#monsters and majesty

[writinglyra]

WTW PLANET PROMPTS - Venus: Politics

“Your Royal Highnesses.” The chieftain turned first to Teodema and then to Keroesa in turn. “Clan Hea sends its blessings in honor of your union, Prince Teodema. And my wife and I send our thanks for the pleasure of these festivities.” “I receive your blessings joyously,” Teo nodded, “but you must thank my Father in regards to the hospitality.”

The Clans of Siruna

Merim, like all kingdoms in Siruna, is a highly hierarchical society. At the highest level, a monarch has absolute authority over the whole of the kingdom, but beneath them is a complex system of clans and tribes.

Every Sirunan claims descent from a specific clan, of which there are likely hundreds spread across the eleven kingdoms. Clans are, essentially, extended family groups, all claiming descent from a common ancestor or ancestors. At the head of a clan is its Chieftain, (typically) the most senior male in that clan's bloodline. Chieftain is a hereditary position with a degree of prestige, but chieftains don't hold much political power outside their clans unless their clan is particularly powerful. Mostly, chieftains handle small-scale disputes within their clans, fulfill ceremonial roles (alongside other clan elders), and represent their clans to those higher up on the hierarchical ladder.

Groups of clans mostly live together in a particular area, intermarrying and cooperating, and are, as such, further grouped together into what are called tribes, which are the most basic administrative divisions in Siruna. Tribes are led and managed by a Chief, who is the chieftain of one of the clans that make up the tribe. The Chief usually belongs to the clan with the highest "prestige", but which clan this is for any given tribe is mostly a matter of tradition. The ruling clan of a tribe does not typically change, but intra-tribe conflicts can cause dynamics to shift. The ultimate authority on which clans serve as Chiefs is the monarch, in their capacity as a prophet of the gods, so loyalty to the monarch is paramount to Chiefs to remain in power.

Most of the day-to-day governance in Siruna is done by the chiefs. They settle disputes, make trade agreements with each other, distribute resources, and muster armies. But above them is them are the royal Governors. Governor is another hereditary position, roughly equivalent to the rank of Duke in a Western aristocracy. They manage large swaths of land on behalf of the monarch and work closely with them. The particular clans serving as governors is the most variable of all the titles in the hierarchy. The monarch is free to mix and match and swap them out as they see fit, and so it is only the most loyal and powerful clans that have the honor. And many royal family members, including Keroesa's aunt Princess Ilana, marry into these families.

And, at the very top, is the royal dynasty itself which, in the Kingdom of Merim, is the Royal Clan of Kalona. Like all clans, it claims descent from a particular ancestor, but in the case of the royal clans, this ancestor is the legendary founder hero of Siruna, Alamesu. Of the eleven kingdoms, Merim is the only remaining kingdom to be ruled by a direct descendant of this clan. The others have since fallen to junior branches or "lesser" allies. However, having this ancestral claim is not enough to hold onto power for centuries. In the end, the power of the monarch is vested in the loyalty of the clans that make up Merim. If that loyalty is lost, disaster awaits.

[transbookoftheday]

Transfem Book Recs for International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day! Here are some transfem book recommendations for you:

Book Titles:

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Joy, to the World by Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Just Happy To Be Here by Naomi Kanakia

Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes

Fake It by Lily Seabrooke

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Fierce Femmes And Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

Princess of the Pomegranate Moon by Emily Wynne

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor

Into the Gray by Margaret Killjoy

Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Top 10 of 2023 ✨

These were the reads that wouldn’t leave my head, that I loved the most, that I can’t stop thinking about even at the end of the year. What were yours?

[bookedbyfiction]

This book is an absolute gem—the greatest I've ever read. Kratu, a young man from antiquity, travels through time and worlds, investigating the illusions and knowledge that permeate the cosmos. He is cursed with an eternal memory for stepping over the thin line between orthodoxy and liberty. Trapped by a deathless memory, he longs for freedom as he travels across several planets and eras, feeling a strong sense of empathy for the people who are confined in all kinds of restraints during these adventures. By the time Kratu is born in a modern metropolis, he has committed himself to bringing happiness and escape from captivity to individuals and groups of all races. The narrative skillfully combines narratives of knowledge, skillfully conveyed through the channel of divinities and great seers, with the sequential births of Kratu to create a cohesive whole.

🕊️ Let noble thoughts come to me from all sides.

🕊️ Life can never be all blank; a loss had to be compensated by some gain.

🕊️ The truth of life is that whenever there is a churning, first comes the froth of poison. Only if that poison can be absorbed, then one can expect to attain better things.

🕊️ You may not be able to practise all that I say, but it is always good to know the truth. Knowledge creates aspiration which turns into achievement. Never stop learning.

🕊️ Mountains are so like humans: beautiful from a distance, but menacing, and even dangerous, when close.

🕊️ The unholy alliance of the mind with the senses makes one seek pleasure even in the heaven.

