#The art is shit at the beginning but the . The plot is so intriguing and clever

[aa-weirdgirl-showdown]

Fuck wrong one

📷

Okay I have two

This is my Lock Screen whatever you call it thingy. As expected right

Then we have my super obscure special interest guy

He’s my favorite. I love him. He is such a bitch anyways I can explain more in the tags but he’s from the webcomic ghost eyes!

#Asks #ask game #ghost eyes #Emilio murkmere #guys. Pleas read ghost eyes it’s the best thing ever I swear #I hate horror but it’s legitimately SO GOOD LIKE YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE HORROR TO LIKE IT. #ITS SO HEARTBREAKING AND HILARIOUS AND AWESOME SHDFGGDFSFDFSFS #But uhhh read the authors note before trying it cause it’s definitely not for kids #If you have any common trigger that isn’t eating disorders and penetrative rape (though sa is involved ) then don’t read #It. It starts out shitty and cringe yknow but it gets sooooo gooood #The art is shit at the beginning but the . The plot is so intriguing and clever #And the characters are GODLY AMAZING #they have so many issues #But I loveee them #I am so invested in this fr #Please. Please read it #I haven’t given any spoilers so you’re going to just have to trust me but p l e a s e #If you liked omori or ddlc you’ll like it #God. It’s so good #ANYWAYS #thanks for the ask

[ystrike1]

I Mistook the Hidden Identity of the Sub Male Lead - By 시록보다푸른 (5/10)

This was a painful read. It's an otome isekai that would be better as a regular fantasy. Everything is vague, especially the magic, and everybody is our heroines best friend. The beginning, and the villains have promise, but that fizzles away.

Mayerie is a stalker. A teenage girl with delusions of grandeur. She wants to marry Duke Ellex, even though she's a daughter of a Viscount. That Viscount doesn't have alot of money. She falls into personal debt buying red gems that match his eyes.

She gets engaged in a stupid attempt to make him jealous AND her fiance turns out to be abusive. She continues to stalk Ellex, even though he's a rich man with powerful magic, until he has to threaten to kill her to keep her away.

We're supposed to think she's a loser....but....authors have to stop doing this to me...Mayerie would have been a great protagonist. Just imagine it. A dumb teenage girl stalks her crush until he snaps, and then she realizes he's human. She tries to give up on him. She stops spending money to impress him. Maybe she grows as a person and becomes a woman worthy of marrying a Duke?????

Doesn't that sound cooler than isekai again???

Anyway Mayerie is gone forever and we're stuck with a random Korean woman, who is completely fine with becoming Mayerie and living a more decent life. She's embarrassed by the things Mayerie did. She is still Mayerie. She has all of her memories, but now she knows she's in a book. She's a minor villain and she has to play nice to escape said role.

Ellex legitimately wishes she was dead. This is potentially interesting! The dark and powerful Duke Mayerie blindly loved is actually planning her untimely d....nevermind. This lasts ten chapters. Then she touches his arm and he notices she has divine powers that can save him from his magical madness.

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh.

The love interest is the crazy and powerful Prince Grandiel. He uses his magic to change his appearance. He's secretly the head of an information guild, and he's a stone cold killer. He notices that Mayerie knows he's not an idiot prince with a stutter. Everybody underestimates him. His two disguises are perfect, and yet she saw through him. He decides to hire her as a maid, so he can use her to spy on his spoiled sister Stella.

Her touch magically makes his mind reading ability more powerful too.

That's...so boring. Mayerie had no such powers in the original plot.

Ellex is supposed to save and marry the beautiful Saint Radita. Radita has incredible holy power, but her noble blood is muddy, so she got abused. Radita and Ellex join together in a marriage of convenience...oh wait no they don't. Ellex touches Mayerie first, so he becomes obsessed with her.

Grandiel tells her to call him Diel. He puts a tracker on her and he begs her to never leave him daily. Mayerie begins serving Princess Stella, but poor Stella is just misunderstood. Mayerie eventually warms her thorny heart.

....boring...

Let me guess the actual villains are boring and generic random characters...

Radita becomes a maid with Mayerie. There's...basically no mention of her Saint powers after a certain point. It's....so...annoying. There are two men in need of a woman with divine powers. Grandiel and Ellex do not need to be so thirsty for Mayerie. Radita is nice too, and if controlling their magic is that important one of them should marry Radita...but that won't happen because we need a love triangle.

There's no strategy. There's no intrigue. Grandiel and Ellex just start following her around...even though they're supposed to be doing shit. Grandiel wants to be Emperor, but everybody still thinks he's a disabled invalid by chapter thirty???? Ellex needs to control his violent power...sure but he's got duties and Mayerie was his creepy stalker. He falls in love way too fast.

The art is painful. The magic powers are all ugly. They don't even have cool names. There are no cool poses. Everybody walks around like a stick figure, and the characters have bobble heads. The whole webtoon looks cheap.

This random panel of Grandiel in disguise is one of the best. That's sad. This author shot down their own unique ideas, and I hate that. Everybody has the same face too. It's jarring. I don't think this webtoon will make it to its mediocre ending.

#yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #webtoon #otome isekai #otome games #otome

[wurdulac]

last year i wrote a list of media that touched me. bcs i have shit for memory i was noting down things i watched, played etc. this year. so here's the list.

the city and the city by china miéville - loved it...

the longing - idle game that felt quite promising in the beginning. you play as a lonely shade that has to wait 400 days for his king to wake up. it can get kinda weird and idk how i feel about this anymore.

rain dogs - extremely bleak life circumstances, intense toxic friendship. 'fast food isn't good for you. but i fucking love it'

deadwood - very intriguing way of plotting a story of a settlement but some things abt were fucking stupid and i'm still frustrated when i think abt it. haven't finished the final season and i don't really feel like it.

vanished birds <- read this or else

dungeon meshi - most beautiful art with dynamically drawn creatures and beasts that then get shown being cooked into delicious (and nutricious!) meals in great detail. setting is a spoof of a stereotypical party adventure world but it tries to make sense of its rules and creates in turn something quite unique. great characters too.

wuthering heights - extremely good narrative device. never knew that we learn this story through a tale being told by a servant to some cringey guy. surprisingly well depicted psychology of the characters. reading abt child abuse upset me so bad. society will fuck you up. some ways to better your lot are closed to you based on your gender and race. fucking up people over generations. also moors. they're important.

ghost in the shell

barry - the fact that the show never lets him forget. the satire on show biz, loving the veterans. it's like a more clownish version of breaking bad in a way (both being concerned with morality). characters are caritaturish but everything they do is taken extremely seriously. also it's quite inventive with filmography. solid. loved it.

sangfielle - weird fiction arc of FaTT podcast.. extremely good setting

andor - they didn't lie when they said star wars can be good. abt opression and imperialism.. and droids done well.

repo man - plotted in a very fun way... unforgettable ending.

hellraiser - it was so promising. shouldn't have turned into tense rubic cube solving under most dire circumstances ever imo.

bg3 - the themes have made me insane. it managed to be cohesive. it's the. carousel of violence. cycle of abuse. relationship with power. trusting the other not to use violence against (even though they could). male manipulators. the dark urge. it's not without its faults and it should have been tighter (durge should be the main protag and no tav, chop down act 1, erase halsin)

the terror - such a mixed bag. a very good and tense thriller about imperialistic hubris but. they put a beast there. and the villain was??? idk man.

iasip (well technically i've been trying to watch it for years, but this year alone i watched like 4 seasons or maybe more) - i simply love iasip. its style of comedy that is irreverent. the mad schemes. awful dynamics. touching real darkness.

blowback (podcast) - about american imperialism. first season abt iraq war tone-wise feels like if behind the bastards and citations needed had a baby. recommended.

roadwarden - loved it. loved the setting!

anyway... i kinda stopped reading books after i quit my job (no longer commuting somewhere regularly so i stopped using my kindle). had plans to watch more movies but it's always a struggle to sit down and start watching. went to more than 0 galleries but not that many tbh. i sometimes don't know what to say and most of my comments are still pretty general and feel trite.

#uhm. if you somehow know of something i forgot to mention let me know

[corazon-calaveras]

Late Night Thoughts

Okay so..............

The coffin of Andy and Leyley. Where do I even begin?

It's a very good game I'll admit that and I'll give credit where credit is due. The game has a very simplistic but cool art style which makes it very recognizable to the fans of the game or at least those who have either played it or seen playthroughs of it. The overall story telling and pace is very well done and it certainly has kept me intrigued. I tend to have a soft spot for plots that contain edgy and dark themes to it (so long as it is written really well and not overdone) and this game seems to have done a good job of not overdoing it.

Now then, on with some issues I personally have with a certain aspect that has definitely left a sour taste in my mouth (and not in a good way considering I love sour candy and what not).

(Just a heads up, I'm not saying that the topic I'm about to talk about can't be used in stories, in fact this topic has done a really good job to make me feel bad for Andrew but at the same time be like "Dude, are you dumb?!". The incest aspect of their relationship is actually written well because it's done one hell of a good job to make me feel uncomfortable as fuck and I hate it. Now do I support incest? Absolutely fucking not, that shit is hella disgusting and I DO NOT condone that shit.)

On to the rant.

The major issue I have about the story of the game is the overall relationship Andrew and Ashley have and of course it's the incest aspect of the relationship. But that's obviously a very obvious topic that a lot of people would not be a fan of (unfortunately there are some creeps out there who ship the two regardless). Let's set the incest aside for a moment and discuss the main issue of the Grave sibling's (that's their last name, right?) relationship and that is how very toxic and abusive it actually is.

In the first episode of the game we see that Ashley has a very unhealthy obsession with her brother and although there's nothing wrong with having a fondness of your sibling, Ashley just takes that fondness to the EXTREME. We see that she gets overly jealous whenever Andrew remotely gives another girl attention and would do anything to get them away from Andrew as we could see in the game. I mean c'mon, she not only committed manslaughter (straight up murder actually) she also consistently harassed Andrew's girlfriend until she dumped him. But oh, that's not the only horrible things she's done to Andrew. Ashley would straight up emotionally manipulate him into doing all the dirty work only for her to later on be like "I didn't tell you to do it, you CHOSE to do it yourself." Miss girl don't lie, we all know you literally manipulated him into doing it to appease you only to later have the AUDACITY to gaslight him.

Now I won't go too hard on Andrew considering that he's the victim in all of this but there are times when he literally could have put an end to Ashley's abusive behavior and stand up to her, but seeing him try to do so only to fall back to being submissive made me feel sorry for the guy. However, things would get even weirder with him when he asked his girlfriend to tie her hair up so she could resemble Ashley a little more which uh.....HELLO??? Nah nah nah, you wrong for that one Andrew. I'm sure there's a few other things he's done that's equally as weird as Ashley but so far that's the one example I can think of at the moment. Oh wait, there's that one official art of Ashley just sitting on Andrew's lap with a bitemark on her shoulder while he's lighting a cigarette and has a hand up her thigh as if it was completely normal. *Sighs* Sweet home Alabama.

