DOLLMAKER (ZEXAL)

Title: Dollmaker
Characters: Thomas Arclight, Rio Kamishiro/Kastle, Ryouga/Reginald Kamishiro/Kastle, vague mentions of Christopher and Michael
Rating: NSFW sob, but nothing immensely explicit
Warnings: Pseudo-incest and in general creepiness because idk, what kind of man has sex with BJDs he makes. This is really creepy and freaked me out a little even writing it, tbh.
Summary: A desperate man lost his brothers and began to work more on his hobby than anything else, and it became more of an obsession than anything as time went on.

When his brothers died, it had nearly killed him too. It was why he had ended up diving headfirst into his work, working more fervently every day, hardly resting. It was why he kept making more and more dolls, why he kept distracting himself with the hobby they were never fond of him having.

 

But collectors loved his work. They would always call, asking if they could come by to take a look at his showroom, and what else could he do but say yes? They offered lots of money, after all. And with that money, he could keep making them until he made the most perfect ones.

 

It was a project he started after six months of not having them around, and it took a year to complete them. Not because he slacked off - oh no, not at all. It was because he wanted them to be perfect. They had to be absolutely perfect, they had to be almost real, and that was why they were to be about the size of actual fourteen year olds. So he worked, day in and day out with their resin bodies, making sure their skin was the perfect shade. He worked to carefully place each small lock of hair into their heads - the girl had to have beautifully flowing blue hair, he decided, for she was to be his perfect little ice princess but with a fire in those magnificent amaranth irises he would later put into her face. The boy though, he was tougher to place, but if they were to be twins, then his hair must be purple and in waves, the ends of his hair flipping up, waves like the ocean with piercing cobalt eyes that could make him look like a predator. Their eyes would be glass of course, glass because he liked knowing that his creations were always watching him, giving him attention he never had.

 

The thought of those eyes, both of them, always send a shudder down his spine. The times that he would rest, he found himself leaning back in his seat and imagining their eyes, the smirks on their faces, the way that - if they had been real people - they would kiss each other, touch each other and put on a show for him, make him long to reach out for them before they would finally give in and give him the pleasure he so craved from their cold touch. And every time, he murmured different names on his lips, searching for the right ones until one day, when he came and moaned out ‘Reginald’, he knew that would be the boy’s name, and the girl would thusly be 'Rio’.

 

—

 

The day that he had completed them was the day when he should have been preparing for at least a dozen guests, all collectors and their close families that he had been kind enough to extend invitations to so they could all see his showroom at once. When he finished them though, he couldn’t help but get lost in their eyes, he couldn’t keep himself from wanting to touch them, running his fingers over the developed curve of Rio’s breasts as he kissed her neck and he pretended that she would moan for him, tell him to either give him more or she’d make sure he would. All he could do was chuckle against her neck and murmur, “Are you meant to be making such demands of your master?”

 

His attention then turned to Reginald, fingertips fluttering over the boy’s thighs and teasing over his groin, and he could imagine the hiss of breath as the boy inhaled deeply, and the glare that would follow, the biting demand that he leave his sister alone and just fuck him and get it over with. He could only chuckle again as he leaned in close to Reginald’s lips, speaking against them. “I wouldn’t have created you both if I didn’t want you both.” The resulting thought of Reginald turning his head and 'tsk'ing before mumbling an agreement made him giddy.

 

Why, if only he could make them real! Or if they could speak and do whatever he wanted of them, that would be lovely as well!

 

After some deliberation and him noticing the time, he quickly, but carefully, settled the two to stand in a case, putting them in the showroom for all to see. This would be their debut, and the world would soon see how talented he was and offer even more money for his works. Before long, the visitor showed and after treating them to some tea and biscuits, he lead them into the showroom with a gleeful grin.

 

Soon enough, all were gathered around Reginald and Rio, amazed with his craftsmanship.

 

“Goodness, they’re beautiful!”

 

“They both look so full of life - I almost thought they were real!”

 

“Thomas, how much will you take for these two?”

 

He had been content to bask in the compliments, but the moment he was asked for a price, that sweet smile of his turned dark as he shook his head. “I’m afraid they aren’t for sale. You see, they’re my best creations, and unless I can make something better, I would like to keep them. I’m certain you all understand.”

