#connected lights

[existingillusion]

[allthingskenobi]

I feel safe. Yes, it feels like that.

@swsource​ star wars week: day 6 – may the 4th be with you!

[carpethedamndiemdejavu]

Eventually everything connects.

[lorenzonuti]

Malware detected.

[ingoodjesst]

one thing i really like about the apothecary diaries is how fluidly maomao moves between high- and low-class society, between the rear palace and the pleasure district, allowing us to see the parallels in the power dynamics. in both settings, we see women trying to make the most of their relative stations with whatever tools available to them, which are often shared. much of the politics of the series centers women and the ways they try to navigate the world through seduction, marriage, beauty, fashion, manipulation, etc, because these are the things they're valued for. their appearance, their social graces, their "purity", their marriageability, their ability to bear children, and beyond - these all lend political, economic, and social leverage to themselves and their families regardless of class.

the mystery angle in particular enables the story to closely examine what tools and motives are available to women in the apothecary diaries in a way that's contextualized and humanized. it's also how the series highlights said women operating with a keen awareness of society's expectations and systems. whether that's applying deathly white powder to maintain impractical beauty standards, faking illnesses to deter certain visitors, using parlor tricks to subtly punish callous men, or wearing ostentatious outfits to hide a certain truth, each mystery we encounter reveals more about what it means to navigate the world of the apothecary diaries as a woman in addition to revealing their cleverness (or lack thereof) in doing so.

maomao is no exception to the rule, often weighing similar questions of propriety and power before she acts - although she does engage from a unique position. she's a literate woman from the lower class with special circumstances surrounding her birth, versed as an apothecary, and favored by highly ranked members of the court. this, plus her marked lack of ambition beyond medicine, gives her a lot of mobility between and (relatively) unbiased insight into both the high- and low-ranked parts of society. in turn, we readers are given a fantastic protagonist to explore what i consider a core draw of the series: seeing how maomao chooses to move through the world, highly conscious of her own social positioning as well as that of all the other women around her

[mipexch]

been thinking about something wicked a little too much lately. no harm in romanticizing the ominous dreadful unstoppable force

[pebblejar]

Someone in discord mentioned cyberpunk sky crossover and I haven't been normal about it since :]

[gummi-ships]

[pierogish]

I grew a spine

[pi-slices]

Point Connection.

[theoldkyokodied]

Watched Re-Animator. Think these two should get to kiss

Edit: DISCLAIMER: Before you decide to watch Re-Animator, make sure to check for content warnings, there is a scene that a lot of people choose to skip!

[existingillusion]

Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars

[chinzhilla]

I felt like I floated to the ceiling. When I looked back down, I saw myself on the operating table.

[bunnieswithknives]

Is Wolf and / or Flowers in any kind of relationship? Aside from Flowers being madly in love with reckless fun, that is

No Wolf/Flowers unfortunately, the ship I have in mind is significantly more insane.

[ihatebrainstorm]

[Medicine]

"The Caduceus. Commonly mixed up with the Rod of Asclepius."

Guys I think it'd be really funny if Pharma and Ratchet had the same voice

[calciumdreams]

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