I know there are people out there who will say things like: "But the game literally has cannibalism and murder but you draw the line at incest? That makes no sense!" Um, no not really. It's literally in our nature to find incest disgusting considering how the offspring will come out with a lot of issues and thus will not survive out in the world. Yes I'm aware that royalties in the olden days literally married their distant cousins to not "taint" the bloodline and I say that those people are equally as weird as the ones who ship Ashley and Andrew. As for the cannibalism part, yes it's also disgusting but if you think about it it makes a lot of sense that someone would resort to it if it's for survival, a last resort if you will. Incest? Now how the fuck is that going to benefit human survival? Last I checked no one has ever done the dirty with their own family members to survive.

Alright, and I think that concludes my rant for tonight. I just felt like ranting about the Grave sibling's relationship because I literally have no one else to talk to about this and I do find the topic interesting.........very disturbing though.

Eugh, gross.

#the coffin of andy and leyley #rant post #go ahead and call me an anti for not being pro coffincest #i literally could care less #you do you and i do me

[speaking-from-the-abyss]

Some random thoughts on Obey Me! Nightbringer up to lesson 10 (with LOTS of spoilers)

If you ask why I'm making a post like this in this blog is cause I will defend that this is a queer coded game to my last breath –and cause is my blog and I do what I want.

Full disclosure: I'm not done with the first game yet so no spoilers for that one please. I'm guessing I'll get spoiled by Nightbringer anyways as the story progresses, and I already did lol, but I wanna gush about this game because I love it so much already.

Starting with the title screen, oh my gosh the art is beautiful. 10/10 would definitely buy a poster of this.

They continue using they/them for MC and that's a thing we all gotta appreciate. Thank u.

The layout and the art of the game is just SO PRETTY in general. Definitely an upgrade from the first game, credits to the designers and artists.

It's a rhythm game!! I like it, the gameplay is easy enough and in classic Obey Me fashion you gotta be really precise when you click or else, which adds a good layer of difficulty.

We don't have 8 different types of support items, just 4, which makes it easier to keep count of how many we have. I am still broke in-game to buy them tho.

WE CAN GET DEVIL POINTS BY COMPLETING LEVELS THANK U SO MUCH. In contrast, I feel like they give less materials when you clear a stage? I mean, they gotta balance it I guess, or maybe is just me.

The game was lagging like hell when I first started playing tho. Idk if it was the game or my phone that couldn't run it or what, but it's fixed now.

I love the fact they're using the character songs for the levels!!! I was waiting for the unit songs and they took a while, but they're there too. The remixes are fun and I can't believe how good they sound.

Speaking of sound, this game's ost is SO GOOD like huh? I was kinda expecting it cause it's a big production and all but bruh. Every now and then I end up having to stop because I gotta appreciate the bgm. There was this one funny song where a banjo started playing and I straight up laughed out loud. 10/10

MK is that you?

Coming back to the layout and the designs: THERE'S SO MUCH RURI HANA IN HERE!!!!!! Love it. 20/10. Best thing ever. Whoever decided to add that I hope they're having an amazing day.

Also, is that a Ruri Hana Miss Em?? Gosh I love this game.

And I'm not done gushing about the designs yet cause LOOK AT HIM!!! LOOK!!!! He's so cute!!!!🧡🧡🧡

HE'S SO PRECIOUS JUST LOOK AT HIM!!!!! 🧡🧡🧡

The art for the cards is really pretty and I need more Levi cards so badly asap

Also, there's a shit ton of extra content, wow. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 3D models yet (mostly cause my phone only gives me bad renditions of them) but the extra content is slice of life funny bits. I like that they're voice acted, they're good.

Hey so y'know how you can click on the characters and get voice messages in the home screen and how you interact with them in the surprise guest screen? In neither of those I can click on Levi's tail and I consider that a crime against all Levi stans.

OKAY SO when this game was announced and as time went on and we got little pieces of the plot, not gonna lie I was worried. When it comes to time and time travel this franchise has a, well, a record. I'm still worried how it's gonna develop but for now I really like the things they're showing in the main story regarding the characters and the plot. Just, y'know, fingers crossed it doesn't become a mess.

Honestly the timeline is a mess already as it is. We met Luke and he has apparently just started learning how to bake, but in the first game he says he's been doing it for about 300 years, so it's been only 300 years between the end of the Celestial War and the beginning of the first game? Shouldn't the time be at least a few thousand years?? I'm solving this by doing a headcanon that time moves differently in different worlds cause otherwise the lack of coherence bothers me too much.

I'm so intrigued about Nightbringer himself. You think the prologue is giving us a red herring about who he is? Will it be a new character? An old one? Us from the future? They did a good job in implementing the mystery and I can't wait.

I was rereading this chat we have with them at the beginning of the game and something caught my eye:

Do you think maybe we'll start jumping between time as the story continues? So that we'll be at and see different time periods with different characters?? 🤔

This guy has an omurice for an icon when we all know he can't cook to save his life and I find that so ironic xD I like how much he's getting involved in the story so far too

I still don't know who gave them the right to go THIS HARD on a rhythm otome game. I love this thing what the hell. I wish I went this hard with my own projects.

That's all, I'll be waiting for more lessons to drop✌️

#obey me #obey me! #obey me! nightbringer #obey me nightbringer #nightbringer spoilers #spoilers ahead #om! nightbringer #queer

[penbwl]

WAIT WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE FOR AUs I AM SO INTRIGUED. I LOVE YOUR ART AND I BET ANYTHING YOU DO FOR A POTENTIAL AU WILL BE EPIC :D

Aw Tysm!! This will probably be kinda long so I’ll put my ideas under the cut!

I’m thinking along the lines of something sweet like Luigi is maybe a chef or something? He doesn’t go with Mario on as many adventures anymore since he’s busy with his restaurant and in all honestly Luigi is tired of being brother number 2, always following at Mario’s heals. He’s also low-key kinda traumatised from all the shit he’s been through so he decides to take a rest and pursue something a little slower paced. (He still love’s adventure,, he’s just having a little midlife crisis of sorts). Bowser would come to the restaurant investigating, thinking the brothers are up to something. He falls in love with the food ((as well as a certain green someone)) and he’d eventually become a regular using his original suspicions as an excuse to keep seeing Luigi. Luigi hides this from his brother for obvious reasons,, especially when they start ‘hanging out’ outside of the restaurant (they absolutely start dating without even realising). Bowser takes Luigi on adventures and he begins to kinda come back from the slump he had- he’s more confident and he loves spending time with bowser and his kids. Mario catches them together one night at the restaurant and is immediately in protective brother mode. There’s a huge fight with bowser that eventually gets broken up by Luigi who is both upset and angry at the two of them for starting a brawl in his restaurant and not being civil. Both Mario and bowser begrudgingly form a truce in favour of Luigi and they eventually work things out.

Another idea - Luigi is an inventor/mechanic type person. He found Jr one day after he crashed his vehicle and helped him repair it, after that Jr kept coming back because he thought Luigi and his gadgets were cool. Bowser catches on and eventually goes to meet Luigi and eventually they become friends. (Luigi and Bowser haven’t met before this as Luigi works behind the scenes on the gadgets instead). Luigi helps out bowser with his tech as well but mostly as an excuse to hang out, eventually Bowser finds out that Luigi works for Mario and feels betrayed but later finds out they’re brothers and kinda just comes around after that (there’s probably some drama including Mario there like the first one).

Another sweet one that doesn’t really have much plot but it’s kinda cute,,

WARNING: This is sickeningly sweet and sappy and not at all canon compliant😭

florist au!! Bowser is secretly a big softie and has his own secret flower garden,, he loooves flowers. One time when peach is captured and they go to save her Luigi accidentally stumbles into the secret garden and is completely in awe,, bowser is humiliated and gets kinda angry that luigi found out. The next time they go to rescue peach,, Luigi leaves a little potted plant in the garden with a note saying how he thought it would look nice there. This keeps happening and eventually Bowser catches him in the act and isn’t even mad,, he’s confused as to why his enemy is gifting him flowers (because he’s a bi disaster that’s why). They get to talking about the flowers and Bowser learns that luigi actually has his own little flower shop back home and was amazed when he saw how beautiful Bowsers garden was. Bowser explains he’s trying to impress Peach, he wants to find the perfect flowers for her. Luigi talks him through what flowers he recommends for Peach and they meat up again so luigi can bring them. (They talk a lot and are very gay and cute) ,, a while later Bowser gifts the flowers to peach instead of capturing her and asks her out. (She absolutely recognises the tag on the bouquet and something and shes kinda sus of Bowser,, cus did he actually buy these from Luigi??) She politely declines and Bowser… doesn’t really care? He doesn’t really feel a whole lot for her and he’s not sure why. He tells Luigi this and when they go to meet again Luigi brings him another bouquet. Bowser is confused cus Peach already declined his offer so there was no point in giving her more flowers but Luigi says the flowers are for him!! Anyway they hangout more in the garden,, they sit there and sip tea as they watch the flowers in the sun rays. Eventually peach does catch on and she sorta manages to get the two to date because they’re morons in love and blah blah blah Bowser helps run the flower shop and it’s cute. Shit the end —- I’m so sorry this is overly sweet. ———-

anywayyyy I do have more ideas but these are just a few,, they’re very wholesome but I would love to also dabble in some angst maybe? Perhaps something involving Mr L. ?? Idk,, perhaps part of the reason Luigi had his little crisis in the first one was because he was traumatised by the brainwashing or smthn. But thanks for listening to my shitty ideas 😭

#sorry for the ramble😭 #I’m also not so hot on actual lore so I apologise #ask #Mario #Luigi #bowser

[cometchasr]

fic recs from many fandoms (MILD SPOILERS)

these are based off my likes personally and are in no way any form of review i suck at reviews

WoF

the dragon and the scavenger by wobblywyvern. one of the first fics i ever read. unfortunately unupdated since sep 2020, and im still crying over it. cliffball best ship.

finding peace by warrior of spectra. another one of the first fics i ever read. finished, very good, raging over cliff/peacemaker not being real but thats me.

different threads by firehawk1100. darkstalker/indigo. i like it better than shadow of the mind (his other fic, winterwatcher). just. beautiful. i suck at reviewing but its good trust me

diamonds fall and fates change by fabokraken. our first ao3 fic, woo!! the others except finding peace are also on ao3, but i found them on ffn and thus that site goes first. its adorable. its fucking adorable. i love arctic and foeslayer so much. i love not-evil darkstalker. i love everything. darlie is my beloved.

wings of fire: changing seasons by fatespeaker. actually a whole series. winter, therefore automatic win. the characters and the plot just... interact so well. the intrigue. it all.