 

There were nods and murmurs of agreement before the crowd dissipated, though there was one that still lingered. He moved closer, sliding in next to the collector. “Are you certain you won’t take anything for them?” he asked, and Thomas had to bite back a snide comment, a bitter remark. Instead, he continued to smile pleasantly.

 

“Absolutely not, I’m afraid. I think it’s best that I keep my best on display to show what I’m capable of.”

 

“Mm, you do have a point. If you make any other fine specimens like these however, do let me know. I’m highly interested.”

 

“Yes, of course.” And as soon as the man turned away, Thomas’s pleasant expression shifted into one of annoyance. He would never sell these beautiful masterpieces. They belonged to him and him alone. No one would take them from him.

 

Reginald and Rio would love only him.

 

Later that night, when all visitors were gone and it was just him and the twins in the privacy of his own room, he made sure of that. They were undressed first, of course. And though he had marveled at their skin before, in the midst of making them, now that they were complete, he could linger. He could lave his tongue along the bony hip of Reginald’s, over the lower curve of Rio’s breast before swirling his tongue around her nipple. And though she couldn’t get wet, being inanimate, though Reginald couldn’t get hard, he still felt a thrill of imagining the both of them fighting against his touches, trying to hold back their orgasms so as not to show that he had such masterful hands, and Rio of course was the first to come, the first to scream out “Master!” and it made him shiver in delight. Reginald was much more stubborn though, he grit his teeth and let out a soundless shout as he came, and Thomas licked their bodies, pretending to clean them as he stroked himself, pushing himself to that edge and pressing his lips firmly against Rio’s to muffle his own shout.

 

He didn’t let himself cuddle with them though. He couldn’t. He had to clean them off with such care that it would take an hour alone to do that, and yet another hour to brush out their hair before redressing them. And as he sat them on his lap to wipe them down with a damp cloth, as he combed their hair, he spoke to them. He told them about how they were so beautiful, so perfect, how they could never leave him because didn’t they see? He needed them. They were everything to him and he… he needed them.

 

He was alone, as they could tell, and as the tears fell from the painful reminder that his brothers were dead, he could only laugh, pressing gentle kisses to the foreheads of his beautiful creations. “I need you both to stay with me. It’s all I’ll ask as… as your father. Just stay with me and love me.”

EL FUSILAMIENTO DE UN LIBREPENSADOR

Tomás de Romeu, quien durante cincuenta años había despotricado contra el clero y los dogmas de la Iglesia, recibió el sacramento con los demás condenados y hasta comulgó. «Por si acaso, padre, no se pierde nada…», comentó en broma.

Había estado enfermo de miedo desde el momento en que oyó a los soldados llegar a su casa de campo, pero ahora estaba tranquilo. Su congoja desapareció en el momento en que pudo despedirse de sus hijas. Durmió las dos noches siguientes sin sueños, y pasó las jornadas animado. Se abandonó a la muerte cercana con una placidez que no había tenido en vida. Empezó a gustarle la idea de acabar sus días con un disparo, en vez de hacerlo de a poco, sumido en el inevitable proceso de la decrepitud. Tal vez pensó en sus hijas, libradas a su suerte, deseando que Diego de la Vega cumpliera su palabra. Las sintió más distantes que nunca.

En las semanas de cautiverio se había ido desprendiendo de recuerdos y sentimientos, así había adquirido una libertad nueva: ya nada tenía que perder. Al pensar en sus hijas no lograba visualizar sus rostros o diferenciar sus voces, eran dos pequeñas sin madre jugando con muñecas en los sombríos salones de su casa. Dos días antes, cuando lo visitaron en la prisión, se maravilló ante esas mujeres que habían reemplazado a las chiquillas con botines, delantales y moñitos de sus reminiscencias. Carajo, cómo pasa el tiempo, murmuró al verlas. Se despidió de ellas sin pesar, sorprendido de su propia indiferencia. Juliana e Isabel harían sus vidas sin él, ya no podía protegerlas. A partir de ese instante pudo saborear sus últimas horas y observar con curiosidad el ritual de su ejecución.

