Two things happened at once! Chansa, seeing her mistress so mistreated, charged! She hit the backs of his knees with a head down, full power butt! His legs were folding as Patsu's foot hit his mid section in a forceful cross footed kick!

As her knee lifted from the kick, Patsu slammed the back of his head with a two handed rabbit punch! That bounced his forehead solidly onto her upraised knee! He folded to the ground, unconscious.

Patsu leaned out the wide door of the Shop of Repairs and called out, “Constable! Constable!”

As Constable Canra came in, she explained, “Fisherman Minami has broken Magistrate Lim's order to not interfere with our business, trespassing both our shop and the Chiasu Estate where we are having the old boat house rebuilt. In addition, he has laid violent hands on Sunma san, trying to order her and her goat Chansa to leave. Both are invited guests and are here to share lunch and tea with us.”

While she was talking, a large, almost squarely built man entered and offered Dee a torn open package. Satsuna saw it and exclaimed, “Chalk!? Did it get into the mortar?”

He bowed to her and replied, “Sadly it did. We were having our noon rice over in the shade of the Newly rebuilt warehouse,” he stirred the fallen Minami with his foot as he went on, “and so this unworthy one did not see us. He opened this package and stirred it into the dry mortar that we were ready to mix, ruining it. We wished to know whether we should test the rest of our work to see if he has done this before.”

It was Constable Canra who answered, “Please do so. Besides your testimony about this incident, should any of your prior work prove to have been damaged, come to the Tribunal and report to Magistrate Lim all that you know of this.”

Miko bowed to the Constable and told him, “Canra san, as soon as I am done with my luncheon, I shall be up to the Tribunal to record this case for Magistrate Lim.”

Constable Canra looked up from binding the arms of Fisherman Minami and gave her a head duck of a bow as he mentioned, “Please bring Sunma san and Chansa to the Tribunal with you.”

He straightened up. Leaning on his ceremonial but very functional naginata he hauled Fisherman Minami to his feet and dragged him away.

To be Continued

NEXT==>

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