🕊️ We are born unique and die unique. So, should not we aspire to be unique in life too? Be not a factory product, but rather strive to be handmade; special.

🕊️ When one does something, good or bad, it becomes easy to do that a second time. If continued, an act becomes easier to perform till it becomes one's nature. That is how a noble person or an evil person graduates. The evil ones make a mistake: when they do a wrong act a second time, they don't realize that it won't take long for that unpardonable act to become their nature.

.

[dai-rannosaurus]

Isky 

[mossmutant]

Happy birthday to Roger Taylor! The incredible drummer for Queen. Hope he has a great and blessed day. 🎂🎉

Was excited to finish this artwork of Rotger meeting Roger! I’ve always wanted to draw the members of Queen meeting Monstrous Majesty. Also hooray for the first artwork with the new logo!

What do you think they’re going to be talking about? I’d say purple sneakers and cars.

Trying to do illustrations based around the style I used to draw in back in 2021 until mid 2022 (and of course my current). Loved the simplicity of it, but details are always so fun.

If you missed out on the (now former) Regal Rabies update, I suggest to check out my previous post which explains everything in regards to the recent change.

Monstrous Majesty © MossMutant Illustration © 2023 MossMutant

[yugiohcardsdaily]

Majesty Pegasus, the Dracoslayer

“Pendulum Effect: If you have a ‘Dracoslayer’ or ‘Majespecter’ card in your other Pendulum Zone: You can add 1 ‘Dracoslayer’ Pendulum Monster with a different original name than that card from your Deck to your hand, then you can destroy 1 card in your Pendulum Zone. You can only use this effect of ‘Majesty Pegasus, the Dracoslayer’ once per turn.

Monster Effect: (This card is always treated as a ‘Majespecter’ card.) (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; for the rest of this turn, your opponent cannot target ‘Dracoslayer’ monsters you control with card effects, also they cannot be destroyed by your opponent’s card effects. If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a ‘Dracoslayer’ card or Pendullum Summoned: You can add 1 Field Spell from your Deck to your hand, then discard 1 card. You can only use this effect of ‘Majesty Pegasus, the Dracoslayer’ once per turn.”

[beneaththetangles]

Transformers or Demon King housekeepers? Youth doing romance “wrong” or boys that turn into monsters at night? Boys that turn into monsters PERIOD or a wizard cursing a young woman? We absolutely run the gamut this week with the releases we’re covering, including a host of works coming out this week or next. Let us know what you think of these releases and series!

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The Art and Making of Transformers: War for Cybertron, Art Book

In the opening foreword of The Art and Making of Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy, F.J. DeSanto mentioned how the series Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy was a love letter to “both the robots of Cybertron and their fans on Earth.” I could not help but feel that this art book captured that love letter to its fullest. From the opening pages, I was already in awe of how this truly is a behind-the-scenes-look at the Netflix Transformers trilogy. I don’t know which was my favorite part: seeing the initial sketches of iconic Transformers, or hearing the love that so many people have for Transformers in general. While this book focuses that love specifically toward the series, it is a precious gift that also reaches out to other Transformers fans. I shared this with my ten-year-old, who is a huge Transformers fan, and his excitement was so transparent and almost tangible that I could not help but be thankful this book exists. He deeply loved the numerous character profiles, the screenshots from the show, the comprehensive breakdowns of locations and ships, and a whole section dedicated to toys. It was one of the most satisfying things to see my son’s face light up as he and my husband had in-depth and excited conversations about the full-page art spreads and random facts they did not know beforehand. This is an impressive and engaging art book that I think any Transformer fan can appreciate, whether casual onlooker or obsessed watcher. However, it will be most appreciated by fans of the War for Cybertron series and those wanting to learn even more about its characters, whether all-time favorites or brand new. ~ Laura A. Grace

The Art and Making of Transformers: War for Cybertron is published by VIZ Media.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, Manga Vol. 18

The cover of volume 18 of Oregairu looks way too epic for a story about three high school kids trying to toss aside their weaknesses and just grow up, but it’s kind of fitting for this arc of the series, which itself is overblown and confusing. Yukino is trying to help Iroha plan for a prom, but the former’s mother, who leads the school’s parents, opposes it on moral grounds. Yet, they continue to plan and try to convince the parents. Hikki, who Yukino will not allow to help her because she doesn’t want to be dependent on him, decides to create a rival prom, intending that when judged against the true prom, it will look so bad that the parents will pick Yukino’s. Meanwhile, Yui is just heartbroken and along for the ride. Make sense? Yeah, I didn’t think so, either. I’ve watched and read this arc multiple times in other versions of Oregairu, and have always been disappointed in it as the concluding and unfortunately weakest story for what is my favorite franchise. The manga handles the arc better in some cases, though: it’s able to build up panels toward jokes, almost as if the mangaka is trying to distract us from the actual goings-on in the melodramatic plot; and the illustrations are killer, having matured over the course of the series, much like the protagonists. It also made a few changes to the source material, including one that I find fascinating, effectively switching Yui’s scene where she falls asleep against Hikki to Yukino doing the same. I also appreciated a couple of the cute inserts, including a pretty challenging “find the 10 differences between the drawings” page. While none of this is enough to divert attention away from the flaccid story, just like the service club trio, we’ll still make it to a conclusion even though the ride is bumpy. Some rides are just bumpier than others. ~ Twwk