La madrugada de su muerte, Tomás de Romeu recibió en su celda el último presente de Eulalia de Callís, una cesta con un abundante refrigerio, una botella del mejor vino y un plato con los más delicados bombones de chocolate de su colección. Lo autorizaron para lavarse y afeitarse, vigilado por un guardia, y le entregaron la muda de ropa limpia que enviaron sus hijas. Caminó gallardo e impávido hacia el sitio de la ejecución, se colocó ante el poste ensangrentado, donde lo ataron, y no permitió que le vendaran los ojos. A cargo del pelotón estuvo el mismo oficial de los iris celestes que había recibido a Juliana e Isabel en La Ciudadela. A él le tocó darle un balazo en la sien cuando comprobó que tenía medio cuerpo destrozado por los disparos pero seguía vivo. Lo último que vio el condenado antes de que el tiro de misericordia estallara en su cerebro fue la luz dorada del amanecer en la niebla.

El militar, que no se impresionaba con facilidad, porque había sufrido la guerra y estaba acostumbrado a las brutalidades del cuartel y de los calabozos, no había podido olvidar el rostro anegado en lágrimas de la virginal Juliana, arrodillada ante él. Quebrantando su propia norma de separar el cumplimiento del deber de sus emociones, fue a llevarles la noticia en persona. No quiso que las hijas de su prisionero lo supieran por otros medios.

– No sufrió, señoritas -les mintió.



Isabel Allende.

MEOWS AND MIRRORS

Healin' Good Pretty Cure - Episode 4
My Own Review
MEOWS AND MIRRORS



With the fourth episode of Healin’ Good ♡, the main team of three Cures finally comes together. Well, at least until they probably introduce one more, but that is something to worry about at a later date.
For now, it is Cure Sparkle’s turn to make her debut.

A talking tabby? This is the cat's meow!

Hinata seems to be pretty fond of Nyatoran

Hyperactive Hinata Hiramitsu discovers a talking cat whilst on her way to meet with her friends, and gets sidetracked. Of course, said talking tabby is Nyatoran, who is still seeking a partner. Together with Nodoka and Chiyu, Hinata goes to meet with her friends. A monster attack ultimately leads to Hinata becoming Cure Sparkle.

 Hinata's big bro Youta, best BrILF since Wataru Kaido (not counting Masato because the latter is gay and with Henri-ette!). She also has an older sister, Mei. Which makes me wonder about her parents... are these siblings orphans or are the elder Hiramitsus absentees?

Look at our new pet... neko neko neko!

Chiyu tries to keep Hinata from blabbing about the talking cat

Both Nodoka and Chiyu got strong introductory episodes in this season, and I’m happy to say that Hinata does as well. She had brief appearances in previous episodes, but now seeing one that focuses on her has no doubt that she is a wonderful part of the main cast.

Thirsty? We Hiramitsus also run a juice bar, aside from a vet clinic. The drinks are on the house!

Nodoka reassures Hinata that they’ll explain to her friends why she was late

This may be Hinata’s episode, but Nodoka certainly gets some great moments where she shines, too. Healin’ Good ♡ is proving pretty early on that is has an excellent cast of characters, and that can only be a good thing.

If this cat was heard speaking in public, think of all the paparazzi!

I love attention, but that would be too much of a good thing...

The pathogerm this week is created from a mirror

The enemy general that appears this week is Guaiwaru, and he reveals that it is not just nature can be infected. Of course, the Megapathogerm we get has to be a little too much for Cure Grace and Cure Fontaine to handle on their own, because this is Hinata’s episode. Her first day in the limelight.

Being a mirror, this pathogerm deflects all attacks

Hinata’s reaction to discovering Nodoka and Chiyu are PreCures is not quite what they expect

If there’s one thing that this episode makes abundantly clear about Hinata, it is that she absolutely adores cute things (kawaiisa). Apparently the PreCure aesthetic comes under that, as the mirror monster attacking the town of Sukoyaka is of no concern to her when she sees Cure Grace and Cure Fontaine for the first time. Seeing allies and enemies alike have the same counterreaction to Hinata’s reaction is pretty amusing.

Cure Sparkle

I can’t help but feel that much of Nyatoran’s interactions with Hinata throughout this episode were a test – one that she passes with flying colours, hence becoming light-powered catgirl Cure Sparkle.

Hey, easy on that, Mr. Guava!

Cure Sparkle in action

During the battle, Nyatoran has to tell Cure Sparkle that they purify their foes, rather than defeat them. A purified foe is a defeated foe, so I guess there’s not all that much distinction. Ultimately, though, it falls to Cure Sparkle to bring the battle to an end.

