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#senshi is senshi you just have to meet him. you will like him
celestialjellie · 1 day
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Insomnia is kicking my ass, so I wanna just word vomit about Marcille, and just Dungeon Meshi as a whole.
Spoilers for the Dungeon Meshi manga, and trigger warning for mentions of Suicide.
I find myself relating to Marcille in a lot of different ways. One of these way is her relationship with her dad. Ask any of my friends and they'll confirm that my dad was one of the most important people in my life. I lost him in 2020 to cancer; I got genuinely so emotional when I saw Marcille reminiscing about her dad to the others. And how she wishes she got more time with him
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These kind of stories always seem to rewonate with me because I feel like my dad was taken from me too soon as well. Marcille's facial expression in the bottom panels is an expression I'm all too familiar with making. When talking about my dad (especially with people who never got the chance to meet him) its always really bittersweet. Its great because I'm able to talk about the greatest man I've ever known, but painful too because I know I'll never be able to talk to him again, be able to cry in his shoulders, be able to turn to him for help. And it hurts.
Theres also how Marcille views death inregards to herself, and her loved ones.
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This part made me genuinely cry because, in a way, I know how it feels. While its not necessarily in regards to death (I have had some harsh deaths in my life, like my dad's passing, and two friends of mine taking their own lifes) I do know how painful it can be to say goodbye to people, which is how Kui expresses Marcille's fear of death in Dunmeshi. With Marcille's long life she's going to likely outlive everyone she loves and thus have to say goodbye to them. I also have had to say goodbye to people I didn't want to: be it because of death, ending a toxic friendship,or other reasons. I also just love this part because you can see how badly everything that transpired in that chapter affected her, after bringing everyone back her first instinct was to chew them all out for being so reckless, but when ahe finally verbalizes what had happened her emotions catch her, and all she can do is fall back against the wall and begin crying.
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I also just love how immediate Laios and Senshi is to comfort, and apologize to her, as well as promising that they won't put her through that again.
I remember I was texting my friend Terra and we were joking about Marcille being my favourite because she's a "silly gay elf" but my love for Marcille can be summed up with "I came for the silly gay elf mage, but I stayed for the beautifully written character who struggles with issues that I frequently find myself struggling with.
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Additionally I just love how Laios and the others talk Marcille downfrom the edge after she's become the master of the dungeon, it reminds me of all the times my friends have talked me down from my own edge (I love you guys 💖)
Marcille's sexuality is another thing I resonate with. I know that Kui never explicitly states anything, but as a queer person I had a hard time reading Marcille and Falin's relationship as anyother other than romantic, like, we've all seen horny Marcille's "whoa hey!" reaction to Chimera Falin tearing her own shirt off (honestly such a valid reaction from her), but the part that really got me was how tender and loving Marcille is with Falin after she's been resurrected.
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My sexuality is something I've been struggling with a lot recently. A little over a year ago my boyfriend of nearly 8 years left me, and up until recently I was identifying as bisexual. However within the past few months I've found myself caring less and less for sex, and a strong desire for the roamntic aspects of a relationship, specifically with women. So seeing Marcille look at Falin with such adoration really resonated with me; I just really love their relationship.
This series is just so amazing, and it resonated with me in so many different ways from everything I've mentioned in this post about Marcille, to things like how Laios is such an amazing allegory for living with autism, to how Senshi has helped myself get a better, healthier relationship with food. Itw just an amazing series and easily in my top 5 anime/mangas.
That is all, I'm gonna try to get some sleep now, here have a dancing Marcille as thanks for reading.
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skele8rity · 2 months
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watched the first episode of dungeon meshi and its only SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT from what i thought it would be but also like i already get it, i get why im seeing it here everywhere from everyone i even share minimal spaces with, youre all so right
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fumifooms · 1 month
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The fabled, infamous buckled collar shirt… Opens. He’s usually always wearing his cowl and vest so you can’t usually tell. He does love wearing shirts with open/low collars, which you can esp tell by the Daydream Hour outfits Kui designed for him, so makes sense. And yet… The buckle collar…
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If u don’t think this is the same shirt btw he actually does up his collar when meeting the canaries. Just 1 scene difference before after, below. He likes to open up his collars when the setting is more casual but business or action happens and it’s back to being all proper and laced up
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Btw idk if it’s a mistake but that screentone on Chilchuck’s chest in the second picture of the post… Is Kui telling us he has body hair. Idk is he dirty does he need a shower?? Kui doesn’t draw Senshi with much body hair in the manga for practicality reasons but she did draw in a Daydream Hour once how much she actually thinks he has, so it wouldn’t be crazy if this was the case for Chil too, and then in a final chapter in a close shot panel where she even details the seams of the shirt she can go all out more. Kui talks about peach fuzz and whatnot for elves so maybe they’re just finer or paler in his case. Please please please— Sigh ok it’s a screentone mistake
Anyways while I’m here, low collar comp. Third one is that shirt he wears sometimes where you have to tie up the strings like in bottom row middle outfit of the first one…
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ambrosiagourmet · 4 months
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I want to talk about why I think this is the one of the most important Falin panels:
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So, Falin is really nice, right? It's one of the first things we really learn about her. She's kind even to the monsters of the dungeon - choosing to ward the party rather than fight spirits and cause them needless harm.
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In the above early flashback in chapter 11, we see Marcille fawning over Falin's kindness, calling her an angel. Namari calls her soft-hearted. We see Falin choose not to fight even when a zombie attacks - instead she resolves the confrontation with a hug. After the flashback, the first thing Senshi says is that Falin "sounds like quite the person," which Marcille strongly affirms.
At this point in the story, all we have seen of Falin are these impressions; she is a healer, an angel, a caretaker with an infinite well of kindness towards everyone she meets - both friend and foe.
And honestly, that remains most of what we have to go by to understand her. The only times we get to see Falin on the page, alive and just herself, are in the opening and closing pages of the story and in the brief period of time after she is resurrected.
Nonetheless, we do have some more details to work with. For one, there is the scene that The Panel is from - a short memory in chapter 75, when Marcille flashes back to while she's dying. In that scene, Falin prepares to teleport them all out, and says that she's sorry "if there is a person at [their] destination." And that's when we get The Panel.
If you teleport someone or something into another person, the person teleported into is likely to be, at minimum, severely injured. They could die.
We can see a lovely little horrifying example of exactly why in one of the Daydream Hour doodles:
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So, hmm. That's not... that's not SUPER nice. Certainly not displaying the same "kindness to all, friend and foe included" we saw represented earlier. On a basic level, this adds some nuance to Falin's kindness. We see it break a little, when pushed to the limit. We see her chose to protect the people she loves above all else.
Which makes sense! As Laios says when the Winged Lion accuses him of similarly being motivated more by his friends' safety than everyone else in the dungeon, "...most people, aside from virtuous do-gooders, would feel the same way."
So, we can take The Panel as simply showing a moment of weakness for Falin. A time when she was pushed to her limits, and that "most people" selfish side of her shone through.
However... I think there's a little more going on with Falin than just her being an angel 99% of the time, except just that once. I love The Panel because I think it helps us understand that Falin isn't just motivated by kindness - she also has a desire to avoid seeing people in pain.
Isn't that the same thing?
No, no it very much is not.
Let's look at a short comic from the Falin section of the Adventurer's Bible, because I think it illustrates this point perfectly. The group is complaining about how much Marcille's healing hurts, and comparing it to Falin's, which "doesn't hurt a bit." Marcille retorts with the following:
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Now, the punchline of this comic is that, despite Marcille's sentimental assertion that she's "thinking of [them]" by letting her healing magic hurt, they all still prefer to be healed by Falin.
