#to revise them

[loriache]

"I've been waiting for ages for somebody to unmask them."

This moment tends to elicit negative reactions in a first read through, and I've got some opinions about why where Kabru is coming from here actually makes a lot of logical sense. So I thought I'd elaborate on that.

I think people hear this and go, "He thinks they must be hiding something because they gave money to someone? What a cynic." Or "he dislikes them because they did charity?? What's wrong with this guy!". And obviously, a lot, a lot is wrong with him. But I think this makes more sense than it seems at first glance! What people evaluating this judgement miss is why Kabru is paying attention to Laios and co to begin with.

Kabru knows of the Touden siblings because (he's a little bit of a stalker-) he is keeping an eye on all the relevant parties in events developing on the island, in order to be able to guide them to his preferred outcome. This includes adventurers because they are the ones actually exploring the dungeon! He's well aware that something as minor as internal tensions between party members could be key to the historical events that are developing. (He would love the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.)

His desired outcome is that whatever the rewards are of breaking the dungeon's curse, whether that's kingship or the ancient elven secrets of dungeons, are claimed by:

A) a short lived person

B) Someone who will be a good, effective leader and/or use those secrets and the power they carry wisely, with foresight, and to establish a political bloc for short lived people.

The person he can best trust to do this is, of course, himself. But due to his PTSD regarding dungeons and monsters, he's not able to develop the necessary skills to conquer the dungeon. Once he realises this, he starts looking for someone else who he can support to that end.

But most of the adventurers don't have any intentions of conquering the dungeon, don't have the skills, or are unsuitable in other ways. In fact, it seems like some potentially suitable people are the Toudens. There are a lot of good rumours about them going around - they actually seem to have a very positive reputation! That's what Kabru means when he says "unmask".

So when Kabru is observing something like them giving money to an old comrade from their gold-peeling days, he doesn't consider it a problem because "they're giving money to this person who doesn't actually need it" or because they must have some dark secret if they act superficially nice. I think he actually understands this situation and what it implies about Laios (in particular) perfectly well.

Laios and Falin gave money to an old comrade who got injured and couldn't work. That person then healed up but kept taking their money. Then he used the money to start smuggling illicit goods to the island.

The key is that for Kabru, the problem here is the same as with the corpse retrievers - people using the dungeon's resources to fuel dangerous, selfish, or violent pursuits cause problems for the island, attract more criminals and people with motives other than breaking the curse, and increase the chances of the whole situation ending in tragedy.

Kabru is willing to work with the Shadow Lord of the island if it gets him to his goal - he isn't scrupulous - but the criminal element of the island increasing is something he sees as a major issue.

Also, when you're evaluating someone as a candidate for power, riches, secrets, potentially kingship - then being curious about how the money you give to people is going to be used is kind of a relevant trait!

Interpersonally, Kabru's actually very easygoing - I mean, Mickbell isn't exactly an upstanding guy, is he! But Kabru likes him and they get along well. These traits wouldn't be a problem at all in a friend, or a comrade, or someone Kabru was confident he could use. But he can't get a handle on Laios, and Laios is someone who has the potential to be a major player!

On Laios' end, this is the same as with the marriage seeker who joined their party. She kept asking for things and he gave them to her, because he tries to be nice to others. He even gives her money! It's the exact same thing.

That's fine, but it became a problem because he basically wasn't interested in her motives, didn't notice she was trying to manipulate him, and it also didn't occur to him that the other party members would notice or be affected. We can assume the situation with the gold peeler is the same. When Kabru says that "It's not that they're bad people, they just aren't interested in humans," he isn't wrong.

The extent to which this is true of Laios is linked to his autism imo, (because it isn't just disinterest - he genuinely isn't able to notice nonverbal cues that people are lying to him or have ulterior motives) but to a greater or lesser extent I think it's a very common trait. Most people aren't actually that interested in other people who aren't close to them. Kabru is the weird one here. It isn't an issue except as a leader - which is why we see an immediate comparison to the Island's Lord, because that's how Kabru is evaluating them.

And disinterest in/lack of ability with people to the extent Laios exhibits it, it does, actually, make him a worse leader... it's just that as we see in the story, people can help him out. The rest of the party tell him the marriage seeker is taking advantage of him so he tells her he can't give her special treatment anymore. They're pissed and it's a crisis point - he couldn't have recovered their trust without Marcille and Falin - but that's exactly the point. With Marcille and Falin, he was able to recover their trust.

And he has other good traits that make up for it, such as his intelligence, strategic knowledge, open-mindedness and sense of fairplay.

