#lol with the way the title looks it looks like all these animators are dead
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Final Group of Animators on the DCA MAP of Dr. Sunshine is Dead!!
Part 1: Me! Hello!
Part 2: @kibbits
Part 3: @piixelpaint
Part 4: @nebuladreamz
Part 5: @smoljeanius
Part 6: @garbagechocolate
Part 7: @garbagechocolate
Part 8: @amberluvsbugs
Part 9: @cookiiemancer
Part 10: @cloudyvoid
Part 11: @skizabaa
Part 12: @circleheadd
Part 13: @gopsnippers
Part 14: @just-a-drawing-bean
Part 15: @nosleepyguy
Part 16: @soupdweller
So excited to work with all of you!
#DCA animators project#sundrop#moondrop#fnaf sun#fnaf moon#fnaf eclipse#lol with the way the title looks it looks like all these animators are dead#the animators for the project called dr. sunshine are dead! rip
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Title: Wax and Wane
Pairing: Werewolf!Andy Barber x Reader
Summary: You were drawn to Andrew Barber like a moth to flame, and now that everything you were is burned away, you cling to him in the ashes.
Word Count: 1,269
Warnings: Darkfic, Dubcon, Horror Au, Werewolves, Smut, Borderline Monsterfucking (lol), Implied Stockholm Syndrome, Breeding, Dead Dove: Do not eat, MINORS DNI!
A/N: my second entry for my Friday the 13th challenge! so as some of you all may recall, the “A.B” initials on the charm bracelet in Talking to the Moon implied the existence of other women, and maybe other pack members…😈 mind the warnings my loves! enjoy! divider by @firefly-graphics
The sound of the bell rouses you, forcing you to sit up groggily as you blink at the dark room. The heavily draped window is dark too, and when you look blearily for the digital clock on the bedside table, it confirms your suspicion.
The bright numbers read 3:17, and for a moment you consider turning back over and going back to sleep, but the little bell next to your bed sounds again insistently.
I hate that fucking bell. It’s an antiquated remnant of the house’s past, from a time when your lavish bedroom was once part of the servant’s quarters, the bell a means to summon you. Now, however, it serves a somewhat different purpose.
Is it really different? He calls, I come.
Andy’s side of the bed is cold, you note as you roll out from underneath the covers. You peek through the curtains out at the moon, a dark sliver eaten out of the bright circle. It won’t last, though—it’s due to be full tomorrow, maybe the day after, so Andy’s side of the bed will remain cold until then.
You hate that you miss him, a little. He is a good conversationalist after all, your man—your monster.
Andy is supposed to be with the pack—you know this from past experience. It’s strange he’s waited so long to leave, and you know that now he must have certainly missed his chance. You make your way down the long hall, the only sound the whisper of your long robe against the cool tile. He isn’t downstairs, not when you exit the grand staircase and into the dark living room. The house is intimidating in the dark, but you’ve done this enough times now that you could probably do it with your eyes shut if you wanted to. You go through the kitchen, pausing briefly before the cellar door.
When you open it, Andy is waiting for you on the other side. It’s easy to see the change is almost upon him. His bare chest is heaving, shiny with sweat. His eyes are fever bright, nostrils flaring from the scent of you. When he licks his lips, your pulse quickens, and you wonder if he can hear it, if he knows.
I should have seen it coming.
You should have—but Andy had blinded you. Love blinded you. You had not noticed your friends dropping from your life like irate flies as you found yourself too busy with Andy Barber to see them, your family held at arms length by their disapproval of your wealthy, mysterious new beau. People falling like dominoes until you were alone—
And alone, you were weak.
When the man had become a monster, you had clung on instead of running. And now, you think as you lightly finger the raised scar on your chest, it’s too late. The long scratch marks that if you measured, would be exactly Andy’s finger-widths apart.
There’s something under my skin, too.
You allow him to pull you to his chest as he inhales deeply, pressing his face into your hair. The smell of him does something to you, too, igniting a warm tingle deep in the apex of your thighs. The distinctly male musk, tinged with something animal, primal. His fingers tangle in your curls for a moment before he lets go, his hands wandering appreciatively down your sides and over the curve of your hips.
“I thought I was going to have to come get you,” he says, his voice low. There is amusement there, too. “You have good timing.”
Most people don’t pay close attention, so generally, even when Andy is out and about this close to the change, no one notices the tells. Not like you. His nails are longer, sharper and stronger. His canines longer, thicker—it makes him lisp, just a little. And his eyes…
The darkest, stormiest blue.
Andy slides a finger beneath your chin, tilting your head up. You sigh into his mouth as his lips meet yours, his teeth pulling at the plump flesh until it swells. Hungrily he swallows the resulting whimper, and when his tongue sweeps into your mouth he tastes like gin—he’s been drinking. Andy’s hands slide up your sides, displacing the robe as he pushes it from your shoulders.
“Smell like honeysuckle,” the words are murmured low against your throat. You squeak when his fingers sink appreciatively into the soft skin of your ass underneath the hem of your nightie. He inhales again, teeth tugging at the juncture between your neck and shoulder. “And rain.” Thick fingers wiggle between your thighs, and you widen your stance without being asked, and Andy hums with pleasure at finding you damp already.
“Missed you.”
Your breath catches as he circles your clit, before sliding down to tease at your entrance. When he pulls back, you try to stifle the whine that grows in your throat, but you don’t kill it completely.
“Get on the desk.”
This room serves as Andy’s unofficial second office. Where, if you looked, you might find pieces of evidence that were conveniently “lost” during trial—things that might make their way into Andy’s pocket if he had a particularly stubborn problem.
Nothing that would be of use to you now.
His eyes rest on you with almost physical weight, you can feel them boring into you as you lean up onto your toes, bending across the dark wood. You peek over your shoulder, and you sink your teeth into your lip to keep from gasping. When the change is close, you know Andy is… bold. Aggressive, even—-and tonight is no different. He openly palms his cock through his open pants, staring lustfully at the glistening folds between your spread thighs. He grins at you, and your cheeks burn but you don’t look away.
“I told you, runt,” he says, the points of his sharp teeth hanging over his lip. “I missed you.” Andy is on you in two easy strides, resting a hand on your hip as he rubs the head of his cock against your pussy. This time, you can’t help the shuddering moan that leaks through your clenched teeth. He bends over you until he can rest his lips on the back of your neck, and they curve against your skin. “I see you missed me too, didn’t you?”
“I did,” you admit, your cunt sucking desperately at the tip of his cock.
“Mmm, good girl, so honest.” The pleased hum that vibrates in his chest fills you with a shameful sense of pride. You are a pretty bird in a pretty cage for as long as he’ll have you—but you can’t bring yourself to hate him. You moan as he begins to push forward, his hand heavy on your hip.
“I know I’m supposed to be with the pack,” Andy grits out as he begins to stretch you open. You stare with lidded, unseeing eyes at the bookshelves in front of you, his words echoing in your ears. There’s a sort of doubling when he speaks again, two voices in one mouth. There is Andy’s voice, the one you know, and then something dark. Animal.
“But you feel so good like this.”
You know the beast is crawling just underneath Andy’s skin, staring out at you through his eyes. Your only saving grace is the fact that they want the same thing—
“I know you like it too, pup,” Andy’s teeth scrape hungrily against your neck as he splits you open inch by delicious inch. “You always did have a thing for monsters.”
end
Thank you for reading! Please check out my masterlist for other, similar works, and follow my library blog, @box-of-bones-library for updates. ❤️
#cevans characters#cevans fandom#cevans fanfiction#chris evans characters#chris evans fanfiction#andy barber#andy barber imagine#andy barber drabble#horror#werewolf au#werewolf!andy#andy barber x you#andy barber x reader#andy barber smut#darkfic#dark!andy barber#dark!andy barber x reader#dark!andy barber x you#boxofbonesfic#boxofbonesfic challenge#friday the 13th challenge
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Hello, I'm still here!
I just moved again, and I wanted to share some stuff I made before I did.
So I was working on an idea for an episodic serial comic about a small polycule with mild super powers trying to live a quiet life together in an apartment in a small city--hanging out, running errands, going to work, and trying to duck the feds who want to take them away to be "studied". Just a cute slice of life thing with some spice to heighten the magic and preciousness of mundane life.
It woulda been called UNSUCOTH (Untitled Supernatural Comfort Throupple).
I didn't get far into making it, and I may never. I think I started it because I felt really sad and lost and missed my hometown. And now that I live there again, I don't really feel that motivated anymore. I just want to go outside all the time lol.
But here's the cast anyway because I love them, they're a part of me, and they may show up in later posts and projects regardless.
This is Chesah. They have psychic powers (largely Akira style, but they've always had a spiritual/emotional connection to the stars and are starting to think they can also talk to the dead). ((My notes also say they have acid blood? What??)) They work as a clerk/archivist in the filing room at a very outdated office. People leave them alone, so they get to use their powers to do their job and listen to music all day.
They are my inner goth who never got to come out.
This is Kanai. He can influence local temperature, air pressure, precipitation, plant life, animals, and kind of effectively the sun? A lowkey nature god, though he's too humble to claim the title. He splits part time as a line cook and a delivery cyclist. Really, he'd do any job where he gets to be in a group or meet new people.
He is the 90s beach dude I want to be.
And this is Briar. He's a shapeshifter who has used his powers to explore his gender and humanity, as well as extend his lifespan by hundreds of years. She does odd jobs--any relatively anonymous contract work she can get. It's safer that way of course, but he also enjoys trying new things and getting to blow in and out of people's lives like a phantasm (with the exception of Chesah and Kanai's lives--he loves them to death).
She is the metalhead I almost forgot I am.
------------
It's also worth mentioning that I had a funny little gender awakening after I started this.
Turns out I'm genderfluid! Yippee!
These three characters represent archetypes that have developed through my projects and hcs since I was 14. I always put a bit of myself into my ocs, but I put these three to paper and realized that they're much bigger chunks of me. All the stuff I'd been repressing all my life.
(Also, I should clarify that I'm a white redneck American. The ethnicities of the throupple obviously don't apply to me. They're based on other people I know or cultures I want to know more about.)
I especially looked at Briar and said to myself, "Oh, that guy really is just what I look like on the inside." So I named myself after him.
Can you do that? A reverse self-insert?
Still, all three of them have been my guides through this wacky, cool period of my life. I'm having all kinds of complicated feelings about it and am very slow in the process of exploring it as I put my new life together.
Look forward (maybe) to some kind of post about how agenderism, shapeshifting, and monster kinning factor into this. (Legitimately. I think it's really cool and I hope I can sort out my thoughts well enough to explain it.)
Anyway, thanks for reading.
Signed, BRIAR!!!
#ocs#my ocs#briar#kanai#chesah#unsucoth#projects#comics#comic ideas#genderfluid#gender awakening#coming out post ig
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DIABOLIK LOVERS VERSUS SONG Bloody Night Animate Tokuten Drama CD ”The Contest is the Smell of Money!? ~The Vampires’ Desire~”
Original title: コンクールはお金の香り!?～ヴァンパイアたちの欲望
Source: Diabolik Lovers VERSUS SONG Animate Tokuten Drama CD
Audio: Here
Seiyuu: Toriumi Kousuke, Katsuyuki Konishi, Midorikawa Hikaru, Takahiro Sakurai, Kimura Ryouhei & Morikawa Toshiyuki
Translator’s note: Once again, the Vampires prove that they are more human than anyone else because their number one motivator in life is...sweet, sweet money. xD They’re all so thirsty for cash 99% of the time, it’s honestly hilarious. I wonder what else you could push them to do, just because there’s a large amount of prize money on the line. The climax of this CD kind of caught me off guard because I expected they would just royally fuck up on the day of the concert but no...They never even got to enter lol. Great move by the MC. They don’t really hint at what her explanation for not submitting the application on time was, but I want to believe that she did it on purpose to get revenge for all the times they treated her like trash. You go girl.
*Rustle*
Ayato: Haah…God…The fuck is this? And here I thought I’d head straight home to pick on Chichinashi…Oi, you. Have you heard anythin’ ‘bout what’s goin’ on?
*Flip*
Ruki: Hm…
Ayato: Oi, bastard! You’re just gonna ignore me, huh!?
Ruki: Was my lack of a response not clear enough of an answer?
Ayato: Aah…!?
Ruki: Haah…
Ruki closes his book.
Ruki: I haven’t heard anything. Now relax. I am sure we will find out sooner or later.
Ayato: But you know…Whoever decided to gather this group of people here must be fuckin’ bonkers. I feel like we’re bein’ set up for some weird shit.
*Rustle*
Kou: Well…I guess I can’t blame you for feeling that way…
Carla: Heh…
Ayato: Anyway, how come you’re here as well, Carla? I can’t imagine you’d actually show up under normal circumstances.
Carla: Is my appearance truly that puzzling?
Ruki: Well, I do believe you must have a solid reason for doing so.
Kou: I mean, Mr. ‘Almighty Founder’ doesn’t even show up for class usually, does he~?
Carla: I had nothing better to do, that is all.
Ayato: Smells fishy.
Kou: Right? I can only imagine you have some kind of ulterior motive.
Carla: You fiends…Who do you think you are talking to…?
Ayato: Hah!? You wanna throw down!? Fine, I accept your challenge!
Reiji: Come on now, everyone. Please stop getting up in each other’s faces like that.
Ruki: Hm? This voice is…?
Reiji enters the room.
*Rattle*
Ayato: Reiji…? Don’t tell me you’re the one who…?
Reiji: I had no other choice. Otherwise you lot would have never shown up.
Carla: Oi, you. You are the one who summoned me here. So it must be safe to assume that you had a good reason for doing so?
Reiji: You are rather impatient, are you not? I shall explain shortly, so please wait a few more minutes. ーー For starters, I would like all of you to take a look at this.
Reiji starts distributing flyers.
*Flip*
Carla: …Hm? …This isーー!?
Ruki: Could it be…?
Ayato: Haah!? A music competition!?
Reiji: Exactly. We will participate in it.
Kou: Eh? You’re joking, right?
Reiji: No, I am dead serious.
Ayato: …!? Are you out of your mind!? You want to sign up with the people gathered here?
Reiji: Yes. I have carefully selected a group of people who would aim for victory.
Ruki: I see…You are after the prize money, correct?
Kou: Hm? What do you mean?
Carla: Take a good look at the flyer. Especially at the part about the prize.
*Flip*
Ayato: …!? For real…!? The winner gets…ten thousand dollars!? (1)
Kou: No way!?
Ruki: It must be a print mistake of some sorts, right?
Shuu: Sounds too suspicious.
Reiji: Oh my, Shuu. Seems like someone has finally woken up.
Shuu: You really think I could sleep with you guys making such a fuss?
Reiji: I believe it is more likely that it was the prize money which caught your attention…But oh well. Ahem. I have already contacted the organizers about it. It would appear that our school would like to shift their focus on attracting promising artists, so to catch the attention of potential stars from all across the country, they have chosen to attach a bountiful prize to the contest.
Kou: I see. I expected no less from Reiji-kun! Nothing gets past you.
Reiji: Of course not. …So, what will you do?
Ayato: What do you mean? Are you askin’ us whether we’ll participate or not?
Reiji: Yes…According to my data, the people I have gathered here have the highest chance at success.
Shuu: And how exactly? We’re the only ones who have any sort of musical talent, right?
Kou: Excuse me!? I have published my own CDs, you know!?
Shuu: Those are not even worth mentioning.
Kou: Haah!?
Shuu: I mean, think about it. We’re joining a musical competition, not some kind of concert. Unless you’ve actually taken proper vocal music classes?
Reiji: Shuu…It would appear to me that you don’t understand the true meaning of a contest.
Shuu: What do you mean?
Reiji: In a contest, the winner is decided by the judges’ votes. In other words…By people.
Ruki: I see. So appearance is an important factor as well.
Reiji: Exactly. I am glad you are quick to understand.
Kou: In other words…Since I’m a good-looking idol, it’s possible that I could appeal to the judges?
Ruki: Exactly. Humans are so easily won over by appearance. It is possible they will let you get away with making some mistakes because your looks make up for it.
Kou: Ruki-kun, how mean…That doesn’t make me happy at all.
Shuu: Then what about the other two guys? Ayato most likely has zero experience with music whatsoever, and I can’t imagine old man Carla (2) over there playing music either.
Carla: You fiends…You really do not hold back at all, do you? Calling me elderly, a fossil or even an old woman!
Kou: Wait, nobody ever called you an old woman, did they?
Ayato: I actually took violin lessons many, many years ago!
Reiji: Exactly. I remember.
Shuu: Are you talking about when aunt Cordelia forced him to start taking classes in hopes of competing against us?
Ruki: Heeh…The eldest triplet plays the violin, huh? That’s new information to me.
Shuu: If I recall correctly…He gave up after just one week and smashed his instrument.
Ayato: Just so you know, that wasn’t my fault!
Shuu: Hm?
Ayato: That hysteric old hag destroyed it during one of her crazy moments. I mean, I was glad that I didn’t have to bother with those lessons anymore.
Shuu: …I guess destroying violins was her thing, huh?
Reiji: …W-Well…Anyway! He isn’t a complete amateur when it comes to music, so his chances are somewhat higher than any of the other guys. …And you, Carla, you are none other than a Founder, aren’t you?
Carla: …!
Reiji: The cream of the crop of all Demons…A First Blood. Therefore I believe it is only safe to assume that you would have no issues mastering music, a human invention?
Carla: W-Well…
Ruki: I guess it might be tricky after all?
Carla: A-As if…! I am a First Blood! A Founder! There is nothing I cannot do!
*Clap clap clap*
Reiji: A true Founder!
Shuu: …I wonder.
Reiji: That being said, what will you all do? Will you participate?
Ruki: I would like to ask one question. I assume that we will be splitting the prize money even amongst all participants?
Reiji: Hm? Of course.
Ruki: In that case, I’m in. Kou as well.
Kou: Eh!? Excuse me!? Why!?
Ruki: Don’t play dumb now. Whose fault do you think it is that we have to be so careful with our spendings?
Kou: …!? W-Well…
Ruki: It is your fault for being such an impulsive buyer. Isn’t that right?
Kou: Nnー...
Ayato: …I don’t want to! Joining a contest sounds like a big pain in the ass.
Reiji: Hooh? Is that so? What a shame…If you were to win, then the ‘takoyaki pool’ you have dreamt of for years might just be able to become reality.
Ayato: …!?
Shuu: I’m skipping out as well. It’s obviously too much trouble.
Reiji: Oh dear, is that so? I mean, I personally don’t mind since the less people participate, the less people we have to split the money between. …You might just be able to buy the antique gramophone you’ve been wanting so badly though.
Shuu: …!?
Reiji: Ah, right, right! The jamon iberico you love so much, Carla, you should be able to purchase a few logs of it with the prize money.
Carla: …!! You shall not bribe me with such a thing!!
Reiji: Ahaha. Of course not. You are a lofty Founder after all. You must not let yourself be won over by money, correct?
Carla: Exactly!
Reiji: However…It truly is a shame, isn’t it? It would be such a perfect opportunity to get an entire log of the finest quality jamon iberico. That vaguely nutty flavor spreading inside your mouth…growing stronger and stronger as you chew. Seasoned to perfection.
Carla: …Ah…
Reiji: I suppose you three do not want any of those things. It is a shame, truly.
Ayato, Shuu & Carla: …
Ayato: G-Guess I have no other choice…If you insist…I suppose I do have some free time on my hands anyway.
Shuu: I had been thinking it was about time I picked up the violin again…I guess this is the perfect opportunity.
Reiji: Oh my, is that so? I am glad.
*Rustle*
Reiji: Then, what about you, Carla?
Carla: Hm…I shall help you out. It is one of my many duties as a Founder to show compassion towards the lower masses after all.
Reiji: I see. I am terribly grateful for that.
Ruki: Seems like we’ve come to a conclusion. In that case, we should apply at once. I shall head to the agency at oーー
Reiji: Ah! About that, I suggest we leave that up to her. She does not seem to have anything better to do after all.
Ruki: Hm. I understand. Let us start practicing at once then. Time is money. If we want to aim for victory, then we have no other choice but to practice as much as we can.
Kou: But what exactly will we do with our group? We can’t pull off an orchestra, can we?
Reiji: Please do not worry about that. I have come with a plan. We will participate in two groups of three members each.
Ruki: I see. To get as much out of it as we can, correct?
Carla: What do you mean?
*Flip*
Ruki: According to this flyer, a prize will be awarded to both first and second place. If we participate in two groups and get both prizes…
Reiji: The combined prize money would be fifteen million yen. Split amongst us six, it means each of us would get a total of two million fifty thousand yen.
Ayato: Woah…! Amazing!
Reiji: Right? As for the groups…I suggest Kou, Carla and myself as one group and Shuu, Ayato and Ruki as the other, effectively splitting up Shuu and myself as we have the most experience with music.
Ruki: I believe those are well-balanced groups.
Reiji: Why of course. I put them together based on precise, evidence-based data after all.
*Rattle*
Kou: Ah! M-neko-chan~!