But hey, this wouldn't be the first time that Dungeon Meshi hides a very real character beat or insight in a gag, so let's think about this somewhat seriously.
If Marcille is right (and she knows a fair bit about magic, so we can assume that she has at least somewhat of a point), then what Falin is doing isn't kind. I suppose if someone specifically requested to not feel the pain, it could be kind, but that's not really what happened here. She is the one who felt badly about the others being in pain, and she is the one who decided, without telling them or giving them a choice in the matter, to take away that pain.
Both Marcille and Falin are healing the party, but Marcille is doing it in a way that accomplishes the task in the most straight forward way, without any additional interference. Falin is going out of her way to perform the healing in a way she is more comfortable with. A way that avoids pain.
Going back the The Panel, I don't think its a coincidence that the only time we see Falin (well, non-chimera Falin) willing to do something that could hurt someone is when any potential pain will be far away from her. If she got someone hurt or killed by teleporting the party to the surface? Not only would it be far out of her sight, but she'd be dead before she had to deal with any consequences of that action.
Falin is not a confrontational person. She doesn't push when Marcille won't tell her the truth about the resurrection, and she comforts Laios about her own death - both of those things happening in the only full chapter she is alive and conscious in the whole story.
We also know that she considered accepting Shuro's proposal, despite not having any special feelings towards him, and that Falin never explained to Marcille that she wanted them to share a meal together. When she brought Marcille various foods at the academy, she just accepted Marcille's confused rejection and gave up.
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And lastly, we know that she is still in contact with her parents, despite the neglect and abuse she suffered at their hands. Although the way someone chooses to handle contact with abusive or bad family is a complicated topic, which I don't want to overly simplify, I do I think this fact gets at the heart of how she handles conflict.
So many people that Falin loves have hurt her. There are understandable hurts, like Laios leaving the village, or Marcille not understanding the food. And there are bigger, far less justifiable hurts - like her parents neglecting her throughout her childhood, and sending her away to be alone at the magic academy.
It doesn't seem like Falin has ever confronted any of it directly.
And the unhealthy aspects of this kind of avoidance of pain and confrontation is one of the things that the story of Dungeon Meshi is all about. We see Laios grapple with it before he goes to kill Falin, and we see Marcille acknowledge it at the end of the story, when she tells Laios that she has come to terms with Falin's death:
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Eating is a part of life. Consuming other living things is a part of life. It isn't really possible to avoid that pain - you can only hide from the truth of it. You have to be selfish everyday. You have to eat - to choose to live. To choose to take up space.
And this is something Falin embraces, too. She comes back to life, after all.
We see her choose to come back to life.
And how does she make that choice? She eats. She consumes, and then she is asked a question by the manifestation of hunger itself:
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Do you want to eat more?
There is a double meaning in the Winged Lion's final words on the next page.
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When I first read this, I took it as him saying: life is cruel. You will suffer. You will feel more pain.
But perhaps, especially for Falin, this also means: you are choosing a path where you must cause pain. Where you must consume. Where you must take, and must be selfish. Because eating is the special privilege of the living, and it is their burden, too. In order to stay alive, she will need to keep eating.
And she chooses that. Chooses to be selfish. It's why her resurrection scene is so important, and it's why The Panel is so important. Because Falin coming back isn't the ultimate reward for all of the party's hard work.
It's her choice. Just like it was her choice that started everything in the first place. But this time, she doesn't choose to accept causing pain for the sake of Marcille and Laios. She does it for her own sake.
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malewifesband · 30 days
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i see it often that people do not see laios liking kabru, but in reality laios does like kabru! quite a lot for a guy that (from his perspective) he just met! laios forgetting kabrus exact name is not evidence of disinterest in any way--hes only heard it a couple of times, he struggles with small details (unless you want to argue laios also doesnt give a shit about marcille, chilchuck and senshi, he also forgets small details about them. if you do think this, i think dungeon meshi may be too advanced for you. stick to bluey.), and the man has autism. like near explicitly.
laios offers food from their limited supplies because kabru showed an interest in eating monsters, and makes him an omelette so he can have something to eat even though other food was already being prepared. he listens to kabrus criticism of his behavior and mindset in trying to protect falin even though she was straight up killing people, and tries to drag kabru to safety. he watches kabru defuse the situation between himself and toshiro masterfully, and confides in him how hurt he is that toshiro is so angry and how he mustve done something truly awful to upset him like that. when kabru tells him that meeting him was the best part of his time in the dungeon, laios agrees and says its the same for him (remember: laios doesnt do empty platitudes well--if he said it, he meant it).
when kabru leaves, we get three fucking panels in a row of laios staring after him, flexing the hand kabru was just holding, and reflecting on kabrus words ("next time..?")
when kabru shows up again deep in the dungeon, chilchuck is suspicious, but laios is so excited to see him that he throws caution to the wind and lets kabru hold his hand again despite seconds later crossing succubus off his list of shapeshifters that could be appearing as kabru--a carelessness around monsters and danger laios rarely exhibits. when kabru gives his warning about the canaries, laios is grateful. he notices how often kabru saves his skin
when lycion reveals that kabru lied about wanting to eat the omelette laios made, it breaks his heart because he made that with love! he made it for kabru, and kabru didnt like it, and now he knows kabru was just playing at friendship to use him. that breaks his heart, hes distraught, but he doesnt have time to be hurt about it when marcille needs his help urgently so he turns to run to her. he apologizes to kabru and tries to leave again. he isnt listening to what kabru is saying here because kabru was just revealed as a liar and because it doesnt really cohere (kabru is stuttering and speaking in broken sentences as he tries to explain about the dungeons power) and he needs to save marcille
he doesnt believe kabru wanted to be his friend, because who would? why would laios be special enough, loveable enough, to go through the pains kabru went through, just to be his friend? but when kabru makes the intensity of his desire known, laios promises to feed him again, at a proper restaurant --and again, food is care for laios, to feed someone is to love them. marcille is still his priority bc she is in real danger but he means what he says, he really does want to start over with kabru and be real friends with him
once we hit the resolution of the story, kabru near glues himself to laios, helping him and trying to cement himself as a right-hand man, and making known his intent to support laios no matter what. in the medieval manuscript style epilogue, kabru is one of two friends that stick by laios as he becomes king. both marcille and kabru become the people closest to him (besides falin of course), two friends who will always support him, always let him know when hes fucked up and theyre mad at him, two friends who he can rely on. laios did not have to accept kabru as an advisor, he did not have to ask him to stay with him. he did that because after everything, he trusts kabru now, and knows he can count on him
while laios doesnt give any big monologues about what he likes about kabru, its very clear he does, and we know what things laios values in other people. he appreciates kabrus social skills (very clear in the post canon comic in the adventurers bible), his intelligence, that kabru WANTS to be around him and understand him even though its difficult, his strength, and frankly he does appreciate his charm (three fucking panels straight of staring after him). laios really values people with specialized skillsets who are willing to tell him frankly what they think and advise him in areas he is weak in (something we see in his relationship with... i was gonna say namari but its everyone. he does this with everyone he likes. and in the resolution kabru does this CONSTANTLY he does not go a panel without giving laios his professional opinion on how to deal with people).
in conclusion: arent you hungry, kabru? let laios make something for you
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hxmocrastic · 8 days
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𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐱 𝐆𝐍!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | HCS
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Pairing {📺} ; Yandere!Laios Touden x GN!Reader
Warnings ; Delusion, Obsession, Exhaustion, Brief metaphors of Cannibalism 👀👀
A/N ; He might be a tad bit ooc because I haven't kept up with the manga, but enjoy dungeon meshers !!!! There will be more dungeon meshi content after this 🤍🍲
Before anything takes place, I feel Laios would have to take an interest in you, Whether small or enormous. You'll have to do something that catches his attention, and evidently as short as it is it'll have to be something as large that snags his eyes away from his fixations or something as small as greeting him.