Kabru doesn't disqualify Laios as a candidate based on what he sees about him from afar, though - he still tries very hard to get close to him, obviously hoping that if he manages he can steer Laios to defeat the dungeon and make up for his lack of people-skills in the aftermath. (Which... he does eventually achieve that goal!) He completely fails until the events of the story, so... definitely I think "They just aren't interested in humans" could also partially be a stung reaction to Laios' complete disinterest in him.

Anyway, that's my read on what exactly Kabru's "issue" with Laios is. Obviously, once he does find out what Laios' true nature is like - about his love for monsters - he develops an entirely new set of fears about Laios' priorities. But since Laios kept that a secret until the start of the story, he has no idea of that yet.

Given all that, I think it's interesting that he says that he doesn't think that the Toudens are suitable to defeat the dungeon, and that he's hoping they'll turn out to be the thieves. As some of his few potential candidates, people who he thinks may play a big role in the island's future, you'd think he'd hope they would be good people!

I suppose it's better, in his eyes, because it means that he's involved in something "interesting". They haven't just had their stuff stolen by regular criminals (boring, puts them further away from his goal) - they've been caught up in the beginning stages of "a historic event". The desperate and dwindling group forgetting morals in their quest to retrieve their lost comrade probably appeals to his sense of melodrama. Because he also just... loves drama.

Despite it being "uglier than anything he was expecting", he still pursues Laios as the person he wants to conquer the dungeon pretty much as soon as it becomes clear that he won't be able to do it himself and they are out of time. That's because... well, to be fair, there aren't any other options. And he fits standard A: he's short-lived!

and Kabru still hopes he can fit standard B, too, and be persuaded to use the power he wins for good. No matter how many nightmares he has about Laios, or whether he thinks about killing him. He doubts him, but ultimately he puts his faith in him and seems happy after the manga's ending that he made the right decision.

#dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi manga spoilers #dungeon meshi meta #kabru of utaya #laios touden #labru #laios x kabru #dunmeshi #og post #kabru is such a big picture thinker. and he evaluates people more than he judges them imo #the hater jokes are funny but the people he judges most harshly arent laios and co. they're people like the island's lord. #but you don't see that as clearly because he isn't interested in the island's lord. he understands him. finds him contemptible but useful. #whereas laios lives in his brain rent free because he WANTS to understand him but doesnt quite. #even though he sees the elves as a major threat to his ultimate goals and dislikes the way they treat short lived races #he still understands and evaluates mithrun as an individual based on his own merits #he's one of the characters who is least judgemental in that sense because while he's always making judgements and evaluations #he's also constantly revising them whenever he gets more information #my beautiful machiavellian prince <3 #it's genuinely a really laudable way of understanding others imo. #the only problem is that because he's driven towards his goals by his PTSD and survivors guilt #he pushes himself into situations (the dungeon and also interpersonally) that trigger him or even just upset him #without regard for what he authentically wants or his own wellbeing.

[dyrewrites]

"This character is insignificant to the story, but literally helps drive the plot, so he should have a little more development."

Brain: turns character into an absolute lunatic that is a blast to write and creates more scenes just for them.

I am never going to finish this book.

#revision is for fleshing out and clearing up #getting rid of scenes we don't need #not adding more of them #stupid brain #writing rambles

[arielluva]

using the dream i had where utena had white streaks in her hair as inspiration, i made these designs!!! i wanted to keep them recognizeable, but also have more fantastical elements to them. i dont know if their (mostly utena's) outfits make too much logical sense, but since they're inspired by a dream, do they have to be?

#my art #revolutionary girl utena #rgu #utena tenjou #anthy himemiya #i originally wanted utenas entire uniform to be white with red accents but there just wasnt enough contrast so. had to go black #i do like the gold though but now that im looking at it again idk if i want her shorts to stay gold or be white instead #also this bird wing and moon/cloud motifs i have used on some of my ocs before so i took that as inspiration #the cloud print i put on anthys dress is like the 3rd character ive used it for and she probably wont be the last #anyways yeah we got a free flying bird and a princess of stars and the moon!! yippee #i think these designs turned out nice but ofc they are subject to revision if i draw them again #2023

[kkoct-ik]

desperately trying to reconnect with my 3L roots. the silly guys :)

bonus because my sketch was so cute

#kostik draws #goodtimeswithscar #gtws #gtwscar #grian #fanart #3rd life #3rd life fanart #third life #no long winded comment today champs. at least not yet #actually IGNORE GRIANS NORMAL GRIP it made sense in the first drafts. less so when they were revised to be happy guys #look. i wanted them to be happy guys. and i wasnt arsed to redraw the hand interaction. gimme a break #trafficshipping

[sundayroadkill]

u should do more scorbus fanart😭🙏🙏🙏

i was so shocked to get an ask for more scorbus art that wasn’t from my pal 🤣 thanks anon this one’s for u (and my pal)