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected is published by Yen Press.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Manga Vol. 1

I keep finding myself picking up manga titles that either I don’t know anyone talking about or I’m unsure if I’ll love. Thankfully, I have continued to find success because my latest “blind buy” was His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, and I really enjoyed it! Sakura is a young high schooler who is obsessed with cleanliness and loves to clean. When she unexpectedly finds herself in another world that is filthy from a curse that doesn’t allow cleaning magic, her “cleaning powers” and passion lead her to become the housekeeper of a lazy demon king. Not only that, but she suddenly finds herself being called a Saint thanks to her magical abilities! I’m not sure I had any expectations when starting this new series, and I’m glad I didn’t because it was simply a fun and unique read. Sakura was a really fun heroine to follow along with, and I enjoyed seeing her cause some “chaos” by asking people to put a conversation on hold so she could go clean. Ha! I also found the concept of the curse intriguing, and I’m curious as to what the “cure” will be; but for now I am enjoying Sakura showing the people of this world what real cleaning magic is. I definitely plan to pick up more volumes of this series despite the fact that I didn’t super love the beginning. I very much want to see if Sakura can find out how to break the curse, how the citizens will admire her “cleaning magic” next time, and the romance that I hope blooms soon! ~ Laura A. Grace

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper is published by Seven Seas.

At Night, I Become a Monster, One-Shot Light Novel

There are some authors who try to make their points artistically, carefully, slowly, elegantly. And then there are authors who don’t care about any of that and just say whatever they want to say with little concern for subtlety or literary conventions. Yoru Sumino is the second. Case in point: At Night, I Become a Monster. I mean, the school nurse is literally reading No Longer Human as Adachi (the male lead, who becomes a monster every night for unexplained reasons) walks into her office! But as much as Sumino’s blunt, self-aware style irked me last time, I wasn’t as annoyed here. Maybe it’s because I felt more sympathy for Yano, the female lead, who tries desperately to be kind despite her classmates’ bullying. Maybe it’s because the whole book rails against an all-too familiar culture where vicious barbs are concealed beneath subtle language. Maybe it’s because of the book’s point: that we all might be more monstrous at heart than we would dare to think. At Night, I Become a Monster spins an unsettling tale about social life—but one that’s also filled with hope. Even while ushering us into the dark depths of the ways we hurt each other throughout the book, Sumino also points us towards the light at the end of the tunnel. The book ends on a bittersweet but reassuring tone, a reminder that it’s scary to take off our masks and reveal our true, ugly selves, but that doing so can also lead to redemption, for us and for others. I’ll be spending several nights awake thinking about this book. Hopefully I won’t be turning into a monster like Adachi, though. Or maybe that’s been Sumino’s goal all along… ~ sleepminusminus

At Night, I Become a Monster is published by Seven Seas.

Dandadan, Manga Vol. 1

Dandadan is an action romcom that links the sci-fi and the supernatural as it pits an oddly coupled teenage duo against evil forces. Volume one is frenetic and unrelenting in its plot, humor, and fanservice. The pacing and assertive content gives this volume an interesting tone, but it’s all a bit too much. It’s a shame, too, because the two central characters—Momo (the granddaughter of a shrine priestess) and the nerdy boy she refers to as “Okarun”—are easy to root for, both as individuals and as a potential romantic pairing. But they get lost among too many ecchi scenes and genitalia jokes—lots and lots of jokes about genitalia, because you see, both the alien creatures that they meet first and the spiritual one that takes center stage later are interested primarily in “organs.” It’s meant to add to a wild and funny atmosphere, but comes across more as awkward and puerile. This is a Shonen Jump series and so is aimed at adolescent boys, after all. The question is, with lovely drawings and two characters that immediately have great chemistry on the manga page, why couldn’t it be something more? ~ Twwk

Dandadan is published by Viz Media. Volume one releases on October 11th.

Romantic Killer, Manga Vol. 1

In the Twitter shojo community, Romantic Killer has been a hot topic of discussion due to it being a shonen title published under Shojo Beat, an imprint that publishes shojo manga. Due to this controversy, I was deeply curious how this new title would “hold up” to its genuine shojo predecessors. Anzu is a high schooler who loves video games, chocolate, and her pet cat, but she suddenly loses all these things because of Riri the wizard! The wizard assures her that she can get it all back if she falls in love with any of the hot guys around her, but Anzu doesn’t care about falling in love or being surrounded by hot guys. She just wants her favorite things back! I won’t deny that I had a pretty good time reading because our main character is hilarious. I found her instantly engaging from the very beginning and think she is definitely part of this series’ charm: she really isn’t okay just going along with this imp’s plans to make her fall in love. Yet, whether or not the community influenced my own views, I confess I did feel conflicted after reading Romantic Killer. My biggest issues came first with her parents basically abandoning her in Japan and later with the imp forcing a random person to be part of this “experiment.” I know this is a comedy, but I found both those issues to be quite unsettling. Yet with that said, I do want to see what happens next. I really liked the “main guy” in this volume and found myself wanting Anzu to cave in and develop feelings for him. I’m on the fence if I’ll purchase the next volume or only watch the anime, but either way, I do want to see what Hoshino will do next. ~ Laura A. Grace

Romantic Killer is published by Shojo Beat.