Warriors

tinystar's beginning by twilidramon. i havent read this one in forever but. scourge!! my beloved. its good, i remember.

second chances and a scourge upon fate by deerlyqueery. more scourge!! we love our edgy boi. and we love making him gay!!!!

a spark from starclan, rusty's skyclan and collars and claws by salmonfang. theyre completely separate, and you should read their other works too, but these are the ones i read (albeit in diminished form because. lazy ykyk). there is, something. about this writing. beloved

blackfire: book one by xenonex. theres art, its adorable and fluffy, its also filled with drama, rarepair, everything

exile by mallowstep, aerial-jace and kudossi. something that holds terrible and beautiful memories for me (personal reasons). but just, the whole idea. the emotion, the vibes. the it all. this is the one that spawned the way i style my works, because i fucking vibe with the vibe so much, and ive turned it into a very different beast, but here it is. the core, one great part of my writing story. read it its so good

The Dragon Prince

(only 2 because ive read about zero tdp fanfics, it doesnt actually have any dragons smh)

the devil you thought you knew by strangefake. aaravos. AARAVOS. MAGIC EXPOSITION. PHILOSOPHY. BLURRY GOOD AND EVIL. DELICIOUS. wonderful as hell holy shit

sun fueled rage by photoniccyclone. sol regem takes over the world and we have to stop him. ungodly long chapters, lots of scenes, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst.

thats it but i know newt wouldnt let this list go without me adding my zanrex fic, the stars were forever bright for us, which im actually somewhat proud of. the cracks are showing, but they always do. also, you, the reader of this post, make some tdp dragon-centric fanfic. we're fucking starving.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

the history of this fandom and its works is long and expansive and storied and i have so many recs i would never be able to fit them here (mostly because i havent read like all of them). needless to say, we've started making our own content in overdrive at the lack of new shit.

the entire pmd writer's union collection. im in this server. fics are top-notch, environment is top-notch, except when it isnt for me and me personally. if one wishes to join i may or may not be allowed to give you a link. anyways, the ones ive read are down below, and are all in the collection (duh!)

warped skies by team ion. linked is the arc 1 rewrite, the original is here. its beautiful. its a trainwreck of emotions, and i havent started on arc 3 yet (thats the good shit). the chapters are extremely long, the characters are extremely good, i shill it everywhere, i love this fic and i havent even gotten halfway through. its the other main influence on my writing, although more in ambition and inspiration than in actual style like exile. hell, i started DoP because of it. the post is out there somewhere. its just. it is. it is, it is. i think you can see a common theme with my ineptitude at describing fics, but. read it. read it. masterpiece

daily life in pokemon paradise by kitsu-19. gates slice of life. beautiful characters. the moguls and swift and it all. its. its so interesting, and full of life, and you fall in love with the characters. it feels so much more alive. i cannot describe shit. read it, youll get what i mean.

royal replacement by turkeyuwu. gay. politics. legal document(s?) (just the one so far). great masquerade. untrained alolan vulpix uses light that burns the sky. plot inspired by a chinese webnovel, so you just know its gonna be batshit insane and ridiculous. i find myself incapable of describing shit at the moment. read it

My Little Pony

fuck it, we're going all in.

equestria at war, by EaW dev team. unlike all the others, this one requires about $200 to fully unlock. its a hoi4 mod, and its beautiful. griffonian empire best.

changing expectations by kkslider. buggos!! buggos!!!!! more importantly, actual mlp fic with gay in it! long, so many plottwists, phasma is our beloved slightly traumatised changeling king, actual history and lore, alcoholic celestia, pictures!! READ

afraid of the light by binibean. celestia trauma from all that bullshit. angst. somethings not right. i love these stories.

night wing by gravity012. guy gets SIed into a big immortal magic birb. stuff falls apart, he goes on adventures with celestia and luna, changelings and thestrals are very cuddly. so fluffy. until it isnt.

then it becomes very sad.

(also he freezes the tree of harmony for making nightmare moon happen. badass)

this is a fucking long list.

UPDATE: I FORGOT TO GIVE A LINK TO BLACKFIRE @xenomane FORGIVE ME

#mine #idk #something #h #i hope all the tumblr mutuals who found their fics on this list like this list

[actuallycassidyiambusy]

Okay so I saw a post you reblogged a while back with a picture of your ocs. They are absolutely gorgeous and I'd love to know more about them! Is that archangel a boy and do they have history with that demon?? How'd you come up with their names? Aeshma and Talon are so unique!

Oh, dear sweet anon, now you've done it.

*deep inhale*

I don't normally post about my original work, but if I'm asked, I shall speak.

I have been working on Helpless since the beginning of my 9th grad school year. It's a series. A few years ago, my work was published through Palmetto Publishing.

Though, due to them being too apprehensive about having a gay protagonist, I cut ties with them.

I am now working with a publisher out of the UK. Olympia Publishing. I had a lot of other offers, but most of them were vanity publishers. With Olympia, I have all control of what is published.

I did a lot of revisions and book one will be coming out either late this year or early next. It will have a new cover with a different allure. Peep it:

Talon is a boy for sure. He's just graced with beauty. His mother is Aphrodite and his father is Saint Michael. He is the first son of an archangel and goddess. He's gentle and understanding, unlike his father. He spends his time with the garden angels and finds comfort in being outdoors. His father wants him to follow in his footsteps and lead the angelic army alongside him, but Talon doesn't like the idea of war. Pointless bloodshed saddens him and he doesn't understand why either side feels the need to battle over petty disagreements. I often describe him with feminine grace and appearance. He's soft spoken and dignified, but not to the point of arrogance. He is also the only angel in heaven with pink eyes. He's slender and he's 5'9" When I describe him, I mention that he sparkles in the sun like fresh snow. His father keeps him away from his mother so she doesn't influence him to step away from the path of an archangel. Talon is torn between making his father proud and doing what makes him happy. He doesn't want to be a warrior. He wants to work in the gardens.

This is some really old art I have of him. I have to work on some more now that I picked up a new program. The ginger is Fawn. She is Talon's best friend.

Aeshma is a Persian war demon from a place in hell called Khadah. A place in the circle of wrath. His parents are Amara and Angra Mainyu. Both of them are war demons as well. He was bred for battle, starting his training as soon as he could run. His kind have been at war with Michael for years and Angra makes Aeshma a commander in the demonic army. He's cocky but humble. It's very hard to get him to switch from soldier to young demon who wants to have fun. Aeshma is almost seven feet tall and built like a tank. Chocolate brown skin and jade green eyes. He's covered in battle scars. He makes his parents extremely proud. He's a ruthless killer who has taken down kingdoms without the aid of an army. So, when it comes to invading heaven, Aeshma is the one Angra can count on.

A meeting is called by Michael after he invades Khadah and kills Aeshma's sister. Angra accepts and brings a small group of demons with him.

Talon is forced to attend this meeting. None of the angels know that Angra's presence is only a distraction from Aeshma's attack. They don't want peace, they want revenge.

This attack leads to Aeshma breaking into Michael's house and stumbling across Talon. While other demons want to kidnap and sell Talon, Aeshma makes the decision to let him go. Talon is intrigued by Aeshma and even decides to accompany his father to hell where they sign a treaty.

I don't want to give away too much, I could talk for years about this, but I'll just give the basics for now.

Talon and Aeshma start to meet in private. In one of Heaven's abandoned gardens. Eden. Aeshma is there for information and Talon is there to get to know him.

*insert a shit ton more lore and plot here lmfao*

Michael ends up finding out about what Talon has been doing and he imprisons Talon. Talon escapes and Michael's only option is to cast him down. He subdues Talon's angelic powers and strips him of his memory. He kills Talon and has him reborn to a human family. An abusive family that see him as evil because of his paper white skin and pink eyes. He was born to a twin brother, Tyler. Talon ends up with a red streak in his hair. Michael describes it as his physical scarlet letter. And his life will be nothing but pain and suffering.

That's what book one is about. Talon's life as a human. His battle with neglect, abuse and sexual assault. Living in a place where no one wants to help and no one cares. He finds peace in one human, who in fact isn't human. David.

Talon learns all about possessive behavior and psychological abuse without even realizing it until it's too late. He also doesn't realize he's being hunted. While it's subdued, demons and angels can smell Talon's power. Asmodeus and Samael included. He falls into the lust demon's grasp, lured in with the idea of revenge on the people who have hurt him.

All this leads into a hefty series of Talon finding out exactly who and what he is. Royal demon blood is blended with his angelic golden ichor, turning him into a hybrid. One of the most powerful weapons in all creation. And he is faced with a decision. Michael isn't the only angelic threat to Talon and his newfound family. It goes all the way up the political angelic ladder. Being a hybrid and possessing the blood of Michael, Talon is the only one who can bring him down.

There is literally so much that I left out, but hopefully that was enough of a lore drop lmfao

I deeply apologize for the massive info dump, but I am literally so excited about this series, I could cry. I worked so hard on it.

There will be

Helpless

Helpless: Retaliation

Helpless: Revelation

Helpless: Redemption

Helpless: Revolution

And it will all lead up to the release of Divine Chaos which will be all about Talon before his fall.

The names took me forever. I have a shit ton of characters throughout the series. The Dictionary of Demons is a MAJOR life saver when it comes to name and even lore. It's a fantastic book and if you're writing about angels and demons, I seriously recommend it.

#info dumped like a lunatic #but oh well #anon ask #my ocs #oc art #oc artwork #aeshma #talon #authors #writing community #writers #oc lore #angels and demons

[a-canceled-stamp]

🦋Summer Fanfic Recommendations🦋

I am still grappling with the fact that summer is, in fact, over. In order to say goodbye to arguably my favorite season of the year, I've decided, completely unprompted, to make a rec list of my fav fanfics I read during (and slightly prior to) the summer of 2023. Cause why the heck not.

(The first time I'm doing one of these, apologies if the format is a bit wonky or if there are any other errors!)