Laios continuous hyperfixation with monsters is an obstacle from granting you his concentration, But it can be done. Laios' obsession would stem from his insecurities and misgivings, Due to his inclination to monsters and beasts many people around him found his person to be eery and strange which lead to the isolation of his peers with the exception of his dear sister, Falin.
The constant sneers and scrutinization from his community of tall men and others have never weakened his resolve, And his love of monsters but the result of it still stings.
Once he takes an interest in you is one for the history books, Only the winged lion knows when or IF he looks away. Once you've caught his interest there is no undoing what shortly ensues.
Laios could hardly remember the people he had met even when they'd be as assertive as they could. Laios could barely remember Kabru's name not his party, So to think he'd finally grant you a portion of the attention he gives to monsters is downright impressive.
I see Laios taking the observational route before he deliberately approaches you, But I can see him greeting you fairly often. Laios would attempt to strike a conversation with you, Whether that'd be related to monsters or a simple warm greeting as he introduces himself. He would try to maintain his gentle demeanor ensuring that he doesn't frighten you away like the rest of his fellow comrades, But oh boy would he fail at doing so. You could just smell the excitement coming off of him.
Laios would begin to befriend you, Sharing the meals Senshi prepares with you, Inviting you to associate with his party, and most of all sharing all of his interests and passions with you.
Think of the way he behaved with Shuro but 10x more augmented with you. He'd talk your ear off day and night about all the different species of monsters as if he wouldn't wake the next day, He'd rant about the various types of basilisks, the eggs of chimera's, and strangely the taste of a female minotaur's milk?
But due to his connection with his party, I think he would be a lot tamer had he been if you had met on the island. Laios would predominantly share all his meals with you, And you'd better put on your best smile and chewing impression if you weren't hungry because your cheeks would be endlessly assaulted by a spoon full of food.
Laios would constantly make sure you'd have enough to eat and enough sleep, So much so you could to start calling him mom habitually at this point. Although you'd see this as nothing but an affectionate gesture, In a way he'd see it as courting.
To me Laios secretes a very delusional vibe, I can definitely visualize him justifying all of his latent clingyness towards you as normal and sweet despite your annoyance. Though the severity of his infatuation depends on when and where'd you meet him. I'd say with his party, He'd be much more gentle with his affections and try to be as sensitive as he could with his eccentricities.
Laios would still often make the mistake of being overly blunt with his observations and compliments, And it could sometimes even insult you. But spending time with this goofball would more likely than not make you aware of his intentions with his words and spare him the scrutiny he receives from Chilchuck, And the others.
Due to this, His infatuation with you will worsen and he'll start equating you with Falin. His sister was the only person who understood the true meaning behind his words and once you, the object of his obsession start showing him he same compassion He'd simply have no other choice but to entertain his delusion.
This is where it begins to take an odd turn in his behavior. The way he'd start to greet you would become jittery, Like a dog greeting it's owner. His excitement would increase tenfold whenever he'd be within a distance of you, like your presence fuels his eagerness. At times it feels as if he's trying to impress you.
Laios undoubtedly try to hog your attention, Try to keep your eyes on him. He'd begin fishing for praise in whatever way whether that be from formulating an elaborate strategy or simply fetching ingredients for the next meal Senshi would cook. He'd begin to grow possessive in a way, trying to pin all of your attentiveness on him, the way he does to you.
Poor boy wouldn't realize what's wrong with it until he starts to see why you always seem so exhausted whenever he's in view, or how he's slowly taking so much of your time and energy you barely give the effort to do something for the party because he's already done it.
He'd still see nothing wrong with it of course, you're still eating, still getting enough sleep but he wonders why you begin to avoid him now. You of course say nothing, trying not to hurt his feelings knowing what he has gone through, See you want to be there for him when his father wasn't, You want him to be happy even with the absence of Falin.
And you prioritizing his happiness is what links you to the party. Laios is without a doubt beyond obsessed with you at this point in time, Your wellbeing far exceeds any voice of reason. Your health and happiness is at the far most importance, Even exceeding his.
You're his everything, And most importantly wants him to be yours. He wants you to dedicate yourself to him, To throw yourself at him like a rabbit to a wolf. To gift him your flesh to consume for HIS wellbeing, To gift yourself his flesh for YOUR wellbeing, The ultimate exchange of love.
Of course Laios himself would never ask you of this, But at times he desires YOU would come to him with such devotion. The same devotion he gives to you day and night, sunset and sunrise, to repay him the same way he has worshipped you ever since he's gained a glimpse of your eyes, and a glimpse of your heart.
A heart he'd consume with his own, Becoming singular with the person he has loved the most, For is that so much to ask??
Laios wouldn't kidnap you, But oh would he have you stay. I mean isn't that what he's been doing all along?? Draining your sense of independence, Training you like a bunny to a owner to rely solely upon him, For it is he who possesses everything you need.
And that's all that matters.
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thechekhov · 4 months
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Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH38
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Rip to these promising mages. I assume they will not survive this massacre.
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IS that where her lungs and kidneys are? Because like. She's huge. Her entire body is behind her. Do you really think she'd keep her vital organs in the little human bulb on the front?
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I mean, he has a point. What are you going to do? Fight off more hoardes of dragons?
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oh noooo, Kabru.... too bad. That's so unfortunate.... anyway.
It's curious that Laios only got knocked away. He was just as likely to have had his head squished like a grape.
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Guys, this is absolutely not the time to be concerned for her privacy.
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Yes, queen. Free the tiddy. Murder everyone in this dungeon. I support women's rights and women's wrongs.
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.......that's. One way to do that. I guess.
.......what's that rock about.
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Oh, I see. That's convenient.
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This guy dungeons! Maybe he even dragons.
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So we got north (tallmen? dwarves?) and then the easterners.... and now the elves of the west?
He's going to give her to the Americans?! ಠ_ಠ
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To be fair, at least they HAD a plan. And they executed it. It's more than you did. I don't mean to point fingers but... at least they... ya know... did something.
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Kabru's like 'no, no, hang on, I need to hear what batshit fucked up thing this dude is going to say next, this is important'
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Laios is so stressed he broke character.
Then again, maybe it's healthy to let them slug it out a bit. Get it out of their system.
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It's true. They wore fitbits and everything.
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...hey, hold on a second.
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Now hold on a minute.
Damn, this is. Kind of even worse because. I guess I could have guessed that Toshi was just pretending to be polite, like you do. Cultural differences.
But the painful thing is, Laios doesn't seem surprised. He just seems resigned. He's been told before that he's difficult to get along with. To the extent that he doesn't even consider Marcille and Chillchuck his friends? Even though they arguably both care about him? But because Toshiro didn't bother to be deadpan about him being a bit odd at times, Laios thought it meant that was fine.
And that kinda hurts. Like damn. Laios just wanted to make a true connection. And I can't really blame Toshiro either, he was just trying to keep the peace but. Damn.
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Free her! Let her do her illegal magics! She deserves it! (︶^︶)
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Thoughts:
Senshi just being annoyed about that one last harpy looking for scraps.... like "shoo, this ain't the time"
That gnome seems genuinely nice. I'm sorry Falin squished his pet undyne.
Kabru hugging his..... mage? Girlfriend???? Seems very...one sided. Kinda feel bad for her.
Laios and Toshiro still going at it, I see. Get it allout, boys.