Shortcake Cake, Manga Vol. 10

Before I share my thoughts, I will just say this: Do not be deceived by this gorgeous cover. It is by far my favorite in the series and when I picked it up, I was hoping we have a nice reprieve or turn of events where things started looking up for Riku, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Well, maybe not super wrong because this volume did have a turning moment in that Riku willingly goes to sleepover at Chiaki’s house, which is extremely shocking given their “one-sided” friendship! It’s there I definitely think Chiaki shines the most since the series began and was deeply touched in his love for Riku and how much he wants to help him. I think it was in these pages of seeing Riku truly open himself up that I could no longer stop tears from falling. They only continued to fall more when Riku makes a decision that was extremely heartbreaking, only for that scene to be followed by hearing Rei’s story and why he acts the way he does. (I sort of felt my heart couldn’t get a break!) I admire Ten that despite the sadness and heartache she is personally feeling, never once did she give up in doing what she could to help the Mizuhara brothers. The ending felt surreal and was so thankful she was there to push a certain character into action because it indeed feels like the ending is critical in what will happen next.  ~ Laura A. Grace

READ: Shortcake Cake Reviews (Vol.1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 //Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9)

Shortcake Cake is published by VIZ Media.

=====

“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

[writinglyra]

WTW PLANET PROMPTS - Mercury: Locations

She followed his eyes as they turned North. Tried to see the memory he saw in the blank expanse, but could not. He was remembering his home. Remembering Taso. [...] “It doesn't look much different to here,” he said, shrugging. “Smaller, of course. And softer, maybe. There aren’t so many rocks.” Keroesa could tell, even as he trailed on, that it was very different indeed. Different in ways he couldn’t speak.

Taso

Taso is an isolated island about three hundred kilometers north of Merim. Thirty years ago, Keroesa's grandfather, in his time as King of Merim, facing economic pressure and the promise of riches, sent his armies over the sea. After a long struggle, the forces of Siruna colonized it, declaring Taso the rightful territory of the Kingdom of Merim and thus part of the sacred alliance of Siruna. Resources were extracted and Tasoan labor was exploited for the enrichment of the homeland, with little thought given for the consequence.

Suffering under this regime, the Tasoans rebelled in a devastating war that waged on for years, taking countless lives on both sides. After nearly a decade, Keroesa's father, Ifema, inherited the throne and, within his first year, definitively ended the war, surrendering all claim to the island of Taso.

Now, years later, the war in Taso is a sour memory to those in Merim who remember it. And to those who don't, it is a haunting presence that hangs over their nation's history.

[aleabea]

can we all agree that hoodude would have a massive romance novels/films collection 

[wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj]

i finished the sun and the star and while i would not call it good, this definitely was like. the most iconic shit that's ever come out of riordanverse. like ever

[wickedcityy]

why is girl/cat monster the only ship dynamic i will ever write

[bamsara]

Cult of the Lamb x Alice in Wonderland / Alice: Madness Returns crossover AU idea

Taking aspects and aesthetics from each and mashing them together with some tweaks to make up an AU that I may or may not write a multishot chapter fic for. Narilamb included + possible Leshycat

AU summary:

After following a one-eyed rat and falling into Wonderland, The Lamb is captured and sentenced to death by decapitation, only to be saved last second by a mysterious grinning cat.

They learn that they are a Lamb of prophecy: the one to defeat the tyranical rulers of Wonderland: King Leshy, Queen Heket, King Kallamar, and Majesty Shamura to free wonderland from their oppressive rule. The rulers keep an iron grip on this world's inhabitants by threatening with their own abilities, as well as a promise of a monster under their control. Legend says that there was also a fifth ruler long ago, and rumors say that after a argument, that the royal siblings either sealed him away, or fed him to the monster they claim to keep.

Yet no one has laid eyes on this creature in nearly a thousand years. Not that anyone wants to risk that, though.

Making friends and mad allies alike, the Lamb traverses through Wonderland with a three-eyed and constantly smiling cat as their trustworthy guide, who although helpful, shares little of his own motives as to why he's assisting the Lamb in the first place.

(Tags for this AU will be 'Wonderlamb Au')

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Demon King Headcanons

You have accepted the Demon King’s marriage proposal!