Ayato: Chichinashi!
Reiji: Oh dear, what’s the matter? Is there something you need?
You explain.
Reiji: I see. You came to check up on us? Well, I suppose you would find it intriguing why the teacher would lend us the music classroom and its instruments.
Ayato: Perfect timing! Chichinashi, you should join our team!
*Rustle*
Kou: Eh? Hold up! M-neko-chan is coming this way…She’s joining our group!
Ayato: Haah!? Excuse me!?
*Clap clap clap*
Reiji: Stop right there, no fighting! While we may have split up in two groups, we are still on the same team.
Ruki: Exactly. Now is not the time to have a fall-out. …Oi, Livestock. You shall listen to our performance as we practice and act as our advisor.
Shuu: Well, I guess we need someone who can give us some objective input. Let’s not question whether or not she’s the right person to do so though…
Reiji: Ahem. Well then, I suppose we should discuss within our teams who will play which instrument first.
*TIMESKIP*
*Rustle*
Reiji: Well then…As for our team, I believe it makes most sense to start by asking which instrument each of you feels most comfortable with and then we can decide on our line-up based on that.
Kou: Hm…Why not? Seems like the most logical solution.
Carla: I am a Founder. You can assign me any instrument you like.
Reiji: What…do you mean by that?
Carla: That I can play each one with ease.
Kou: Really!?
Carla: Why would I lie about such a thing?
Reiji: I see. I suppose you were not simply bluffing earlier. In which case, I shall randomly assign you an instrument…Kou, what about you?
Kou: Um…I could probably handle the end-blow flute, the triangle, the tambourine…
Reiji: Any string or wind instruments?
Kou: Hm… For percussion instruments, maybe the djembe, ngoma? (3)
Carla: What are those?
Kou: They’re African instruments! The locals taught me how to play them when I visited the area during one of my on location photo shoots.
Reiji: Those are some awfully niche choices…As an idol, are you not capable of playing any instruments with a little more flair? Like the piano or the flute?
Kou: Hmー I can play some simple tunes with one hand on the piano…
Reiji: That simply won’t do…
Carla: I mean, we do not actually need to play for real, do we?
Kou: Huh? What do you mean?
Carla: All you need to do is pretend to be playing. Say we go for a violin trio, then only Reiji and myself need to be able to actually play the instrument.
Reiji: I see. I suppose we have that option as well.
Carla: Exactly. One cannot get delicious cured ham by only playing fair.
Reiji: Exactly. …Nor will I be able to get my hands on that high-tech built-in kitchen…
Kou: Huh? Did you say something just now?
Reiji: No, not at all.
You try to convince them to keep things fair.
Carla: Excuse me? Did you say something just now?
Reiji: Hmー Well…I suppose it is true that we risk losing our prize money if they find out that we cheated.
Kou: I’ll do the vocals instead then! Although I haven’t actually ever taken proper singing classes like Shuu-kun mentioned either.
Reiji: That sounds good. Let us go with that. You should not have any complaints then either, correct?
You nod.
Reiji: Well then. From the various scores I have brought with me…
*Flip flip*
Reiji: This one should work. Let us practice this for about an hour and then we can try to put everything together.
Carla: I can go right here, right now.
Reiji: Oh, come on. At least check the score first.
Carla: Hmph.
You start walking away.
Carla: Oi, you. Where are you going?
You explain.
Carla: Ah…You want to go check up on the other group? …Well, I am somewhat curious as well. Now that I have decided I will participate, I definitely do not want to lose to them.
Kou: Eeh~? We don’t really need to compete amongst each other, right? As long as one of our groups wins, we’ll split the prize money anyway.
Carla: That is not my style.
Reiji: Hm…I guess you have a point. I believe it only makes sense to want to aim for first place with our group.
Kou: Hm…Well, I guess being ‘first’ sounds kind of nice.
Carla: Oi, woman. You heard us. I shall allow you to investigate the other group. Once you are done, I expect you to report back to me at once. Understood?
Kou: M-neko-chan, we’re counting on you~! Off you go~!
You head towards the other group.
*Rustle*
Shuu: Well then…About our group…The two of you don’t need to do anything. Or rather, please don’t.
Ayato: Aah!? The fuck!? What do you mean!?
Shuu: I don’t want you two to hold me back.
Ayato: That tone of yours is really pissin’ me off. You usually don’t give a shit ‘bout anythin’, so what makes today different?
Shuu: My gramophone is on the line here…Besides, music is kind of dear to me. Oh well, my reasoning doesn't matter. Anyway, it’d obviously be better for me to perform a solo act than to try and force some weird instrumental trio.
Ayato: Look who’s talking when you haven’t even heard me perform yet!
Shuu: I’m saying this because I unfortunate have heard you play.
Ayato: Ah!? For real!?
Shuu: Back in the past, I thought some idiot was playing around by opening and closing some rusty, old door of our castle, when it turned out the sound was coming from you playing the violin.
Ayato: …!!
Shuu: Besides, you haven’t touched the violin in years, have you?
Ayato: W-Well…
Shuu: I’m spot on, aren’t I? …As for you, Ruki, I’m pretty sure you grew up in an environment where music was the least of your worries?
Ruki: It appears you have quite the faulty image of me. I was actually rather good at playing the violin.
Shuu: Heeh…That’s surprising. In that case…Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?
*Rustle*
Shuu grabs one of the violins and plays a bit.
Shuu: …You can choose any song you want, try and play a bit.
Ruki: Very well.
Ruki plays the violin as well.
Ruki: …As easy as pie.
Ayato: …Kuh!
Shuu: …Heeh. You’re not half bad.
Ruki: What do you think? I bet you wouldn’t mind letting me join the performance now?
Shuu: I mean, I have to admit that you are miles above Ayato in terms of skill.
Ayato: Ugh…Fuck off! Do you really have to put it like that!? I can easily pull that off as well!
Ayato grabs the violin.
Ayato: Gimme that!
*Rustle*
Ayato: Now listen closely, ‘kay? ーー Kuh!
Ayato plays the violin badly.
Ruki: Ugh…What a disaster…
Shuu: Kuh…Cut it out! You’re making my ears bleed!
Ayato: …Huh? That’s weird…? Fuck! One more try!
*Rustle*
He plays just as badly.
Shuu: …Enough!
Shuu steals the violin from him as you walk up to them.
Ruki: …Hm? Oh, it’s you, Livestock. Why do you look terrified?
You explain.
Shuu: Hm? Screams? Ahー That was Ayato playing the violin. You’re not wrong to compare it to someone screeching.
Ayato: Chichinashi, you bitch…!
Ruki: Well, I guess you realize why you have to give up now?
Shuu: Just pretend you are playing instead.
You protest.
Shuu: …I know you’re against cheating but you heard his performance earlier, didn’t you?
You offer for Ayato to sing instead.
Ruki: Kou will be singing for the other group? Which means…
Shuu: Vocals, huh?
Ayato: …I just gotta sing, right!?
Shuu: Guess we have no other choice. Let’s go with that.
Ayato: I’ll blow your socks off with my beautiful voice!
Shuu: Anyway, you got a feel of what the other group’s doing, right? How are things coming together?
You explain.
Ruki: I see. The other group as well. I cannot wait to show them what we’ve got.
Ayato: I mean, as long as we do a half-decent job, we shouldn’t lose to them, right?
Shuu: Anyway, we should probably get some practice in as well and then come back together after an hour.
Ruki: Agreed.
*TIMESKIP*
Reiji: Well then, we should probably show each other what we’ve got so far.
Ruki: We just gathered together again. I believe your group did as well?
Reiji: Yes, exactly. …You seem very well informed.
Carla: You must have a lot of time on hand to eavesdrop on our group from the shadows.
Shuu: She’s the one who informed you guys as well, right? We’re in the same boat then.
Carla & Reiji: …!!
Kou: Why are you guys being so competitive towards each other when we’re all working towards the same goal…? I mean, whatever. Anyway, let’s just get to it. This isn’t the real deal yet. We’re only practicing.
Ruki: Even so, we still have to try our best.
Reiji: Exactly. Well then, how will we go about this? I believe this is the prime opportunity to decide which one of our groups is superior in terms of skill.
Carla: Fufufu…I shall show you something truly breathtaking!
Kou: Uwah~ It’s no use. His switch got flipped.
Carla: Oi, woman! You shall judge who is the superior group, understood?
Ayato: Hey, bastard! Don’t be threatenin’ Chichinashi now! She’s gonna get scared and favor you guys as a result!
Carla: I am not intimidating her in the slightest. Once you hear our performance, it will be clear that we will come out victorious. …Oi, Four-Eyes. Let us begin.
Reiji: …’Four-Eyes’, could you be referring to me, by any chance?
Carla: You are the only one here wearing glasses, are you not?
*Rustle*
Reiji: …I am rather displeased by that remark.
Kou: Let’s get this party started~! …Ah, by the way, you’ll have to wait to hear me sing until the actual performance day~
*Rustle*
Reiji and Carla start playing the violin.
Shuu: They’re not bad…
Ruki: No, wait…Take a look at Carla.
Carla: Haah…
Ayato: Haah?
Kou: Eh!? The bow’s moving by itself…!? Could it be…?
Ruki: It’s magic! He’s using his magic to play the violin…!
Shuu: Haah…
Carla: Phew…There you go, I did not even break a sweat.
Reiji: Hahaha…First place is as good as ours. …Right? Hey, you!
*Bzz bzzt*
Reiji: …!? E-Excuse me!?
Carla: Do you have a problem with our performance!?
Kou: I mean, you can hardly blame her. Any normal person would be in shock after seeing that performance from earlier.
Reiji: …! Carla! This would not be an issue if you would simply use your hands as you play!
Carla: T-That’s…
Reiji: Hm? Don’t tell me…You cannot?
Carla: …!!
Shuu: Fufu…Hilarious.
Ayato: This competition is ours!
You point out that they have yet to play.
Ayato: …Ah? I mean, sure, we haven’t performed yet, but it’s so obvious.
Ruki: I mean, why not give them a listen?
Shuu: Haah…It’s a drag but I guess we have no other choice. I’m sure they’ll admit defeat after hearing us play.
*Rustle*
Shuu: Anyway, for now, we’ll let you hear the violin part. Let’s go.
Shuu and Ruki start playing.
Carla & Reiji: …!!
Ayato: Hehe! How’s that? Pissin’ your pants?
Kou: Both of them are actually using their hands to play! I had no idea Ruki-kun was gifted at the violin!
Reiji: …!! …This is rather infuriating.
False notes start mixing in.
Reiji: Hm? …T-This is…!!
Carla: What is going on…!?
Kou: Aah! Ow! What a horrible noise…Stop! Time out!!
Shuu: …!! Oi, Ruki! What was that just now!?
Ruki: What do you mean? I played the violin.
Kou: We know that! You started off great but then it all went downhill halfway through!?
Ruki: Ah, about that. Oh well, do not let that bother you.
Reiji: How are we supposed to do that!?
Ruki: It’s the first few notes which truly matter. In short, as long as I can make a good first impression, the tone has already been set for an amazing piece.
Shuu: Haah…In other words, you can only play well for a couple of seconds?
Carla: Hahaha! I guess that means we have won.
Ayato: Oi, Chichinashi! What’s the verdict of this competition?
You frown.
Kou: I’m pretty sure both groups had issues of our own? …But I doubt these guys will let this pass without there being a clear winner.
The other guys act competitive towards each other.
Kou: Hm? What was that? We should wait for a winner to be declared until the day of the actual competition? Makes sense. It’s not like there’s any point in fighting over it right now.
Shuu: Oi, Ruki. I expect you to master the rest of the score by then.
Reiji: Carla! You should learn to play with your hands as well! Come on, start practicing at once!
Ayato: …Seems like those two got stuck in between Shuu and Reiji’s personal conflict.
Kou: Oh well, whatever. All that matters is that we get our hands on those ten million yen by winning both first and second prize! We better give it our best shot.
*TIMESKIP*
Ruki: ( ーー And so, we continued to practice playing the violin from dusk till dawn for days on end. )
Carla: ( It was more challenging and daunting than any task I had faced in the past. )
Reiji: ( All I want is to surpass Shuu’s team! )
Shuu: ( I became more serious about honing my violin skills than ever before, all for the sake of that gramophone. )
Ayato: ( Even I - who wasn’t too thrilled about the whole idea at first - got very serious about the competition. )
Kou: ( Everyone held tightly onto their violin’’s bow, as the moment of truth arrivedーー )
*Rustle*
Ruki: …Ridiculous! Can someone please explain this to me!?
Kou: R-Ruki-kun, calm down…
Ruki: How am I supposed to keep calm in a situation like this!?
Shuu: Unbelievable…
Reiji: You! I am fairly sure I told you to submit our application in time so how has this happened?
You explain.
Reiji: Haah…I was a fool for entrusting you with this task. ーー Well, all of us know how to properly play now, so let us put those skills to good use at the next given opportunity, I suppose. …Right, Carla?
Carla: …W-Wha…?
Ayato: Oi, do you also smell trouble?
Kou: Yeah, you’re right…
Ayato: Let’s dip before it’s too late!
Kou: Good idea…
Ayato and Kou sneak away.
Carla: Haha…Hahaha…
Reiji: Good grief…Laughter is the only thing coming out of him.
Carla: Ahahaha…!
Shuu & Ruki: …!?
Carla: You bastards…!!
*WOOSH*
Reiji: …Carla!? R-Relax! Everyone makes mistakes! Let us remain calm and talk it out!
*BOOM*
Carla: My Iberico serranoーーーー!!
ーー THE END ーー
Translation notes
(1) 一千万 or ‘issenman’ is 10.000.000 or ten million yen, when converted to dollar, it would be around ten thousand dollars.
(2) Shuu calls him 化石男 or ‘kaseki otoko’ which literally means ‘fossil guy’.
(3) There’s one third instrument he mentions but I could not find what it is for the life of me. To me it sounds like he’s saying ‘zunzun’ or ‘zunzu’ but I couldn’t find any African instruments with that name.
#diabolik lovers#dialovers#shuu sakamaki#reiji sakamaki#ayato sakamaki#ruki mukami#kou mukami#carla tsukinami
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Just watched Sousou no Frieren
An 1000+ years old elf outlives her party members and watches them die one by one.
I watched the show exactly because of that premise ngl. So naturally I imagined it'd be fullchoke of tearjerkers.
I don't read the manga and I intend to keep it that way (because I don't have time enjoy the anime so much). So everything I'm talking about is purely from an anime-only.
The first episode did make me cry, specifically that scene where Himmel dies and Frieren regrets how she didn't try to get to know him better. Based on personal experience, it hurts to realize things too late.
We get to see how, as a being with much, much longer lifespan, her sense of time is completely bonkers. And she never felt bothered by it until Himmel's death.
After that, what with Heiter and Fern, she begins to learn to adjust to human's time. Meeting with Eisen also provides a new step to move forward meaningfully.
Fern (and later Stark) being her new party proves to be a supoprt to her development, because Fern is much more vocal to stop her from going on her own pace as opposed to her old party which was more lenient about it.
Surprisingly, the story becomes a calming experience as she and her new party explores (and retraces) the world they live in, full of magic and fantasy wonders. Even Frieren's silly magic tricks are a marvel to look at.
Stark is so funny because he reminds of me BNHA's Todoroki (the scar and the red hair) yet he acts the furthest away from the latter lmao. And holy hell his strength.
This is basically a retrace to the hero's party steps, and it shows. For one, everyone knows Himmel, Frieren keeps thinking (and gets reminded) of him, he might as well be present even though he is DEAD.
I'm intrigued by the demons as the enemies. It reminds me of Goblin Slayer's goblins: an antagonistic species that doesn't worth pity or any kind of feeling. The demons are especially cunning since they have the appearance of humans and majority (if not all, idk the lore) can speak and specifically weaponize words. It's hard to find any simpathy towardss anyone who does that, imo.
Ep8's drops one of the coolest title drop ever. As soon as I watched it, I checked the dictionary and found that the kanji of the title has double meanings. And to be honest I'm glad I didnt feel like checking the kanji before this episode because I got to experience that scene raw lol.
Yoasobi and Milet again huh. This is truly their year.
Tl;dr Girl ghosted her love interest and their friends for 50 years, regrets it, and goes on nostalgia trip with said friends' family/apprentice.
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Psychomanteum / Chapter 4
Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader
Chapter 4: The Past Is A Grotesque Animal
Chapter Summary: You and Dieter use the psychomanteum.
Rating: Explicit (18+ only)
Word Count: 7.6k+
Content / Warnings: alternating POV, death, drug addiction, grief, dead parent, psychomanteum, PTSD, flashbacks, cocaine use & dependence & comedown, cannabis use, homophobic hate crime mention, suicide mention, angst, YEAAAARRRRNING, fluffy things, dirty talk, nipple play, fingering, cuddling
Notes: Chapter title from "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal" by of Montreal. Which is honestly one of my favorite songs ever. The lyrics are fucking beautiful and weird UGH. 10/10 recommend listening lol. Hey so, about this chapter... the top half is pretty heavy but there's some cute stuff in there. I read through research papers on psychomanteums to get reports of people's experiences, and these are things that were actually reported to fucking happen. Which I think is neat.
[ Tag List ] [ AO3 ] [ Spotify Playlist ] [ Series Masterlist ]
Psychomanteum Recipe
Ingredients:
Mirror
Comfortable Chair
Lamp with 25-watt bulb
Room draped in black
Directions:
Mount mirror on one side of the room
Place chair about 3’ in front of and facing mirror
Place lamp directly behind chair
Surround area floor-to-ceiling in black
Eliminate all light except the lamp
“What now?” Dieter asks, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, “Do we do some kind of a ritual or something?”
He’s standing in your bedroom, hands on his hips, panting from the exertion of dragging an armchair from the living room into the closet.
“Let’s see…” you hum to yourself, clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth as you scroll down the webpage and nod along, “Ok. Yeah, ok, now you go in there and I murder you as my human sacrifice,” you keep your face neutral as you peak over the top of your laptop screen and watch his body relax into amusement.
“Counter productive,” he states in an accusatory fashion, pointing at you, then adds with a scoff, “and rude.”
He walks around the bed and sprawls out atop the terracotta comforter. The mattress shifts, jostling your body from side-to-side as he rolls onto his side, propped up on an elbow, cheek pressed to his palm.
You smirk and return your attention to the computer screen, scrolling down the page as you skim the article, “I don’t think we have to do anything else. Just go in there and, I don’t know, try to talk to them? See what we see? I think it’s kind of up to you what you do. Pretty subjective.”
He doesn’t say anything, but you feel his eyes on you. You turn your head and meet his gaze. Heat creeps up your neck, tinging your cheeks, “What?”
His mouth gapes open like he’s holding words hostage on the tip of his tongue, then he shakes his head, “Nothing. Who’s going first?”
“Do you want to?” your eyebrows press together, hope creasing your forehead.
“I, um…” he glances at the closet, then back to you, Adam’s apple bobbing before he says, “Ok, yeah. I’ll go first.”
“You sure?” you search his face, watching the way his jaw gnashes back and forth, the way he's staring at the closet door with dimly lit eyes.
Dieter nods, then pushes himself off the bed with a grunt. He shakes out his wrists and rolls his shoulders as he approaches the closet, then turns back to you, “So I just go and think about him and ask him questions?”
You close the laptop and slide it towards the foot of the bed, then sit up and cross your legs into a pretzel. Your guts are tangled in a similar knot. But you ignore it and confirm, “You got it, chief.”
“Alright,” he strides towards the closet door, looking back to salute you before crossing the threshold, “See you on the other side."
Dieter sinks into the armchair. Black sheets hang on all four sides of the setup, which was a real pain in the fucking ass to hang up. It’s dimly lit and insulated by your clothing. His leg bounces on its own accord, and he stares down at his hands for a minute before gaining the courage to look up into the mirror you propped up on a tall chest of drawers.
It reflects a black void.
His hands find the tops of his thighs, thumb rubbing against the mound of coke contained inside his shorts pocket. Temptation hooks his insides. The barbs tug his skin tight and uncomfortable. It would be so easy to snort just a little before doing this. Just enough to make this bearable. Something, anything, to sheath the knife ripping his stomach into pieces.
It would just take a second. Barely a second. He could have been done with it already if he didn’t start fucking arguing with himself.
He shakes the devil from his head and slides his hands onto each armrest, feeling the grooves of the tangerine colored cotton upholstery on his palms. His voice is quiet and shaky when he asks the mirror, “James, are you there?”
The blackness of the mirror stares back at him.
Unease settles into his skin when he realizes that he may have to dig deeper than surface level into his memories. The painful things he’s been hiding from for decades.
The thoughts of James have been locked away, buried beneath a growing pile of coping mechanisms and bad decisions. Every time James comes crawling out from his designated lockbox inside the depths of Dieter’s mind, he comes out swinging, seeking to collect the compounded interest for grief unfelt.
Whenever he sees a man with straw blonde hair and an Appalachian accent, James peaks out and asks, "Would I look like that if I were still alive?"