Uhhhhhhhhhh ninja girls.
Aww, doggo.
Last question: Where did the cat go?
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Senshi: I can fix that.
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Are you all worried because he's finally making sense?!?!
Laios and he punched their singular braincells into several new ones, it seems.
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F./....Falin... please give the caterpillar some privacy........
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My man, maybe lead with that............
I can't believe Marcille was potentially more forward about her feelings.......
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"his pupils are dilated" yes, thank you sherlock. You've finally realized what everyone else who meets Laios feels almost immediately. he's a monster freak club card carrying member. Welcome.
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p.....pubby......
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As long as he was also inside the dungeon with them.... yes.
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The issue with Kabru isn't that he isn't trying his best. It's that Laios isn't trying at all.
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On a scale of one to Kabru, how badly do you react to being offered a food you don't want to eat?
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......oh no. He's so pathetic it's funny. He's growing on me.
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Absolute morons, the pair of them. Immovable object meets unstoppable force. The funniest combination ever. Ghost type and normal type pokemon, forever throwing moves at each other that will never hit. Laios thinking he's made a friend. Kabru just barely stopping himself from killing Laios. Best comedy pair. Tom and Jerry in a can.
Anyway. What a great manga.
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barb-l · 3 months
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My brother and I are watching Dungeon Meshi together btw and we just finished ep 8. Some notable stuff while we watched
- he likes that even tho Laios seems like a deadpan character at first glance, he's actually goofy af and has all these quirks
- he wishes Senshi was his friend. I do too man...
- I often forget Chilchuck's name. My brother dgaf and has been calling him "Boots" this entire time
- my brother both hates and loves the amount of attention to detail the author gives regarding the world building. He loves it because it's fascinating how incorporated the ecosystem of the dungeon is to the story and characters' actions and the thought that goes into how the monsters are cooked is very fun to see. He just hates that he can't nitpick. It's too good.
- *Kabru shows up* "He looks like he was drawn by you." "What's that supposed to mean??😂" "Idk"
- call me mean but i think it's so funny that Laios' party have met Kabru's party only as corpses so far. At this point it's gonna be weird meeting them when they're alive.
- "the author's a woman" "ofc it is. Is she middle aged too?"
(a reference to his rant about his realization that his favorite pieces of media were made by adult women)
"google doesn't know much about her age." "I bet she's 30 at least. The writing is too good"
- *during the ghost episode* brother: well now i feel bad about the dilly-dallying. Quit eating, ur sister's being digested!
- we both really love Falin btw. The flashback ep with marcille has cemented her in our hearts. She's so cute 😭😭😭😭
- thank god for the lack of sexual fanservice btw
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chilschuck · 1 month
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woahhhh you should totally write about chilchuck dealing with a reader whos obsessed with bugs and keeps annoying him with them ahahaaaa twirls my hair
`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ HERE IT IS. FINALLY. i know you wanted me to reply to the other ask for this but i thought having this one would make more sense. happy i could finally get this out for you!!
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— CHILCHUCK: x gn!reader who likes bugs hcs.
꒰ warnings: ꒱ ment of bugs & insects!! reader is really into entomology. sfw + sweet n’ fluffy!
꒰ wc: ꒱ 575
✦ sorry this isn’t super long, i’m in the middle of finals week so i’m struggling creatively rn. :”))) i can write more for you after this is over fr!!
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✦ You decided to venture down to the beginning levels of the dungeon for one reason only: entomology research. The dungeon, rich with all kinds of monsters, had attracted you to its depths for a chance to discover more than you could just on the surface.
✦ Meeting Chilchuck was an added perk. Coming across Laios’ party at the upper levels was the best thing that could’ve happened to you at that moment. Now you had a party to explore with, and even a half-foot to aggravate.
✦ And oh, how easy it was to irritate him. You’d scoop up anything that you’d find and immediately show it off to him. At first, he’d give you an unamused look and tell you to cut it out, afraid just what you’d picked up this time.
✦ Except when you started telling him about it. You’d find a treasure insect or point out a cleaner at work, giving him all the facts you knew. Occasionally he’d actually listen to you talk, finding it almost… relaxing?
✦ It wasn’t that he was completely uninterested, but you had started to grow on him the more you shared what you knew. Hearing you speak about the insects you have on the surface and how you cared for them definitely made him curious. He never knew so much time and dedication went into stuff like that.
“Look at this one, Chilchuck!” In your hand was an insect you had come across on the floor your party decided to rest on. With excited eyes, you began pointing out all the parts, their functions, and even what purpose they served in the dungeon.
For some reason, Chilchuck found that sparkle in your eye when you chattered away to be… endearing, almost. He couldn’t help but feel the corners of his mouth tug into a smile, encouraging you to keep going. After all, this was what you were passionate about. Unlike Laios’ obsession with monsters, your knowledge didn’t make you seem sick in the head; it made you unique.
✦ Chilchuck soon would find himself pointing things out to you and asking questions of his own. Maybe about what that particular insect was, what it did, maybe if it was rare or not. And more than happily, you answered him in kind.
✦ Even if you drove him crazy sometimes with shoving something in his face, he found that your presence was comforting. Having someone else here besides Laios (or even Senshi) that knew about some of the dungeon’s creatures was nice. You two would even entertain each other by sharing things you knew about insects on the surface or in the dungeon. (Not that he knew much...)
✦ Sometimes he’d even have you talk to him at night while the rest of the party got ready for bed. It wasn’t that your words put him to sleep, it was more that your voice had begun to bring him comfort. Chilchuck could feel his eyes growing heavy when you told him about some of the insects you liked on the surface, and soon enough you had managed to lull him to sleep with just the sound of your voice.
✦ Eventually you’d probably be able to get him to actually hold something. Maybe he’d see that look in your eyes again and swallow down his pride, holding out his hands to whatever you found this time. That happy look on your face made it all worth it.
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dailynoodlezz24 · 21 days
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Ok, i had the thought (since i love werewolves and vampire stuff, liches, all that-- I blame Skyrim and its unhealthy amount of beautiful mods-- and Dungeon Meshi just seems so perfect about it with its races and stuff) what if Marcille's a dhampir, basically a human vampire crossbreed, who seeks to become fully vampiric in order to be able to sire in lieu of the dungeon lord/universal longevity plot. (Spoilers: she still doesn't get it in the end lmao) Falin is a longtime friend of hers through a backstory I still haven't made up yet, and Marcille's introduced as a new addition to the main cast, who are a party of hikers (or for some sort of venturing activity). Month in, Falin's gone and had herself eaten by some weird dog described in only folklore, which Laios would later excitedly incite as a "lycanthrope". (They tried to call emergencies for a missing person, but they came up with nothing. Everyone thinks Laios is going insane when he concludes that the sight they saw after Falin became officially missing, blood trails and offly wolfish tracks fading off to somewhere, was the work of a wolfman, or a werewolf, and suggested going to search for Falin themselves. Namari and Toshiro leave promptly) Chillchuck and Marcille stay with him, one determined with his navigational skills and the other fully believing in this supernatural theory. They decide it's best they start camping in the forest, deeper and closer to the wilderness, prompting them the idea: hunt for their share. Which may or may not be illegal :shrug They meet Senshi, one hell of a wildchef man. (Marcille's total disgust with the idea of eating out in the wild stems from the fact she doesn't want to survive off of squirrels again. But this food is pretty good, and she's eating other animals than small rodents this time. Chillchuck just doesn't want to hear about the weird ass facts about how skinwalkers might be related to humans and their horrific hunting tendencies while eating.) The deeper they go, the more strange and bizarre this forest becomes. First normal, unassuming, then the ravens start speaking and the rabbits have horns. And if you peer into it close enough, your eyes might just find company in where the campfire doesn't reach. So on and so on, they find Falin's bones in the corpse of the creature, and suddenly there's a little guy with white hair and crazed, purple eyes(thistle), who beats them all off with a stick(not actually lmao). Last they see is Falin's remains being reanimated with the dripping blood of the stranger. (Marcille had tried in desperate attempt to revive Falin with her own blood/bite, but to no avail, revealing herself in the process. The only thing she can note is the awful taste of something doglike, aka the lycanthrope disease circulating in Falin's bones-- since they were chomped before she died RIP.) Now they're against a highly aggressive abomination under the servitude of someone out to get them. And the opps are on them(canaries) Now I'm just thinking abt whether or not to make Marcille also a werepyre? Considering it would make sense for her to also get her human-half infected into something "full-fledged" in the way she hadn't intended, and still come up without the ability to sire(she wants to make a cauldron for company, a cauldron being like a vampire made family, due to the same motives of keeping her loved ones). Thank you for reading my ramblings, I am brimming with ideas for this AU.