I wasn't planning on writing a second part, but some of you gave me ideas and I decided on short headcanons instead. The image of a big, buff, evil Overlord lovingly doing house chores for their human was too tempting.

Content: gender neutral reader, monster romance

[Main Story]

The proposal, as you quickly found out, came as a surprise to everyone. Not even the King’s loyal butler knew of such intentions; he’d assumed they were finally going to destroy everything and everyone at once. To him, the dramatic scene of you and his Lord enveloped in flames was anything but a romantic confession. It was your final battle. So one might imagine the poor lizard’s confusion when the Demon King returned with you following behind. “S-sir?” He questioned meekly. The armored creature nodded at his servant. “It has been done. We’ll plan the wedding upon our arrival home.” The what? His baffled expression must’ve given him away, because the Demon continued: “What’re you gawking like that for? Didn’t I ask you earlier how humans forge a bond?” The butler stumbled to search for his words, swallowing dryly. “Well y-yes, your Majesty…I just didn’t expect it to be anything more than curiosity.”

The same speechless reaction repeated itself all the way to the Kingdom. Soldiers, diplomats, other monstrous entities of the unknown Land, they all greeted you in disbelief. So much, in fact, that you began to poke fun at their hesitant response: “I am his mortal enemy”, you’d announce with a dramatic bow. “Spouse! We talked about this!” the Demon Lord would quickly correct you, flustered.

Truth be told, you're not quite sure what made you accept this ridiculous offer. Perhaps a mixture of intrigue and disillusionment. The city you've dedicated yourself to stood no longer, burnt to a crisp along with its corruption and crookery. In a way, the monster had unshackled you from a responsibility you no longer wanted to bear. And if that wasn't enough to convince you, well, the sight of the Ruler himself kneeling before you certainly sealed the deal.

Although it may take a while for you to accept the idea that your worst adversary had actually been infatuated with you this entire time. Were there even any hints? During your last battle you nearly died. You'd crawled out of an enormous crater on your fours, bones shattered and ligaments torn. When you pointed this out to your groom-to-be, he stared at you in horror. "I had no idea humans were that fragile. I was trying to adjust my strength so as to not do any harm." You could only nod, patting away the sweat beads forming on your forehead. Uh huh. Maybe it's better you didn't experience his full range of attacks.

Ever since the devastating revelation, he's been extra careful when handling you. Sometimes he'll awkwardly hover his large hands above you, with a concentrated frown on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" you ask, eyeing him suspiciously. "I'm trying to be gentle." he'll answer. "You're not even touching me." Fair point, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

The Demon King will often ask you about customs from your world as a way to make you comfortable, just in case you get struck by the occasional homesickness. His Realm is very different from what you're used to, after all. Lamentably, his own years spent in the human world were not too fruitful from a cultural point of view. He was either busy stalking you or devouring the souls of the innocent. Now that he has nothing else to worry about, he will gladly listen and even do his best to actively participate.

You wake up shrouded in thick smoke. Overwhelmed by heavy déjà vu, you rush down the grand stairs, searching for the source of the fire. Are you being attacked? Enemies of the Demon King? You elbow yourself against the kitchen door, similar to when you left your home to find the city ablaze. The Demon Lord turns to face you, visibly overwhelmed and exhausted. You gawk at the scene unfolding before you and remember to close your mouth, mainly out of politeness. "It's too small. I'm afraid I cannot use it", he reveals timidly, holding a human spatula between his fingers to showcase the impractical size difference. You glance at the disastrous attempt behind him and manage to deduce he'd been trying to make breakfast. In an unspoken agreement, he steps back and allows you to take over.

"I'm surprised you let him burn down the kitchen", you mention to the butler once you get a moment to yourself. The scaly servant sighs, and theatrically lifts his clawed hands in hopelessness. "Pointless to argue with him when he's like this, (Y/N). In my entire life serving the Family, I've never witnessed a more stubborn leader." He points to the lavish portraits adorning the walls with a faint smile. "And, to put it frankly, he's obsessed with you. I've never seen him in a more deplorable state. Marrying a human?! The shame, the outrage!” he cries out. “No offense intended to you, of course. You must understand." You hum in agreement, a tad uncomfortable, yet sympathetic. "M-maybe it'll tone down after the wedding?" you suggest as encouragement. "Oh, no, I suspect it will only get worse", he bemoans in return. Then, he promptly straightens his back and resumes his duties.

You go on your own way, not wanting to burden the lizard in his work. As you cross the hallway, you find the Demon King himself scanning each room, somewhat agitated. He notices you and his features soften. "I was wondering where you'd vanished." You approach him with the words of the butler still ringing in your ears.