#me and my friend are so deep in our own scorbus world I never registered the possibility that anyone else would even like my scorbus fanart #SO THANKS ANON #scorbus #albus potter #scorpius malfoy #I watched a shit ton of clips from cc revisions and lost my entire fucking mind #cursed child #y’all they legit almost kiss this shit is laced I love them they’re such good boys #nothing like their fathers lmao #art #Harry Potter

[ripplerain]

just a nice peaceful picnic

nothing more~

#that one meme immediately made me think of them #scarlet and violet meeting is going to be so funny #i can’t wait #also that text is what originally was going into those speech bubbles but I was skeptical #released the initial thoughts nonetheless after revising #and a quick doodle #pokespe #scarlet koito #pokespe scarlet #dexholder scarlet #trainer scarlet #violet lang #pokespe violet #dexholder violet #trainer violet #pokemon arven #trainer arven #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon sv

[sea-buns]

wow... what a season. it feels weird to say that this little 6-episode side quest, in all of the 19 seasons of d20, is one of my favorites they've ever done but it just is. it had all the stakes and humor and drama that you could possibly want, all balanced with an incredible cast of players. the table chemistry was excellent, the characters were so perfectly themselves, the TROPES were OFF THE CHARTS!

i can't quite remember the last time i finished something and ached so sharply for there to be more. i just know I'm gonna be thinking about this one for a long time

#i didnt delay watching the ep like i normally would so i feel like ill end up delaying making posts about it instead lol #i dont WANT to. i have lots of thoughts id like to share. but also once i get started putting them to words im gonna get WAY off track. #lots of revising will need to be done. #the adhd is strong with this one. #v excited to continue collecting cool art and fanfics tho. ever since trw ive been on the verge of picking up writing again #and i fear the worst for my already terribly hectic behaviors when it comes to hyperfixation consumption #dimension 20 #d20 #mentopolis

[demiesop]

A little continuation of this

------- -------

Sometimes just surviving is already your biggest achievement.

#demiart #I've revised this again and again and every time the words make less and less sense but I hope it's comprehensible #bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 astarion #tav:sorn #astarion/tav #astarion x tav #yes Sorn likes whatever is in Astarion's tent and will borrow them because it smells like him #i survived another day and im celebrating it #ok im going to slep #bc no one does honesty in the drow society let’s be honest

[bluerosefox]

Consorthood Via Combat

Okay I know we all love the headcanon that Danny becomes the King of the Infinite Realms after defeating Pariah Dark in a 'Keep what you kill' kind of way, only its not kill but defeat in combat, but what if Danny's future consort/husband/wife is chosen the same way.

Like what if Danny is dating one of the Bats (can be anyone tbh from any fandom, I just love the batfam) and they've been dating in secret for a while and knows each other's identities. The one he's dating even knows about the King thing as well, that's how much Danny trusts them at this point.

So when they wake up to a glowing green sticky note with the words 'Alls fair in love and war. -CW' they know of the ghost Clockwork and his riddles ways, and keep on hand the anti-ghost weapon (in their preferred weapon of choice) Danny had gifted them as a 'just in case' option, all day.

So they were fully prepared for a fight when they, and the rest of the Batfam, get pulled away from their dinner to the Infinite Realms, in a huge castle in front of an empty throne, surrounded by a bunch of weird eyeball ghosts and one angry/jealous, snobby looking ghost, whose been trying to gain Danny's eyes/favor for months now especially since they have the backing of the Observants but nothing works, and said ghost challenges the "Current lover of King Phantom to a duel for the rights of courting him!"

(This law was created by Pariah Dark who wanted his future consort strong so he let them fight it out for the spot. It was entertaining for him to watch ghosts fight for it. But it needed to be done in front of the throne, no King was needed to be present, and both fighters needed to be endorsed by powerful and old beings (the ghost fighting for Danny's hand had the Observants, meanwhile the bat Danny is dating had technically been endorsed by Clockwork when he sent the sticky note)

They fight, the Bat Danny is dating wins, and Danny returns from a 'oh so serious problem' the Observants said he needed to fix only to find the person he's dating in an argument with Clockwork over 'I only fought because Danny isn't some prize anyone can claim, we are not forcing him to stay with me even though I won. He has the right for his future.', Clockwork whose just smiling and chuckling in his all knowing way, the Observants tied up in ghost rope, the annoying as heck ghost that's been trying to get in his pants for the last few months also tied up and beaten up, and... oh boy that's the Batfam... all watching... and yep they're all looking at him.

Not the way he wanted to finally meet them.