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dustgeonmeshi · 1 month
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i was thinking about the "i want you and my brother to live, even if it means hurting someone else" falin panel and i started thinking about how things would've played out if it was laios who got eaten by the dragon instead of falin. lets say for some reason she couldn't just teleport him out of the dragon's mouth/stomach and she had to go back into the dungeon just like laios had for her. how would it all go down?
i imagine that shuro would remain in the party, since falin was still there, but namari would still end up leaving for the same reasons. how quickly would falin think to start cooking monsters? would marcille be less opposed to it if falin was the one to bring it up? would they still meet senshi? how would kabru's interactions with the main party shift? how would things change without the presence of shuro's retainers (and no izutsumi ☹️)? would falin still be tempted by the winged lion at any point? would marcille still become the dungeon lord? could they even survive a succubi attack without izutsumi? would falin become queen of melini?
i don't have answers to these but they are a fun thought experiment. it's fun to think of a story where falin gets to be the main character and laios is the one who needs to be saved.
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lyscot-blog · 5 months
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Chilchuck is a tsundere dad,
and why did he stick with Laios?
SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 30/48/56/ADVENTURE'S BIBLE ONWARDS.
Chilchuck Tims is a rogue. A bitter old rogue. But I guess it's more accurate to call him a professional adventurer. That's probably what people want to see him as. He's very pragmatic and realistic but sarcastic and prideful. The man is on the verge of retiring with a few things to his name. He founded a halfling union and is respected in his community as *the* guy that can go deeper down the dungeon. Chil gave his life for dungeoneering, he knows the politics and the dirty side of his job. Some people can see him as an insurance in their team. Because he has the skills and brains to keep you safe, go deeper and that you are paid well.
But why the hell did Chilchuck agreed to join on Laios' suicide mission?
Think about it.
Half of Laios' team are either dead or left the group, the remaining is a weird oddball of a leader and the other is a mess of an elf that doesn't really see you as an adult. They both can be reckless and can definitely get themselves killed. The group is also low on supplies and desperate for food. So there's that.
Although he may criticize the group, he is close to one member, Namari. He knows her situation and they share the same pragmatic view and drinks together. So why didn’t he follow in Namari's footsteps.
But yes in chapter 30 we actually got to know that Chilchuck actually cares about the group underneath his cynicism and sarcasm. Because unlike his optimistic and outlandish companions, he is the straight man.
But think again and I know he cares. But if he actually cared, he would not let Laios and Marcille to even set foot in the dungeon to their death. Remember he agreed to these deadly conditions before meeting Senshi. Deadly conditions that a seasoned adventurer like himself should already know. But he accepted it and was calmer about it as well.
So, does he trust the group? Does he not trust the group? Should he trust Laios?
Lets look at Chilchuck's most polarizing topic, group relations.
Despite Chil's critical nature, I think in my opinion Chilchuck respects and recognize everyone's strengths and weaknesses. But because he knows people's qualities, he likes to point them out and berate them from making further mistakes. He's harsh, but he wants to keep everyone alive. So that's why I think he sometimes see Laios and Marcille as immature or irresponsible at time. In turn, I think he sees himself as the most capable/reliable person in the group. With good reasons of course.
He knows how close Falin is to everybody, he will surely keep note of it. So when Laios and Marcille are automatically ready to save Falin despite deadly odds, I don't think he's surprised, he's sure they will die for Falin and no one will be there to revive them. But I don't think Chilchuck wants to see the remaining member go to their deaths and as the person that's supposed to keep everyone alive, he must have some guilt. After all, in some ways, he still cares for his own family, so he might understand Laios. But because of how reckless Laios is and how stubborn Marcille can be, I don't think he can stop them from going further. He'll help and he'll just ride along with these insane people.
Abit related. Isn't this against his halfling union's objective. Using a highly skilled halfling to their advantage on minimal pay to go on a deadly adventure. Surely this breaks his own code, right? But he does it anyways.
Despite not liking interpersonal group conflict and being as professional as possible. There's a point in time that Chilchuck actually got attached to them, to the point where he will break his own code. Whether he likes it or not. I think that he thinks that without him, the group and/or the rescue will break apart quickly and he really does not want his group to break.
Chilchuck is not tragic (compared to others), he has a relatively normal life but definitely unfortunate. Unlike the rest, his loss at most is his wife leaving him. The loss of a love fleeing you for a reason you do not know, the fear of chasing is evident. He also keeps in touch with his daughters as well. He cares but I guess prefers an independent approach.
I did notice the way he describe his daughters is similar to how he sees the others. He describe his daughters weakness, interest and strengths. He's perceptive not just with his senses, but others as well. Like how he knew that Laios have always wanted to try eating monsters and how peculiar Senshi is. He has to know people to keep them safe of course, that's how he shows that he cares.
To dive deeper, the way he cares is different from others. Senshi takes on the more nurturing approach, he sees the others as younglings that needs to feed and take care of, to protect them is his responsibility. Chilchuck is different, although he is similar. He makes sure that they are safe and criticize their bad behavior, but he respects their privacy and freedom. He criticize Laios, but for the majority, he lets Laios leads. Because unlike Senshi, he actually has kids, he has 3 adult kids. He expects better and for them to behave up to his expectations, as proper adults.
The relationship between Chilchuck and Laios is interesting. Chilchuck knows Laios' objective and he knows he can't stop it. But he also knows that Laios can be reckless and unconventional. However, he also knows Laios can be experimental and creative, but this too can blow up on his face. So to make sure that everyone (including Laios) do not explode, he has to be there. But he knows it has to be Laios to hold the torch and lead it himself, Chilchuck just has to guide and help him sometimes. Also I think Chil is a tsundere and actually likes Laios.
Chilchuck Tims has a pride bigger than himself. He'll stick by you because he likes you even if he won't say it. There are many times where his dad like behavior comes to play, particular with criticizing Laios and respecting Izutsumi. But he is ultimately someone that will make sure everyone is safe and sound.
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dunmeshi-darlings · 2 months
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How about a reader who like to hold things when stressed and they decided the best object to hold/pet/brush their fingers through in such moments is Senshi's beard?
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The life of a dungeon delver is a stressful one, the constant risk of monsters, death, or being lost in the dungeon weighs heavy on people. So its safe to say that people deal with this stress in all kinds of different ways. Some ways are alot healthier than others, For you it was always holding things. Somethings you would just hold them, other times you would twiddle with whatever your holdin, it helps distract you.
You had a special little fidget item you had brought into the dungeon with you, however during a particularly hard fight with a monster it must have dropped. Ever since then you had been antsy and nervous and over all its not been a very good time for you.