[mossmutant]

As previously mentioned, the new Monstrous Majesty logo featuring Fairy King! With a nicer, cleaner look. Fairy King is Monstrous Majesty’s powerful two-headed pet beast. He started off as a drawing created by Mangy to represent the four members of the organization. Dustbite then brought him to life after having Mangy, Rotger, and Orion have their blood drip onto the paper where he was originally illustrated. Once Fairy King had a physical form, he was a small foam toy that was kept in a water tank until he got too large and started to become sentient…and the rest is history that I can’t reveal just yet. 😼 I’ll be reposting a lot of the previous artwork from this year with the new logo starting Monday. I’ll also be posting some new artwork as well. 😁 Monstrous Majesty © MossMutant Illustration © 2023 MossMutant

[letoasai]

Will work for food

DP x DC An idea that's probably been done before but... here it is again.

~~

It was not an ideal setting for this. Out in the open, debris being their only cover. An unnatural storm closing in. The area had been evacuated but there was still no telling how many civilian eyes could be on them at this very moment. 

The League was scattered, making this current group a touch at odds while away from the majority of their normal teams. 

Batman stood with Red Robin, Flash, Superboy, and Raven. It wasn’t a bad lineup, but things were getting dicy. 

A monster had appeared, a creature foreign to most of them. With it came storms of all kinds, winds, hail, rain. It was a mess but there was nothing natural about it. The hail shattered the pavement. The winds were picking buildings up off their foundations. The blue lightning went without saying. The ice was changing the terrain. The temperature changes were disorienting to most of the heroes.  

Worse was the fact that this creature seemed to be able to duplicate itself, spreading the chaos out to a much wider area. They were having trouble even touching the thing let alone capturing it. 

“Are you sure about this?” Batman asked, a deep frown etched into his face as he watched Raven mark out a summoning circle. 

“It’s the only idea i have.” She said bluntly, shivering from the sudden chill. “That thing is not of this realm. We need something else not of this realm to subdue it.” 

“I hear what you’re saying but summoning a demon to deal with a demon still leaves us with a demon.” Flash said, seeing the flaw in this plan. 

“Unless you know this one personally or something.” Red Robin offered, his voice exhausted. 

“It’s not a demon.” Raven said, tone irritated but it wasn’t like any of them were having a good day. “Depending on how you want to look at it, it’s far worse than a demon. That thing came from the Infinite Realm.” 

Superboy just grunted once, watching her put the finishing touches on her spell circle. “You said that in a tone that said it was in capital letters. What’s the Infinite Realm?” 

“Bad news and something we shouldn’t freaking touch.” Raven answered swiftly. She stood, eyes going over her work. 

“Then what the hell are we doing?” Flash asked quickly, all of them tensed as the wind started to pick up again. If a hurricane was thrown at them, there was little they’d be able to do about it. 

“Raven.” Batman’s voice was serious. “You’re sure?” 

“It’s all i’ve got.” She repeated. “This is not a problem this realm was meant to handle on short notice. We need help.” 

There were several things in that one statement he didn’t like. “Who are you summoning?” 

Raven was looking rather pale herself. “The Ghost King. The King of the Infinite Realm. I’ve heard word that he can be bargained with so… we’re gonna give it a shot.” 

She didn’t wait for permission from anyone else to throw in their two cents on the matter. She threw her hands out, alien words no one else understood on her lips. The chant repeated and the summoning circle began to glow a green that the present Bats didn’t care for. 

It crept up the walls of the summoning circle in oddly pretty patterns before a gaping void opened on the ground. Silently, a figure rose into the circle from that same void. The king was smaller than they’d been imagining the last minute or two. He was human shaped and sized, a black crown floating several inches over his head. He was a wispy figure, face hidden by a large hood but there were strands of white hair floating around their shadowed face. He’d had nothing but a smoky looking tail when he’d first appeared but that had now split into solid looking legs. 

Given his size, he seems like a young adult, but it was hard to say for certain without seeing his face. 

“Woah.” Red Robin muttered, Superboy agreeing with the sentiment. 

“Heroes?” The Ghost King wondered, voice soft and lethargic. “Interesting.” 

Raven bowed her head in a show of respect. “Your Majesty. I apologize for the abrupt summons. We have a dire situation and are willing to make a deal for your help.” 

“A deal…” His voice echoed gently. He spoke as if raising his voice would shatter the very air around them. “That’s not something to choose lightly. What do you want from me?” 

Raven swallowed, her body rigid with nerves. She was almost relieved when Batman took over. 

“As i understand it, we have a being from your realm here in ours. We are underprepared to deal with such destruction and-” 

“Of my realm?” The King interrupted softly, head tipped a little as his attention turned to Batman. “Who?” 

Flash laughed nervously. “We’re not on a first name basis or anything but the guy seems to control the weather.” He pointed up and the sky above them was darkening the longer they spoke. 

The King made a noise like he’d clucked his tongue and it struck all of them as a very human kind of gesture despite his title. 

“I can handle that. Your deal?” 

Raven inhaled again, this obviously being the part she was dreading. “Blood, i have the blood of the Demon Lord Trigon-” 

“Pass.” 

That drew everyone up short. The others didn’t exactly understand the significance of Raven offering her blood but it clearly wasn’t something she’d expected to be declined so quickly. 

“My soul then….” Raven muttered. 