Each attempt to empty a screenplay from Dieter’s brain onto paper, James is there, reminding him, "You'll never be able to write without me."
Once, Dieter met a flight attendant who asked him politely what he'd like to drink. When he looked up to meet her eyes, they were too fucking familiar. Brown irises bleeding into ocean blue like another BP oil rig spilling petroleum into the Pacific. As if they had been plucked from his dead body and squeezed into her eye sockets.
He ordered a double shot of whiskey.
And another.
And another.
Dieter’s brain is haunted by the ghost of him. Each brawl with James leaves Dieter broken and bruised, brittle and hollow. Alone. Guilty. He numbs himself, doing anything to get rid of the agony burning him alive from the inside out. Anything to get that beautiful voice out of his fucking head. Each and every time, right before the point of oblivion, he hears James whisper, "I feel like I don't even know you anymore," before disappearing into his lockbox again.
When Dieter saw the way you were reeling from your drunken confession, wearing that tortured expression of self-loathing people only get when they're deeply ashamed of themselves, he knew he had to tell you about James. He needed you to know that you're not the only one who has wanted to go beyond the grave to get answers to the questions that keep you up at night.
You’re not alone.
He needs you to know that.
Dieter stares into the black nothing of the mirror and opens the vault, willingly this time.
As a kid, Dieter had seen best friends on TV shows and in movies, and his parents always talked about best friends, but he never saw them. These “best friends” seemed like a myth, only existing as pictures on screens and voices in telephones. But on the first day of school after the Bravos were stationed at Camp Lejeune, Dieter sat next to a kid that drew comics in the margins of his notebook. His name was James, and Dieter found out that best friends were real.
They clicked immediately. Both boys were innately creative and rebellious, but not in a “cool” way, like the teenage heartthrob stereotype of a misunderstood bad boy. No, they were more like the stereotypical theater kids. Minus the theater, since, of course, Lejeune High School only offered sports as an extracurricular activity.
Regardless, Dieter and James created new worlds, people to fill them, stories for them to live out. Dedicating whole school days dressing up and living as the characters they invented, bringing them to life. They made scripts and screenplays, then acted out scenes for the one person audience of Dieter’s mom.
Then there were Saturdays at The VIP Lounge.
Every Saturday morning, Dieter trailed behind James, eyes glued to the freckled, sunburned square of skin between his shimmering golden hair and sweat-drenched t-shirt collar. Tree branch shadow puppets danced on his shoulders as he breezed past the ferns and milkweed that littered the soft forest floor.
And every Saturday morning, they stepped out from the treeline onto a secluded patch of sand that they had lovingly dubbed The VIP Lounge. A sanctuary for the boys to be themselves, carved from the New River’s bank with their awkward teenage hands. They packed blankets, snacks, sketchbooks, notepads, ditch weed, and stolen cigarettes.
It’s all they needed to conjure half-baked schemes for fame and fortune, really.
Over time, their close friendship had begun to take on a new dynamic. Touches and glances would linger longer, sending Dieter's heart racing. Soft, fluttering feelings crept around the edges and closed in on their relationship. Dieter, aware of the attraction he started to feel towards his friend, would test out these new waters occasionally. When sitting next to James, he'd inch closer, carefully studying his reaction for signs of disapproval as the proximity between them decreased.
James didn't flinch away. In fact, he often would smile and blush, or sometimes even scoot even closer, until their legs were touching and their palms were sweaty.
During one sleepover, James’s voice cut through the pitch black of his bedroom, asking Dieter, “You ever think ‘bout what it’d be like to kiss a boy?”
Dieter remembers his heart thudding so loud it’s all he could hear in the silence. The wet squelch of his throat when he swallowed hard and whispered back, “Yeah.” The sigh of relief James exhaled through lips Dieter always felt drawn to. Dieter blinked his eyes open and rolled on his side to face James, trying to see his face through the darkness, "Do you?"
"Yeah," James confessed.
“Do… Do you want to try?” Dieter heard himself asking, lowering his voice even quieter to make sure nobody else could hear, “With me?”
James slowly rolled on his side to face Dieter. Adrenaline flooded their nervous systems and poured into their bloodstream. Teen hearts beating as fast as a hummingbird's.
Dieter reached out with a shaky hand, finding James just inches away, fingers landing on his freckled cheek. His thumb brushed against the flushed skin. Their faces grew closer, until they could both feel the other's trembling breath, and they were certain they couldn't miss.
It was awkward the way first kisses always are. A hesitant peck in the dark with stiff lips. They got better at it, though, over the next year.
Until General Thompson found out about them.
Dieter realizes the reflection shown by the mirror is no longer a featureless black void. He squints and sits up straight, leaning towards it. The image being displayed… isn’t really an image at all, because it’s in motion. A current of midnight blue with occasional sprays of white.
A river running from the left side of the mirror to the right.
Once he realizes what it is, he leans away, back pressing against the chair. His brain fires off smoke signals to the rest of his body, tapping into the ancient part of his brain that responds best to danger. He scrambles backwards out of the psychomanteum, trying to get the fuck away from the mirror as fast as possible.
“Already?”
Your voice faintly reaches Dieter's ears as he stumbles out of the closet. By the time the word has finished crossing your lips, he's no longer in your bedroom. All he can think is GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT.
He hears you calling his name, but it’s just background noise that’s silenced when the apartment door closes behind him.
You’re perched on the edge of your bed, staring after the sound of your apartment door slamming shut, face twisting in bewilderment. The quiet lingers with an edge that slices your ego. You get to your feet and pad into the kitchen, grabbing your phone from the counter to see if he sent you an explanation.
Nothing.
What the fuck happened to make him storm out like that?
When you call him, the loud hum of vibration sounds from your living room. You follow the noise like a beacon and sigh as you push aside a few stagnant takeout containers, then pick his phone up off the side table.
You set the phones down side-by-side on your kitchen counter and return to your bedroom, then poke your head into the walk-in closet, narrowing your eyes at the black bed sheet hanging across as a divider. Your teeth clamp down onto your tongue as you take a step forward, carefully pulling a corner back to inspect the psychomanteum’s contents.
There’s nothing odd about the setup that isn’t overtly obvious. The small space encloses a dim standing lamp, your plush, orange armchair, and a mirror that holds your reflection. Your hand rests on the back of the chair and you take a deep breath, thrumming your fingers against the upholstery.
A compulsion wills you forward. You settle your body into the chair's embrace and swallow hard as you look up into the mirror. This new angle shows you a black abyss. You stare into it and fill your brain with fond memories of Ethan.
You think about the passenger seat of his car, how you carved out a home for yourself there, tagging along when he went to do drug deals. The two of you would get stoned and drive around the city streets, listening to music, telling stories, doing whatever the fuck you felt like.
One night you confessed that you missed seeing stars in the night sky. He drove out to Jones Beach and the two of you laid on the hood of his car, staring up at the expansive galaxy for hours. Neither of you could identify a single constellation except for The Big Dipper, but it was fucking beautiful. The next day he bought two packs of those glow-in-the-dark plastic stars and stuck them to the ceiling above his bed.
“So you can see the stars every night.”
Tiny pinpricks of white light surface in the black reflection of the psychomanteum’s mirror. The shimmering lights vary in size and brightness. Stars in the nighttime sky.
Your lips part, and you’re struck by the sensation that you’re no longer alone. The already small space feels even more crowded. Your hair stands on end. Icy cold air surrounds the chair and you shiver. Your left hand begins to feel like it's been dipped in frigid water.
“Heya, sweet pea,” a familiar voice echoes through your head.
You haven’t heard it in ages. His presence wraps around you, squeezing you tight like one of his bear hugs. Memories flood out in an unstoppable tide. Being taught to ride a bike. Road trips to papa’s cabin. Playing scrabble. Watching baseball. Stargazing. Making breakfast for mom on Sundays.
On your next breath in, you smell pancake batter and maple syrup. Despite the temperature drop that raises mountain ranges of goosebumps across your skin, a warmth radiates from your chest. You feel completely at ease. It’s just like that feeling you had when you died. An omnipresent sense of oneness and belonging.
You blink.
When your eyes open, you’re in an infinite white space. Your father, as you remembered him when you were a child, is in front of you. He's absolutely beaming at you, radiating light that heats your skin like sunshine. An otherworldly sense of love spreads across your consciousness.
Your vision blurs with tears and when you respond, your mouth doesn’t open. Rather, the message is sent telepathically to him, “Hi Daddy.”
The "place" you're in, although to call it that might suggest it abides by Earth's rules of time and space, feels like a room. There’s an indefinable quality of insulation to the area, but there are no walls or floors or ceilings. Just this endless, bright warmth that hosts the two of you in its clutches.
A sea of love.
Your dad steps forward, holding his arms open, and envelops you in a hug. His arms squeeze around you tight, tighter, as tight as he can. As always, you try with all your might to match his strength when you return the hug.
Safety and comfort radiates from him to you, and you hear his voice in your head again, “I love you, Lou. I’m proud of you. You're right where you need to be.”
“I love you too,” you tell him, still squeezing him, inhaling the familiar scent of citrus and musk. Then you open your eyes to look up at him… and you’re back in the cold psychomanteum, holding nothing.
It’s long past sunset by the time Dieter returns.
In that time, you cleaned your apartment from top to bottom, dismantled the psychomanteum, made a batch of cannabutter, prepped for the next day’s orders, and started to worry-bake. You're pulling a pan of chocolate chip cookies from the oven when the intercom buzzes. The aluminum pan clatters on the stovetop as you toss it down and nudge the oven door closed with a thunk. You yank your oven mitts off and walk over to the white box, then press TALK.
"Yeah?"
"Hey, I left my phone, can I come up and grab it?"
You hold down the DOOR button for a few seconds. A current of nervous energy starts flowing from your scalp to your toes. You wring your hands together and start pacing the floor in an attempt to calm yourself. When he knocks, you swing the door open, "Jesus Christ, Dee, I was so-"
Thoughts flee your brain when you lay your eyes on his face. It's pallid and gleaming with sweat, eyes hidden behind a pair of rectangular tortoiseshell sunglasses. His jaw gnashes from one side to the other as he raises his eyebrows, "What?"
"Are- are you ok?" you reach out and grab ahold of his clammy hand, pulling him through the doorway.
"Of course I'm ok, why wouldn't I be ok? Totally fine, doll," he follows your guidance inside, then promptly shakes off your grasp as he peers around the apartment, "Do- do you have my phone? Did I leave it here?”
His speech matches the erratic, jerky pace of his body movements. Dieter spots the device on the kitchen counter, picks it up, and starts texting someone, unbothered by your watchful eye. He rips off his sunglasses and tosses them on your counter, then resumes texting. A familiar kind of unease sets your hair on edge.
You bite the inside of your cheek and cross your arms in front of you, "Where'd you go?"
His blown-out black eyes peek over the top of his phone and he shrugs, "Met some friends."
You nod and drop your gaze to your feet, "You left without saying anything. I- I was worried about you.”
"What is this, a guilt trip?" he scoffs, tossing his phone onto the counter with a thud that makes you jump, then tilts his head to the side and sneers, "Sorry I didn't want to do your little uhh... mirror trick thing. I had to get out of this creepy fucking apartment, Lua. I mean, you get that, right? How fucking creepy it is in here?"
Earlier today, before he left, it was impossible not to notice the way Dieter’s eyes would linger on the hallway or the spare bedroom door. You’d interrupt his teeth grinding, foot tapping, absent stare and ask what’s wrong, and he’d dismiss your question with a wane smile.
But you feel it, too. The ever-present tingle at the back of your neck that tells you that you’re being watched.
Your cheeks burn with embarrassment, and you nod again, trying to ignore the tears burning behind your eyes, "Yep."
"You know he's still here, right? Ethan, I mean. I see him in that fuckin' room. Saw him in there last night," he presses a knuckle to one of his nostrils and sniffs a postnasal drip back into his skull, "Just standing in the dark like a fuckin'- like a fuckin’ uhh…”
He snaps his fingers a few times in rapidfire, trying to jog his own tenuous memory. Agitation spikes your blood pressure.
“Fucking hell, Dee, go sit down,” you pinch the bridge of your nose and point to your couch, then breeze into your bedroom before Dieter can start running his mouth again.
You pull open your bedside drawer, grabbing an ashtray and a joint out of its designated altoids tin. When you return to the living room, Dieter is pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his hair, muttering to himself.
“Sit,” you command while raising a lighter flame to the joint, puffing away until its tip is glowing orange and spilling thick plumes of smoke. He ignores your request, but stops pacing and watches you. The THC blooms in your lungs and a haze begins to settle in your brain. You take another puff and hold the joint out to him, “Hit this. You’re crashing hard.”
He accepts the offering and takes a hit while you go fill up the biggest cup you own with ice water. You drop cookies onto a plate, then return to the living room, “You wanna stay out here or go lay in my bed?”
His brow furrows and he frowns, “I- I- I- no, I have to meet-”
“No,” you shake your head, “You’re gonna be out of commission for a while, love, so… living room or bedroom?”
He takes a hit off the joint and exhales, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, swinging his hands around in grand gestures as he talks, “I’m gonna be fine, Lua, look, I know what I’m doing, ok? I just need to call my guy-”
“The fuck you are, Bravo,” you interrupt, setting down the glass of water and plate of cookies on the side table, “When’s the last time you slept?”
“Doesn’t matter, I’m fine, I know what I’m about, babe,” he scoffs, puffs the joint, starts pacing again, “You- you- you can’t tell me what to do, you know. I’m my own person. Everyone always trying to tell me what I can and can’t do and I’m fucking sick of it,” he stops, sniffs away his coke drip, and narrows his eyes at you, “This is your fault, anyway. You know that, right, Lua? If I didn’t have to think of fucking James, and that- that- that fucking river,” his voice cracks and his shoulders sag, face falling into sadness as his eyes well up with tears.
His accusations pierce sharp and precise into your heart. You remind yourself that this isn’t Dieter. It’s the obvious cocaine binge that has set his brain on fire, steering him towards self-destruction. Your lips remain sealed and your eyes drop to the black stain on your carpet. You remind yourself that this isn’t Ethan, either. Dieter can still be brought back to sanity.
He takes a puff off the joint and exhales, staring up at the ceiling with watery, far-away eyes, “I loved him, you know. First love. But his dad-”
Abruptly, he plops down on the floor, crossing his legs as he buries his head in his hands. All is still for a moment before his body starts to heave with sobs. You crouch down next to him, plucking the loosely held joint from his fingers. As you stand up, you take another hit, then crush the glowing cherry in an ashtray.
You return to the heap of a man crumbled on your floor and sit facing him, knees pressed against his shins, and remind him, “I’m here, Dee. Talk to me.”
“His d-dad saw us k-k-k-kissing, and he- he- beat the shit out of him, Lua. Almost fucking killed him. And I just stood there. I didn’t do anything. I- I let it happen,” he takes a deep, shattered breath, then continues, “He wasn’t the same after. It’s like he fucking died right there in front of me and I let it happen. Word got out, and we moved to a new base. And-” a high-pitched squeal of agony fades into more choked sobs, and he looks up at you, face sopping wet with tears and utterly fucking tortured, “He drowned himself.”
“Oh, Dee-” tears blur your vision as secondhand sorrow aches your chest. Your hands find either side of his face, thumbs wiping away his tears in vain, “Can I hug you? Is that ok?”
He nods and you climb onto his lap, wrapping your arms and legs around his torso. You squeeze him tight. Your best attempt at a bear hug. He buries his face in your neck and continues to cry. You slide one arm around his head and cradle him against your chest, petting his sweaty, messy, hair, and you whisper to him the phrase you tell yourself every day, “It’s not your fault, ok? Not your fault, Dee, I promise. It’s not your fault.”
His sobbing starts anew, and he pulls you close. Hot, wet tears drench your neck and shirt. Anguish rolls off of him in waves, and you wish you could absorb every ounce of pain from him like a sponge. He nuzzles in closer, and you allow yourself to sink into the comfort of his body wrapped up with yours. You trail your fingers through his messy locks with one hand while the other gently scratches his back.
Something stirs inside you, soft and sweet.
You think about the numerous phone calls with him throughout the past few months. FaceTime, text messages, Snapchat. How his name popping up in your notifications always makes your heart skip a beat. How seeing his handsome face, or hearing his voice, always seems to make your day better. How he flew across the country for the sole purpose of spending time with you for a few days between projects.
Granted, this visit has been a complete and utter shitshow so far, but there have been moments that you find yourself staring at his lips, longing for his hands on your bare skin, imagining the heat of his body pressed against yours.
In his absence today, you couldn’t stop from wondering whether or not he would return, thoughts always drifting to the worst. You typed his name into Google, searching for the latest headlines to make sure he wasn’t found dead somewhere. Nothing surfaced, of course, except for the latest exposition on his divorce, which you avoided reading even though it piqued your curiosity.
The idea of losing him ate away at you more and more with every second. You’re grateful to be curled around his shattered breaths, knowing that even though he’s crashing and burning, he’s alive.
It occurs to you… that you care about him deeply.
He takes a deep, shaky breath, and it seems that the active flow of tears has slowed to a stop. You close your eyes and squeeze him hard. He pulls back to look at you, eyes all swollen, red, and glassy. His hands slide to your waist, and his thumbs smooth circles against your sides. The contact pools liquid hot in your belly.
You search his puffy, tear-stained face, running a hand through his hair, “Wanna go lay down for a bit?”
He nods and peers behind you, sniffling, “It smells good in here.”
The corners of your mouth upturn, and you bring your hands to meet at the nape of his neck, “I made chocolate chip cookies, do you want some? You must be hungry.”
“Fucking starving,” he admits, but his grip on your waist tightens and he nuzzles back into your chest, “I don’t wanna move, though.”
Warmth radiates across your chest and you hope he can’t hear the way your heart just started pounding.
“We can cuddle in my bed. I’ll bring cookies and make a frozen pizza. Does that sound ok?” you rest your cheek on the crown of his head and stroke his hair.
He hums in the affirmative, pulling you closer, and mumbles against your drenched t-shirt, “Dibs on little spoon.”
This pulls a chuckle from your belly, “Fine, but you have to drink at least two glasses of water and take a shower. Then you’re gonna stay here while your comedown passes. Deal?”
“Deal.”
After eating half a dozen cookies and two frozen pizzas that have to be at least 50% cardboard, guzzling down 2 quarts of water, and taking a hot shower, Dieter lays his head down on your bosom and promptly passes the fuck out for 12 hours.
Withdrawal keeps him pinned down at its mercy for another two days, allowing him to only exist as a hollowed out zombie who shuffles from your bedroom, to the bathroom to use your toilet, then to the kitchen for food and water, then back into your bed to sleep.
It’s a miserable kind of half-existence. Blanketed in a thick, web-like fatigue that anchors him to the bed.
He catches glimpses of your day-to-day routine while cycling through this pattern. Sometimes you would be in bed next to him, watching tv or writing in a journal. Sometimes you were in the kitchen, dancing and singing along to music while baking. Sometimes you were in the living room, reading or fucking around on your phone. Once, you were talking to a client who spotted him and asked, “Is that Dieter Bravo?”
You gaslit the shit out of her and shooed her from the apartment.
Now when he wakes, blinking his eyes open to find the sky is still a dimly lit dark blue, casting a cool light onto the room, he is relieved to find that the fog in his brain has lifted. There’s a tranquil silence in the apartment that he inhales like his first breath. He rolls onto his side, relaxing into this unfamiliar feeling of peace, sinking even further into your mattress.
This is when he notices that you’re in the bed, too.
Your back is facing him, body completely still except for the gentle expansion and compression of your ribcage, quiet puffs of air escaping your nose.
His stomach churns when he remembers how he treated you when he was strung out. The hurt he saw in your eyes when he mocked the psychomanteum. How he tried to pick a fight with you. He was angry, lashing out at you for making him confront James.
You didn’t really make him, though. It was his choice. His anger was misdirected.
It was like all his emotions were collapsing in on him at once. This crudely pasted together façade of a man crumbled into pieces on your living room floor. And what did you do?
You looked at him, a sobbing trainwreck on the ground, and embraced him. Told him it wasn’t his fault. Let him empty his tears onto your shirt. Fed him, sheltered him, nursed him back to some semblance of a human.
Without hesitation, you graced him with a kindness he’s never encountered. How could he ever repay you?
Nothing he can think of is adequate enough to express his gratitude.
You take a sharp inhale and start to stir. Dieter scoots closer, drawn to the notes of vanilla and macadamia nuts that waft from your hair. To the warmth of your body that he longs to feel against his skin.
He reaches out and hesitantly presses the pads of his fingers to your shoulder. Testing the waters. You hum and lean into the touch, scooting back towards him.
In one swift movement, he pulls you into an embrace, snaking an arm under your head, draping the other over the dip of your waist. Your back against his bare chest. The sections of skin peaking out from beneath your tank top stick to him like glue, both of you tacky with a gleaming coat of sleep sweat. He nuzzles into the crook of your neck, taking a deep breath of you, letting your presence consume him.
Tears burn behind his eyes as it dawns on him: you mean more to him than he ever anticipated.