With that, our full team is assembled (for now)

I feel pretty confident in saying that Healin’ Good ♡ has got off to an incredibly strong start. Nodoka, Chiyu, and Hinata have all had wonderful introductions, and the three have got a good dynamic between them.
Such a great debut for Cure Sparkle. I’m expecting good things from her – and Nodoka and Chiyu as well.

MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
First things first - Hinata/Sparkle is BEST GIRL so far for this season/continuity, hands down.
Guaiwaru's summoning MO: if Daruizen does hair flips and Shindoine blows kisses, how does the brute...? This episode, him being Sparkle's evil counterpart, gives the reply: by puffing up that powder-keg chest of his, showing off some pecs!

Kekekekeke~ as expected, Hinata and Nyatoran are a freaking firecracker duo, and love it! Their energy levels compliment each other very well, and the way they just confidently wing it on the go also makes them a fitting pair. Their fateful encounter was hysterical with Nyaotran when he snapped at her, their reactions were priceless! It got even better when he decided there was no use in trying to cover it up, and just straight-up claim he was born with the ability to talk like humans. Look at that confidence! The girls’ reaction to his boldness was priceless as well- heck the whole thing had me in stitches from laughing so hard! And bonus points for even pretending he was meeting them all for the first time!

But what’s actually incredible about Hinata is the way she took this in stride. Her first concern was getting him out of the public’s eye because she feared Nyatoran would be exploited for his ability to talk. And when you actually think about it – is a legitimate concern that is usually not brought up. It also makes sense why she would go to seek out her brother’s advice, as he is a veterinarian (a charming handsome one, who the girls mistaken him to have been her father- poor dude).

And goodness we thought Hikaru (Star Twinkle) was energetic, but Hinata takes it to another level, but I am not particularly bothered by it (yet). In fact I find her personality to be well balanced with how quickly she can switch back and forth from the high of excitement to the low of the gravity of the situation, and how easily she gets distracted. It is a charm that adds to the humor because she is the type to act first, think later. She also has the charm of being a sweetheart who will put the safety and well-being of others ahead of her own. When she was told that Nodaka and Chiyu had ran in the direction the monster was at, Hinata didn’t hesitate to go after them, only to hilariously she run straight into the monster herself! The moment she did that, Nyatoran knew that she was the one.

When it came to the partnership this time we saw the trainee reach out to his Human partner. I would say this case was the most similar to Rabirin’s and Nodaka’s partnership, but I would what set them apart from the other two was his confidence in Hinata’s abilities. He was basically like, “I LIKE YOU, LETS KICK ASS TOGETHER!”

I really love Cure Sparkle’s design. It’s super cute, her transformation was definitely a lot more simplified than the other two, but it was still pleasing to the eyes– or actually now that I think about it… It might be the sound effect of the fabric’s ‘whoosh’ or whatever it is. There is something really satisfying about it and I don’t know why ahahahaha! But while the transformation wasn’t particularly showy, the fight— oh man, that as the highlight of the episode. Surely I wasn’t the only one who thought the animation for the fight was on fire! I can’t recall a single fight that was this exciting to watch just 4 episodes in. It was soooooo much fun to watch, seriously mad props to the animators! They nailed it. It was so funny when Hinata went on to say, “LETS DEFEAT THIS THING!” and Nyatoran had to tell her, “DON’T BEAT IT, PURIFY IT!”

Another great thing about this fight is proving that the enemies are no pushover. They are ramping things up in their own way, and we see that by how it has become essential for a group effort. What’s also interesting to note is that the generals aren’t limited to targeting nature. Guaiwaru walked into a shop and attacked a Light Element residing in a mirror, a material good, an inanimate object. One of the advantages of this addition, is that it makes it less predictable of where the enemy may pop up next. Another thing that crossed my mind is the expansion of their targets. I suspect somewhere down the line, (maybe when the adorable Elements may no longer play the significant role as they do now), we may see them expand to more mobile targets such as insects, animals and maybe even Humans.