“Raven, no!” Superboy hissed. “The fuck!” 

Batman was also eyeing her unhappily. “Absolutely not. You are not Constantine.” 

Fortunately for the heroes, each of which was ready to revolt for such a barter, the Ghost King waved the thought away. 

“Nah.” He tugged on his hood a little and Batman realized he was likely brushing away one of those white strands of hair from his face. “That’s the thing about being the King of the Infinite Realm. Souls come to me one way or another in time. No need to preorder them.” 

Raven’s shoulders sagged, eyes shifting as she rapidly tried to think of something else she could offer. 

“What do you want?” Red Robin asked before anyone else could say something stupid. “You’re the one that’s going to fight this threat for us. What’s a good deal?” 

The King turned to him and stared. They could only assume he was contemplating his answer when he hummed quietly. “Food.” 

“Wha…” Flash muttered. 

The Ghost King just nodded. “Food from your realm. It’s been…a long time since i’ve eaten.” 

“Really? Like we could go grab you a burger and that would be cool?” Superboy asked, a touch suspicious, but the King just nodded.  

“Deal.” Raven said before anyone would make it worse. “A meal for returning this threat back to your realm.” 

The King nodded again, and each of them backed up several paces when the walls to the summoning circle broke apart and the King stepped out. For the briefest of moments he seemed to nearly stumble under the gravity of actually ‘walking’ but he got over it quickly enough. 

“Can we offer you any assistance?” Batman asked. 

The King shook his head. “No.” He wandered off towards the storm, the floating crown on top of his head seeming a little larger. He moved confidently and with purpose. “Oh Vortex…” He called, walking into the winds. 

He sounded young, but all of them agreed immediately that they never wanted to hear him beckoning them the same way. His tone was dangerous, and he walked right through a car that had been flung in his direction. 

“Cool.” Red Robin muttered. 

“Simmer down, Red.” Superboy muttered. All of them wanted to follow, but with the unstable weather and a literal Ghost King wandering about, staying out of the way felt like the best option. Of course that didn’t mean they weren’t dying of curiosity. 

Flash moved to stand beside Raven, making sure she wasn’t about to topple over because of the power it must have taken to summon a king from another dimension. “You good?” 

“Yeah.” she breathed out a sigh. “Honestly, this was an unforeseen best case scenario. You should really go get that food for him.” 

Batman moved to her otherside, hearing the voices over comms noticing a shift in what was happening. “You think it will be over that fast?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well-” Flash looked up at the sky that was rapidly clearing. “Yep. I’ll be right back.” He was gone in a blur but it was hard to believe a change was happening so quickly. 

“Has it even been a full minute?” Superboy asked. “I mean, damn…” 

“Someone better have been recording visuals.” Red Robin muttered. “We are absolutely missing something amazing.” 

“He’s the King of the infinite Realm.” Raven said. “It’s the realm that connects every other realm and it is as the name implies… infinite. He rules it. I don’t even think Trigon would dare mess with him.” 

Batman had his arms crossed, still listening to the amazed chatter over comms. “Should it be suspicious that all he wants is food?” 

“He made the deal.” Raven shrugged. “He could have asked for anything. Literally.” She stopped speaking when the hooded king returned. He was floating this time though only a foot or two off the ground. He didn’t look tired or dirty or anything. 

Just the same ethereal otherness he’d arrived with. “Done.” He announced. 

“What uh- happened to the guy?” Superboy asked, pointing vaguely at where the storm had been raging. 

The Ghost King just dug into his cape and pulled out…a thermos. “Souped him. He’s gonna have a little time out.” 

“Oh my god, i have so many questions.” Red Robin whispered. 

The thermos was put away and Batman was suppressing his own urge to ask a dozen questions over what just occurred. They’d been struggling with the Infinite creature for hours and countless lives had no doubt been altered. Clean up would take weeks if not months and this Ghost King handled it in minutes. 

“My food?” 

“On the way.” Raven said immediately. “Flash is one of the fastest men on the planet. He’ll be right back.” 

The King nodded and looked around before moving to a pile of bricks that had once been a fence. He sat down and waited, somehow looking regal among the wreckage. 

“So… I’m Red Robin.” Batman looked up again when his son was sliding closer to introduce himself. “Superboy, Raven, Batman.” He gestured and the King’s hood shifted as he followed Red Robin’s introduction of them. “Is there something we can call you or is your Majesty the most appropriate?” 

The Ghost King sat in silence for a moment before reaching up to lower his hood. The shadows that had hidden his face disappeared revealing a young man only a little older than Tim. Maybe around Jason’s age. His hair was indeed white, and was braided down the nape of his neck save for the tufts of hair that floated around his face. 

His skin was pale, and Batman thought it might have been gray or even blue in different light. His ears were pointed and his eyes were a haunting green. 

With the hood out of the way, the crown lowered to sit on his head. 

“Phantom.” He finally answered. “You can call me Phantom.” 