After joining laios's party and meeting up with senshi the two of you got closer, sure everyone in the party was nice but you and him just really hit it off and grew close. On a particularly stressful day he could tell something was wrong with you, sitting down next to you "Hey Y/N, you ok? you seem really stressed?"
You try not worry anyone, you dont want them worrying about you but you decide to be honest with senshi, especially since you two are so close. You explain your situation to him and say its hard for you to calm down if you dont have something to hold and fidget with. Eventually speak up
"you know senshi, your beard would be perfect for it...do you mind if i?" you say motioning towards him. The dwarf only letting out a soft chuckle and nodding his head.
"Aye im more than happy to help Y/N, if you ever feel stressed i dont mind. i know the dungeon is stressful so im glad to see your way to deal with the stress is a healthy one." He says giving you a nod as you reach over and start to grip and fidget with his beard, you practically sigh in relief feeling all that stress and nervousness you had been building up over the past few days just melt away. You thank him profusely and he just smiles and lets you do what you need.
From then on any time you are stressed on the adventure, or need to distract yourself you will just stand or sit next to senshi, your hand idly fidgeting with his beard as he does his work, the two of you enjoying each others company. Senshi has to admit it does also feel nice to him and he knows its helping you so he is all the happier to let you do this.
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fumifooms · 5 months
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Marchil crumbs Part 4
Part 1 - Part 2 - part 3 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7
Broskis remember when while madly blushing Chilchuck said he’d introduce his family to Marcille, and she madly blushed back thinking she really really wanted to meet them. Marchil W today
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Dreams do come true girl!!
The full double page spread has the rest of the Laios party at the table too but i think having the whole picture distracts from the one just this section tells. Marcille is so happy to finally meet them!! Flushing with joy and awe! And chilchuck flushing right back with self-consciousness!!! Desperately trying to keep it casual. Tsundere man probably going "Ok so... This is Marcille my ex-coworker, and here are my daughters... She was really looking forward to meeting you guys but don’t read too much into it girls". The daughters being all dressed up and Puckpatti even bringing flowers and correcting Meijack hehe <3 I know it's because they're at the castle but omg, meeting the extended family energy. You knowww Marcille is gonna ask them so many questions, and try and get to know them…
Also I have remembered TODAY that Marcille has a stepdad… She prob has so many thoughts on being a stepmom then. Leaving it open as to what that could mean for marchil. She certainly acts enthusiastic about families and kids so doesn’t seem like there’s a complex there at least~
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How it all started… Not very shippy I just think it’s funny and easy to miss. Her curiosity is PIQUED and what she thought she knew about Chilchuck is shattered. The bicorn chapter is really not long after this one so she must have thought so hard about how his home dynamic was like if she cooked up that ‘if I was Chilchuck’s wife’ rp so soon after & so effortlessly
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Hm, you know how snooping into ppl’s personal lives is Marcille’s thing?? Isn’t that like… Not that true outside of Chilchuck though? Like, she never asked about Senshi’s backstory or really asked much of Laios either. We do see her asking their types in romance for example, but from remembrance that’s sort of where it ends. So she concentrates her focus on the nut toughest to crack, the most private and mysterious party member huh (no not Senshi obviously, Chilchuck!!)… Little ‘puzzle to crack’ guy, ‘resistant to being known deeper’ guy. I’m not over how she was salty that he opened up to Senshi more than with her lol
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I think I’ve talked about it in the previous crumbs part but I think the bircorn chapter truly is the marchil chapter, and I wanna point out how Chilchuck reallyyyy fell from her esteem because "he cheated on his wife", leading to her being snippy with him during the chapter, BUT when push comes to shove she still hurried to his aid and worried for him and all. This might sound surprising, but I really like this! I think it’s great that Marcille wouldn’t coddle him if he fucked up and showed him a taste of consequences™️, but also not dropping him fully y’know, sticking through thick and thin even if she would not let shit fly. Seems like a healthy sort of devotion or companionship to me! Also her arc through the manga with Chilchuck is warping who he really is with idealization or preconceived notions mostly with his age and whatnot, so this feels like an important turning point of assessing him coldly as an adult who is not innocent at all… Before going right back to seeing him favorably and idealizing him as a great virtuous husband heh. It’s ok he’s harsh on himself he needs at least one person that believes in him hardcore let’s go <3 I’m going into really debatable grounds about morality and healthy vs unhealthy behavior lmao but yeah!! He recovered in her esteem, but she will not just give up on and leave behind this cringefail ass of a man even if he digs his hole so deep and so hard. He already got divorced once his partner would need some… Strong determination~ More on that right away
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Which, what is this "I don’t want to look incompetent and I’ll even claim I’ve done things that make me look terrible to avoid it" because uuuuh, they both do it
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Let's finally dig into the shapeshifters chapter! Lots of fun stuff to observe in there. Let's start with Marcille's side. There’s how, of course, Chilchuck's shapeshifter of her has her with sparkly hair with detailled shading, and how the reason she got eleminated was because of the spells in her spellbook don't match at all; Which means that personality wise, she was pretty convincing! We don't see just how well Chilchuck's vision of her match though since it didn't get much far. As we see with Laios’ shapeshifter clones, having an accurate shapeshifter is harder than one could think!
Easier to miss and more interesting though!! "It seems like Marcille B has awfully weak determination hmmm" implying Chilchuck thinks Marcille has a strong will. I think it’s especially telling when hand in hand with Chilchuck in an early chapter going "Oops not good I missed [that taking dead Kabru’s party’s wet food wasn’t the best moral decision], that’s Marcille for you." and such, where it seems like Chil sees her as someone who has strong convictions and admires/relies on her for it in some ways.
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Funnily enough Chilchuck’s not the only one being flattering about the other's hair, because Marcille's shapeshifter of him's hair is... Fluffier? Throughout the whole chapter too so not just a one-off or a coincidence. Tempting to pat and carress perhaps? It's confirmed to be her shapeshifter of him with the page about it in the adventurer's bible, and it's the one that gets the furthest in the elimination! The lockpicking tools are, surprisingly, convincing enough, and the attitude is also convincing if not for the true Chilchuck being "nastier" lmao. It's idealization due to the fact she has a hard time stopping thinking of him as young, but in a way she both knows him well enough to be very convincing and idealizes him as being nicer than he actually is, not the worst I’ll take it. "Our Chilchuck is a lot nicer! 🥰" help
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Have some more of Marcille praising Chilchuck
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Defending her honor part 2
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Ok now look at the Nightmares extra… Chilchuck would watch her series with her!! He enjoys her type of stories!! They’re on the same page even about plot points and the emotions each scenes inspire!! They would chat during watch parties!! Also this is something Marcille conjured up in her dreams so like, tbh very impressive. Chilchuck enjoying Marcille’s dream fiction isn’t something I ever expected but it sure happened
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This is what a movie date would look like
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I now declare lasagna the marchil dish. Seriously though I’m so curious as to what else Chilchuck’s pastas could be here. She’s fantasy italian it works out
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What is that look Chilchuck… Is this life advice, love advice or what. Like it’s not just me he’s being a little suggestive right, he’s drawing a comparison to womanizers right- Okok so you, Chilchuck, say exactly what reward you want, so that makes you trustworthy ok got it. Lesson learned and she respects his professional boundaries & reassures him so he doesn’t feel as self-conscious/judged from then on.