And last but not last, we got to see the King of Pathogerms receive the update of yet another Precure making an appearance. Once again, he is not particularly concerned and wants his generals to focus on the primary objective of helping him recover to his true form, and I doubt that is about to change with Hinata added to the party. However the unwavering focus on ensuring he is resurrected before the Queen of Healing Garden made me wonder whether or not the Trainees are aware of this. When we go back to episode 2, nowhere did they mention anything about the danger of the King of Pathogerms making a comeback. Instead we were given a rather generalized explanation that the Pathogerms are trying to make a world that’s comfortable for them to live in, one which will basically makes the world uninhabitable. Maybe the threat of the King will be something they expand on next week, but if they don’t, then it might explain why the King isn’t particularly concerned about their activities. In fact, when you think about it, the monsters are nothing more than a tool to blight the world, but also distract the Precures from the Generals themselves. Perhaps once they are made aware of the situation at hand, they will take the initiative to go after them. But first, they definitely need to gain some battle experience, they aren’t quite ready to fight them head to head just yet.

This week was yet another fantastic showing from Healin’ Good Prettycure! It really does feel almost surreal how long it has been since they have had such a strong early start, especially with their characters. Now that everyone has a partner, it is going to be interesting how the three of them mesh together. We already got to see how Hinata and Chiyu are already at odds with each other, maybe because Chiyu was the one who was the most concerned about their secret as Precures getting out. Based on the preview, I think this is in part of why Hinata is under the impression that Chiyu doesn’t like her. I suspect Nodaka, being the fairly neutral minded one of the group will find herself trying to help smooth out the misunderstanding between them.

REVIEW: THE MOIST VON LIPWIG TRILOGY

He's Mr. Mail. Mr. Money. Mr. Railway.
Yet at heart a confidence trickster who surprisingly proves himself as the ultimate bureaucrat.
He has many names -Albert, Mr. Mail, Mr. Money, Mr. Railway...-, as a trick of the trade, but there is no mistake that all of these aliases lead to the one and only



MOIST VON LIPWIG
(HÚMEDO VON MUSTACHEN in the Spanish translation)

The Moist-von-Lipwig steampunk trilogy is an excellent gateway into the Discworld, with the three-part saga's lovable scoundrel antihero and its central theme of change and technological/social progress in a renaissance fantasy world on the verge of eighteenth-century Enlightenment.

*

Going Postal - Cartas en el asunto

Postal is the only Moist novel that has been adapted to the screen so far (still waiting for the Money and Steam miniseries!). It is also Terry Pratchett's open love letter to snail mail - criticizing how it's being currently replaced by other, more advanced and quicker interpersonal communication systems -.



Self-made man, raised from obscure orphanhood to the infamy of the all-star psycho confidence trickster, Moist von Lipwig never expected to get a new lease on life on the day of execution - neither for this second chance to be in general charge of the Royal Mail. Alas, that's how things are (nice winged shako hat and matching winged sneakers, Hermes-style, also forming part of the uniform indeed!). There is also a romantic subplot of von Lipwig's betrothal with Adora Belle Dearheart, a free-spirited heiress turned social justice warrior and Ada Lovelace counterpart (think Ada Goth all grown up!) whose family has fallen on hard times due to the rise of clacks (semaphore towers, a metaphor for information technology) as the dominant medium for interpersonal communication. Knowing Moist, knowing Adora, there is both a quid pro quo and a love story in this arrangement...



In this story, an affectionate parody and subversion of Atlas Shrugged, of course information technology gets its fair share of satirising - Pratchett's idea is not going full-scale Luddism about snail mail, but showing how it can coexist with IT (the "clacks" semaphore tower system in the Discworld) at the end of the day. Hackers and free software ("the smoking GNU"), not to mention the Three Laws of Robotics, get here as much of a typically British tongue-in-cheek treatment as the mafia, capitalist monopolies, and even philatelia, the age-old hobby of stamp collecting: one of the few factors that currently keep snail mail alive.



**

Making Money - Dinero a mansalva

Right when Moist, in spite of his new lease on life, was growing weary of a cushy post as Mr. Mail, he is offered the deputy direction of the Royal Mint and First Bank on top of that - and it becomes his quest to introduce the reluctant Morporkian populace to paper money. The pug? Wealthy matriarch Topsy Lavish, Moist's predecessor, has bequeathed her immense fortune and office to her pet Mr. Fusspot, whom Moist adopts and becomes deputy for.