Raven bowed her head again and Red Robin beamed. “Thank you for helping us! We literally couldn’t have done it without you.”

Phantom nodded again but without his hood to shield him there was something shy about the action. 

The Flash reappeared in a cloud of dust, two bags of fast food in one hand and a collection of drinks under the other arm. “I got a little of everything!” He announced. “Got some burgers and some chicken nuggets and fries and onion rings. There’s one of those little apple pies in here somewhere too.

Phantom took the bags with a small smile and set them beside him so he could go through them. Superboy helped with the drinks, setting everything down so Phantom could have his pick. There were three different sodas, a lemonade, and a water. 

It wasn’t fancy and probably wasn’t a fair trade of a meal for his services but he didn’t seem disappointed. 

In a flash of rings made of light, Phantom transformed. The otherness of him was still there, but instead of a noble king of a realm, a young…very living human was in his place. Black hair instead of white was still braided down his neck and the strands around his face hung limp instead of floating. 

Those eerie green eyes were now blue but that– oddly enough– was not the most startling thing about his transformation. He wore a large hoodie and jeans but his feet were bare. 

His hands and feet were almost skeletal, and his face was gaunt and starved looking. His eyes were slightly sunken and his skin was a sickly kind of pale. 

He looked emaciated, but there was the smallest of smiles on his face when he ate one fry and then another. He took a sip from every drink offered to him and then took a bite out of the burger. 

They couldn’t help but stand there and watch, all of them transfixed over what they were seeing. 

Phantom took two more bites before wrapping up the rest of his burger and placing it back in the bag. 

“Not to your liking?” Flash asked, voice small. 

Phantom licked his fingers and shook his head. “No, it was good. I’m just full. I’ll take it with me and eat it later when i’m hungry again.” 

Batman could only imagine the size of his stomach. Stopping now was probably the healthiest thing he could have done if he wanted to keep the food down. He cleared his throat. “Are you alright?” 

“Mhmm.” Phantom nodded, the rings of light appearing again. He was back in his healthier looking ghostly form. That was an oxymoron, wasn’t it? A healthy ghost form… 

“You’re still alive.” Raven whispered, stuck in her shock. “The living shouldn’t… The Infinite Realm isn’t…” 

Phantom’s lips tipped up in a smile. “You’re right, but wrong. I’m both. I’m dead. I’m alive. I’m balance.” He paused for a moment. “I haven’t been in a living realm for a while… guess i’ve been neglecting that side of me. Thanks for the food, it was a good deal.” 

He was gathering up the bags he clearly planned to take with him. 

“You should come back.” Red Robin spat the words out, likely before giving them any real thought. “I’ll take you to lunch. I’ll take you like… all the time. I am not going to pretend to know what you have going on but… shit, Agent A would disown me if i did not offer to feed you.” 

Phantom looked cold briefly. “Agent… A…?” 

Red Robin winced, “Code name for my grandfather. He’s an amazing cook.” 

“Red Robin.” Batman scowled at him. 

“Oh, what? He’s gonna give you the look for you not being the one to offer.” Red Robin said unapologetically, but the explanation had Phantom softening again. “What do you say? Lunch? Do i have to summon you?” 

“Jesus, Red. Let him actually decline or accept.” Superboy was snickering. 

Phantom looked between them, the confusion on his face clearing up after a beat. A piece of paper appeared between his fingers. It had some kind of squiggle on it none of them could read at a glance. He handed it over to Red Robin. 

“Have that on you, say my name. I’ll find you.” Phantom said. “I should…eat again.” 

“We…appreciate you helping us.” Raven added quickly, determined that they make a good impression. 

Phantom’s look grew warmer again. “It was fun.” With his bags and drinks in his arms, he wandered back over to the summoning circle. “I don’t mind helping when the trouble is severe and you were right. This particular problem was mine to clean up. Sorry about him, by the way. Vortex is an asshole.” 

Superboy and Flash both snorted. “Thanks anyway.” 

Phantom nodded at them again, floating in the middle of the circle before his eyes glowed that bright, toxic green again. He slipped inside the void and disappeared as quickly as he arrived, the remains of the summoning circle erasing itself. 

“So… That happened.” Flash muttered, not sure how they were gonna put this in a report to the rest of the League members. Batman wasn’t so sure either. 

“I can’t believe you were just hitting on the Ghost King, Red.” Superboy laughed. “I mean… Lunches?”

“What?” 

Raven was on her phone. “I am already telling Nightwing.” 

“What!? Hey!” Red Robin was looking between them. “I wasn’t hitting on him. You leave Wing out of this!” 

“No way.” 

“You asked him on a date, man!” Superboy grinned. “All the titans are going to know about this in the next hour.” 

“You guys suck!” Red Robin growled, his face a flame. 

Batman just sighed. “There’s clean up to do. Get to work.” 

He definitely did not need to think about his son’s audacity, coming onto a King of an entire realm. Where did he even learn that kind of behavior?

~~

Masterlist