⊱┄┄┄┄𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼 𓋼 𖤣𖥧 𓋼𓍊┄┄┄┄⊰

God of War - 🪓ᛏᚺᛖ ᚲᚤᚲᛚᛖ ᛖᚾᛞᛋ ᚺᛖᚱᛖ🏹

Bear Necessities by rosysoleil Summary: Atreus becomes trapped in his bear form and Sindri reluctantly agrees to help turn him human again. Comment: Set after God of War: Ragnarök which, if you’ve played the game, should tell you all you need to know lol. Am absolutely obsessed with this one, y’all. Characterization on point, intriguing plot, incredible writing. The one God of War fic that refuses to let me go. (WIP)

Malevolent - ⛥⛧this too shall pass⛧🕯️

It would be a long drive home by Croik Summary: Arthur Never Makes the Deal with Kayne AU Comment: *Incoherent noises.* Holy moly, this one is good. Amazing writing, captivating plot, just an overall joy to read. The ending made me crave more.

Lacuna by Calamitatum Summary: After Addison, John gets a body and Crazy Shit Happens (not necessarily in that order) Comment: *increased incoherent noises.* BITCH. This fic broke me. And it ain’t even finished yet. Such excellent content, an absolute must-read. (WIP)

Tuck me in by Croik Summary: After getting his own body, John finds it difficult to adjust to one of the most basic and most anticipated new options for him: sleep. Comment: Cuddles. Solve. EVERYTHING. Am so in love with this fic. I hold it up gently for everyone to see.

formaldehyde (or, The Case of the Missing Lilly) by SupposedToBeWriting Summary: Prohibition with a hint of demons and detective-ing Comment: If you could see my reactions as I was reading this fic you’d understand the hype. Absolutely fantastic piece of art. Just. Aaaaah I love it. Quite long but I barely noticed. Hooks you in and refuses to let go.

Batman (DC) - 🦇we live in a society—🃏

HOPE THE LOVE WE SHARED CAN RESURRECT THE LAST. by orpheusaki Summary: Jason survives Ethiopia and returns home; this is the beginning. Comment: The ending made me cry and demand a refund, but like, in the best of ways. Major Character Death. This one HURT y’all, proceed with caution.

Papa Whiskey Bravo by PsychedelicBumblebee Summary: Dick almost dies while on patrol, and Bruce quietly loses it. Comment: aaaah urgggh this one hurt. A LOT. Which seems to be the ones I end up enjoying the most. Beautifully written. ScaredShitless!Bruce is always a win. Gets you right in the feels.

Don’t hold your breath, I don’t think we have much time left by Chemical_Processes Summary: On a quest to rid Harvey of Two-Face, Duke gets critically injured, forcing Bruce and Harvey to work together to keep him alive. Comment: This ficccccc omg. Absolutely obsessed. Love me some Duke content, and the Bruce & Harvey dynamic is to live for. Protective!Bruce is best Bruce. You might be cautious after what I just said about this author’s other work, but don’t worry! This one sparks joy.

And we’ll be carry each other by FishFromMars Summary: Timmy goes to a safehouse after a mission ends with the death of two of his best friends. Comment: what can I say? Reverse Robins AU is an immediate win in my book. Also Damian being a Good Brother makes me feel stuff, man. Something something poetic cinema something. Really well written as well. Very sad, I love it.

my shoulders are heavy already by a_alene Summary: Damian is not sick. Dick is not having a crisis. Also, freezer pops. Comment: Sickfic, which already tells you it's gonna be some good soup. So incredibly sweet but also very oof. My heart constricted several times while reading this. Damian and Dick’s dynamic and relationship is just so…🥺 I love them, your honor.

The Long Way Home by itsnatalie Summary: Jason and Tim are forced to work together when they’re trapped inside a murderous labyrinth. Things get crazy, y’all. Comment: !!! this. fic. It’s one of those fics that’ll stay with you long after you’ve read it. The longest fic on my list, but oh my god it’s so worth reading. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually read longer fics. Seriously, this shit SLAPS

⊱┄┄┄┄𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼 𓋼 𖤣𖥧 𓋼𓍊┄┄┄┄⊰

And there you have it. This was so fun! I'm thinking of doing one of these at the end of every month, starting in September. But then again consistency ain't a strength of mine so I make no promises :3

I'm always looking for new fics to read (especially ones with a father & son duo and a sprinkle of h/c - emphasis on the comfort part) so if you know of a fic you want to recommend (your own work included) you can leave the details in a comment!

Stay readin' my dudes

#fanfiction #fic recs #fanfiction recommendations #god of war #malevolent podcast #batman #Faye's recommendations

[bthump]

readberserk*com/chapter/berserk-spoilers-raw-chapter-365/ some pages from the next chapters have leaked... thoughts?

clickable link

lmao more than ever right now I'm afraid that the behelit's going to open but Casca won't make a sacrifice, either bc the power of love and friendship will save her or because plot stuff will interrupt the process. Not because of anything in the leaks, just because seeing shit finally about to go down has filled me with The Fear.

But honestly it's basically exactly what I was expecting so far so fingers crossed! kinda love Griff just standing there while Guts attacks him, idk exactly what’s happening but I dig his chill vibes. Would like to see an exchange of words or something before Guts loses his shit but we’ll see I guess.

Plus since Guts is already going beast mode now I’m actually thinking that it could be Guts going full beast of darkness as the tipping point for Casca’s despair, it would be a nice payoff to Casca being afraid of him for 2 arcs.

Casca’s necklace coming off is intriguing, though it would be more intriguing if I knew what the fuck the necklace was supposed to do beyond vague general ~protection. I went searching for more info when I saw the leaks but it seems she got it off-screen (really it seems like Miura forgot to add it to Flora’s gift giving sequence lmao) and I couldn’t re-read 150 chapters looking for mentions of it. So hey if anyone knows of a chapter that has info on that necklace, please hit me up and lmk!

Also I was just reminded of Skull Knight’s warning that the fetus will bring them both woe so like

I’m banging my fists on the table chanting sacrifice rn.

Though on the negative side I am now beginning to realize how much I’m gonna miss Miura’s writing (and art, even the Fantasia art comparatively) if this does end up feeling like more of a hollow outline of a story, which seems very likely 😭 I want to know what’ll happen but even if I’m right about everything and all my dreams are catered to it’ll never be as good as it could’ve been.

#berserk spoilers #chapter 365 #ask #anonymous #b #i still fully believe it's behelit time #don't prove me wrong guys #it's gotta happen it's time it's obvious there's been so much foreshadowing what else could possibly cap this arc off #theme: speculation

[reckless-rider]

*rolls up to your inbox swagulously* hi, have you heard of our lord and savior jesus christ Images of the Future?

So, I posted a little summary a bit ago on my art blog about IotF if you haven't seen that yet, but I redid the beginning a bit so I'm gonna go over that again.

Jaiden has been having... strange dreams. In them, it seems that the apocalypse had finally happened. Monsters run rampant across the Earth, and society seems to have fully collapsed, leaving only small communities of nomads desperately trying to survive.

One night, she has another strange dream. This one, however, isn't like the rest. In it, there's another girl Jaiden has never seen before, and they are standing in a shadowy void. The other girl keeps trying to say something, but only bits and pieces get through, and Jaiden jolts awake.

This is where it converges back onto my original summary.

I would loooooove to rant about my bullshit but I love my ✨mystery✨ and ✨intrigue✨ so I can't. Which is sad. :(

But also like, in IotF, I intend to draw heavy parallels between the people with powers and the irl discrimination that queer people and other minorities face (but especially queer people, because that is what affects me most personally so naturally I'll talk about it more)

And also, IotF is going to be really tonally different from Wipeout!. Wo! is more like my fun, happy-go-lucky story where everything is happy (...mostly), and IotF is where I want to tackle complex plots, social commentary, and all that jazz, which,,,,

yeah,,,, no. None of that would really line up with a sports comic mixed with slice of life and the power of friendship.

Anyways, I swear to god I'm normal about this story. So normal :)

Holy shit this sounds so good!!!! I'm excited to learn more abt the dreams that Jaiden is having and the monsters that have taken over and and the girl that shes seeing!!!!!! Do we ever find out how the apocalypse starts???? 

#blobwithapencil #if you post IotF stuff could you lmk?? #im so curious #it sounds so good!!!

[kikis-writing-world]

WIP Check-In

MiHello my dear followers! I know I’ve been MIA recently (aside from some random meme reblogs) but I’m hoping my life gets a little less crazy and I can make some room in my schedule for tumblr/reading/writing/etc. In anticipation for that, I’ve got a list and some info about some WIPs I have going. Please please please feel free to message about any that intrigue you - talking about them might help me get the gumption to write and/or we might come up with some new plot ideas!

Check under the cut and message me here :) Feel free to ask for more info or for sneak peeks at anything.

In no particular order:

Whiskey Straight (Jack Daniels x F!Reader) I promise I’m still working on this! My current plan is that I will rewrite what exists, finish the whole thing, and then remove what exists when I’m reading to repost. Once it’s done, it will be a weekly posting.

Untitled Professor Marcus Moreno smut Lord give me the motivation to finish this one. I’ve been working on it for so long and I think there are a lot of people on here who want to read about subby Marcus being such a good boy... It’s basically subby Professor Moreno getting his world rocked by his wife when she comes to visit him in his office. What more could you want?

Untitled Oberyn x F!OC x Ellaria, reincarnation multi-fic This story haunts me to the point where I’ve considered if I should create all original characters and try to publish it as an original story, but every time I’ve thought about taking Oberyn and Ellaria out of it, my brain just goes “nope, not happening then.” This could be considered a soulmate fic in some ways. The first half takes places in Dorne but then the second half is modern day reincarnations of the three characters, the universe bringing them back together again. The thoughts I’ve come up with for modern day Ellaria and Oberyn are just so much fun. (A fashion model who is starting to get recognized for her work, and her independently wealthy, untamable long-term fiance/agent.) It’s so self indulgent. It’s hurt/comfort, smut, angst, slow burn hopefully...

Attraction and Other Subjectivities 2 (Jonathan Levy x Reader) I’ve had ideas for a second installment of this fic since I wrote it. Mira gets involved, Jonathan gets pissy, reader gets hurt- it’s angsty for sure. Not sure yet if it gets a happy ending (or maybe a third part that has happiness? Hmm...)

Memories (Frankie x Ghost!Reader) I’ve been slowly working on this since last Halloween. I hope to have it ready for this year’s... Frankie loses his pilot license. Job hunting leads him to a graveyard shift - literally. He starts working as a night guard/groundskeeper for a cemetary. A young woman spooks him one night, and she disappears when he tells her no one should be inside... but she’s there again the next night, and the next- finally, he realizes she’s not “among us” and needs help to cross over.

Nose Art (Por Dameron x Reader) This is borderline crack fic, but it stems from the idea of the nose art/pin up girls that would be painted on old fighter planes. It essentially boils down to Reader posing for pin-up art and Poe being a big, big fan of it.

Catfished (Frankie x Miller!OC) Frankie meets Will and Benny’s little sister and they decide to mess with the older, overbearing brothers... but also, maybe it’s not just for the sake of her brothers? This is a meet-cute with the beginnings of feels more so than an actual romance.