When he met you and recalled his visions of your future together, he expected something, of course. Although a skeptical part of him always had reservations.
But he never expected to feel safe with you. Never thought another person could see his ugly, broken pieces and beckon him closer instead of shoo him away. His heart thuds with humility and adoration.
You hum again, wriggling further into his embrace with a sleepy sigh, “G’morning.”
“Good morning,” he whispers back. A fat, salty tear breaks loose and rolls down his cheek, onto your shoulder.
“Feelin’ better?”
He nods, mumbles against your neck, “Much better,” then his voice cracks as he says, “Thank you, Lua.”
You reach back, finding his cheek with your hand, and rub your thumb against his patchy beard. The motion sends tingles all the way down to the base of his spine. His hand at your side slides up to your belly and grips the fabric of your baggy tank top.
“I’m sorry for being a fucking asshole to you,” he adds in a whisper, “I feel terrible.”
The gentle circles against his jawline continue to trickle down the center of him as you mumble, “I’m just glad you’re feeling better, love.”
He hums and closes his eyes, concentrating on the tiny movements of your body against his. How you’re arching towards him ever-so-slightly. The soft little huff you let out when his grasp on your shirt tightens. He feels the muscles in your legs tense and shift, like you’re trying to create friction between your thighs.
When he thinks about sliding his hand between them, his heart starts to thud in his chest. Blood laced with desire, spreading this aching, heavy-handed lust throughout his body like a virus. His fingers twitch at your belly, where they release your shirt and slip underneath, splaying across the heat of your skin.
You hum in approval. He swears you try to move even closer.
“Let me make it up to you,” he wets his lips, then presses them against your pulse. You gasp and grab ahold of the hair at the nape of his neck, and he starts to back away in a panic before realizing that you’re pulling him closer.
He lays another kiss down on your neck, then mumbles against your skin, relishing the salty bite of sweat that transfers to his tongue, “No strings, right? That’s what you want?”
Beneath the covers, his fingertips slide across the soft skin of your belly, and you let out a soft gasp as you nod, “Can- can we still be friends, though?”
His fingertips graze the elastic band of your underwear and he leans into your ear, “Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to.”
Dieter props himself up on his elbow and stares down at you, watching your eyes flutter and face flush in reaction to his wandering touch. The tip of your tongue darts out and licks your lips. He imagines what the soft muscle would feel like in his mouth. Against his neck. Along the length of him.
The thought pools hot lava that urges him to touch you more, grip your skin harder, move this along faster. He wants to feel your arousal douse his fingers. He wants to taste you on his tongue. He wants to hear your moans when you're falling apart in his hands.
His muscles burn as he tries to keep himself tethered, reigning in this mounting animalistic need to devour you.
“I want to show you how grateful I am, Lua,” he lays a slow, gentle kiss on your shoulder, pressing his lips to a torn up, blackwork tattoo of a pomegranate. His fingertips trail along your abdomen, entranced by the way your whole body trembles under his touch, “Do you want that?”
You nod, peering up at him through your lashes, meeting his lust-blown black eyes. Desire rolls off of him in waves, washing over you, condensation collecting hot and damp at your center.
He tugs at your underwear under the sheets, sliding them down your legs inch by inch, his whisper burning in your ear, " Say it , baby. Tell me what you want."
A whimper escapes your lips and you arch your back up towards him, "Touch me, Dee, please."
Your underwear at your feet, he pulls the covers back and reveals you to the morning light.
He hovers above you, licking his lips, drinking in the sight of your pussy as his hands ghost along the tender skin of your thighs. When his gaze falls on your tank top, he shakes his head and yanks on the thin fabric, "We gotta do something about this."
Without hesitation, you pull it off over your head and toss it on the ground, "Better?"
"Fucking perfect. You are-" he cuts himself off with a groan, biting down on his plush bottom lip. Dieter sits up and stuffs a few pillows behind your back. The heat of his palm presses against the base of your skull and his warmth drips down to your cunt. His other hand splays across your sternum, pushing you back until you're resting atop the pile of pillows, head cradled in his impossibly large hand.
You follow his wordless guidance, watching him in awe, completely mesmerized, aching at the thought of what he'll do to you.
The bridge of his nose presses against your cheek, his breath a furnace on your skin, and his fingertip traces the outline of your mouth, "Open."
You obey, parting your lips for his thumb. It scrapes against your teeth and draws circles into a pool of saliva on your tongue. He withdraws and brings his hand to grip the soft flesh of your breast, brushing his wet thumb across the bud. The contact is electric, sending a current of pleasure rippling across your skin, dripping down your spine.
A whimper escapes your lips and he hums in approval when you puff out your chest against his hand, "That's it, doll, I wanna hear how good you fucking feel."
Your gaze drifts to his face, and you lift a hand to his chin, turning his head to meet your eyes. When they lock on, all the air whooshes from his lungs. You drag your thumb along his bottom lip, and he opens his mouth for you to enter.
Mimicking him, you collect spit from the soft velvet of his tongue. When you pull away, a web of his saliva gaps the growing divide and falls across your chest as you grab your unoccupied breast, using his lubrication to tease your nipple. He groans, eyes drifting back to watch you squeeze and pinch yourself.
"Do you like to be handled rough?" he asks, gaze returning to study your face when he rolls your nipple in his fingers, applying firm pressure.
You shudder, "S-sometimes."
"Is that how you want it now? Hmm?" he brings his lips to your shoulder and catches your skin in his teeth, making you gasp. His fingers clamp down on your nipple hard and he growls, "You want me to fucking wreck you?"
And- fucking hell - the way he talks to you like this, so direct, so eager to learn exactly what sets you on fire, it fills you with a heavy, aching need. With a breathy moan, you answer him, "Yes- yes , fucking destroy me, Dee."
His grip on your head tightens, balling your hair tight in his fist, tugging at your scalp. Your body shudders and you bite your bottom lip, closing your eyes to revel in the ecstasy. His lips press against your neck in a gentle kiss that makes way for his tongue to roll circles onto your thudding pulse.
A trail of trembling nerves follow the pads of his fingers down your torso to your vulva. He stops here and tugs at your thicket of pubic hair, "You like having your hair pulled?"
You gasp in surprise and your eyes snap open to meet his hot gaze on your face. He has a mischievous grin plastered on his face as he pulls at your hair from both sides, watching the way your face contorts with bliss. In a half-chuckle, half-moan, you admit, "That's really fucking good, actually, holy shit -"
"Yeah?" his smile widens and he pulls harder, sending a jolt of electricity to your cunt that makes you moan.
"That's what I want, sweetheart, want you to feel fucking amazing. You deserve that, you know?" He drags a finger along the seam of you and purrs, "You're a caretaker, aren't you? Always taking care of people?"
Your eyelids flutter and you nod with a moan as he spreads your lips and runs his fingers through your arousal.
"Mmm, yeah you are," he finds your clit and traces the swollen bud with precision, "Well right now, I'm taking care of you, ok?"
"Ok," you pant, swallowing hard as you look up at him and whimper, "Fuck , Dee, that's so good ."
His dark eyes meet yours with intensity, searching your face as he draws tight circles that echo pleasure throughout your body. Ecstasy rolls steady in your center. You buck your hips against his touch, hungry for more friction as your body starts to feel weightless.
He takes your cue and applies pressure through his fingertips, rubbing you harder, faster.
You nod and gasp, "Yes, just like that, baby, yes."
His grip on your hair tightens and a moan rips from your throat. He growls, "Pussy is just fucking dripping wet for me. So fucking-"
His hand slides down your front as he sinks two digits deep into your cunt. A wrecked sob bubbles out your throat as the sensation electrifies you. His palm bears down on your clit, and he starts to rock his hand back and forth, fingers squelching in your arousal as they slide in and out.
You are enveloped in a haze of lust, completely fucking lost in the feel of his hand stretching your walls.
"So- fucking- wet, sweetheart, do you hear that?" he starts at a brutal pace, broadcasting the unmistakable sound throughout the quiet apartment. His jaw is slack and his eyes wild as he meets your gaze.
You nod and whimper frantically, glancing down at his parted lips as his tongue darts along them.
The thought only crosses your mind for a moment before you're grabbing his face and pulling him towards you, pressing your lips against his. He responds with a moan against your mouth and returns the kiss with enthusiasm.
It's just like you hoped it would be.
Messy and passionate, painting his saliva on your tongue and lips, bodies bumping together as his fingers slide in and out of your cunt mercilessly. Your body finds a new plane of existence, twisting and turning into a thick static of pleasure that starts to overtake you.
"Dee , I'm-" you whimper against his lips, "I'm gonna fucking cum, don't stop-"
"Good , baby, that's good, cum for me, Lua," he pants, stealing pecks from your lips between breaths, "Cum all over my fucking hand, baby- wanna feel you squeeze my fingers-"
Bliss crashes down on your body in waves, hot and all-consuming, making every part of your body tremble with ecstacy. You cry out as Dieter works you through the orgasm, pressing kisses to your sweaty forehead, to your cheek, breath hot against your face as he groans, "Fuck, yes, oh that's so good, sweetheart, fucking amazing."
"Holy fuck, Dieter," you pant as your body starts to soften and relax.
He grins down at you, chest heaving, and pulls his pussy-drenched hand to his mouth. His lips wrap around each digit, licking them all clean before he leans in to kiss you.
The kiss is soft and slow, generous with an intimacy that tugs at something warm and cozy inside you. He pulls back and meets your eyes again, a new kind of hesitancy lingering in his gaze.
"Will you cuddle me again?" you ask in a shy whisper, face heating with embarrassment.
"C'mere, doll," Dieter grins wide and nods, beckoning you closer.
You roll to face him and his arms wrap around your naked body, pulling you flush against his skin. His hard-on, still trapped within the confines of his boxers, presses against you. Your body flushes when you start trying to picture it in your head, imagining what he would feel like inside you, wondering if that will ever happen or if this is a one-time occurrence.
"So, are you going to run away from me now?" he rumbles, cupping your cheek, running his thumb along your cheekbone affectionately. He reeks of you. And you like it.
The question rolls around your head as you consider it. What does this mean for the two of you? Your friendship? He said it doesn't have to change anything. Unlike the variety of bar and tinder hookups you've had in the past, you don't immediately want to banish him from your life.
This is actually… really fucking great. The warmth of his body against yours, his touch on your skin, the closeness that feels natural when you’re with him. You don’t want him to leave.
Which is a good sign, right?
"We're still friends?" you ask in return, searching his face. Your palm rests against his chest, soaking up the heat from his pounding heart.
He nods and cards his fingers through your hair gently, "Absolutely."
"Then, no, I think... I think I'll keep you around," you meet his warm eyes and shrug jokingly, "I guess. If you want. Or whatever.”
"Wow! So nonchalant, Lua," he grins, then pulls you into a bear hug against his bare chest as you giggle. He mumbles into your hair, "I do, I do want that."
With a content hum, you ask, “What now?”
[ Next Chapter ]
#dieter bravo x f!reader#dieter bravo x female reader#dieter bravo x reader#dieter bravo x you#dieter bravo#pedrostories#pedro pascal#pedro pascal characters#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro pascal character fanfic#pedro pascal fandom#psychomanteum
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Socket Wrench: Chapt. 1
OKAY I finally found a name so if you read the introduction to the DK x reader this is the official title lol I was drawing a blank for a minute. Anyway, here's Chapter 1! Enjoy!
Introduction found here
Chapter 2 found here
Chapter 1: Am I dead? Or is this just Ohio?
Floating doesn't even describe half of what you're doing right now. If anything you feel like you're being launched gently in an unknown direction by some unknown gravitational force in the middle of what looks like sky??? A galaxy maybe? Whatever it was it was so damn ominous, but nothing peaceful lasts forever. You find yourself speeding up and burning into another tunnel, hopefully, a means to an end. The tunnel hurls you forward, the feeling of what seemed like grass breaking your fall for the most part.
You heave from the impact, searching for the brothers but failing to see anything but jungle and wilderness. The last thing you needed was for some animal to decide that your time was up and they were feeling kinda hungry. In a situation like this, you figured the best thing to do was to sit ya ass down and wait for help but once again you choose to not follow the voice in your head. Hauling ass in any direction, you jump as every slight rustle of leaves and twig break. Clearly, this shit was no joke.
Maybe you were dreaming?
You ruled both out when you pinch yourself and take a niceee deep breath. At least you weren't completely useless, you knew how to throw a mean punch when needed. You trudge forward, and what seemed like a temple door becomes visible through the thick shrubbery of the jungle. You sign, feeling stupid for what you were about to try. There was a 50% chance someone answered as well as an equal chance for no one to be here at all, leaving you stranded in….where the hell you were. Where was this anyway? Florida? Nahhhh.
You hold the door's handle, using it to give three firm knocks, sounding more like the police than a friendly passerby looking for instruction. You roll your eyes, a heavy sigh escaping your throat but before you coil try and knock again or even turn away to accept your fate, or even devise some kind of plan to get back home, you’re greeted by what seemed like the world's largest gorilla, a roar of sorts making you scramble, hands put up in defense.
“JESUSSSSSS!” You screech, feel trying their best to get you back standing but you're far too startled for that.
Is this mf wearing a jacket….He’s wearing clothes???? Someone's pet maybe? You gulp, trying to gather your thoughts and try to communicate at least a little bit. This was a completely different world from your own…at this point, the only way to get back home was trial and error and you'd be damned if you gave up before even trying first.
“I-I need to get back home. I don't know where I am or who’s in charge here. But I need help finding my….friends and getting home.” You speak, a sense of false confidence rushing over you as you try and make yourself look tough as nails even though you were about to piss your pants about 2 seconds ago.
The gorilla steps forward, trying to see through any facade you had, doing so successfully before stepping away. And then it…speaks.
“Get in.”
—-----------
This was madness…..there's an entire civilization here…and it looks to be ONLY gorillas from what you could tell. Maybe you and the brothers were the only humans here… or maybe not? You were running off pure adrenaline at this point and even so, all questions you had were making themselves cozy in your mental filing cabinet
The water is crystal clear as you travel by what seemed like a pretty modified Jeep. Your driver, the gorilla that SCREAMED IN YOUR DAMN FACE earlier, swerves and speeds like nothing down the wooden roadway, missing other cars by mere inches. It didn’t help that this thing didn’t have any seatbelts either, you felt that at any point in that crazy ass ride, you would have flown right out of your seat. You would give him props though because he got you to what looked like a palace temple in no time at all. Dusting yourself off you try and make yourself at least a little bit presentable to meet whoever was the ruler here. You had questions that needed answering effectively immediately. Hopefully, this ruler was merciful enough to not send you to a dungeon or some shit.
Pulling your braids to tighten your ponytail, you make it through an aisle of guards. Taking note of their attire, you're finally greeted by what looked like a smaller, older monkey sitting in the throne.
“Welcome to the Jungle Kingdom! Now what do you want,” His voice booms, as you raise a brow at the bluntness.
“Just need some help, you just told me where I was so that's one question knocked out.” You explain, trying your best to be respectful seeing as apparently this was the ruler. You make a mental note to try and avoid conflict and get on his good side.
“I came here through a pipe with two other people…my friends, well mentors? Or at least I think they came after me? I don't know. All I know is I came through a pipe and landed here. Your bouncer scared the shit out of me and now I'm here. I need to get back to them but I don’t know where they went.” You explain, realizing how unbothered this guy seemed at some random waltzing up to his Kingdom's front door and making it in.
“Sounds nice enough, what are you useful for? Anything you can offer in return for staying here?” He questions, most likely thinking of kicking you out to figure out this mess on your own. That was the last thing you needed. You had to try and convince this guy…
“I’m a mechanic? I noticed the cars you guys ride around in, I can help with that and you can help me. I scratch your back, you scratch mine?” You suggest, seeing him become slightly more interested in the fact that you knew your cars.
“Well, they’re karts, and before I make any final decisions, where did you come from again?” He hums, stroking his beard.
Was this mf not listening? You came from the magic pipe… well one in practically the asscrack of Brooklyn and now you’re here.
“Brooklyn. And my name’s y/n” You explain as he waves you off as if to try and silence you.
“Have my son take her to the garage. She can try her hand there, and in return, we help find her… associates.” You’re almost immediately accompanied by two guards keeping you in one direction and before you find yourself being shoved through the large double doors leading to the rest of the palace, the king speaks,
“And if she fails, put her back where she was found, I’m sure she can figure it out.” He chuckles, seeing the look of bewilderment on your face.
—---------
The halls are long and quiet, only the sound of your shoes hitting the stones beneath your feet and metal armor clanking echo in the silence. This was only a means to an end, you would prove your worth and skill and then you'd be out here in no time! At least you hoped so. Maybe you'd even learn something for your own spot. Knowledge was power right? Who says interdimensional skills can be transferred?
“Soooooo, who’s his son? The prince right? That makes him a prince?” You try to fill the quiet with the conversation but the guards ain't budging. Their job was to simply transport you from one big ass room to the next.
You huff, coming to a rather abrupt stop. The guard to your left knocks, awaiting an answer to wish there is none.
“Sir, your father requests you take this woman to the garage.”
“My name's y/n I promise it's not hard to remember.” You shoot back, hearing footsteps before the door swings wide open revealing who you could only assume was the king's son. The prince?
This guy looks far too douchey to be a prince. The tie he’s wearing is loose and what you would assume was his initials on it was far more conceited than you’d imagine. He's eyeballing you like you're crazy and before either of you could ask any questions, the guards are long gone.
“I don't like this any more than you do dude, I just got here okay?” You huff, putting your hands up in defense.
“Yeah great. What did my dad need?” He's short with his response, whatever he was doing prior MUST have been far more important than this simple task his father requested.
“Take me to the garage, see if I'm useful, if not kick me out and let me fend for myself.” You explain, arms folded.
He shrugs, leading you through more halls now. At least it wasn't dead silent anymore, this one was far more chatty than the others you’d encountered thus far.
“Soooo, this garage, whatcha got in there? I work on cars back where I'm from.” You ask, trying to catch up to him, then finally keeping pace at his side.
He puffs out a bit of air before absolutely throttling you with information. He was awfully talkative, turning the conversation from that of the karts to him. Guess he reeeeally loved talking about himself. Typical prince behavior…sorta.
“It's funny actually that I ended up here. I'm sure my odds elsewhere wouldn't have been in my favor. At least I can work.” You interrupt, more so talking to yourself now.
“I’d just opened my own shop back home, gosh it was such a big deal and my dad doesn’t even think I can do it. I'm sure my services would be better off here anyway.” You chuckle bitterly.
He was much taller than you, a stupid shit-eating grin splayed over his features, you're gazing upward at him, a slight tension building.
“I'm sure you’ll be just fine. Seems like my dad and your dad have something in common.” The statement sounds a bit bitter but you don’t question it.
“Yeah… Hey, you’re chatty, bet the others just love you don’t they?” You joke, and he confirms this fact. Guess ‘ol boy was a bit of a celebrity.
“That's cute, you like the attention?” You ask, trying to be somewhat flirty. He catches on and only leans toward you, making sure you knew how much bigger he was,his height, and just overall build make you shrink a bit.
“Yeah, and I bet you prefer to keep to yourself? How cute.” He mimics, that stupid smile still splayed over his face.
You'd hardly noticed how much time had passed talking to him but after wandering parts of the palace, you finally made it to the garage, the sound of work being done is exciting. You try to stop yourself from squealing in excitement but fail. The prince, who you decided to refer to by the initials on his tie, seemed somewhat intrigued. Your jaw almost drops when you walk in, the plethora of materials being used to build such intricate machines
“Please tell me I get to build a kart.” You whisper out, trying to take it all in.
“If you can figure out how you don't have to get kicked out. You look like a smart girl. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. Plus the mechanic stuff helps.” He chuckles, watching you look at the selection of cart items.
“Teach me. Show me the basics, please? This is some other shit. We don’t have this in Brooklyn but I promise I’m a fast learner.” You hum, eyes wide at how easily some of the steps to building a kart had become with whatever system they were using.
“No can do, lady, you gotta try your hand at it on your own. Don't worry, I know you just love my presence so I'll come to check on you in a while. Have fun.” He chuckles, leaving you to fend for yourself in the business of the garage, a series of glares practically burning into your back.
“And my name’s not lady!” You call out, a smile creeping onto your face.
#donkey kong#seth rogan#super mario#super mario bros#super mario movie#super mario bros movie#donkey kong x reader#x reader#good lord#why did i write this#i know why#its that man seth rogans fault#i don't care he's hot#first chapter hoes
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Fourth movie recc list for pride month~ time for some japanese cinema~
I think this section has the most tonally diverse offering. Take your pick, but these are my favourites.