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Being on the same page and acting in perfect synchrony part 566
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Looking out for the other part 307, featuring them panicking out of their minds lol (Chil is better at stress management it seems)
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& Keeping the other in check part 255
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I truly love how casually they treat dungeon lord Marcille. You may be under mind corruption magic and a boundless beacon of destruction at your whims right not but you’re still our cringefail Marcille and we need to look after you
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Look at his smug-ass face at having successfully comforted and soothed her in the team effort
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What’chu looking at loverboy. What’s up, is her face too close to you for your comfort?
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Alright part 5 presumably NOT coming soon, i finally ran out of stuff to put on these hehe. Maybe the anime is gonna change that though
… And then the anime arrived and I already have stuff for a part 5. See you soon!!
part 5 is here broskis
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redgoldsparks · 2 months
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March Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe
I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.
Delicious in Dungeon vol 4 by Ryoko Kui
I'm reading these books so fast I can barely remember which parts of the plot happened in which volume but know that I am still having a great time!
Delicious in Dungeon vol 5 by Ryoko Kui
Oh, this story has taken a darker turn, and also just introduced a whole bunch more characters. Will I be able to keep track of them all? I hope so!
Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, read by Anne Flosnik 
Unfortunately, this is definitely the weakest Robin Hobb book I've read so far. I was expecting to like it less than the glorious, 5-star previous trilogy, but I actually think I'm going to skip the rest of the Rain Wild Chronicles and read summaries online to get to the next Fitz books. This book follows five main POV characters. This works fairly well for the first half, when the characters are all in different physical locations. However once all of the characters meet up, we start getting the same scene from multiple different POVs, which feels extremely repetitive. Also, almost EVERY SCENE includes a flashback, often a lengthy flashback, sometimes to something that happened only the previous day and could have been told as present-moment action. This writing choice baffled me. It's something I can't remember struggling with in any of Hobb's previous books, but by the end it was driving me up a wall. The book also moved very slowly; the stakes feel lower, and the character far less emotionally true than in the two Fitz trilogies. Disappointing, but I will keep moving forward towards the next part of the series I want to read.
Delicious in Dungeon vol 6 by Ryoko Kui
Damn, a lot of characters get murdered in this volume! Good thing almost everyone who dies in the dungeon can be revived. Also, very excited to finally meet the cat ninja I've been seeing fan art of since before I even started the series :3
Delicious in Dungeon vol 7 by Ryoko Kui
I am still completely caught up in this series. I love the glimpse of Senshi's past revealed in this volume, and the lore of the dungeon that is still being revealed. There was a line in here about how the dungeon leaves you alone if you don't ask much of it, but that if you have strong desires it throws even more obstacles into your way. Our heroes have such big goals right now, but they're marching ahead regardless!
School Trip by Jerry Craft 
A satisfying new installment in the New Kid series from funny, talented, charming Jerry Craft! I appreciated how this volume started to complicate some of the students who had been left a bit one-dimensional in previous books. Several people stood up to and called out a bully; new friendships were built; and Jordan Banks left Paris even more inspired than ever to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. This series has a lot of jokes, but also a lot of heart!
A Frog in Fall (and Later On) by Linnea Sterte 
Minor frog is less than a year old, and is dismayed when winter begins to steal all of the light and warmth from his world. Instead of bunking down safely with his mentor to wait for spring, he sets out on a journey with two vagabond toads passing by on a quest to make it all the way to the tropics. They tramp through the Japanese countryside, encountering tree spirits, new friends, dangers, and views the likes of which minor frog had never even imagined. This is a gorgeous book; every page worth pouring over, an economy of line and detail building a beautiful and mysterious world of talking animals and miniature packaged foods. Made me want to draw.
Dark Rise by CS Pacat read by Christian Coulson 
In 1820s London, orphaned Will tries to earn enough as a dockworker to survive- and evade the killers pursuing him. Violet dresses in her half-brother's clothes and sneaks onto a ship in the Thames to watch a man be branded with his master's mark. Katherine excitedly anticipates her engagement to one of London's richest and most mysterious lords; his gallantry nearly makes up for the fact that he's twice her age. And in the bowels of one of that lord's ships, James tortures a man for information. All of these characters are 16 or 17 years old, but all of them are tangled in an ancient conflict between the Light and the Dark which stretches back into an age of magic before history. This is CS Pacat's YA fantasy debut, and it contains a lot of tropes very familiar to both YA and high fantasy- there are shades of both Tolkien and Rowling in this. Its fast-paced and action-packed, but especially in the first third of the story, the characters all felt fairly thin. None of them have quirks, hobbies, career hopes, relationships outside of immediate family, school, or work; or much more than a brief sketch of past. It took until the mid-way point for what I consider Pacat's major strengths as a writer to emerge: intense, homoerotic interpersonal sparring between characters operating under major power imbalances. Every scene in which the seductive, manipulative, powerful evil gay faced off against the good boy chosen one crackled with energy. Unfortunately, there were only four of these scenes in the whole book. It ends on a cliff-hanger, because of course it does, with a tempting set up for book two; but that doesn't entirely excuse the fact that the first 50% felt like set up. I will definitely keep reading, but long-time Pacat fans should take note that this is toned down version of what I expected based on Captive Prince.
Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls (re-read before event)
What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do. Re-read it for a second time and got even more out of it on a second pass.
Delicious in Dungeon vol 8 by Ryoko Kui
Laios and company realize that their encounter with changling mushroom rings had more consequences than they'd realized- its the body swap episode! This visual humor is contrasted against increasing dangers from both above and below, as nastier monsters and political machinations begin to close in on our heroic adventuring party. I'm now over halfway through this series and almost feel like I should start reading it more slowly to savor it, but I'll probably just keep devouring it instead.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham
High school senior Val grew up knowing her family was unlucky in love; for generations, relationships in her family have ended in heartbreak. Her childhood love of Valentines Day ends with a shocking family revelation and what feels like the beginning of a curse. Then her Vietnamese grandmother sweeps her off to a Lunar New Year celebration in downtown Oakland and a pair of cute lion dancer boys catch her eye. Could one of them break the spell on her heart? This story offers a classic and satisfying rom-com, with Val torn between an outgoing, rich, but flaky boy and a broody, shy, loyal one. The story takes several kdrama style twists and includes ghosts, saints, red envelopes, confessions, fights, reunions, tears, and kisses. For a comic, its wordy; the pages are dense with small panels and thick with dialogue, but also illustrated with such warm, humor, and realism. I really liked that the story included as much of Val's relationship with her family and best friend as romance. And the lion dancing scenes practically leap off the page with color and energy!
Witch Hat Atelier vol 10 by Kamome Shirahama
This series remains as visually stunning as ever but I'm struggling with how every single book expands the cast. There are so many characters now that I don't care about that much, and have trouble remembering from volume to volume. I wish the story line would stick more closely to Coco, her classmates, and their main mentors!
Delicious in Dungeon vol 9 by Ryoko Kui
Oh the stories are all converging! The savior at the bottom of the dungeon is probably a demon! Ituzumi saves the day! I am still having a great time reading this series.
A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson read by Abby Craden 
A short, very queer, very poly retelling of Dracula focusing on his coven of enthralled lovers. I liked the way the book breezed through history, as the dysfunctional little family moved from one major European city to the next, with snatched moments of glittering joy interwoven with violence and plague. The story is fairly simple, and has a happier ending than I expected, or honestly think the characters deserved.
City of Dragons by Robin Hobb
I DNFed the previous book in this series and just read a summary online before skipping ahead to this one. I think that was a very good choice for me. This third one was more engaging and a bit more action packed, with some cool discoveries about the city of Kelsingra and the nature of Elderlings. But the Rain Wild Chronicles as a whole do not stand up to the quality of the Farseer books. There are so many POV characters that a few of them get only two or three scenes in this whole book. I don't feel that I deeply know any of these characters; while at the same time watching Hobb pair them off at an extraordinary rate- in the last book five sets of characters got together and in this book an additional two couples are developing feelings for each other. Between this and a kidnapping, a birth, a murder, and a lot of blackmail, this series feels like a soap opera.