Untitled Oberyn x Reader A/B/O Smut (possible Ellaria as well? Not sure yet...) This is smut. 100% pure A/B/O dynamics smut. Reader is mated with Oberyn and has her first Spring heat since the mating. I’ve always loved reading A/B/O but have never written it. I just know Oberyn would be a good alpha and would be able to keep up with whatever his omega needed. I’ve barely even started writing the smut of it, just the lead up, and I’m already loving the shit out of it!!!

There are more, but these are the ones I’m most excited about/been trying to work on lately. I’d love to chat with y’all about them!!

#Wookie Tales #WIP talks #WIP Game

[astaroth1357]

Brothers React to a Demigod MC 

So, I've gotten some interest to do a Brothers follow-up to a previous request of mine (Undateables React to a Cute, Badass MC), however, I've thus far refused to write one. Honestly, this HC actually plays on a trope I personally dislike and had it not been a request I would have never done it to start with. I just can't see any reasonable way a non-magic human can beat a bunch of demons, I just can't, and that hinders my imagination quite a bit. …But someone who’s not so human? That I can get behind. Fair warning, I grew up with the Percy Jackson series so that’s going to paint quite a bit of how I see modern demigods. Ready for things to get super-ultra fanfic-y for a bit?

Intro:

The day to kidnap bring the exchange students to the Devildom has finally come and the demons have all gathered in the Council Room to open their portal to the human world. Really, things started without a hitch - the portal opened with and their future student dropped down out of it and landed on the floor… before they suddenly leapt up, pulled out a weapon, and lunged at them!

… This isn’t your normal human, it is?

Lucifer

Oh Devil, this couldn’t have been any farther than what they wanted… They were looking for a human and they managed to pull out a halfling! A divine halfling no less!! Why wasn’t this in their file?!

Look, Lucifer might not be on good terms with his father, but even he knows he had it better than any children of the pagan gods… The levels of petty vindictiveness that run through that bunch are literally the stuff of legends...

After he and Barbatos were able to restrain the MC before they hurt themselves or anyone else, Diavolo explained everything to them and gave them a pardon for attacking the Demon Prince on sight… After they identified themselves and their parentage, Lucifer knew they were in for some shit…

He and Diavolo had to iron out an apology letter to their godly parent for days just to keep from saying anything that could accidentally cause a second Troy or worse... It was a mess...

But on the bright side, the “human” came pre-prepared for fighting monsters and demons, which honestly took a bit of a load off his shoulders. That’s less responsibility for Mammon - and in his experience, the less responsibility Mammon has, the better things usually turn out.

… Though their ability to actually hold their own in a fight did make things complicated sometimes - like whenever he was their perceived opponent... 

He wasn’t expecting to have to manage a being that was actually capable of meeting him toe-to-toe on the battlefield and it did hinder his intimidation factor to some degree…It was hard to be threatening to someone who’s likely faced worse than you could ever offer.

In the end it probably worked out for the best, as a live exchange student is better for Diavolo than a dead one - but man did it get on his nerves until they made their pact together… Be scared of him, dammit!

Mammon

The first time he tried to threaten the human, they straight up pulled out a weapon and looked like they were ready to whip his ass!! Didn’t they know he wasn’t being serious?? 😫

He really didn’t know why he had to be on babysitting duty, anymore... This huma-er demigod could handle themselves just fine!

When he first ditched them with Levi, he later found out they managed to cleanly toss his brother over their head and make a break for it all by themselves! And Levi’s no pushover either!!

Later, he saw them getting ambushed on their way back from school and they soundly knocked out about five demons before he even caught up to them… and he’s, like, fast and stuff… 

Their strength is kind of unreal at times, but he could tell they were still far from a mindless killing machine. They were more or less a normal person, they had wants and dreams like anybody else, but they just happened to be a long stronger than the average mortals around them. 🤷‍♀️

After he eventually got to know them and a bit about how their life worked, he felt a little bad for them... Who wants to be hunted down just for being born?

After learning about their struggles, Mammon ended up resolving to help keep them safe (even if a part of him knew they didn’t need him that much).

I mean, if the whole world’s against you, then you can use all the help you can get... right?

Leviathan 

Levi found out exactly one thing about them within the first two minutes of meeting them… their reflexes were killer.

After Mammon ditched them on Day One, he tried to drag the human to his room to tell them his genius plan but they broke out of his grip and threw him flat on his back like was just second nature! 

He was stuck on the ground for a full minute, trying to process what just happened, while they ran off into the House all alone…

Did he just get tossed around… by a human?? Was he really that pathetic!?!

Finding out later that they were actually half-god certainly helped out his self-esteem because, man, if he had lost so easily to a human of all things... He might have just never left his room again…

Levi pretty much kept his distance from them until they finally made a pact together and then he discovered that the MC wasn’t so scary after all. If he’s being honest, being in the same house as a demigod was actually kind of cool...! 

Like, it was almost exactly the plot of the show: “Wait, I Thought I Was the Son of a Pagan God So What Am I Doing in a Christian Hell??” but their MC seemed to know a lot more about fighting than the protagonist of that show ever did…

Plus, because he never had to worry about their safety, he had even more excuse to never leave his room. Win-win!

Satan

A demigod, eh…? He had done plenty of research into human world mythologies in his spare time, frankly he thought the old gods had died out - but it seems they were still up and kicking… and making babies for whatever reason? Horny bastards...

Satan's original interest in the MC was purely academic. It’s not everyday that you get to meet someone of such a unique heritage and he fully intended to learn if all the legends about their greatness were true… and well...

He could say that the MC was certainly different than how he pictured humans being. He’d never met very many before, but from what he could gather they were a weak race that really got by on wit and persistence… However, nothing about the MC was weak.

Their aptitude for combat was surprisingly sharp, both in skill and reflexes. He had once blown up at them in anger and not only did they dodge his swipes but they got in a good few hits themselves with a nearby lamp… He never once thought a mortal could give him a black-eye but, somehow, they pulled it off. 🤷‍♀️

Combine their physical skill with what magical gifts were granted to them by their godly-half and they were a force to be reckoned with… Even Solomon seemed to hesitate and think more about his actions around them (which is saying something for a sorcerer of his strength).

It’d be fair to say a part of him grew to respect the MC long before they ever made their pact and that respect only grew afterwards. If he had to be bound to any master, human or otherwise, he’d rather it be one that he could right about consider an equal not only as a friend, but in strength as well.

Asmodeus 

A demigod…? Oooo, he hadn’t come across one of those since he bedded Aeneas all those centuries ago… Such a gorgeous man, got all his looks from his mother~! 🤭

Asmo was probably the most interested in their godly heritage, but it felt like he was treating them like a zoo exhibit for a while… Something pretty and new to look at, but not exactly someone he wanted to know personally...

He openly and readily admitted that watching their little demigod in action got him hot and bothered (or well, more hot and bothered than usual ) but it didn’t take him to see they weren’t interested at the time…

He decided that he just had to have a pact with them after they saved him from Henry 1.0! It was before he noticed the giant snake and he was lurching back to strike, but the human swept in to knock him out of the way. They probably could have made mince meat of the creature themselves if Levi weren’t begging for them to spare his former pet...

Post-pact Asmo treated them with a lot more respect… but also still fanboyed over their fighting skills hardcore. 

Like, their body had to be fit to keep up with all those monsters, right?? What was their training routine? Could he watch?? Oh please say he can watch!! He just can’t get enough of that fighter’s physique…! 😍

Beelzebub 

So… the human isn’t a human but only part human? And the other part is a god? Does that make them any sturdier than normal humans…? Call him curious…

Beel was probably one of the few brothers who was legitimately weary of the MC from the beginning… He can get a certain feel for a person pretty quickly and something about them just felt…frankly, kind of dangerous.

But they also intrigued him a little… Beel’s used to being one of the strongest demons in any room he walks into (not a boast, just a fact) so for him to get that feel from a mortal was pretty impressive. A part of him just wanted to test them… you know?

So. He did. He asked them to help him train his martial arts one day and even with his awareness, he was not expecting the results that he got.

The MC was strong. Very strong. They were not only able to keep up with him and dodge his blows, but they were able to predict his moves and counterattack in kind. They didn’t even need to tell him that they had actually been fighting for their life for years, he could tell. They had a skill you don’t get from practice matches...

After that point, the two would go to each other to train and keep their skills sharp… but also just to spar for fun. Their fighting styles made a pretty good match and they bonded pretty damn quick because of it. 

If anime tells us anything, when you find a good fight buddy, you stick with them. Even if one’s part god and the other is a demon. 🤷‍♀️ 

Belphegor 

A demigod is still human enough to hate, sorry MC. Not that he knew about their godly heritage at first…

Really, he should have been a little more suspicious of how easily they seemed to take to life in the Devildom... Weren’t demons supposed to scare humans? Why did they seem so comfortable down here...?

His confirmation only came when he tried to enact the final part of “Use the MC to Escape the Attic!” plan and take their life to seal the deal… but oh boy, was he outclassed real quick… 

The MC had already socked him in the jaw by the time he got his full demon form out and then they threw him across the room by the tail… the TAIL!! And it hurt like a bitch, too!! Even during the full blown fight that followed, he could tell they were holding back and it pissed him off something fierce...!

Why was the MC so strong?!? Humans weren’t supposed to be strong!!!

His brothers heard all the commotion and the Lilith confrontation ended up happening up in the attic between a somewhat beat-up Belphie and a barely-scratched MC. Had Beel not come to his defense on instinct, it might have turned out worse for him in all honesty… Something about that human just wasn’t right…

He only found out about their god-half after everything settled down and he promised not to try killing them again (not that anyone thought he could...) and that put some things into perspective. So the Lastborn Ruler of Hell isn’t as strong as one mortal demigod…? Ouch. Okay, fine then... Whatever...

He does think it’s too bad he missed them beating the crap out of the rest of his brothers, though (minus Beel)... That would have been fun to see. 😔

So I tried to keep this one God-parent neutral, but I’ve upgraded this to its own series! Check it out if you’re interested! 😊

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes

#obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #this was pretty fun #another for the fav list

[zerogravityinq]

Webtoon reading list: Tachiyomi

So here is a screenshot of all the manhwa I am following. Most have an official release which either I am following and paying for and just reading here because the fan translation is past it or I decided, for whatever reason, to not financially support a story so I read it on another platform.

So here is a list with the fan name listed first and thoughts. Under a cut because this will be long. If you want me to explain acronyms, DM me.