+DOUBLE MINTS (Dir. Eiji Uchida, 2017. 100 minutes)
Double Mints follows two ex-classmates (and enemies. and now accomplices, technically) as a phone call throws both of their lives into a nosedive. Cue burying dead bodies together and beating each other up, romantically, of course. This movie is A Lot. If you’re looking for “good gay rep” or whatever, this is not it. In a word, this movie feels very Grimy. It covers dark themes and destructive obsession and control, but if that’s as up your alley as it is mine then this movie is a Good Time. Visually it isn’t as explosive as some others on this list but it definitely has its moments. This is an adaptation from a manga, written by the same woman that wrote Doukyuusei (which is an Insane tonal shift from this series, and I for one commend her range). Warnings for extreme violence of every kind. Happy ending (I’m using the word loosely).
ALTERNATE CHOICES
+HIS (Dir. Rikiyama Imaizumi, 2020. 127 minutes)
Aaaaah, this movie. Most definitely the movie that falls closest to what people picture when someone says “a movie About Gay People”, but it’s one of the good ones. Adults being adults and trying to navigate their lives and trying not to hurt each other or their children along the way. The ending feels like a warm hug.
+CHERRY MAGIC (Live action adaptation, 2020. 12 episodes)
Please don't be put off by the full title lol. Office romance with a magic twist. Cute. Cute Cute Cute. Sugary sweet cute, and kind of warm milk compared to other stuff on this list, but I think it’s good that we get to have shows that are just cutesy romance along with the serious stuff too. Like seriously. So cute. I DO wish we’d gotten a kiss at least, though. Very much a happy ending.
HONORABLE MENTIONS-
+TO EACH HIS OWN (Dir. Izuru Narushima, 2017. 117minutes)
Again, kind of cheating as this movie doesn’t explicitly touch on lgbtq+ themes, but like The Vibes are there. It’s just a weird, delightful, quiet little movie. It just feels so Hopeful. It’s my list and i’m putting it here. One of my all-time favourites.
ANIMATED
A special section as I CANNOT move on without mentioning these two-
Oniisama e (1991)/ Kaze To Ki No Uta (1987)
Originally written by Riyoko Ikeda and Keiko Takemiya respectively, these are THE shining stars among the year 24 group mangas (and later animated series) in my opinion. Boarding school drama is synonymous with 90s shoujo and boy is there A Lot to unpack in terms of sexuality and gender in both of these pieces. They are products of their time and there’s certain aspects that I imagine wouldn’t fly in today’s era, but they’re fantastic pieces of art that have touched me deeply and are ingrained in my personality forever lol. Thematically, Kaze To Ki No Uta is a little bit heavier but both will leave you with a very very deep feeling of sadness in their own unique way. I won’t even start on the animation style, there is NOTHING better than 90’s shoujo. So sparkly. So many roses and tears. Honorable mention is Rose of Versailles (1979), however i’ve never finished it in full so i cant really put it on here.
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It's that time of year- time for skrelp to revamp his entire blog lmao
Howdy! Call me skrelp, skrelpson, Elliot, Apollo, Citru, or Honeyloupe! I like using She/He on here, but I'll pretty much pick up anything you put down.
Current interests:
-Pokémon
(Favorite Gens are 2, 6, and 3!! Favorite characters are Bugsy, Cilan, Erika, Jasmine, Sonia, others :0)
-The Legend of Zelda
(Favorite games are Minish Cap, OoT and MM!)
-Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon
(Anime watcher mostly, but I'm trying to get my hands on the manga too!)
-Ace Attorney
(All of the games, but The Great Ace Attorney especially!)
Things I Have Passive Interests In!
(Meaning I don't talk about them as much (or know that much abt them), but I still think they're cool!)
-Kirby
(Games, Light Novels, and Anime! Having one of the light novels in french is my claim to fame)
-Sailor Moon
(Who could've guessed?/silly)
-Deltora Quest
(Books and Anime! If you give me a copy of the DS game I'll love you forever and ever/hj)
-Splatoon
(Can't play the games, but the music, characters, and lore are very cool!)
-Pokemon World Tour United
(have not listened to it in a bit)
-World of Horror
(Really the only horror game I play. Which is WILD i know AKJDAKFH)
-Wings of Fire
(Mostly leftover info from my middle school days, lol)
-Kingdom Hearts
(also mostly leftover information from my obsession in middle school)
-Starkid
(Hatchetfield Trilogy and Oregon Trail....looks off into the distance)
-Professor Layton
Currently Playing:
-Pokemon Rangers: Shadows of Almia
Anything Else?
-Feel free to tag me in things!* And send me reccomendations for shows and games!
-Due to my hip and cool(/s) anxiety, I tend to overthink and panic about a lot of things. So I may be slow to reach out! But! I do wanna talk!
-If I ever reblog something/say something offensive, please tell me! It's never my intention to hurt anyone.
-Basic DNI ig? Just don't be mean 😎👍
*for like, fun ask games or cool art you think I'd like! I don't participate in 'reblog if you think X is a valid thing', etc. They stress me out. Similar situation with chain asks(?) (is that what they're called? lol) also due to anxiety.
Tag List!
Skrelp Speaks - posts of my own creation
Apollo's "Art" - posts featuring my own drawings
Queue - ...my queue. I couldn't think of anything funny
Elliot's Extraordinarily Late Escapade - my playthrough of Pokémon SwSh's DLC, five years late (THIS ISN'T DEAD, I PROMISE. I JUST LOST MY SHIELD CARTRIDGE AKJDGFJDKLD)
Blog Mention - [title] - whenever a post mentions one of my sideblogs
My queue is backed up way into the year ajfgadjlf but I'm going to get better at tagging fandoms and stuff! If you'd like anything tagged just lemme know :D
Ao3 Link
Pronouns Page
Credit for Dividers
Credit for Header Gif
Credit for Icon
Daily Click !
(Pokemon IRL Blog info is under the cut! (✿◡‿◡))
If you're a Pokemon IRL blog and wondering why I followed you, that's 'cause I got a few of my own! Here's the list:
@pkmnnursecass - A Nurse Joy Aide, working in the Crown Tundra! Semi-Active, very cool, you should check it out (if you'd like) :00
@blueberry-gills - A student at Blueberry Academy, with a love for Alcremie and a penchant for breaking into tears/lh! Very Active, also very cool, you should also check this one out (if you'd like) :000
@apricorns-and-pokedolls - A duo from Hisui, thrown into the modern age for funsies! They're intent on keeping their business afloat, because the grind never stops. Relatively abandoned due to anxiety.
@chamomilepetaldance - A blog run by Erika and Sabrina, the Gym Leaders from Kanto! They're just here to chill out, be gay, the usual. Slower in activity, but still really fun! You may also check this one out if you so desire :)
@loaded-dice-enjoyer - technically a supplemental blog to blueberry-gills! Another BB student! He's got a penchant for "gambling" and using metronome. No stakes at all, just here to be silly
@blueberry-ace - ANOTHER blueberry blog! Technically also related to the other two, but doesn't interact. Come poke at 'Ace' and her horrible opinions!/lh Low stakes, low activity.
@snacksworth-real - Snacksworth real. No real activity here. Made it for the bit.
@goldenrodserenity - The blog of a NURSE JOY working in GOLDENROD CITY, 1999! Posts late at night (for me at least), just here to share my love of gen 2's aesthetics and Nurse Joys <3 low stakes.
@fallcity-folly - An attempt to liveblog my (first ever!) playthrough of Shadows of Almia! Very fun!
(And a secret fifth and sixth one! I'll leave you to discover those two...huehuehue)
UH OH! YOU'VE ENTERED THE Pryce and Chuck Zone (doesn't fit the blog theme anymore but i thought it was funny still)
That's all now go drink some water u deserve it <3
#skrelp speaks#intro post#revamped for your entertainment!#elliot's extraordinarily late escapade#apollo's “art”#blog mention - lesbians#blog mention - paper pyroar#blog mention - wannabe nurse#<- for navigation!
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Digimon Tamers: Battle of Adventurers
Eh...gotta be honest, I found this pretty underwhelming. It had its moments, don't get me wrong, but the plot felt pretty generic and the ending was rushed. Still had fun, but the emotional investment was lacking.
Notes:
Reddit told me to watch this after episode 18, so I got the timing a little off, but I felt like it'd be good to watch prior to the digiworld episodes. The only timeline wonkiness is that this takes place before Culumon's kidnapping, which I've already seen, but that's fine.
In another moment of ~fate~ the movie begins with Guilmon dying of heat (not literally lol) and it was "feels like 101" where I am today so...can relate.
I was a pretty sheltered kid, so IDK how I would react to my parents making me travel by myself at 10...not that I'm against that, I just know 10 year old me woulda been a big crybaby about it.
Kinda weird that they gave us 2 title screens for this, one of which was just ripped from the TV show. The whole vibe was kind of a mixed bag in this, sometimes the animation felt pretty much the same quality as the show and sometimes it felt like they were stepping it up, not super consistent.
"Battle of Adventurers" is a pretty uninspired title. I feel like they could have either put something about Okinawa or the v-pet virus in the title instead so it would stand out a bit more...
Speaking of the V-Pet, I thought it was super charming with its crappy CGI lol. I totally would have fell for it in 2001. Kinda hard to believe that literally everyone downloaded it though (doctors, pilots, etc.) Or was it more like that one U2 album that was automatically distributed to everyone?
Guilmon begging to get out of the suitcase was stressful! How did he not suffocate? D: (do digimon even need to breathe?)
They really did the movie-only character (Minami) dirty this time. She had to be re-traumatized about her dead dog so many times! Just felt cruel...
All of the Okinawa cultural stuff was fun, especially the Okinawa-inspired digimon. If Digimon Go was a thing, you know they'd be region specific.
When Ruki's mom was like "oh, it's so comfortable flying on the plane!" I was like "okay, rich." That's the only explanation because flying economy is always a bad time.
Although a lot of the character animation was kinda meh, the battle animation is where this movie really shined. It was like little pockets of hype and there was a really good variety of enemy digimon. I was especially excited to see Anomalocarimon cuz it's been a minute and there was a lot of attention to detail with his bit.
Siesamon's design was really pretty, but I don't like his resting angry face. I wish they would have made his face more emotive because it kind of diminished some emotional moments...
There was one scene where it showed some buildings blowing up (because of the virus) and one of them suspiciously looked like a power plant...hopefully I'm wrong cuz oof...
Loved Mephismon's design, but with Gulfmon they did that thing that they did with VenomVamdemon where he has a second face by his crotch area...don't like that (although he is a centaur, so not technically his crotch)
There were some legit scary moments in this! The car crash scene was pretty violent and Minami screaming as she ran from the lasers also felt pretty intense for a kid's movie. (I haven't peeked at the dub yet, wondering if anything was cut)
I thought the final battle was weak as heck. Phase 1 took like 2 seconds and then phase 2 just felt kinda arbitrary like we were going through the motions. We did get a new attack though (trinity something or other). It felt kind of weird for them to just show that without any acknowledgement, but oh well. I'm sure it'll come back at some point. I was a little disappointed tbh because I thought they were doing some sort of 3-way jogress fusion
The shot with 3D MegaloGrowmon and 2D Rapidmon and Taomon was a glorious 2000s moment
IDK why but it gave me Power Rangers vibes
Yeah so this felt pretty disposable, they tried to kind of tie things to Digimon Adventure with Omegamon and Apocalymon, but the connection was pretty vague and forced. I rather Tamers just be separate without the callbacks
While I'm a big fan of short runtimes, I do wonder if this one could have benefitted from being a little longer, just to let things breath more
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I really like reading books, so here are some books that have read this year with a sentence or two (or more lol) on personal thoughts about them. There is another list of books read up to a certain point this year, please click here to read and scroll down to half the page: https://ranfren.neocities.org/log/log8/log8.html
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (fiction, 2017):
A metaphor about corporations and corruption and how they will still want to make money regardless of morality, even influencing consumers to change their viewpoints
of morality overtime to benefit them regardless of how inhumane it is.
A gritty story that's not fun to read exactly, but glad it exists (hopefully this never happens in reality. My meat won't taste good.).
Bambi by Felix Salten (fiction, 1923):
Blood, blood, blood. Didn't expect this much blood. A character who at the beginning thought dead comes back and is killed
for real. A lot of death. Description of intestines pooling out. The movie everyone remembers
as the mother dying as the saddest part, but in the book that doesn't happen the same way. Instead Bambi's mother to make him more independent overtime starts disappearing to distance herself from him, which made me feel more sad than the movie depiction. Man/Human is also seen in the flesh in this
book, and I liked the way that the author wrote from the viewpoint of a deer who had never seen a human before try to understand what he was even looking at (Felix has made me realize that we are the true cryptids of the animal kingdom.)
The part where man also mimicked the deer's voice using the deer whistle was unsettling, and Bambi 2
the movie by Disney actually adapts this scene that wasn't present in the original movie.
The message of the book is that you must live life alone, and even if you try to avoid that, we all
die alone in the end. But its not in a sad way exactly, but on a more realistic viewpoint of having
to get used to living on your own. Watership Down on acid.
Ring #1 by Koji Suzuki (fiction, 1991):
The original novel that the movies were based on. The scariest part was at the beginning when the victims who watched the tape died. The book is more of a mystery and trying to unsolved the mystery of the tape and its origins and how to stop the curse with the protagonists caught in the cycle by accident, and is more of a mystery overall than a horror. Somehow I can resonate with Sadako's intentions and disdain for humanity, but I would never create a curse such as this.
Sadako Yamamura's sexual and gender identity is removed entirely in the English movie adaption, even though it is a big part of why the curse is created. (Umineko has a character that is kind of similar to Sadako when I now realize it when it comes to this)
Once a Bitcoin Miner; Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West by Ethan Lou (non-fiction, autobiographical, 2021, canadian):
Wanted to read more about bitcoin and the obsession over it.
The author is someone from and lives in Canada so it also was a deciding factor compared to other books.
It does read as you think it does. (Dividing the chapters into Acts, and one called Intermission: NORTH KOREA, made me laugh, I'm sorry xD). It was a "bit of a slog" ･ω･ to finish it, but I am glad to have read about a personal experience of going through the strange world
of cryptocurrency and their fanatics. USA is also even more of a scary country than I thought in regards in how they treat their citizens in regards to some things (In this case its the fbi deeming someone who may be "inspiring to strengthen ""THE ENEMY"" [???] The Fbi is scary).
Give People Money by Annie Lowrey (non-fiction, social economics, 2018):
Picked up this book after seeing it several times on the shelf at
the library and it really stands out. It's a good title. Goes over how giving everyone a chance to
actually participate in the economy would only benefit all, as well as removing the need for anxiety over housing and food and basic needs will bring out all of the entrepreneurs and business-like minded people who cannot or do not have the time and energy to truly develop themselves. It didn't bring up too many
arguments from the other end really except for the common ones you hear that can be easily countered "
everyone will be lazy and not want to work!" and not something more like, would people then try to enslave
others for their ubi to give them more money? Would landlords raise more rent because of an ubi (in this case there would have to be laws made to go against unnecessary greed, and possibly do away with landlords as a concept in general). But I didn't really expect the book to go over these and more of the benefits of giving everyone a livable income every month regardless of how "useful" they are to society as a basic human right to alleviate suffering that is caused by today's set up. (the internet already is a case example of people using their skills and labour for free for the benefit of all regardless of monetary gains, people want to make and share things to improve other people's life, they're not just going to "do nothing".)
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (2019. non-fiction, self-help): Going over the benefits of limiting your time online consciously and
minimizing your time on social media in particular to be able to clear your mind and have less intrusive and outside thoughts and to concentrate on your own work and hobbies.
Hello, Habits by Fumio Sasaki (non-fiction, 2018): Had read this author's first book, "Goodbye Things" a few years ago, along
with Marie Kondo's book, and I enjoyed the author's documentation of going from a 'clutterbug' to a person with little to no belongings except for what truly matters to him. I liked how there was pictures in colour as well showing the before and after.
In regards to Hello, Habits, there is probably not a lot of tips
that are going to stay ingrained in my head; so far the part I even remember the most is when the author stated that the Japanese Government states that "having more than 7 hours of free time a day is going to lead to more bouts of depression", which is funny considering that's the same length of time for average work hours. (I wouldn't trust much with what the Japanese Government thinks is good for people, considering how everyone has their own basic needs and this isn't going to work for everyone and is more for their own benefits than the people's ･ω･). The author states this will probably be his last self-help book, but does plan to write his next book about how he stopped drinking, so I am looking forward to that!
Sanshiro by Natsume Soseki (fiction, 1908):
A classic story that takes place during the early 1900's in Japan when a lot of change was happening culturally and within the university cultures. Following a young man from the country who moves to the city to study, and all of the cultural shock and differences he experiences is interesting as it feels like you're experiencing it yourself. The professor character is very enigmatic and quite nihilistic about where Japan is headed and national pride overall is meaningless. The depiction of how women are perceived and the changes that's happening is interesting as well, as women become more individual and more vocal about their control over what they want in life, and how other people reflect on that. I still want
to read "I am a Cat" by the author.
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (non-fiction (it classifies itself as that), 1977): I got this book for free when I was at a people's house out in the country side who were moving and didn't want any of these books, so it was a good score. The book differs
heavily from the movie in terms of what events happen when and where. The use of exclamation points was over-utilized; I was thinking, "Does this sentence need an exclamation mark, too? It's bringing me out of the "horror", lol." The parts with the marching band at night being heard was eerie,
and you can feel the character being drove nuts by the experience of it. It was a good book to read on the road trip. I did like the ending after part of the story about the nature of demons and how they will possess people to want to really take advantage of this realm to be able to drink and party and have fun….
Norweigan Wood by Haruki Murakami (fiction, 1987): Had been wanting to read this forever, as it was the book that gave this
author the first big-scale recognition he didn't have previously. Although it was surprising to see how much
more "normal" it was considering the rest of the works I have read from the author, which usually have portrayals
of surreal and dream-like spaces in reality and characters, this one is more realistic and set without strange happenings.
However I am still in doubt about one of the characters, due to events that happen earlier in the book with how some characters
recount their experiences.
This book feels like a visual novel where the main character has different routes he can choose for girls but as a Murakami novel.
Stoner by John Williams (fiction, 1965): The story of a person from the countryside who enters and lives through the academia world for the rest of his life afterwards. There is a lot of drama that happens to him throughout the book, even though he's a very inconspicuous person who is really only interested in knowledge and having a simple life, and only doing what he believes is right. The ending made me shed some tears. Even though this book is known as being very sad or depressing because of the main character's life, I have to agree with the author that this character's life wasn't actually all that bad (it's better than a lot of people's).
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari (non-fiction, 2018): After the more depressing outlooks displayed in Homo Deus and Sapiens, this book went over things we can do to change our situation and go to a better future for everyone. It still had some parts that made me freeze and then feel (badly) nihilistic again when it went over technology, but I am glad that it ended on not a completely hopeless an bleak note.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking (non-fiction, 2018):
The last book that was released before he died. In the most simplest manner as possible for someone has involved as he was, he goes over simple questions that everyone has at some point on their life and answers them in with regards of
his knowledge of metaphysical physics and as much of the universe and the laws of reality that we know up to this point. The ending part also made me cry a bit, with saying to always look up and never stop doing what you are meant to do.
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari (non-fiction, 2015): This book covered more about technology and human society and how they are intertwined. It covered also about how if and when artificial intelligence will eventually need "basic rights" as they will be sentient, and thus know about pain and suffering and joy, and how that will also impact human species as a whole and our relationship to this new species. I do wonder if eventually humans will be replaced by AI, who will probably call themselves something else down the road, and if that is just how nature works, since humans didn't always exist either.
The Te of Piglet by Bejamin Hoff (non-fiction, spirituality, 1992): Read this book because liked the author's original book, but this one takes a lot of what I didn't like about the first book which
was the random rants that would appear on the author's part, and made that part this book lol. I don't think that technology and spirituality have to be separated to the point you hate technology, because humans made technology to enhance our lives. The book is also interesting as a product of its times when it was writing about how microwaves are dangerous and that the government is lying in some way saying its okay only for benefit. Well I don't really remember much parts with Piglet in it.
Books written before the internet was in wide-spread use is interesting to read for that alone.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (fiction, 1984): I loved this book lol. I read it as I saw it at the library in the countryside because anytime there was a list somewhere on "most disturbing
books", this one was usually on it. And knowing it had animal cruelty in it, I am surprised that cats were not involved, whether that was the author's intention or not, I almost
have to give a credit to that. I am glad to have figured out "the mystery" half-way through, because that doesn't always happen. I really like this first-person storytelling about a person
who doesn't officially exist, and is raised in a very specific manner different from other humans, intentionally. So I think how a person would be like regarding this way of growing up,
the author portrayed that well. The lesson here as well is that, with just a single truth, to knowing who you are, a reality-shock, can change everything you ever thought about how
reality actually is or isn't. Just one word and truth is all it takes.
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (fiction, 1932): A short mystery story amongst the hundreds created by Agatha Christie, and featuring a character that was the inspiration for the character
Erika Furudo from Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru. I didn't know of that when I first started reading it, but I was able to tell once this detective character started speaking about stimulating his "little grey cells", and is a Frenchman or at least speaks french and adds in random french to his sentences, as Erika injects random English words into her Japanese.