  



Of course the Lavish siblings, snubbed by their late mother in favour of a literal lapdog and his upstart nouveau-riche deputy, are not going to back down that easily. The Lavishes are a discworld counterpart to the Medicis and Borgias (their surname even echoes both luxury and Lannisters!), to give you an idea of what Mr. Money is up against...
He also gets a relationship upgrade with fiancée Adora on the love front... no spoiler alert, but I will let you figure out yourself what happens to them as a straight OTP!

At the end of Money, Moist and Adora... are husband and wife!




***

Raising Steam - A todo Vapor

All good things come in threes, and in Terry Pratchett's swan song, he finally gives Moist von Lipwig the chance to wear the third of three hats for his administrative hat-trick: Mr. Mail, who is also Mr. Money, becomes Mr. Railway on top of those two titles - in what is an open letter to the Victorian steam fever.
For starters, the final installment presents some interesting character dynamics by giving Moist a kouhai: Dick Simnel ("Lemnis" in sdrawckab, to echo Hephaestus) a self-taught young provincial metalworking prodigy with a great ambition - namely, this lad from oop north has made the first locomotive, and is the first train driver, in the history of the Discworld! In fact, I came for Mr. Railway, who negotiates land rights to lay out the railway tracks, and stayed for the self-taught young man with the flat cap who made and now drives the Iron Girder, which he refers to as a "she" and regards as the apple of his eye. Maybe having a soft spot for steampunk, a train driver for a great-grandfather, and being self-taught myself played all a part in this favouritism!

Whereas the first few books were essentially powered by the lampooning of epic fantasy tropes, which produced a new kind of magic unique to Pratchett’s work, the Discworld has changed. A medieval world has morphed into what’s essentially a 19th century society, albeit one where humans co-exist with such people – and they’re presented as fully rounded people, it’s important to note – as trolls, dwarves, golems, and now even geeky goblins.

 

Raising Steam marks a completion, of sorts, of this process, because such a world can’t rely on the magic of the Middle Ages and Early Modern era for its forward momentum. No, it needs a new power source: coal-fired steam. Step forward Dick Simnel. It would be easy to mistake Simnel for a straightforward, even simple country lad, but that’s to overlook the fact that he’s an engineer. And not just a glorified blacksmith, but someone who’s learnt the mysteries of the sliding rule, an innovator, a lad with a shed who knows how to use it.
Through careful experimentation and occasionally blowing stuff up on a more-or-less controlled basis, Simnel has tamed the steam, harnessing the power of all four classical elements in order to make the first train in the Discworld move forwards on the tracks. When the higher-ups like von Lipwig see Simnel's locomotive, the Iron Girder, they also see the future. What follows is Pratchett’s take on the railway fever that gripped Victorian Britain at the excitable zenith of industrialisation.

As the tracks are laid and rights to the lands are acquired, the task proves not easy for our senpai-kouhai duo (later turned a trio with the addition of a curious hobgoblin), due mainly to railway terrorism by Luddites/ISIS counterparts who are fanatically opposed to industrial progress on what they deem religious grounds. The railway, which brings people together, opens up possibilities and certainly helps, but it’s also a potent symbol of change for those who don’t want change thank you very much. And at the extreme end of those who don’t want change lie the fundamentalists, the violent naysayers, the people who prefer to blow stuff up on a more-or-less uncontrolled basis.
How to counter such a mindset is the overarching preoccupation of the second half of the novel, as Moist and Simnel build a railway all the way from their Morporkian-Sto Plains homelands to Überwald. Why? Without giving too much away, it’s because certain dwarves can’t accept being at peace with traditional enemies. The same fanatical dwarves who want to stop the Iron Girder in its tracks, to be more exact... The internecine conflicts amongst the dwarves soon spill out beyond their mines, and this eventually draws Moist, Simnel, and the railway right into the middle of an attempted coup d’état. Will they reach their final station unscathed?
This second act, with colonialists laying railway tracks across hostile "savage" territory and all the consequences thereof, was reminiscent of, and even surpassing, The Lunatic Express -even the climax involves a railway bridge across a chasm, though with far more dangerous enemies than African Lions to confront!-. There is a traintop battle, railway accidents, a fat controller, and landowners intent to make Moist drunk in order to stop the tracks from coursing right across their estates - a wild ride indeed...