Webtoons I am reading

A Red Knight Does Not Blindly Follow Money/The Red Knight Seeks No Reward - A great balance of action and romance and remorseful MC who is trying to right what went wrong. Also the art isn't like crazy beautiful or ugly - it flows with the story and does not distract from it. Just got picked up by tapas but the fan translation [by BCK] is waaaaay further.

Beatrice - its problematic as fuck but the art is so pretty. Not licensed. IS fan translates this.

Happy Ending For The Time Limited Villainess/The Villainess' Days Are Numbered - my stupid ass....didn't read this at first because I didn't like the art. But now, its one of my top faves - funny and touching at times. I like it so much. Its on Tapas and fan translated by OMA.

I Became The Wife Of The Male Lead/Author Of My Own Destiny - Abel best Daddy. Tapas just got this and BCK translates.

I Was Here From The Beginning - this is new and its kinda shit but updates are quick. Translated by DBR

Into The Light Once Again - Good art, good story, I know some [idiots] are not thrilled about the ML but fuck yall. This my ride or die. Picked up by tapas [name is the same] and translated by PO2.

Im the stepmother but my daughter is just too cute/Not Sew Wicked Stepmother - This is both funny and a punch to the gut. Great art and a fun read. The fan version is further. Also has a novel on amazon in english - look for the fan name. On Tapas and translated by LS

Justice for the Villainess - great art and good political intrigue. Suffers quite a bit from same face syndrome but has a strong plot so I am willing to overlock it. On Manta, no more fan translations.

The Emperor Reverses Time - I could make a whole side post about this [and I should] and it is worth it - dark, cute, and gorgeous art that doesn't overwhelm the story. Why the fuck this isn't licensed is fucking beyond me. Translated by IS.

Secret Lady - I feel like the art for this is way too strong for this plot but I think its still good either way. Nice little supernatural mystery story with a bit of funny sprinkled in. Was translated by Saving Your Toochies but they disbanded last month. On Tapas - fan and official name is the same.

The Princess Double Life - Don't let the main plot of a con woman transmigrating fool you - shit is DARK. I thought it would be ha ha funny con woman leading an idiot by the nose but no...no.... Art is great tho. Relatively new release. Not licensed, translated by DHC

The Time of the Terminally Ill Extra - yall.....yalll.....read this. Its pretty, its great, it handles abuse SO WELL, and the ML is the bestest of bois. Read this shit. Relatively new, not licensed. Translation by AS.

The Villainess Needs A Tyrant/The Villainess Needs Her Tyrant - I feel like this is a slightly more coherent version of The Villainess Becomes the Leading Lady or like My Fiance is In Love With My Little Sister but slightly less tragic. Great art and I like that she knows her bae is a tyrant but likes that about him lmao. Great art but the hairlines are sus. On Tapas and translated by SS and LS.

The Wolf The Picked Something Up - started as animals and now its humans and cute. one of the few chinese comics I read. The translator is being a bit annoying atm but whatever sis. Good art and nice short stories that are funny and heartwarming. I feel healed by this. Not licensed to my knowledge. Translated by GW

Under The Oak Tree - this is so good. like bitch. Its so good. A little problematic at the start but now....these baes. On Manta, no fan translations.

Recording Hall/Viridescent Crown/The Viridescent Tiara - I like this one quite a bit. Some shy away because the assumed incest [when something like Lady Devil exists which is literally twincest but I digress] but the art is nice and the plot is pretty tight. I think this is the best done 'Author transmigrated into her own work' type story in the genre. Fantranslated by SS and on Tapas officially

What It Means To Be You - yo....yo....if you are sensitive to abuse and suicide....don't read this. Just don't. Save yourself. If you aren't - this is a good read. Winter is an exercise in frustration and why are you so stupid but as a veteran of the yaoi genre, he's no worse than say Eri Yuki in Gravitation or Usagi in Junjou Romantica. This is setting the bar subterranean but at the very least, Winter isn't a rapist [yaoi keeps the bar low and grabs a shovel to start digging. Kids these days know nothing about the predecessors to dokuyuusei and yuri on ice. Everything was rape back then and that was all we had] This is MTL by some shitty group but is on Tapas.

So this isn't a complete list. There are some on hiatus and some I don't have a tachiyomi version of but I will get to those next post

Happy Reading!

#manhwa #manhua #tachiyomi #webtoon #webtoon recommendations #inq still read things

[pippenpaddlopsicopolisthethird]

That person might not have said top ten but I would like to see the other five underrated animes 👀

(First post) I’LL KEEP ‘EM COMING, I LIVE FOR RECOMMENDING ANIME. I keep changing my mind on which ones to include because there’s so much good shit out there.

By the way, all of the recommendations in this list AND the last one are 26 episodes or less and tell a complete story. No cliffhangers, no “finish the manga to see the finale”, no “where’s the rest of it???” endings. That’s why, for now, Stars Align and Princess Jellyfish still get stuck with the honorable mentions even though what’s been made for both of them is incredible.

1. The Tatami Galaxy (Drama, Introspective)

The director behind Ping Pong the Animation and the original author behind Eccentric Family join forces to make Tatami Galaxy, which capitalizes on the best strengths of both shows. The protagonist is a lonely college student facing the prospect of graduating after having thoroughly wasted his college years. He bemoans how circumstances outside of his control, from conniving fake-friends to selfish and shallow extras, have conspired to ruin what should have been a “rose-colored campus life”, and wishes he could do it over again so he can get it right.

So he does, with the show using avant-garde animation and abstract storytelling to explore all of his threads of what-ifs. The plotlines seem separate but weave together and subtly build on each other, culminating to a finale that explores the meaning of relationships and who you are in the absence of outside forces that can define you. It’s heartfelt, funny, raunchy, and deep, and perfectly encapsulates the existential dread of being in college. I watched it for the first time when I was about to finish undergrad and it hit like an emotional freight train, then I rewatched it during quarantine and it hit like a truck. This is one of my top favorite anime of all time.

2. Re:Creators (Fantasy, action)

Most of the anime I’ve put on these lists get their spots for being deep, nuanced, and delicately crafted. This is not one of them. But, by god, is it one of the most over-the-top fun shows I’ve ever seen. Re:Creators is a rare reverse-isekai. Fictional characters from popular anime, games, and manga suddenly start turning up in the real world, instructed to “find your Creator and reshape the world you came from”. The soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano is bar-none one of the hypest things out there; seriously, just listen to Layers, the song for a character from a grimdark everyone-dies series begging her author to tell her why.

The characters in this show are so fun to watch bounce off each other, even if they’re not as “three dimensional” as others. Magical girls fight Stand users, mechs face down scifi-noir detectives, Lawful Good Paladins go toe-to-toe with Chaotic Evil light novel villains.  But by including the artists who imagined these characters as characters themselves, it also has a lot to say about the creative process, the reasons people create, and the relationship between an artist and their work. Between the high-octane fight scenes, there’s a surprisingly human and genuine throughline.

3. Sora no Woto (Slice of life, music, post-apocalyptic)

This show is another of my favorite examples of worldbuilding done right. A young girl joins the army as a bugler because it’s one of the only ways she can learn to play music. The episode plots focus on how she and her tiny regiment of young women stationed at a small town in the middle of nowhere deal with day-to-day troubles, while the details of the world around them slowly fill and round out the picture of a broken society where people still just... live. They still create myths, they still have festivals, they still blow glass and tell ghost stories and make art. The plots seem inconsequential, until the world built into the background becomes too prominent to ignore. The background art and music is some of the most gorgeous I’ve seen. It’s part of a genre I’ve been calling “soft apocalypse” and it’s been one of my favorites for years.

BONUS MENTION: Girl’s Last Tour (Slice of life, post-apocalyptic)

Yes, I’m cheating, but listen. Girl’s Last Tour fits perfectly into the canon narrative provided by Sora no Woto, just set in the far future, a few apocalypses later. It’s got less of a main plot, because there’s almost nothing of society left, just two girls wandering together through an abandoned world. It’s soft, introspective, and bittersweet, showing how humanity is still humanity no matter how few people are left. Despite having nothing about their productions in common, it’s the perfect spiritual successor to Sora no Woto and they deserve to be recommended in the same spot.

4. Tamako Market (+ the movie) (Romance, slice-of-life)

This show is the platonic ideal of a soft, heartwarming, sweet-as-sugar, slice-of-life romance. It follows the daily life of Tamako, a high school girl who lives above a family-owned mochi shop in a shopping center, who is followed around by a talking bird trying to find a bride for his prince in a far-off land. But really the show isn’t about the bird. The show is about love in all its forms. The love that the other families in the shopping center have for Tamako, the love that she and her friends have for each other, the love they have for the activities they’re passionate about, the love you feel when someone makes you a cup of coffee, fated love, childhood crushes, family love.

Something about this show that also stands out is how gently and naturally it incorporates some of the best queer representation I’ve ever seen in anime. One of the shop owners is a kind and soft-spoken trans woman, who is never the butt of a joke, never questioned, never treated as different, loved all the same. One of Tamako’s friends is gay, and her crush on Tamako is treated with as much respect and care as every other moment in the show. This series never makes you flinch for fear of “representation” that turns sour. It’s the epitome of a feel-good show.

5. ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department (Political, mystery, drama)

Yes, I keep saving my favorites for last on these lists. I can’t describe this show as anything but the perfectly written plot. As a rule, I don’t like political dramas, and this is one of my favorite anime of all time. It’s set in a fictional country, where 13 regions all exist relatively independently under one collective monarchical ruler, and follows Jean, an agent of the independent Inspection Department, which acts as a check and balance to each power. The series begins with Jean being assigned a full review of each territory while the powers-that-be field whispers of a coup. This show masters foreshadowing, intrigue, escalation, and mystery. The stakes build and overlap on scales from intensely personal to national. The pacing is amazing, keeping tension balanced with plot twists that answer more questions than they ask.

Plus, it’s got one of the most visually appealing and stylized openings out there. I realize that political drama isn’t exactly escapism right now, but believe me, this series is worth it.

#my posts #anime recommendations #acca 13 #tamako market #girls last tour #sora no woto #re creators #tatami galaxy #i literally spend HOURS on each of these lists #i love pointing people towards good anime #THERES GOOD SHIT OUT THERE #again if yall dont know about baccano by now just assume im always willing to tell you abt it #my asks #Anonymous

[sineala]

Captain America: The Great Gold Steal

I wrote this up last week because I did not have access to my usual comics files but I figured I could review something that was just a book. So here is a review of the 1968 Captain America novel Captain America: The Great Gold Steal by Ted White, with an introduction by Stan Lee. I really liked it, actually! It was surprisingly good!

This novel features: Cover art of Captain America holding his shield in one hand and a very large gun in the other! A scene where the villains dramatically unmask Captain America and have absolutely no idea who he is! Captain America being extremely, extremely depressed about being in the future! Captain America dropping acid!