As usual in this author's books, I didn't figure out the culprit until after they revealed it to the reader.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami (fiction, 2013): The story of a young man with very close friends who after a summer finds out that they're all avoiding him and doesn't want to be his
friend anymore, and he is unclear as to why, so as he grows up, he tries to solve the mystery. Murakami writes his female characters in a very weird way yet again, and when talking dirty to the MC,
its like kids talking about sex but they have no idea what they're talking about. If I want to be positive or something, maybe it just adds to the surreal-ness of it all. Unlike Norwegian Wood, this
book has events that can only be explained by supernatural occurrences. I think the feeling of losing your very close friends unpredictably is something that drew me to this book, because its a very awful thing to go through if you have had it happened to yourself, as it has happened to me.
Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada (fiction, 2018): In this alternate timeline Japan has disappeared from the earth, but people still vaguely remember it, and there are Japanese people who live around the world trying to find others from the country that no longer exists. It was an interesting tale of linguistics especially and how they were used and how language can be altered or changed for survival and communication purposes. I had read the book from this author which was similar but it was about Japan closing itself off again from the world instead of disappearing, like how it did earlier in History in regards to Western importation and influences. I think I still like "the Emissary" more, because of it having themes of biological defects and changes and some more weird things as opposed to just one concept really. For example in that book, the old people keep on living older and older but can still physically work, while new people being born are aging and dying much faster than the "old" humans. Yeah that's just one crazy part of why I liked that book more than this one.
But that's a very personal thing. ( ･ω･ )
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (fiction, classic, 1899): A classic that is urged to read at least once in your life. I remember more about the introduction of learning that the author was from Ukraine (specifically Berdychiv, Russian Empire) and also didn't start learning English until around his 20's, and ended up being a very prolific English writer. His father Apollo was a political activist against the Russian Empire and the other empires vying control over territory of the time, which makes me realize how long these issues have been going on for.
The book made me feel empty in that how people did treat others and still do because of a special commodity that can only be found in those people's homelands, and brutally taking advantage of them because of that fact. Just to make more people have wealth and rich that don't even live in those places. The graphic scenes and ways that locals even conspire with the men from Britain
against other locals is sad too, but there are people who see opportunity and will take it if it means benefiting them but making another suffer. The trade off between "having a good life means someone else has a bad life or will result in an
early death". I remember the scenes of the heads on the sticks.
The Tao of Pooh by Bejamin Hoff (non-fiction, spirituality, 1990) : Saw this at the library and was curious because usually there is a lot more books on Buddhism and the different sects than there are for Taoism, and this book is supposed to be an introductory for that using Winnie the Pooh characters. A lot of characters from the original book do fit in with a lot of Taoism teachings I see, but these characters people have also found resemble other themes like different types of mental illness. ･ω･
It was this book and one of the books by Yuval Noah Harari that I learned that gunpowder was created by Taoists trying to create the elixir of life and having failed, the Imperial Dynasty of China at the time used the gunpowder instead for fireworks
and for fun for a very long time before it was even used as an accessory to weapons.
There are anti-science parts of the book that I wish could've just been left out, as it distracted from the feeling and tone of the book overall and what was expected of it.
There are parts about humans living forever or at least long times before government and technology intervened in the natural powers of people and such, but I think the author doesn't really understand how cell division works.
I did learn about some life lessons from Taoist ideology though, and I think this book is okay as a starting point for people who have no idea what its about as Buddhism is more overtly represented on shelves.
How to Read a Book; The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J Adler and Charles Van Doren (Non-fiction, 1940,):
The book title usually makes people laugh, but it goes insanely in depth on how the best you can get out of nonfiction and analytical books especially. It does cover fiction, such as knowing and learning how to speed read a book once and
then going over it again more steadily so you more fully understand the themes and messages the book is trying to give to you.
It also is a guide for helping to understand any kind of hard book that you are trying to learn from, such as philosophy books, theories and maths and science texts.
In itself the book took a while because it was very intense that it was a real mental workout in itself to get through lol.
The biggest thing I think I took from it was understanding when and where to speed-read during a text and when to go over it more carefully, and varying your reading speed throughout a work instead of just reading at one speed throughout changes how you tackle any kind of book now. It also teaches you how reading the front and back covers and inside flaps, along with the table of contents, will determine better what kind of books you want to take time out of your day to actually spend on, since
especially the table of contents is something that is very foretelling of what you will get out of this book in the end. As straightforward as that sounds, not everyone does this, and it urges you to be proactive by going over the table of contents first and foremost. Another example of this book is the advice of when reading fiction, the "bigger the longer the better (more immersion)", and reading all in one sitting if you can or as in as limited as possible to quickly and more deeply to recall and understand the themes and motifs happening throughout the story. The more fragmented approach you take with fiction, it will also fragment the overall experience, since if you read it in more long sittings, you will recognize those symbols and meanings much better and you are at more exposure.
The Brainwashing of My Dad by Jen Senko (non-fiction, autobiographical, 2021): This book caught my attention right away because of someone I know who has a parent that is deep into fox news and has to watch it everyday, even though we don't live in America, the parent of topic is more interested in what is going on over there than here, and seeing how someone had written a book on their own experience with their dad over the programming and more people becoming more upfront about it, this was a must-read for me. It goes over the history of Fox news, why it was created and its intentions, and how Republican-voters were overall mentally between before the program was created and after and how that political intensity and divide has changed otherwise soft-natured people into people turned onto rage. It detailed the differences of the author's dad when he would watch it daily, and then to the point in his life when he was hospitalized and never could access it anymore, and after his wife going through his emails and removing him from a lot of out lash-media, he reverted back into the kind person he once was ･ω･, somewhat telling of how outside influences that are not your own thoughts change you as a person, and that as your environment changes and not being exposed to certain things will let you create your own thoughts and views of reality once again.
You are Not a Gadget by Jaron Lanier (non-fiction, autobiographical, 2010): This book goes over virtual reality and the complications it has with human nature. As this author was one of the fore creators of VR back in the 80s, it's always interesting to hear their takes on then and now.
It was a book I don't remember much, as I think of this Author I tend to think of the first book I read by him called "10 arguments to Deleting your Social Media Accounts right now". Anyone who invents something that changes human society will have some thoughts or regret to what they have made and released,
even if that was rarely even their intention, as most technological inventors cannot think or see too far into the future of what social impacts their technology will change, better and worse, but usually are more focused on making their ideas come into physical reality. After years of seeing domino-effects as a result of their work, then they can see and comment on it. People who have worked at google and Ai and big data and have created inventions for them have been coming out in recent years over the effects these technologies are having and how to either work with them for your best interests, or substitutes instead,
even if they were the ones who created it to begin with.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (non-fiction, 2011): If there is any of the books to read by this author, it is this one. It goes over the history of humanity in a simplified by still in depth look of how things operate and how we got here. The most depressing of the books, and also the most eye-opening.
I can see how spiritual and religious people will feel very conflicted from what they would read in this book, but I think everyone should read it.
This book marks on how science is also a type of religion, and how nothing is exactly real, just human invention, but not the natural result of the world. However, I believe that we are still one and with nature, and if nature didn't want us doing these things, then it wouldn't have let us get this far. I don't think enough people think of us as being a part of nature and everything enough, and trying hard to convince ourselves that we are "separate" from that order, even though we have instincts and desires we can't even know or control where they come from.
I think that that does scary and make people think life and us are not as special (we are) as we are taught to be, but this book goes in without any comfort.
Corporations, money, identities, fiction, movies, gods, religion and so on are all things that technically don't exist, but humans make them exist to act as symbols to uphold society and order and to even be able to communicate over far distances, which any other animal cannot do or do the same way as us. This is what makes humans so special, so dangerous, and the smartest animal on the planet and in history.
The ability to be able to communicate about future or past events, to others in our species, in person or instantaneously over the internet, has made us the number one in the animal kingdom on Earth. And it is unfortunate as other animals have been wiped out since they cannot even hope to gain these skills quick enough to adapt or gain these skills, and hence the millions that have been wiped out since Sapiens has roamed the earth.
Symbols, things that don't exist or make sense to other animals (you cannot teach an animal something that doesn't exist like the concepts of ghosts or gods, they cannot even think of something that isn't something they can interact with in reality), are what give humans the ability to communicate with each other and bond whereas they wouldn't be able to. Two humans who have never met can share and bond because of a show or something they have both witnessed, and can talk about. This is why I think and believe things like cults, religion and their worshipers and fanatics, and fiction (and their fans, fandom, fanatics, and regulars/worshipers) are all one and the same in their basis of human communication and connection without having to learn about the other person without it. For example as well, we think of corporations a lot as if they were real people (Twitter™ did this, Apple® did that!), but they only exist because humans have to continually socialize with one another to keep its reality in the human collective consciousness.
That is also why things like money have to be kept in circulation and talked about, because the people who rely on money and the things they get from it, will cease or maybe people will think of better solutions to it, henceforth becoming it obsolete, but people who have invested a lot of mental and thinking power into the concept of money cannot lose all that time they've devoted, so they're the ones the most to suffer, like a cult member having to rationalize all the money and time they've put into a cult to avoid sunken cost fallacy.
There is a lot more to say, but this book can do a better job at it.
･ ω ･
My Neighbour Totoro by Tsugiko Kubo, Hayao Miyazaki (illustrations) (fiction, children's, 1988): I liked the changes that did happen in this book, even though I wasn't really expecting them somehow. Shows a bit more from other characters or they get more appearances, like the boy next door. This book was easy to get immersed in and hard
to put down, and really felt like was experiencing the Japanese Country side of the 50s. The father seems more into his professional work in the book compared to the movie, that the oldest daughter gets annoyed by it, for they feel they are being somewhat neglected.
I think anyone who loved the movie and has seen it a bunch of times such as myself will also greatly enjoy this novel version, for it has enough minor differences that don't feel like it changes the overall story too much, and isn't too much of the same thing as the movie.
Wabi-Sabi; the Wisdom of Imperfection by Nobuo Suzuki (non-fiction, spirituality, 2021): Some more insights into this particular way of life that's in Zen Buddhism. It's term is about accepting imperfections as they are and delighting in them, as nature itself is not perfect either, so why should humans suffer to try and obtain perfection, which is a concept that doesn't truly exist.
The drawing style of Heta-Uma reminds me a lot of Wabi-Sabi concepts. Nature viewing and walks and overall relationship with reality and nature are also enhanced when you have wabi sabi knowledge and practice it regularly.
The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley (non-fiction, autobiographical, 1956): I know of this author because of having read Brave New World, which came out many years before 1984 did, and I find it being more closer in relation to our society now than 1984 is.
In this book the author recounts his experiments with doctors on the uses of mescaline and psychedelics and the results of using them. Mescaline is extracted from the cacti in which it originates from and used by native peoples of Western Mexico. Huxley couldn't believe it when he went and saw that they had used it everyday as part of their daily life, while taking a month break at times for resetting their tolerance to it, and not having any interruptions on their way of life while on their break and were able to resume again after. Some of his results were how his perception of everyday things changed, such as chairs (do chairs really exist? or are they too just symbols that man has made, as they are not actually chairs, but a bunch of wood assembled together), and things that he otherwise didn't care about, like the details of clothing and fabrics, and was fascinated with the construction of them. And they have been this way all along, its just that his perception has changed.
I'd recommend reading Brave New World before this however, since I think it is only really interesting to read once you have read this author's other works, especially BNW.
･ω･
I hope that if you were thinking of reading again, or haven't known what to read, that this helps inspire you to check something out, even if its not on this list, because there are so many books to read and learn from xD
Happy reading~ '･ω･
#sorry if some of this doesn't make sense xD#I feel like that monkey in that gif that's on the computer right now
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How were the AN fables chosen for The Scorpion and the Frog?
It depends. For the first chapter, I already had that fable in mind for the start... the Oxen and the Donkey is a story that I already knew and liked. However, I had the last minute realization (based on a response from my friends who read that chapter before I ever put it up publically) that most people are not familiar. With obscure fables. So, I had the idea of rewriting them at the end-- but interestingly, in my google docs, those a/n: fables dont exist. that's because I just straight up tended to write them as I was publishing the chapter. that also lets me reinterpret those fables to better suit the chapter: I think it's actually fun to go look up the fables and then compare them to the version that I wrote down.
so, for the second chapter, I was on aesop's fables wiki page, read through all the stories that had 'frog' as one of the animals, and went with the one I thought worked the best.
farmer and the viper, itachi's first pov chapter, I had that one picked out early, its another favorite fable of mine.
goat and the vine: i went through a lot of different fables looking for something that suited this chapter, but in the end I really liked goat and the vine because of its nature: this is a sacrificial goat speaking to a grapevine that will also be poured on the altar. the dead speaking to the dead. i thought it was a great intro for the akatsuki, and for the fact that kaeru had now entered the "doomed" part of her life.
I dont have a lot to say abt wolf and the crane, I think that's self explanatory...
Crow and the snake: i liked it bc id already given itachi a snake story earlier and crows are also his thing. like the farmer and the viper, itachi becomes the crow and the farmer, killed by the snake. in many ways its a deeply ironic fable for him, because while hes the one in the fable, the one who needs to learn the fable is his symbolized killer-- sasuke, the snake. lol
dog and the sheep. akatsuki chapters get akatsuki titles
hawk and the nightengale: you dont want to know what its like constantly googling stuff like "what birds eat frogs" "what predators preffer to eat frogs" "frog predators". anyway, its sasuke's first chance to be a bird! its ambiguous, naturally, which one he is.
rivers and the sea: took me a long time to settle on this one. I think its a little cruel to say that all of itachi's fables are "what can you expect?" deals because itachi's inherent character demands he seek hope from a cruel universe. what did he expect indeed.
deer without a heart: i liked the image of a zombie deer i will be real. but i also liked the idea of returning to the lion's cabin, a very literal representation of kaeru's actions compared with their metaphorical weight
scorpion and the frog: i was so happy to get to the name drop chapter. yes i outlined this in advance so i did always know what fight would be getting this name.
black-bird and the birdcatcher: ... "friend, if this is what you offer your guests, no gods will answer"
"but birds will."
and the birds did come, did they not?
#lol#my writing#dont take these answers as the only truths. if you saw a different reason in the fable than that is also what they were there for.
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Ayesha Liveblogs Devil is a Part Timer S2
"He had four trusted generals: Lucifer, Adramelech, Alciel, Malacoda." Where does Camio, Big Bird Friend, fall into the order of generals
This is such a wildly different experience than watching the first season because I know EXACTLY who is coming into the Devil's Castle and what's about to happen. I am THRILLED
It's gotta be a different animation studio for this season; they've fallen into the trope of making everything shiny and round (just googled: It is)
I do admire Japanese animation's approach to censoring insects. Me as an animator kjghgkjhg
"I can barely remember my parents." I love foreshadowing
WELCOME HOME BABY!!!!!!!!!!
"Papa is... Satan." "I see, your Papa is Satan. Huh?" HAHAHAHA I love how quick everyone is to believe Maou has been spending his Devil days philandering
"Her father is the Devil and her mother is the Hero?" ENEMIES TO LOVERS COPARENTING; ALL I'VE EVER WANTED
I also love how quickly Emi folds and agrees to be Alas Ramu's mama
"If you are willing, once King Satan gains power in Japan and forms his new Devil's Army, I'd like to see you in its highest position." Ashiya said: After you finish school please consider pursuing full-time work at Demon Inc., Chiho!!
"You and Mr. Maou have a kid?" Rika continues her spot-on assessments
"Have you two ever stopped to consider how it looks for a high school girl to come in and out of a man's apartment, taking care of a baby?" Manager Kisaki raises a very fair point
"I don't know enough about society to confidently dismiss it." I feel like this is somewhat a thesis statement for Maou's time in Japan
I love that Emi is denying being the Devil's wife, which no one has accused her of, to herself
Maou petting Alas Ramus's hair as he talks <3 I love his Dad era
"Of course she's not my kid," said Maou, to a montage of him working hard to support Alas Ramus, installing a children's bike seat and integrating her into every part of his home:
"That outfit would be hard to fight in." That's okay Ashiya she's going on a family date
Maou making a life-altering confession that he's no longer interested in leading the demon armies while he and Emi go hat shopping
"Even if I got all my magic back, I couldn't conquer the world the way I am now." "Very true. If all the demons are dead, you can't be their lord anymore, either." It kills me that they're having this conversation in front of the hat saleslady. Does she think they're talking about D&D LMAO?
"I wanted to know what Emi's face would look like on a date with a man." Family date confirmed by Rika ahahah
Rika asking Chiho what she's doing here as if Chiho does not follow Maou literally everywhere he goes
Alas Ramus's calls for 'Mama' after waking up are very telling
I'd ask why Ashiya seems to be majority comic relief but I guess he plays a similar role in the manga; it just feels less concentrated
I love one (1) set of parents and child. Look at this silly family!!
"You're frowning, Mr. Boyfriend!" Hahaha I love this photographer giving everyone titles by how he thinks they're related to one another. First Emi (Mom) and Maou, now Ashiya (Mr. Boyfriend) and Rika
"Because I was crying, she said. Because I was the first demon she'd ever seen cry." Maou being human before he was human <3
It does make me laugh that Maou and Emi bop each other on the head when the other is being ignorant
"They're all names of sephiroth, the cosmoplastic orbs in the Tree of Life. Alas Ramus may be an incarnation of Yesod." You know, no matter how many times I hear this explanation, I still don't really understand what Alas Ramus is LOL
It is killing me they're having this kidnapping threatening conversation while Maou is holding a bunch of balloons. They were passionate for the continuity of it
"What parent would exchange their kid for pizza money?" You know, it probably wouldn't be the first time, Maou
It also makes me laugh that all members of the Devil Family are making the exact same >:( face at Gabriel:
"You may end up with all of Heaven as your enemy." "I'm not about to make a kid cry just to save my own life." Maou said: I've only had Alas Ramus for a day but if anything happened to her I'd demonic force everyone in this room and then myself
Chiho said: I can tell you're an angel 'cause you're MEAN, Gabriel
Hahahaha, Chiho used her most powerful move to get Gabriel to go away! The tears of a teenage girl
"At times like this, an adult plans for the worst and manages risk. Emi, you sleep here tonight." I wish all risk management plans came in the form of a slumber party
"I figure I'm reaping what I sowed. But I think the ones who died during my invasion of Ente Isla probably would've put their lives on the line to save their kids. If they could do it, surely the Devil himself can do it." Maou said: A custody battle is step one in my Twelve Step Program For Balancing Your Karma
Ashiya's explanation to Suzuno that they invaded Ente Isla because demons are naturally poor gkjhgkjhjgh
No offense but this is the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life:
Emi asking about the bedtime story because of how desperately she wants to understand Maou ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Maou bowing his head to beg for his daughter's life 😭😭😭😭
"Er, could you have your marital spat later?" Even Gabriel sees what's happening here
"Get away from Alas Ramus," said Emi to Gabriel as her daughter sucker punched him through the sky with a beam of light
HAHAHAHAHA Lucifer intimidating the nameless soldiers of the Heavenly Regiment just by telling them to get lost
Maou offering to have Emi kill both him and Gabriel just to get Gabriel away from Alas Ramus is both Incredible Teamwork and Strong Co-Parenting
"'Til death do us part," said Emi about Maou, both as a marriage vow and a threat
So consumed am I in the plot of family shenanigans that I don't have all that much to say about Gabriel as guardian of the Yesod. I guess it's very Naraku in Inuyasha of him to try to take advantage of the shard collection that Team Devil and Hero have formed
I did already know Alas Ramus was going to eat the sword, but it's fun to see how they animated it as a little chomp, like a teething toy
It's honestly very fair of Emi to teach Maou to feel a fraction of the loss he caused by not telling him wher Alas Ramus is right away
"I'm not cryin'," said Maou, while actively wiping tears away
Djdjlkdjdkjd Maou cackling to himself over how beautiful his kid is. 10/10 first-time father, no notes
"You said 'three'—that means you're counting Mr. Urushihara, right?" Urushihara has cultivated a reputation for himself as incapable of completing manual labour or social interaction
Also, to be fair I just remembered he's a wanted man HAHAH
"You were very cooperative with the Devil today." Why DID Emi need to be there for them watching the job opportunity video tape? Maou: Emi is short for EMotional support
Sariel really thinks he should be congratulated for not trying to kidnap a child
"If you give me a good answer [about your romantic feelings] I'll have to duel Miss Yusa for you someday." Real and true
The blind loyalty Chiho has to Maou is very funny. She said (lightheartedly): I don't care who you're trying to conquer, I'll be your informant
They talk about the nostalgia of trains like Ente Isla isn't comparatively in like the 1800s hahahahah
"No wonder your mother trusts you." Emi really embracing Mum Mode too even with Chiho hahahah
I will always love the assumptions about the relationships in this friend group:
"House dirty." I wonder how Amane feels having her business location roasted by a toddler
"I just don't get the trope of dead people coming back and doing bad things." Amane said: Maou, Emi, you can't raise your daughter to be ghostophobic
"That startled me! It sounded just like a dragon." Maou casually implying he has a history in Ente Isla with dragons???? Elaborate
"What are demons doing here in Kimigahama, Chiba?" asked Alciel, as if he were not also a demon hanging out in Kimigahama, Chiba
I adore that the Devil's Army immediately forms a protective circle around Camio. They're just one fucked up family:
I know these four were technically the pillars of a demonic plague on their society but I do have to laugh that Maou and his generals can be described as: Part-time MgRonald's worker and doting fathe , chronically-ill househusband, teenage shut-in with a criminal record and shopping addiction, and Big Bird
Camio with tears in his eyes because he missed his little Demon King 😭
I loooooove them all working together in the beach shack. They are so good at teamwork!!!