#danny phantom dc #danny phantom #danny fenton #dp x dc #blue rambles #crossover #random idea #writing ideas #batman #Danny really wanted to meet them normally #but not the Observants just HAD to ruin that. #Danny didnt know about the law for his future consort though #hes slowly making his way in the Realms law books and havent gotten to that page #he now has a year since the bat hes dating won the fight to either remove or revise it #basically since they won no one can challange for his hand for another year #As said before Pariah Dark like watching ghosts fight for consorthood #however if he removes the law now since challange is over the person hes dating will remain his consort #so yeah rights to Consorthood via combat #anywhose #give me your takes on who Danny was dating #I left the out which of the bats Danny was dating so its open for anyone to use

[lazyrunawayphilosopher]

There are so many parallels in Hualian. When Xie Lian catches Hong Hong'er during the heavenly ceremonial procession to 800 years later in the Banyue Arc Hua Cheng catching Xie Lian. Xie Lian throwing away the flower Wu Ming gave him to Xie Lian getting paranoid when he realized that he lost the golden flower Hua Cheng won for him. Xie Lian comforting Hong Hong'er that his existence isn't a problem and that he isn't at fault to Hua Cheng comforting Xie Lian that he has done enough. This is not exactly a parallel but Eming is Hua Cheng's will to survive and Rouye is Xie Lian's will to die.

#I love them sooo much #words won't be enough to express it #tian guan ci fu #hualian #tgcf #I think there are other parallels I am forgetting to add #tgcf revised version

[ashipiko]

ASHACE KIDS ANYONE?

#they’ve been cooking for like…….. years #SINCE LIKE ??? I WANNA SAY 2020-2021 #VEEERY EARLY ASHACE DAYS #avila has had sm revisions but I think she’s cute now!!! #the picrew is kinda them when they were like children children? #but the ones I drew are like…… nrc days obvs #sankyu nerdy for pushin me to do this 🫶!!! #ashace #ace trappola x oc #twst #twst oc #twisted wonderland oc #KINDA SELECTIVE W TAGS ON THIS ONE……. #🤔 i don’t think ace main tag……. we’ll see how far they go

[anarchistbitch]

#revised version for them cause why not #also i love will but he is entirely a very unserious(as to mean silly) person #will herondale #kit herondale #jace herondale #james herondale #tsc #sobh #secrets of blackthorn hall #the shadowhunter chronicles #tmi #tid #tda #twp #tlh #the last hours #the wicked powers #the dark artifices #the infernal devices #m

[deku-verde]

he overthink’d it

#bakudeku #bkdk #bnha #my art #i still have some one word prompts in my box to get through #ive been having to condense some of the ideas lol i get really carried away sometimes #making lil graphic novels with some of em so i gotta revise them into smaller things #otherwise i will be working on them forever

[chelshiart]

In 2011 I drastically reduced my DWJ book intake to dripfeed levels, so it was only in the 2024 new year that I finally decided to read Deep Secret. My god - out of all her books this seems targeted at me personally? Stressed late-20-somethings, making fools of oneself in vicinity of fav authors, artist alleys?? Also, blatant unmistakable LGBT-rep??? I can't believe I slept on this one for so long!!! Definitely putting it on the upper tiers of my DWJ bookshelf.

Anyway, here's some designs I've whipped up for the characters! As always, might tweak 'em if ever I draw more in the future, but that's what's fun about figuring out character designs. Rob in particular is a joy to me.

btw Zinka plsplspls let me table with you

#diana wynne jones #deep secret #maree mallory #nick mallory #rob the centaur #rupert venables #will venables #simon venables #zinka fearson #ladies and/or gentlemen #i legit laughed out loud whenever the characters got stunned by them #like props to dwj that you can tell she was a bit confused but she did have the spirit #character design #also glad to say I've thoroughly revised my opinion of nick!! #first read Merlin Conspiracy back in 2009 and I remember being pissed because his backstory was so vague #the copy gave absolutely no indication that this was a sequel to another book #so finally getting context for all that was great and now i adore this eepy teen #(also reread MC after Deep Secret and boy I whooped at the one instance Rob my beautiful centaur son got mentioned by name)

[nearmike]

Aston Martin trying to fool the George Russell and his beloved rulebook

#at this point i feel pity for them #mike go to sleep they will not revise the penalty by looking at Nando's cv #Mercedes had enough evidence for both of the teams dw #george russell #gr63 #fernando alonso #fa14 #australian gp 2024

[litteredcorpses]

no context other than i do think an actual captain and dark encounter would be cool

#iswm #in space with markiplier #darkiplier #iswm captain #captain sirius #artag #ft my newly revised captain x-P #i love sirius i have so many scribbles of them #this one was actually one i just cleaned up real quick :-) #i have a full ref for them but like. i will make a nicer one fkghfjg or at least one i can shove onto a big pile of other sketches #ok night night