(I'm not kidding about the last part. In this novel there is a lot of LSD use. By Captain America. Talk about something the Comics Code wouldn't ever let you put in a comic book. Thank you, 1968.)

Faithful readers may remember that some time ago I posted reviews of Marvel prose novels from the 1970s. There was a line of prose novels featuring everyone's favorite Marvel superheroes, published by Pocket Books in the late 70s; I have reviews of the Iron Man, Captain America, and Avengers entries in the series; I liked the Iron Man one best, and I also have a Doctor Strange one I have not yet read. They're all short and action-packed paperback reads, of varying quality; the only one by anyone you might have heard of is the Avengers one, which was written by David Michelinie, who was actually writing the Avengers run at the time. That one was, um. An experience. 

(Yes, it's "prose novel" because otherwise the assumption is "graphic novel.")

Marvel still publishes prose novels now, of course, also of varying quality; some are new plots and some are straight-up novelizations of comics arcs, which I guess is useful if you want to, say, read Civil War and not look at pictures at the same time. I also have a bunch of those that I could probably review if anyone wants. But, anyway, I personally am particularly intrigued by the older Marvel prose novels, both because the stories are all original and not retellings, and also because I often prefer the characterization found in older comics. And the older prose novels of course use the then-current characterization. So reading a Marvel prose novel from 1979 is like getting to read a brand-new comic from 1979, and that's a whole lot of fun for a nerd like me. Also do you know what's not subject to the Comics Code? Prose novels. So things can happen in these that definitely could not happen in comics of the same era.

This brings me to my current prose novel, which is something else entirely. I mean, okay, not really, it's still a Marvel prose novel. But it's not part of the same line. It's actually a lot older.

Bantam Books actually published Marvel prose novels in the late 60s. Yep, a full decade earlier. They published exactly two, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they were probably not bestsellers. The first one, which I do not own and now sort of want to track down, was an Avengers novel in 1967, The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker. And then in 1968 they published the novel I am currently holding in my hands, Captain America: The Great Gold Steal by Ted White.

(I am still not sure why no one involved in titling this book thought of the word "theft.")

Judging by the back copy, it appears to be about Captain America foiling the villains' dastardly plan to steal gold from the Federal Reserve. Oh boy. Fun.

So this book is from 1968. The modern Marvel universe had kicked off just a few short years ago! Captain America was just getting his own solo book after the end of Tales of Suspense! And here's a novel about him, back when certain elements of his characterization were perhaps a little more flexible than they are today, by which I mean that the cover art -- which the internet informs me was painted by Mitchell Hooks -- is a striking full-body portrait of Captain America, head held high, shield in one hand... and a very large gun in the other. Hell, yeah. Not gonna see that in today's Cap comics, are you? It's amazing and I love it.

(Okay, you might see that in Ults. I'm pretty sure I have seen that in Ults, actually. But this is still cool.)

So the cover art is a definite plus, and apparently it's one of the few reasons anyone has ever heard of this novel. The other reason -- and the reason this is more expensive than the later novels, I assume -- is that Stan Lee's name is slapped on the cover, because he wrote an introduction. (I think I paid about $30 for this. The others were definitely under $20.)

All right. Here we go.

The first page is actually a brief summary of Steve's origin story, but not a version I was familiar with. Steve was born July 9, 1917 (yes, I was surprised too), was orphaned at a young age, and was a student at Columbia University (!) before Rebirth, which in this version is a gradual process that is also extremely body-horror. Steel tubing was inserted into the marrows of his bones. He was fed "high-protein compounds." Then they gave him a chemical that "gave him complete control over every nerve, muscle, and cell in his now-magnificent body." Sweet. Where can I get some of that?

The blurb also confirms his control over his own metabolism as well as his healing factor ("wounds would heal in half the normal time"), which is nice, because sometimes I wonder if canon even remembers the healing factor.

(I don't know why Marvel has this kink for filling people's bones with metal, though. It's not actually empty in there, guys! You need your bone marrow! How else do you want people to make new blood cells?)

The book is dedicated to "Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, without whom there would be no Captain America." Hey, Marvel, Joe Simon would like a word with you. I'm just saying.

The Stan Lee introduction is three paragraphs written in Stan Lee's, um, inimitable, distinctive and extremely florid narrative style -- if you've read any of his work, you know what I mean -- and making the point that Captain America is incredible and you will like him. If you are just discovering him for the first time, you will definitely like him. Okay. Thanks. I guess.

Oddly, the writing style here is substantially different than any of the other Marvel prose novels I've read; it doesn't immediately front-load you with exposition and a cast of colorful superheroes. It opens with a sort of James Bond spy-novel feel, running through a series of unnamed villains and bystanders, and a man who wants nothing more than to talk to Captain America but is killed before he can. Steve comes in halfway through the chapter, and he seems to be written for a reader who doesn't necessarily know who he is, and he isn't introduced as Captain America with his shield flying ahead of him to smite evildoers, or anything like that. He's just a tall, handsome blond guy who is reading a bunch of novels and is unsatisfied by all of them because all he can think of is the past. It's definitely an attitude I would expect from Steve in this era -- he is very much a Man Out Of Time here -- but it's also not how I expected the book to introduce him. You wouldn't even know he was Captain America by the end of the opening chapter, which then ends with a digression about the history of NYC subway tunnels. It's like it wants to appeal to someone who has watched a bunch of Man from UNCLE and just wants to read a cool thriller. Which is not at all what I was expecting.

By the beginning of the second chapter, of course, we discover that Steve is Captain America, as he changes into his uniform. The narration refers to him as Rogers when it's in his POV, if anyone is curious. He apparently keeps the cowl off in the mansion, because the cowl annoys him.

It was not so much that he needed to conceal his identity these days, because for all intents and purposes he had no other identity. Steve Rogers was officially dead, and had been for almost twenty years. Captain America *was* his identity. It was only when he donned the tight-fitting blue uniform with its shield chest-emblem, the red snug-fitting leather boots, and the heavy, yet pressure-sensitive red-leather gauntlets, that he began to feel real -- a complete human being.

Steve? Buddy, are you okay there? You're really not okay, are you, huh?

You see what I mean? They're really hitting the early-canon angst. Hard.

(Also it sounds like his uniform is a few sizes too small.)

We then get an expanded version of the backstory from the beginning excerpt. In this version of canon, Steve actually has an older brother, Alan, who is handsome and athletic and basically amazing, and when they are orphaned they are raised by their aunt and uncle. Steve gets TB twice as a kid, nearly dies from it, and when the stock market crashes, ends up separated from his brother and in an orphanage after his uncle loses everything.

(Honestly if I were writing this book, his brother would be the secret villain. Chekhov's Gun!)

Steve has glasses, gets bullied, is a nerd and an honor student, and studies law at Columbia because he wants to help stop fraudulent business practices and also fight organized crime. Legally, I mean. In a manner relating to law. I guess he's sort of like Daredevil. The lawyer part of Daredevil.

And then he joins Rebirth, and this is the part where I had to put the book down for several minutes, because Erskine's secret chemical, the key to making super-soldiers... is LSD.

Oh my God. You should see my face right now. My expression is, I am sure, indescribable. I'm trying not to wake the dog up laughing.

I just. Holy shit. This book is from 1968 in a way I definitely was not expecting. What the fuck, Marvel?

This project was headed by the brilliant biochemist, Dr. Erskine. His work with the endocrine system, and chemical body control, was well beyond that of his contemporaries. Only he, of all his colleagues, had fathomed the secrets of the Swiss Dr. Hoffman's 1938 discovery -- the mind-controlling LSD-25.

Let's just pause here for a few minutes and contemplate this.

I will point out that Albert Hofmann (yes, the book spelled his name wrong) didn't actually discover that LSD was a hallucinogen until 1943 when he accidentally tried it, but I am positive that 1968 here was a time when Some People were convinced LSD was a wonder drug. I'm still laughing. As far as I can tell, legal manufacturing of it stopped in 1965 so I am pretty sure that the author did not just decide to name a drug that had an ostensible legal therapeutic use, because it wouldn't have still had one by '68.

Anyway, in this version of events, Rebirth is a month-long process that involves a lot of vitamins, physical conditioning and training, and, yes, putting metal in his bones like he's the next Wolverine. They're filling his bones with stainless steel rods to make him stronger. That doesn't seem like a great idea to me, but I am also not sure about dropping acid to gain superpowers. Clearly I am not a genius scientist. Also Erskine knows what DNA is, apparently, because he's just that great. Anyway. Other than the metal, those all seem like relatively normal interventions. So far.

Now Steve has become fairly big and strong (and I guess he still has metal in his bones? this concerns me!) but they need to make him superhuman, so, yes, really, it's time to drop acid. Several pages of this book are devoted to describing Steve's acid trip. His acid trip is amazing and he discovers that he has conscious control of his entire body down to the cellular level. He can control the adrenaline in his bloodstream! He can tighten his muscle fibers! And when he's done tripping he still remembers how to do this, if not exactly on a conscious level, but he can still access the abilities. And that is how you make a super-soldier. It's LSD. Remember, kids, drugs are awesome! Do drugs!

Let's maybe take a few more minutes to think about this.

I just. I have no words. How did anyone at Marvel agree to print this?

I think for the most part superhero origin stories tend not to involve real drugs because people are generally aware that drugs they've heard of won't make you into a superhero. I guess this is what it looks like when you invoke the names of real drugs. They probably wanted something that sounded more realistic but somehow I don't think this was the best way to go. (Radiation, of course, will definitely make you into a superhero but I feel like most people have accepted that as one of the conventions of the genre.)

Anyway, after that Erskine gets killed by Nazis, of course, and Steve goes to war, and for some reason this book contains footnotes by Stan Lee himself listing the comics you can read all of this in. Just like the actual comics do!

We are introduced to Bucky, who for some reason is also from the LES in this version, although not anyone Steve knew before the war, and there is of course a description of Bucky's tragic death and Steve's subsequent icing.

They are really, really stressing the Man Out Of Time thing here:

No other man could have survived so fantastic a voyage through time. And no other man could feel so displaced by time.

He was a man twenty years in his own future. By rights, he should be nearly fifty years old -- nearly twice the age of his fellow Avengers. Yet his mind and his body were not yet thirty.

When the Avengers had brought him back to New York with them and insisted that, as an honored hero of the past, he join them, he felt a sort of melancholy homesickness for his own time and world.

We then get a few paragraphs with the usual being sad that he let Bucky down and got him killed, and also that he misses his family, and that Steve Rogers doesn't exist anymore, and that nobody is alive who remembers him, and that war is hell.