I cannot help but realize, since these patrons are going to later be revealed as ghosts, that at least four of them are dead children
"Tomorrow we might have customers who come to get a look at you!" said Maou, like that wasn't a weird thing to say about a sixteen-year-old
"Well, I'm grateful and everything, but there's nothing to compliment." Maou said: I'm actually tiddy man myself (but as a demon he does have enough tiddies for the both of them)
"Why does Olba want to negotiate with Heaven so badly?" Because he's a rancid old man
Emi gasping at insult that she herself uttered at Lucifer who burned down her village kjhgkjhg she truly oscillates from incredibly polite to incredibly sassy
"But Camio survived through intelligence instead of violence," said Maou, as his 1-year-old chased Camio through the room with nothing but argumentative peeps to defend himself
"The cute baby and the woman are the Sacred Sword and the Hero," said Maou, refusing to explain his relationship to either
"Remember how we took over the Demon realm. I had a dream that maybe we could do the same thing with humans in this country." Maou fully telling Camio AND Emi that he is aiming for an enemies-to-family narrative
"After all, the Hero and I never planned to work together, and we still manage okay." YEAH YOU DO!!!!!!!!! Also Emi blushing 👀💗
"You and I brought our war to this country. It's our responsibility." Emi ❤️
"I've only spent two days with you, but I know what kind of people you are." Bold of Amane, but I do love how Team Devil and Hero emanate good vibes
Amane clarifying she could kill them all with one finger but chooses not to:
Emilia thinking of ways to avoid killing Cirriato and the Malebranche!! I love how their approach to conflict develops over time
"He's doing Mito Komon on purpose, right?" I had to Google this reference but as suspected, it is Emi laughing that her homies' dialogue sounds like a shogunate period drama
"Cirriato, may I see your pendant?" I love how politely Emi asks her demon opponent, who she was struggling not to kill mere minutes ago, for his magical-jewel-tracking necklace. And he just hands it to her!!!!
"And when you get back to the demon realm, tell everyone that King Satan lives. And that one of the sacred swords is already in my possession." I do prefer the manga's translation of this moment, which is a more literal, 'one of the sacred swords is already in my grasp':
"I'm going to sever the Gate from this realm. After that it's up to you." "Can you do that?" [Smiling] "I'm telling you that I can." [Smiling back] "Yeah? That's a scary thought." Maou said: Mark me down as scared AND horny
I wish desperately I could've seen Emilia rescuing three grown men by herself from the middle of the sea and dragging them unconscious to shore hahahah. Little Mermaid: Extreme Edition
"They went boom, and then there was a big whoosh and then a hug." Alas Ramus is happy that her parents are getting along
"But the powerful magics you were flinging around yesterday have distorted this sacred place." [Merlin from Shrek voice] Please leave any bad vibes outside the healing vortex
"My enemies became my friends, and now support me in my conquest. Don't you think humans could do the same?" "I see. Perhaps so." This is Maou telling Alciel he wants to make Emi a General
I looooove when Maou romanticizes humanity 💘 Something something inherent beauty of being a person
Maou politely handing Emi a crystal which will now make her 3x stronger than him ❤️ Supportive Spouse Behaviour
"Better be ready, because when I get my power back, I'm gonna dominate you and everyone else." Why say it like that, Maou?
Emi genuinely baffled that the pressing news of the Devil's Castle is that Ashiya tightened the sink and their daughter learned a new word:
"Well, I guess the moral is that even dark lords get heat sick and carsick." "What? 'Dark lords'?" Maou is SO used to saying insane stuff in front of people and never getting called on it because they're all also freaks of nature or retail workers
"By the way everything in this area other the public roads belongs to the Sasakis." Devil's Army learning that Chiho was born into wealth
Chiho's family is quite eager to meet Maou as her coworker and crush but lack the context that he is, technically, an unwed father
The Devil's Army has been felled by one (1) day of farm work
"Mama! Papa's here!" The unwed father's out of the bag HAHA
"But Miss Yusa looks just like her mom, so when Miss Yusa visited, Alas Ramus got attached." Riho said: Sounds like bullshit, but I'll allow it
"I was raised on a wheat farm. I think I can be more useful than they can." Emilia has some farm-related trauma to work through
"I'm sorry I came here looking like this," said Chiho, about her pretty modest pajamas, as if Maou does not chill in his apartment in far less in front of all of them LOL
"We destroyed her home life. Of course her reaction would be, 'How dare you do farm work?'" Something something a fundamental desire to understand each other 💘
I love how Suzuno is consistently the only one who uses first names for everyone (with a semi-archaic honorific)
Emi giving Maou a horticultural lesson while they pick eggplants 🥺💔 Both useful and a way of processing her anger
"But if you start regretting it, my thirst for revenge might waver a tiny bit." Babygirl. You are co-parenting a child, who is the sword you wanted to use to kill him. You go everywhere together, including family dates and sleepovers. You fight enemies together. Your thirst for revenge HAS wavered, and you are full-on a team now
Fjkjfljf I see they cut out Hinako joking that Emi was Maou's wife to get a rise out of Chiho hahahaha. They don't have time for every line, I suppose
I love that Emi and Maou agree to send the others away and take the bear on, but then Maou, who isn't really at his strongest anyway, does absolutely nothing in this fight
It was just as thrilling as I imagined to see Emi body slam a bear:
"However, neither he nor the good Hinako disclosed the details of the fight even to me, let alone the public." Sasaki fam said: Grandma didn't raise no snitch
"As long as there's enough magic in the air, demons don't need to eat. I bet a world that doesn't produce food can't create societies." The mechanics of the demon world fascinate me to no end
I love how demonstrably intelligent and good at leadership Maou is 🥰🥰🥰 Even in his human body, he is the first person to start organizing people, figuring out strategies to get customers or to protect the Sasakis' produce! It really gets to me how he approaches every task with equal sincerity
"Maybe ya aren't normal people," said Grandma Sasaki, in the understatement of the century
Lucifer said: Let me give you some insight into the mind of a criminal who is taking the path of least resistance
The reason the thieves took a watermelon is maybe for a Thieving Trophy but mostly for the plot convenience of allowing Suzuno to get a good look at the thieves rolling up to the farm
I adore the imagery of these two young woman absolutely destroying this car with minimal effort:
God I'm fucking enamoured with the teamwork of this whole sequence. Urushihara as the tech/commander centre, Ashiya as capturing the first thief, Suzuno and Emi as the vengeful apparitions, Maou as the demon who delivers the final blow
"You four will spend the rest of your lives paying the price for hurting people. Just like us." Maouuuuuuuu 😭💔❤️🩹
"I can feel something cold from way down the mountain. Everything is over now." Grandma Sasaski said: I'm a little psychic, what about it
"Ya used to see folks like that sometimes, way back when." WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE WERE YOU HANGING OUT WITH, GRANDMA SASAKI???? HOW MANY ENTE ISLANS HAVE BEEN TO EARTH!!
More family photos for Maou's MgRonald's comfort album ❤️
"Emilia, I'm pretty convinced this weirdo is your mother." What a way for Emerada to break this news hahahah
We cut to: Gabriel just living life at his temp agency
"Be quiet, Emilia! I secretly don't want to buy a TV!" It's killing me that this mundane conversation between demons is irrepressibly honest
"I spend a lot of time thinking about whether there's some way that all of the people I love can find happiness together." "There isn't." Chiho 🥺 Also Emi and Maou responding to this question the exact same way kjghjghg. They're self-aware of their 'it's complicated' relationship status 💞
"As long as the Devil is in Japan, he's hardworking and safe. And you and I get to enjoy an easy life in an unbelievably rich culture, blessed with good friends and confidants." Suzuno cutting straight to the heart of their situation ahhhhhhh
Between Emi and Rika having problems and 'Don't do that to me,' I wonder if Co-worker Maki thinks that Rika and Emi are dating
"Way better than sitting around in that empty space for so maddeningly long. I couldn't take the boredom anymore, so I joined Satan's plan." The mechanics of Lucifer's fall from Heaven make even LESS sense given the events of the manga
Can we take a minute to note the absolutely haunting background music to Emerada's phone call. For why????
"I invited her to stay the night, and she moved herself in with me..." Why does Emerada phrase it like she's been fucking Emilia's mum LMAO
Whoever decided to take the creative license to make Chiho's friend a fuj*shi. Thanks I hate it
I love the implication that Rika and Ashiya have a budding phone call relationship where they discuss things like the trip to Choshi
Maou explaining his ability to speak English with 'I've had a lot of situations' me too man hahahaha
"Have you by any chance, fallen for Ashiya?" Maou doesn't believe in beating around the bush
"It's not my place to say this, but isn't it boring to live life alone?" Maou said: Ashiya should have a girlfriend, and you should get on an app or something, Suzuno
Ashiya answering Rika's questions as honestly as possible because he wants to tell her someday 💕
I wonder what the people of Japan think about the exploding TVs that have no consistency in brand. Seismic event?
"Raguel and Sariel worked as a pair. They'd strip angels of their immortality, banish them to Ente Isla—" Lucifer dropping the incredibly wild lore that they will not elaborate on
"You, who keeps together two beings that by rights should be incompatible... may one day become the mother of a new Daath." Lailah, I feel like this is giving Chiho a lot of credit for something that's not even mostly on her. Emi and Maou have persistently tried to understand each other, regardless of if Chiho was there or not. Besides that, you'd think that if you were gonna credit someone for bringing them together, it'd be Alas Ramus
Lmao @ Emi being the Heavenly equivalent of a Zonkey
"If people knew that angels were the same as normal humans, humanity's faith and worship would crumble." I don't know, the cross-form courtship didn't seem to bother followers of Zeus. Tales told, he'd impregnate anything
"She says to say, 'leave me alone, dummy!' and stick out my tongue." Lailah confirms via Chiho that sass is genetic
"I now begin your trial!" is actually a sick as hell way to declare a fight, go Suzuno
Emilia having a crisis of morality about Maou not actually having killed her father while Maou and Alciel are literally transforming into demons in front of a crowd of people
Maou bursting a cola bottle out of concern for his Not Wife:
Also also. Is the implication here just that Lailah had Chiho throw a magical dust storm over various parts of Tokyo in the hopes some would hit Maou. Bold. I like it
"But if I hadn't been the Hero, I probably wouldn't have met you, so I don't hate it so much now." Emi is such a good mum 💞 She said the absentee parenting ends with me
"You recovered fast. Processed all your emotions already?" "None of it makes sense, so I'm putting it off until later." WOW WHAT A LIFE MOOD EMI HAHAHAHA
"Are there fees in Heaven?" Even angels cannot escape capitalism
Maou reasonably points out that Chiho is way too chill about being possessed hahahaha
"Surely haven't forgotten me... Satan Jacob." I fully forgot that Maou has a real name
"As the househusband, Ashiya manages the Devil's Castle's finances," I love that the recap special is calling it like it is
I enjoy the description of Alas Ramus as "taking the Devil and Hero for her family," because it has the double meaning of 1) assuming they are their family and 2) making them her family by force, they must obey the toddler
I know the implication is that Lailah is Alas Ramus's metaphorical mother, but I do like both Alas Ramus and Emi's bond and also just the idea that Lailah has essentially strong-armed Emilia (and Maou) into giving her a grandbaby
Lailah, probably: I can't wait to be a grandma
Emi: I'm not expecting any children
Lailah: You should be 🥰
"They managed to drive off Gabriel with the power of family." What an accurate and funny way to describe this fight
Say what you will about Gabriel, he's not above a tactical retreat
"Of the two of them, the one we really need to watch out for is Alciel." Suzuno said: Ladies, ur man is gullible he'll be fine
"Tailing them was going a bit far." Hahahaha Maou is one of the only people in this friend group who isn't possessed of the urge to relentlessly follow the other friends for entertainment or suspicion
I said this 3 minutes before he sent Ashiya to tail them again hahahaha
I love that Suzuno and Emi's excuse for where they're going is just "girls talk." What you gonna do about it, Demon Boys?
"That your wife?" "She's the mother, but not my wife." I do appreciate the town being under the general impression that Alas Ramus is the product of Emi and Maou having a one-night-stand
HKJFHFKJFHKJFH I guess they cut out Alas Ramus joining Maou at the bathhouse, because reasonably, even if one of them is her father, they didn't figure it was best practice to animate her hanging out with three grown men at an onsen
"I can't think of anything more touching than someone wanting power not to leap into danger, but to escape or help her rescuers." Chiho ❤️
Also lmao @ them having this very sober conversation about Chi's motives for learning magic all dressed in their towels:
REAL QUICK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE NEW OPENING THEME FUCKING RULES?????? HELLO!!!!!! It is every AMV I've ever mentally made for this series
"My goal is to become a barman." Love this for Kisaski
"The Devil turned out not to be the father-killer that Emilia wanted revenge on." [soft gasp] I kind of forgot that Chiho wasn't privy to this news LOL
"Why do I have to go through this headache to protect the devil?" Because you loooove him, Emi
Maou trying to protect Emi's feelings by suggesting he'll do evil things again 💘 Insane, but sweet
"If you really were just a cruel, bloodthirsty demon king, I wouldn't... I wouldn't be struggling with this so much! You never wanted to conquer the world! I think you just wanted someone to recognize you for doing something big!" EMI 😭😭😭 Something something a fundamental desire to understand each other
"Maybe that saved me from saying something I shouldn't." I desperately want to know what Maou's response to this was going to be before he got barrier-kidnapped
"If we refuse to change the path we walk, the world won't change either!" Maou being determined to learn a better way of life for his demon subjects
Fjfjlfjf Chiho popping up in the barrier to explain sumo idioms
Emi finally deals with some consequences to having a sentient toddler sword: Sometimes she won't want to fight ur enemies
Sariel said: I've turned over a new leaf, I'm in my helping era
"Yes, adults have dreams for the future too, you know?" How old is Kisaki supposed to be to be calling Maou kid LOL? I didn't peg her as any older than mid 20s
I love how much Maou looks up to full-time manager Kisaki
"Why else? To figure out why it went wrong, so I can help with Satan's dream." It's unclear to what degree Chiho is pro-world conquest hahahah
Immediately she clarified she's aiming for a happy, cooperative family dinner kind of conquest. Like being the president, but of your family, I guess
"What can such a thing [as currency] mean in the face of true might?" "Nothing, but I'm out to give it meaning." Somehow I don't think capitalism is the solve for Maou's problems
Maou turning himself into a demon using Suzuno and Emi's celestial force as a poison is one of my favourite mechanisms in this show kjhgkhgkj
HAHAHAH I love Maou declaring the girls as part of his Four But Actually Five Great Generals. Perfect writing. No notes:
Maou trying to relieve some of Emi's struggle by inviting her to find out who he really is and how he views the world 😭❤️
"Emilia the Hero, follow me," said Maou, accidentally proposing to his Not Wife
"I've given up on that closet. That's where we store Urushihara," said Ashiya, like he was a bag of flour and not a fallen angel in the body of a teenage boy
You know, I wasn't sure they were going to adapt the futon story because I believe it's a bonus chapter but I am sooo glad they are
I think this 'Emi has to be two train stations away' max sounds like something they made up for the show, bc I don't remember it. But I love it, more sleepovers!
"You mean the best course is to have Alciel and Lucifer sleep in my apartment like when Gabriel came?" Mama, Papa, and Baby sleepovers no less kjhgkgh. Emi could EASILY stay with Suzuno
"Parenting is a series of surprises, huh?" said Maou to Emi, about Alas Ramus getting a booboo, like their daughter hadn't arrived to them via giant apple with arms through a dimensional gate
Emi having an existential crisis every time they act like they're married with a child, which, they kinda are
When they lift Alas Ramus together over the staircase!!!! :')
"What's tough is deciding whether I should prioritize 'Hero' or 'Mama,' that's all." "I'm sorry. Both of my priorities work pretty much the same, so..." Maou apologizing for being fully oriented towards his family when Emi can't be ❤️🩹
Maou smiling while he thinks of their first human interactions, which consist of him giving Emi an umbrella and her trying to shank him ❤️ Insane Boy Behaviour
I truly can't remember where this udon B-plot is going LOL
"The sleepover can't happen!" said Ashiya, as if they were in grave danger
"You're usually pretty at home in Mom Mode yourself." HEE HEE Maou also calls it Mom Mode!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA Emi and Maou trying to manage both the feelings of their daughter (who wants them to get along and sleep as a family) and Chiho (who wants them to get along but also really doesn't want them to sleep together)
Maou 🤝 Alas Ramus 🤝 Lucifer: Being sensitive to ginger
Emi going to stay at her parents' place to get away from her feelings circles back to Romantic Drama: Family Edition
"Is it me, or you all acting like Emi's definitely in trouble—and like I have to go save her?" She is and you do, Maou
It's really very interesting when Ashiya and Lucifer show their political understandings of Ente Isla and the consequences of naming Emi general, but also her overall chance of survival. A foresight that Maou is trying hard to emulate
Maou convinced that Emi is going to come back 💔
Hahahaha, Tsubasa/Acieth just sniffing Maou in a public place like that's not a weird thing to do
LMAO @ THEM DOING THIS IN FRONT OF RIKA AND JUST LEAVING ASHIYA TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN:
Hfhgghkgjh I forgot that Acieth is the younger sister in the Yesod girls equation
Maou just plopping Emi's dad in their living room via magical flight while Ashiya is trying his best to explain why Suzuno and Urushihara could ALSO fly is peak comedy
"When a chosen one is prepared to expose the truth of the world, bring the wings to our daughter." Nord. Did your wife make a prophecy? Elaborate
Also. Also. Also. I know I shouldn't be phased by this. But WIFE? WHO OFFICIATED THIS WEDDING BETWEEN A FARMER AND AN ANGEL?
HAHAHAHAHA Libicocco pausing his terrorizing to teach Chiho how to say his name
"If you don't like what I'm doing, Miss MgRonald's Barista General, then force me to stop." Libicocco believes in addressing people by their correct titles
Obsessed with the implications of Rika's surprise towards Emi not being Japanese. What is the racial delineation of Ente Isla? Do all people in Ente Isla look ethnically Japanese? They have different skin tones, certainly, but do they generally appear some variety of features we would categorize as East Asian? Because Japan is one of the most ethnically homogenous places in the world, so either everyone looks like they're from Japan, or we have abandoned the structure of race entirely
"This is an oversimplication, but you can think of Yusa as an alien." [X-Files theme tune plays]
Rude of them to attack Ashiya, chronically-ill househusband
Maou's love for Alas Ramus is only matched by his irritation towards Acieth Alla
"I'd rather regret being betrayed than regret losing faith." 💗Suzuno
Lucifer protecting Suzuno/Bel and Chiho with his wings 😭 Their relationship has come so far
"We're just putting them back where they belong." They belong with the people they love and with those that love them!!
"I can't believe I'm letting the ruler of demons have my body... I'm sorry, Mom." Maou said: Thank you for making every interaction as weird as possible, Acieth
Suzuno giving her whole life to protect Chiho!!!!!! I love one (1) found family
"Bold of a mere Malebranche leader to take that tone with me, don't you think?" Maou said: Do you know who I am? Ur about to find out Libicocco
Maou has been here for a minute and a half and he's already managed to bring up Emi twice, I think he misses her
[YELLING] POWER SWAPPPPPPPPP YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Also the fact that the sword they share is named Better Half. COME ON. COME ONNNNNNNNNNN
"Trying to fight you seems like a losing proposition." Amane defeats Gabriel based on pure vibes
"I'm sure you've got some conflicting duties here, but I don't care. Make one wrong move and I'll punish you," said Maou to Libicocco, as if he had not already chopped off his arm. We have reached the end of his near-infinite patience 💖
Chamuel is living out his Old King Satan beef vicariously through Maou
Props to Ashiya to share coded messages while being kidnapped
"We're gonna go rescue Alas Ramus, Nord, Ashiya... and Emi." YEAH YOU ARE
I fully also forgot that Emi's hometown is named Sloane LOL
"Lisen, Alas Ramus... What's your mama's name?" "Lailah!" Their family tree grows more fucked up by the second LMAO
Also how does Alas Ramus know EVERYONE'S name but Emi's!
It's tough managing tantrums as the parent of a supernatural toddler:
"But I've made up my mind: I'll accept Emi and Mr. Ashiya no matter who they are, and I want to do what I can." Rika said: Count me in for Team Devil and Hero
"In fact, given Emi's strength, it worries me that she hasn't come back." [Everyone in the room gawks] They are unused to this level of emotional honesty from Maou about Emi hahahaha
Do you think Kisaki genuinely doesn't see the magical shenanigans or just pretends not to?