Delicious in Dungeon vol 10 by Ryoko Kui
Almost two TPKs in this volume, yikes!
Delicious in Dungeon vol 11 by Ryoko Kui
You know shit's getting serious when the character who has been the series main villain up until now is partially devoured by a different, worse villain. Exciting changes coming to this dungeon under it's new lord and master!
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle
When Becca gets invited to sit with the popular girl clique at her new high school, she's thrilled. But the friendship turns bloody and complicated when she learns that her new friends are actually werewolves who need to kill and feed on a human once a month. If she joins them, Becca will gain superhuman strength and a pack; she'll never have to fear a male predator again, because she will be a predator herself. I loved the queer rep and the twist on werewolf lore; I wish it had been a little longer and more developed. Give me multi-page transformations sequences!
Delicious in Dungeon vol 12 by Ryoko Kui
I love seeing all these plot lines come together! Building towards a wild climax.
Delicious in Dungeon vol 13 by Ryoko Kui
I went out and *bought* vol 13 of this series because my library didn't have it yet, that's how hooked I am. And now I have to wait until JULY for the final volume! (But also, thank goodness I didn't get into this series any sooner or I'd have a much longer wait).
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st-armand · 11 months
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Author’s Notes: Earth-138 & 138B are the same, Hobie lives in New London (NY after British V.E.N.O.M associates take over the city alongside NYC Venom affiliates).
The magical girl references in this head cannon are Sailor Moon after the final season; Post Sailor Galaxia, technically from a worldbuilding head canon I have of the scouts after Neo Tokyo.
Hobie Brown x Magical Girl!Reader Headcanons Part 1
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This one is for all my hobie lovers, feast well.
Tags: Fem implied reader with the term ‘magical girl’, Reader is portrayed as Sailor Saturn, black reader but can be read as any and all
Warnings: Magical girls are scary, Mentions of Violence, Political Ideologies, Light Gore, LONG ASF
• Hobie isn’t naive, he lives in a multiverse with infinite possibilities and circumstances, even in his own earth and its surrounding universe there exists mutants, heroes, chaos and beings of extraordinary skills and abilities.
• So its safe to say he isn’t necessarily surprised, but he is amused by the prospect of worlds where the boundaries between reality, the alchemical, and the magical are thinner than what most would even be able to theorize it to be.
I have two ideas of how Hobie meets you:
1. He meets you through another spider—Senshi Araneus aka the Red Spider Nebula one who instead of a traditional spider suit, they have a transformation-based suit, so they’re more likely to be seen out of transformation than in it, since it’s an almost instantaneous change.
So let’s say there’s a dangerous anomaly running amuck in the magical spider’s universe, which is where he meets their friends, comrades, and you.
• The Spider team all have this collective idea that the world where you come from is filled with childlike wonder, and merriment, due to the kind, accommodating and just nature of Araneus, are shocked upon arrival.
(For now at least) it is similar our current world set in an unknown future timeline, the world is amidst a revolution for the fall of economic systems and classes to one founded by the people under a magical galactic ordinance.
New York and Japan are the largest ungoverned magical cities renamed Millennium Lenapehoking and Neo Tokyo.
• The politics of your world fascinates Hobie. You exist in a timeline ripe for molding society into the shape of liberation, and to do so taking up a mantle to fight oppression on earth and across constellations, this ABSOLUTELY riles Hobie up.
He lead a liberative revolution in his own world, and still has to fight fascists to keep peace within his community, so he sees the mantle that magical people uphold on a galactic scale, he empathizes and genuinely respects your fight and struggle.
• The more time he spends in your world, the more he falls in love with it— from the crystalline structures, to the modes of space travel, and especially the clothes that are made to replicate the fashion eras of planets, he finds it especially amusing that punk is classified as a vintage, but he is enthralled at by the future of punk and how the style evolves to match the magical and futuristic styles of the people and aliens on the planet.
• CONSTANTLY asks Senshi Araneus for weekly correspondence between the two of you, it starts off sweet with exchanging gifts from each other’s worlds, then evolves into having whole conversations with Araneus being the messenger between the two of you.
They get annoyed with it quickly, and opts to give Hobie an unlicensed multiverse communication device from your world, he uses it, but shrugs his shoulder languidly and says something along the lines of, “Don’t need it mate, jus’ made my own.”
• Has a group chat with Araneus, you and some other Senshi where you all listen to him complain about Miguel and talk about how terrible his politics are, recently Hobie spends HOURS complaining about the Miles incident (it’s still a sore spot),
but you all like to spam Hobie with photos of creatures and other beings yall meet, your private messages consists of selfies of your mundane days, your day job, updating him on the fun you have with other senshi, but his favorites are the photos you take, face sweaty, styled hair ragged, and your uniform in tatters after a particularly hard battle, flecks of magic flittering in your determined eyes you remind him of a predator, confident in its stride after a good hunt.
2. You also live in Earth-138(B) and while the public information around Magical People is limited to anecdotes from people’s experiences with magical girls, or comics around those who’ve seen them in action, little to none is known about the pretty vigilantes plowing through villains, criminals, corruption, slavery, and fascists.
• You live in New London, your family lived there before the British occupation when NYC became NL.
It was essentially the same, but the difference can be spotted between residential slang, and state sanctioned zoning.
• You’ve been a magical girl since 12, you spent your entire life fighting monsters, corrupted humans, other magical peoples, cops, government spies, you name it, and you’ve fought it and lived, you’re quite privileged in that aspect
• You became a senshi after a traumatic event, cornered in an alley, moments from death, or whatever gruesome ideas your assailant could think of, your body couldn’t handle the stress and anxiety, your star crystal was activated to protect its owner.
When you came to, all that remained were disintegrated bodies and chunks of flesh.
• The first time Hobie meets you, he’s an older teen, mostly accustomed to his duties as Spiderman of his world, and New London, aiding him in the fight against a beast, a V.E.N.O.M synthesized Chimera, in all of its many headed and limbed glory, had attacked the city.
Hobie did his best to contain it, but a monster with few weak points and unpredictable strikes, his spidey senses were a bit overwhelmed.
• Just as he is in the most compromising position battling the enemy, having no aid, and focusing on keep bystanders safe, you came down upon him like a rapture, a visage of death amongst its ghastly horse.
You take down the Chimera with an earth-shattering blow, severing its head with an immaculately clean cut.
• To Hobie you are the visage of destruction, the essence of a vengeful deity that graces its people with salvation, but severs those unworthy of it.
He is enamored by your strength, adoration graces his masked face, but before he gets a quip in to break the ice, you depart—fly really, leaving him with the carcass.
• Hobie only ever sees you in your senshi uniform during fights with extraordinary powers and abilities, or public demonstrations, keeping protestors safe, killing off cops, and helping to rebuild infrastructure in NL.
• Hobie does see you often out of uniform, specifically at a store ‘Clash & Kill’ where many punks go to craft, and barter for accessories.
He always sees you admiring the leatherwork of the items, even smelling them, he learns later you do this to verify if its real leather, this always makes him laugh, he loves to tease you about it too, “You smellin’ the wares again, huh?”
• He won’t know your identity as a magical girl until he’s transparent about his role as Spiderman, this will cause clashes in the relationship that’s fostered between the two of you, but love is a work in progress right?
Comments, Questions, Criticisms?? Im still getting used to formating on tumblr posts so im always down to listen to tips and advice
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