Hey, Steve, maybe the drugs you should do are antidepressants. Just a thought.

Also, this book is 118 pages and we're not out of the origin story flashback until page 34. I think there are some pacing issues here.

Actually, I lied, the flashback keeps going, but now we're up to the Avengers finding him, and I have to say that the list of things Steve finds strange about the future is kind of charming when the future is 1968. Men have long hair! Women have shorter skirts! Everyone is kind of blasé about rocket launches because there have been so many space missions now. (Oh, come on, you haven't even landed on the moon yet, 1968! You're not that blasé.) Color TV! And, excitingly, LPs! You can now listen to 36 minutes of consecutive music. (I actually don't know what previous standard he's describing that is a ten-inch record that holds six minutes a side because I don't think 45s are that big. Yeah, no, I just checked and 45s are seven inches in diameter. Hmm. Oh, never mind. He means 78 rpm, doesn't he? In my defense, the record player my family had when I was a kid didn't play those.)

The description of Steve coming into New York for the first time is definitely written by someone who knows New York, which is fun. There is generally a lot of local flavor to the setting of this book. That’s one of the best parts.

There is a brief summary of Steve's feelings about all the Avengers -- he is most impressed by Thor, which, I mean, fair, he's an actual god -- and Hank telling him all about how he can live in Tony's mansion. With Jarvis. Who Hank says is actually from Flatbush. Apparently Steve spent a lot of time at the NYPL branch at 5th and 42nd trying to catch up on history. And then of course the Avengers ditched him and gave him the Kooky Quartet, and for some reason they're not here right now either so it's just Steve being sad and alone and dealing with this mysterious dead guy. I think probably the book is also done explaining fiat currency now. This is definitely the weirdest Marvel novel I've read.

Anyway, we have now returned to what is ostensibly the actual plot. Steve shows up at the New York Federal Reserve Bank (I guess the theft is happening here and not, like, at Fort Knox) with the gold bullion that the dead guy from the beginning of the book had on him -- I think I got distracted by the LSD bit and forgot to mention that part, but the dead guy was carrying some US government gold -- because the actual plot is that villains are trying to tunnel into the bank vault and steal gold. Steve discovers this after he gets the bank manager to give him a tour. The bank manager tries to refuse, citing security concerns -- Captain America could be anyone under that mask, after all! Steve just smiles and says, "If I removed my mask, would you have any better idea of who I am?" and I guess that's a flawless argument because he gets his tour.

(I'm sorry, all I can think of is that one gif from the JLA cartoon where Lex Luthor bodyswaps with the Flash, announces that now that he's in the Flash's body he's going to discover the Flash's secret identity, then pulls off his own mask, stares at himself in the mirror, and says, "I have no idea who this is.")

Given that the theme of Steve's interior life in this novel is "Steve Rogers died twenty years ago" it seems even more sad that Steve is just walking around basically saying, yeah, well, I'm nobody. And apparently that is being reaffirmed for him by the narrative.

So Steve goes down the tunnels, takes out some of the bad guys, and gets himself knocked out and buried in a collapsing tunnel. Don't worry, he's gonna be fine.

A lot of this book, by the way, is from the POV of random people, like this bank guard who went with Steve into the tunnels:

He had wondered, briefly, if a man like Captain America ever knew the pinch of too many bills, had ever felt desperate over the arrival of yet another mouth to feed. But, of course, Captain America had no family, and would hardly concern himself with such matters. It didn't occur to Thompson to wonder if this in itself might not be something for which to pity Captain America.

Rude. I mean, come on, do we really need random characters telling us Steve is a sad sack whom nobody loves? Steve's already got that covered!  (Also, how does this guy know Captain America has no family?)

Anyway, thanks to the power of LSD, Steve is going into a trance, amping up his metabolism (he loses "several pounds" in a few minutes), and making himself super-strong so he can dig himself out. Hooray. This is definitely how human bodies work. Also LSD. This is definitely how LSD works. Yes.

Steve then finds out that a couple of the guards who were with him in the tunnels died down there and he goes home and eats dinner while stewing in miserable guilt because he was responsible for their deaths. He's really not okay. I'm not sure the book actually understands how not okay they have made him. Then someone from SHIELD is on the phone for him and he is briefly cheered up by the thought that it might be Sharon although I think we should also note that the narrative makes it clear that at this point in canon Steve still doesn't know her name. Remember when that was a thing?

Alas, it is not Sharon; it's just a random SHIELD agent who happens to have information about the plot and asks to meet. Then, as Steve leaves to go to the meeting, we get two pages of exhaustive description about the mansion layout and how it's built relative to the surrounding buildings. It feels like this book was written by a frustrated city planner. But anyway, the meeting is a setup and the villains capture Steve.

They knock Steve out, drug him, take him to their hideout, and tie him to a chair. Except, once again thanks to the power of LSD, the tranquilizer they're using wears off way sooner than they expected and so Steve feigns unconsciousness and listens to them discuss their evil plans.

And then the villains unmask him and I swear it's exactly like that JLA gif:

Rogers heard footsteps scuffing across a thick carpet, and then Sparrow's voice again, almost directly over him. His ears still buzzed, but he fought to catch the elusive familiarity of the man's tone. He wished he dared open his eyes.

"This is a moment which I, personally, have long awaited," Sparrow said, his voice rising in triumph. "*The unmasking of Captain America!*"

Then, his nails scraping along Rogers' face, Sparrow dug his fingers under his cowl, and ripped it back. Rogers felt air strike his exposed cheeks and forehead. Then fingers clutched his blond hair and pulled his head back. "Behold!" Sparrow said.

Raven was first to speak. "Well, I dunno about you, Sparrow, but it rings no bells with me. I never seen him before."

Starling agreed. "His face means nothing to me."

"He could be anybody," said Robin. "What good does this do?"

Sparrow let Rogers' head fall back to his chest, and his voice when he spoke was defeated. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess. I always wondered. I felt, if these guys -- these costumed heroes -- wore masks, it must mean something."

"Captain America was missing for twenty years," Starling said. "That could mean the first one died, and this one took his place. He looks awfully young."

"Perhaps. It doesn't really matter. Let's get going."

(Yes, the villains all have bird-themed codenames. I have no idea why.)

This scene just makes my day. I love dramatic unmaskings. I bet they'd have been a lot happier unmasking Iron Man.

The villains then leave Steve and go to a power plant, where we switch POVs to one of the plant employees and get two entirely unnecessary paragraphs about his racist and anti-Semitic thoughts about his coworkers before the villains murder him. Great. Thanks.

Anyway, the villains cause a blackout, while meanwhile they've left Steve alone with the girl villain, and Steve is busy trying to persuade her that crime doesn't pay. He's moved from the "do you know what they'll do to you in prison?" theme onto "how exactly are you going to spend a billion dollars in gold bullion when it's illegal for civilians to possess? who are you going to do business with?" and then points out that gold is heavy and hard to transport, which is when she gets out a a knife.

The bad guys are off to steal the gold, and Steve has now successfully turned the girl they left him with, because she frees him. Of course, the first thing he does is put the cowl back on.

"Why do you wear that?" she asked.

"The mask?" He smiled. "It gives people something external to concentrate upon."

"But..."

"Without it, I'm just another ordinary-looking man. With it, I become a symbol. For some people it creates awe; for others, fear. Look at me. I'm different now, aren't I? With the mask on."

"Yes," she nodded. "You look -- bigger, somehow. Stronger. Fierce, implacable. You look a little scary."

"Exactly. You no longer see me as a person, but as a thing -- an Avenger. It can be a potent psychological weapon."

"They were so disappointed, when they took your mask off. As though underneath they'd find a famous person."

"Maybe that goes on TV -- handsome playboys, and all that. But I've been anonymous all my life. Even my real name would be meaningless to you, to them. No, the mask is part of the uniform, a psychological device. That's the whole story.

Now: let's get out of here. You have a good deal more to tell me yet, and we can't waste more time."

Bwahaha. In a few years, Steve's going to be pretty surprised about who superheroes are, I think.

STEVE, now: Superheroes definitely aren't secretly handsome playboys! That would be silly! STEVE, after Molecule Man: fuck fuck fuck FUCK FUCK I'm such an idiot

I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Also, not that the issue of Steve's psyche actually recurs after this, but he's once again having the narrative vindicate his belief that Steve Rogers is dead and whoever he is under the cowl doesn't matter. Steve, I don't think this is very healthy.

Steve then tracks down the villains stealing the gold, has some geopolitical thoughts about where the gold could be going (he thinks either South Africa or Russia for the best laundering potential) and then hides himself in the villains' trunk while they drive to Staten Island, which is where they're taking the gold out of the country from.

During the final confrontation, Steve finally gets to see the villains, and he discovers that the one in charge is in fact the director of the Federal Reserve Bank who Steve met at the beginning of this book. Gasp. But that's not all! He's also... the Red Skull!

Honestly, I was kind of surprised; I didn't think this was the kind of book where we'd get any known comic villains, but I guess it's always gotta be the Red Skull. I think he's the only one of Steve's big villains who likes to disguise himself; Zemo has obvious disguise issues and I imagine it's also hard to cover up Zola's Teletubby-esque television body.

Steve shoots one of the villains, because I guess that's what he does in this era of canon.

So the plot wraps up in, like, two pages, because for some reason all these early Marvel novels wrap up very fast. Red Skull, of course, attempts to escape and then disappears and his body is never found. The end.

Well.

That was definitely a book. That I read. Believe it or not, I actually think it was the best of these early Marvel prose novels that I've read so far, even if it was also the absolute weirdest; I thought the thriller-style plot was entertaining, I liked Steve and his Extremely Sad characterization, I obviously enjoy all the identity themes, I liked how very detailed the New York setting was, and I do like how they tried to treat it all seriously. I mean, sure, this did lead to LSD in the super-soldier serum in presumably the name of realism, but I felt like the book was trying to present superheroes in a way that didn't feel silly and also didn't really take for granted that the reader would automatically accept superheroes.

It felt like a book that was written hoping that people who weren't superhero fans would read it, if that makes any sense. And I thought that was interesting, because most modern superhero work that I can think of assumes they've got complete audience buy-in and everyone is willing to suspend their disbelief and we all know the genre conventions and are expecting people running around in brightly-colored spandex. Whereas this is more like a James Bond novel if for some reason James Bond were called upon to defend his decision to wear brightly-colored spandex instead of bespoke suits. But I assume no one read it, because Bantam never published a Marvel book after this one.

If you can actually find a copy of this one for a price you're willing to pay. I recommend it. It was delightful and way more solid than I thought it was going to be.

Also, come on, you know you want to read about Captain America's acid trip.

#posts i actually wrote