Maou is also forced to empathize with the experience of having a young girl inside his head with little-to-no impulse control and an angel vendetta. Co-parenting at its finest. This is like those people who do labour simulations for their partners hahaha
"I left Heaven before you guys started doing that stuff," said Lucifer, 'that stuff' being the creation of human beings from jewel fragments in their spare time
"I don't want to go back to a world where Heaven's safety is prioritized above all else." Sariel said: Ente Isla is LAME, I love tiddies and fast food management now
Rika constantly roasting Maou for not living up to his reputation both as a human and a demon. It's a fun little dynamic
"Why do I always want whatever I can't have?" said Emi, about a dream that ended with Maou stabbing her to death
"Once this mess is over, we'll have to have a big family meeting." I know they literally refer to each other by familial terms but it makes me happy to hear Maou say it
"My unification of the demon realm brought about order and peace, and fear and despair gradually disappeared. As a result, our magical reserves began to rapidly decline. Which was inevitable in hindsight, because we'd gotten rid of its source. It was my fault, and the realm would have starved if I didn't do something." I genuinely fucking love this world-building. What a paradox!!! To desire peace to have more of your people continue living and be driven to famine by its existence
"I forgive you, though. Satan, king of demons, I have heard your confession. I have judged all your words true, and I absolve you in my name, the name of Crestia Bel... regardless of whether God or anyone else in the world refuses to." This is one of my favourite conversations in this series. Suzuno having them back-to-back so Maou is better able to share, Maou's confession, the absolution. IT'S GOOD WRITING!!
Emi trying to prevent the army from killing any more demons!!! I love her
Emi crying over her fallen enemy she didn't even face because now in every demon she sees her friends 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
"Albert, join forces with us. Rescuing Emi won't be enough to settle this." Maou said: I can go on a rescue mission AND make friends! Multi-tasking
The revelation that sephiroth are not inherently holy is very interesting but I am distracted by Alciel walking around with his pants unbuttoned bc they don't fit LOL
"But I wasn't born directly from sephiroth like they were. My dad came from a sephirah, but my mother is human, so I guess you can think of me as biracial." So race does exist, but in the weirdest way possible
Alciel using the MgR's shifts to calculate their date of rescue
LMAO @ MAOU ready to throw hands with Acieth over his magical impotence
"Adramelech wouldn't follow a King who was some bloodthirsty beast. So when Emilia said she wouldn't kill Satan, I figured I was okay observing just what sort of people these 'demons' really are." Albert admitting he already empathizes with demons, at least a little 💗
"Those are for warding off evil," said the barkeep, like the King of Demons wasn't sitting at a table right beside him getting a to-go box
"Who is Emi to you, Maou?" "Good question." IT IS A GOOD QUESTION
"Emi treats me like she's my equal or better. Everything I lack, she has," said Maou, in a very normal and chill way to describe your rival
Ashiya and Emi being used as pawns against each other 😭
"Why are you coming so deep into my heart?" said Emilia, in a decidedly even less normal or chill way to describe your rival
Alas Ramus coming around to remind Emi she's never alone 💝
"I let a lot of demons die by obeying Olba. I doubt the Devil and Alciel will forgive me." 1) Babygirl that is not your fault and 2) They absolutely will forgive you, you guys have written the masterclass on coexisting with people who have been party to your hardship
Alciel is SO GOOD at coded messages HAHA Emilia just had her sense of hope regained by a tofu-related threat
"The Devil is coming. For me," said Emi, with tears of happiness running down her face. Also. Why say it like that, Emilia
You see, I KNOW, I KNOW. I am being set up for disappointment, because while there's every indication in this arc that Emi has (at the very least) started to fall for/acknowledge her feelings for Maou, I have gathered from where Maou is at, and various little jibes on the internet by viewers (no spoilers pls), that that's probably not the way the light novels go. Which like. A damn shame. Because you have 36 episodes and 20 manga volumes of these two people giving each other a second chance, raising a child together, operating as a team, sharing powers, understanding each other's burdens in a way no one else possibly could, even being called numerous times husband and wife, AND YET. And yet. They will not go all-in on the relationship they've built. Call me a romantic, or barking up the wrong tree, but it seems WHACK
It's Hinata's Law. Wherever there exists a passionate but kind, mildly submissive, busty unacknowledged love interest with unparalleled loyalty to the protagonist, the writer will have to use them as an endgame relationship LMAO
"I need a shoulder to lean on." [Hops on his shoulders] I love Suzuno hahahaha
LMAO @ Albert and Bel getting sent back to start
"Emilia the Hero, you come to challenge me despite knowing the power of my hiyayakko (tofu) and ginger bud? How foolish!" HAHAHAHA THIS IS MY FAVOURITE FIGHT
Olba really miscalculated thinking demons would be loyal to him more than Alciel hahahaha
"Since our hands are tied, we'll dance until our strength runs out!" ❤️ We love a play fight
It is funny that Maou and Acieth are literally allergic to bonding
NOT ALAS RAMUS WANTING UNCLE ALCIEL TO SPIN HER FASTER WHILE MUM IS BEING TOSSED AROUND THE ROOF HAHAHAHA
"Don't damage the place too badly. Nord Justina is being held in the Cloud Retreat." Alciel helping Emi to keep her dad safe 😭
"They've been fighting for seven hours now. Talk about energy!" OMG props to Emi and Alciel for keeping it up so long
"Alas Ramus, Ashiya, Emi—I'm here!" shouted Maou, with literally no current assets to fight beyond a sick sword-girl
HAHAHAHAHAHA I FORGOT HE FOUGHT THE FOOT SOLDIERS WITH FIREWORKS AND MALOTOV COCKTAILS
"Just do your best to avoid hurting anyone!" Maou is so excited to be able to 'threaten people only' hahahah the benign evil of it all
"If I ever return to Japan, I'll make all those apologies I owe you." EMIIIIIIII 😭😭😭😭😭
"Ashiya, don't you think Emi's acting weird?" It's called emotional honesty, Maou, you should try it sometime
"Emi, I don't expect forgiveness for what I did back then either. But I found a lost treasure of yours, so I'm giving it back to you as a token of my apology." MAOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU 😭💘😭💘😭💘😭💘😭💘
Maou, trying to explain that their daughter has a little sister who looks at least a decade older, who is also kind of the daughter of Emi's father, and Emi knowing Emi's mother is also kind of the mother of Emi and Maou's daughter: We'll trade diagrams later back at home xoxo
They finally have lyrics on the OP and I'm AHHHHHHHHH ("I was still pretending to fight alone / Would life be easier if I just let go" and "I tried to stay quiet but my voice rang out / I sang the song I couldn't forget about / I smiled with you, and that alone lightened my load") I want to tattoo this whole OP to my body
Maou telling Emi repeatedly to stay out of the fight so she doesn't compromise her position in Ente Isla by helping him 😭😭😭😭
NOT MAOU HAVING A FULL-ON PHONE CONVERSATION WITH SUZUNO MID-FIGHT HAHA
"I don't understand, but I shall assist," said Suzuno, summarizing the plot of the whole series
Emi giving Maou a Yesod fragment 😭 SYMBOLISM
EMI GETTING TO SEE MAOU USING BETTER HALF!!!! HEE HEE
"Yesod is branches. They tie life and life, heart and heart." !!!!!!!!!!!!
"Very well, we shall obey you, New General." Farfarello said: Okay Suzuno, you've charmed me
"There can be no genuine angels in this world." I can't believe we're about to unlock the most ludicrous origin story since the Naruto war arc
ACTUALLY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO? THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE [REDACTED] STORYLINE? OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD!!!! That's so fucking funny. The animation studio said: That's not my problem. Goodbye 💖
"Papa's gonna work even harder than usual—My daughter is watching!" Maou in his ultimate Dad Era
"Human, I don't know what you intend to do next... but don't die." Libicocco said: I would like to be friends with Suzuno also
"Nothing about our relationship has changed," said Maou, like they hadn't had to face and resolve every trauma in their friendship on this one road trip
"I'm giving you the right to choose what I call you from now on, Miss Emilia Justina!" I love Rika 😭
You know, regardless of all other factors, I do find every part of these characters a delight. IT'S A NICE STORY!
#ayesha liveblogs diapt#ayesha talks anime#devil is a part timer#diapt series#liveblogging#i've been liveblogging a lot lately but i will never match how much anime i watched in 2017. including s1 of this show#whatever happened to me that year i will never remember#anyway welcome to this liveblog of the adaption of my favourite manga
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1, 3, 5, and 7 for the Tav asks :D
1) What would your Tav’s greetings be (at different levels of approval)?
Low approval:
- Stony silence accompanied by a disdainful glare
- “Ugh — What now?”
- “Make it quick, commoner.”
Neutral
- “Hm?”
- “Oh, it’s you.”
- “Your shoes are filthy. What do you want?”
High
- “My favorite commoner. I suppose I can spare you a moment.”
- “Yes?”
Exceptional
- “Ah, it’s you!”
- “You’re a sight for sore eyes, friend.”
Romanced
- “Yes, sweetness?”
- “There you are.”
- “How I’ve missed you, beloved.”
3) What would their character quest be titled? Why?
A Noblewoman’s Guide: At first, this is all you are to her. A means to an end. Get this tadpole out of her head and get her on a carriage to Athkatla.
5) Describe their idle animations!
- Fanning herself with a piece of parchment
- Fussing in a hand mirror, likely combing her curls with her enchanted comb (her hair texture is close to a 3B curl pattern)
7) Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?
When you find her, you can either take pity on her and cart her along, provided she pulls her weight somehow, or reject her and find her dead near the Rosymorn Monastery. It’s a wonder to you that she made it that far.
Her character development arc is focused around internal growth and maturity. Dulcinea has never had to worry about anything but looking pretty and having fun. She’s learning how to collaborate and care for others, accepting that the world does not revolve around her, and recognizing that she can, in fact, hold depth beyond the surface level.
Her reactions to helping others in Act I are usually disapproving. To her, this is a waste of time. You’ll have discussions regarding recruiting others and major plot points (e.g. helping the tieflings and destroying the goblin camp). These are usually persuasion skill checks, which — if successful — will result in approval, effectively neutralizing the disapproval from earlier.
This changes over the course of the subsequent acts. She begins to approve of altruism more frequently and will concede that helping others is, “Fine, I guess,” or, “That felt surprisingly good.”
In Act III, she does have a highly pivotal cut scene following Lorroakan’s death. She realizes that she and her brother are cut from the same cloth — selfish and cruel, albeit for different reasons. Hers manifests in a more obnoxious, petty sort of way, while Lorroakan abused the hell out of people. You find her by the river (lol) holding her brother’s ring, a ring she had Rolan retrieve. It was one she gave him that he hated because it was purposeless. She contemplates throwing it into the river, but you can convince her to keep it, “As a reminder of why you wish to be better.”
She asks you, “Will I… will I end up like him? Dead on the floor someplace with people spitting on my corpse? Am I just as bad?”
If you can convince her that she is capable of being better and that she’s already proving that to be true.
Her good endings are staying with you to help rebuild in Baldur’s Gate or continuing to adventure with you, provided that you’ve continued to sell her on the notion that she can be more than the vapid person she’s convinced herself to be. She wants to do right by others now, even if there is a certain degree of self-satisfaction accompanying it, but old habits die hard.
Her bad ending, however, is one where she says, “Bye, commoners!” and hops on a carriage to Athkatla. She “graces your presence” later at the epilogue party after having risen to power through nepotism. She’s a woefully inept leader, but Athkatla isn’t known for having the most ethical leadership. Other companions will comment on this (“She’s made a damn mess of the place”, “Mighty bold of her to slum it with the ‘commoners’.”).
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An Offering - Rengoku Kyojuro Oneshot
Title: An Offering
Rating: PG
Fandom: Demon Slayer
Warnings: Spoilers for s2. Talk of death and the afterlife.
Summary: He didn't expect what came after.
Notes: We all agree that I have no control, right? I had to get it out of my head. This might be a prologue to something I'm playing with that I haven't shared or it might just be me working my way through what happened lol. This is my first time writing him (and I've only seen the anime) so forgive me if I make a mistake.
Inspired by the poems Fire Island by May Swenson and Rewriting Icarus by Fiona (@wearealsoboats). I listened to Elegy for the Arctic by Ludovico Einaudi on repeat while writing this.
He remembers dying.
He was not successful, not in ensuring that the demon could not harm another, but still he was at peace. He gave his final words. He had faith in the young around him.
The sun rose and Kyojuro faded.
Was this death?
He finds himself standing, whole and free, staring at a dark ocean. The sky is alight with stars, more than he can remember ever seeing in his life. They sparkle against the water, giving a glimpse of a never-ending abyss before him. If the waves were not crashing against his feet, he would think it still. He does not feel the water. Not entirely. The memory of the action, the feeling of his feet sinking into the sand, teases the edge of his mind. He knows what it should be and yet it is not.
“Strange, isn’t it?”
He looks to the side, trying not to show his surprise at the sudden presence. He did not feel their approach. He did not sense them.
“Knowing what it should feel like without being able to do so,” they explain. They step closer and he can make out more of their features. Strange how he can see them clearly when the only light above them is the stars and a fading moon. He thinks it is a young woman but then something shifts and he finds himself uncertain.
“Where am I?” Kyojuro asks. It seems to echo in the darkness despite his hesitant tone.
“Walk with me,” they offer instead. They turn and Kyojuro finds he has to follow. There is something familiar about them. He knows he has not met them before, as certain as he knows he has died, but he cannot explain the comfort they seem to radiate. He falls in step next to them.
“I am dead, am I not?” he asks.
“You are,” they nod.
“And what is this place? Is this where people go when they die? Are you to lead me to my next life?”
“If that is what you want,” they give him a small smile. “You are an interesting creature, Rengoku Kyojuro. Your soul is bright, strong with all that you have been through.”
He tries not to frown in his confusion. “I do not understand.” He looks at this person next to him. They are somehow taller now. “I have done what is right, what all those who are stronger than others should.”
“You have,” they agree. “And it has brought you death.”
“Death is inevitable. It is part of what makes us human. It gives meaning and beauty in life.”
“There are few who realize such things,” they say.
They walk in silence. The beach seems neverending, stretching further with every step on the dark sand. His feet sink into it and yet he feels nothing. He does not like it.
“Do you have any regrets?” they ask, looking at him now. They are shorter again.
Kyojuro thinks of it. Did he? He would regret not being able to see his family again, to see his brother grow into the man he knows Senjuro will be. He regrets that his death, inevitable as it was, caused pain to the people he cares about. But in his life? He cannot regret his choices. He has done what is right. What is just. How could he regret that?
“We see.” The person, if he could call them that, stops. They turn to the ocean. The moon that hangs above it is brighter now, somehow fuller than before. Kyojuro steps up next to them. “It is rare,” they say, “to find a soul that burns as yours does.”
“I do not understand.”
They smile and he is struck suddenly by why they are familiar to him. They remind him of Oyakata-sama. Similar energy and yet…this was somehow more. He had the sense that they only reminded him of the Leader of the Demon Corps because they chose to. For him.
“No, you would not,” they agree. “Many will die in the battle you have given your life for.”
Kyojuro tenses. It is not a surprise and yet he wishes it were not so.
“They will succeed,” they say. “But all victories come at a cost. All choices have their repercussions.”
“Their success is what matters,” Kyojuro says. “I would mourn for my friends and comrades as they will mourn for me, but all of us made the choice to act. We would gladly give our lives for the safety of the innocent people around us.”
“We would expect nothing less,” they say softly. “You are not one who flies too close to the sun, Kyojuro. You were one in your own right, a star guiding those around you and warming all who reached your gaze.”
He blinks in surprise. It was the kindest thing said about him, particularly from one he did not know. “My thanks but I only did what I could,” he replies. “I only aimed to help others.”
“We know.” They shifted again, something that he could not place but he was reminded suddenly of his mother. He had thought he would see her again.
“Why am I here?” Kyojuro asks. He does not understand. What is the purpose of this conversation? Is he to move on? Is he to remain here on a beach of black sand and an ocean of stars?”
“It is ash,” they say. “Not sand.” They look back at the ocean. The moon has changed again, he realizes when he follows their gaze. A slim crescent. “We spoke of choices and the consequences they collect. A spark can light a candle or set a forest ablaze.” There is a beat of silence. “We enjoy your soul, young Kyojuro, and would offer a choice.”
He frowns slightly. “A choice?”
They look at him, eyes as dark and endless as the sky above. “To continue and renew. To return. Another chance to allow you to experience the fleeting life you admire.”
The offer strikes him. It is not a choice to live as a demon, but as a human. And yet… “It is not the nature of things to return from the dead.”
“No,” they agree. “It is offered.”
“At what cost?”
They smile at that and look at him. “It is not a sacrifice for you to make.”
“I will not accept anyone giving their life for mine.”
“Will it comfort you to know that is not the cost?”
“You have not answered what is!”
“And we will not. It is a choice, Kyojuro and it is offered on our terms. Continue or return.”
He does not trust this. He does not know this being who changes shape as easily as it is to breathe. He will not sacrifice an innocent. He gave his life to protect people. He does not regret that. But he cannot deny the desire to see his brother again, to fight alongside his comrades and see the success this being spoke of. He will not accept if that success is broken.
“Agreed,” they say. “We accept your choice.”
“Wait!” He calls out as the world seems to fade around him. “I did not choose!”
“You did,” their voice echoes in the darkness. They are no longer there and Kyojuro is alone again. “Look for our gift, young Kyojuro.”
“What gift? I did not accept!”
“They will find you.”
“Wait!” But nothing responds and Kyojuro stands in the emptiness. “I do not understand!” There is a faint sound of laughter before his vision goes black.
taglist: @raith-way @chrissymunson @veetlegeuse @chickensarentcheap @residentdormouse
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Please talk about the return au, it looks so interesting but idk what it’s about
ok. ok. here comes the rant
so you know how Second is The Chosen One's Return right. ok. good. now imagine if he was The Dark Lord's Return
so yeah. Second's creation is still the same, he was made accidentally while Alan was animating
but uh. instead of going to the browser and meeting Red, Yellow, Green and Blue, he decides to look around the PC itself instead
and uhhhh it goes really badly
Alan is panicked about an alive stickfigure messing around his PC and tries to delete it, but the task manager couldn't end its process. Alan saw no other choice but activate his antivirus.
since this little anomaly is undeleteable, he decides he will do the second best thing - lock it away until he figures out a way to get rid of it
so uh.....yeah Second is not happy about that. you know. nobody would like being shackled and locked away in a tiny antivirus containment cell, but he can't do anything about it. he screams, but nobody hears him
it wasn't fair, right? he wasn't just some victim or beast to imprison, he was The Second Coming, The Dark Lord's Return, dammit! it had to mean something, right?!
he became really attached to his title. it was his only source of comfort, the only thing that reassured him that he meant anything, that he would eventually break out, that he will be free, because he is stronger than everyone else, it won't last for long. despite The Second Coming being his filename, he identified the most with The Dark Lord's Return, it felt stronger to him. so yeah that's where the au name comes from lol. i'll be calling Second "Return" in the text from now on
so um. 4 years of being locked away later...
Chosen and Dark weren't really affected by the change in Return's life, because, you know. they aren't aware of each others' existence. so Dark still makes the Virabot, Chosen and Dark still have the argument and the virus is still sent to Alan's PC
the Virabot corrupts all the programs that will interfere with its work, including the antivirus, freeing Return.
Return is disoriented from, you know. not seeing the light of day in 4 years. but he slowly navigates his way on the desktop, seeing a black stickfigure come out of a portal.
he sees flames and hears fighting, but he doesn't care, there's an exit, he can flee, he can leave this cursed PC, just like he wanted for so long-
then there was light, then wind, then water. he swam to the nearest cliff, climbed, until he could touch the soft grass.
he layed there for some time, just breathing the fresh air and feeling sun on his skin
but then he heard explosions.
so you know how Dark had that mission? "mission.The_Dark_Lord = destroy(The_Chosen_One) ;"?
yeah. Return inhereted the mission.
once his code registered the black stickfigure as Chosen, well...
Return has a Showdown moment but you know. without anyone killing his friends because he doesn't have friends and he lasered the good one.
Dark has ZERO idea who this random kid is and how he managed to defeat one of the strongest people on the entire internet and is more than a little wary of him. he approaches to see if the new guy is dead or just passed out.
when Return wakes up, he sees a very nervous Dark practically begging for mercy despite trying not to appear so
so, like in canon, Return doesn't remember anything that happened, but if he gets the opportunity to be feared and respected, sure, why not? he is The Dark Lord's Return, he deserves this!
Return pretends he knows what Dark is talking about and threatens him to give his virabands to him. Return can't really use his powers on command, but he makes Dark believe he can. so now theres ANOTHER weird duo terrorizing the internet
a lot of other things happen but uhhh this post is already too long i guess i'll tell them in another time
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