#in fact i had a set of 12 characters based on the zodiac that i called the 'star kids' way way back in the day

[gamebunny-advance]

Today's NSR Trivia: Birth Months

Most of the main cast have semi-canon birth months.

(source)

I say "semi-canon" because the post doesn't clarify if these are actually the birth months of each character or if they were chosen based on other factors. For example, Eve being the representative of June would imply that she's likely a Gemini, aka the Twins, which could be a reference to her duality theme.

However, Mayday's canonical birthday is May 1st, which is reflected in this upload, so it's plausible that the rest are canon too.

Just for fun, under the cut is what their zodiac signs are most likely to be + some speculation about why each character was chosen to represent their respective months.

Neon J. - Capricorn (The Goat)

Often considered dependable and hardworking. They're usually considered the most responsible of the signs, so I tend to see them stereotyped as managers and CEOs, which would fit into his role of being 1010's literal manager. Interestingly, despite being an earth sign, Capricorn is actually a sea-goat, so it could also reference him being in the navy.

Edit: It completely flew over my head that Capricorn is the 10th zodiac sign. So he's probably a Capricorn just to go with his general '10' theming.

Zuke - Aquarius (The Water Bearer)

Usually characterized as free thinking and innovative. They also tend to be very independent and aloof, which would fit into Zuke's "chill dude" image. Alongside that, Aquariuses are also very quirky, so Zuke having an appreciation for art and the avant-garde may be why he was chosen for this sign. And I dunno, the urn represents a toilet or something.

DK West - Pisces (The Fish)

This one is a lot less clear to me. Pisces are usually sensitive and empathetic, which runs counter to how DK West bottles up his emotions and puts up a wall between his loved ones. I feel like if Mayday wasn't already the representative of May, then DK West would have taken May, so he'd represent Taurus, the Bull. That aside, despite him hiding it, he does reveal that he's actually pretty vulnerable and emotional beneath all his bravado, so maybe it fits more than I'm giving them credit for.

Tatiana - Aries (The Ram)

Aries is the first fire sign, so they're characterized as having a fiery personality, making that association pretty obvious. They're said to be hard-headed but head strong, which would fit into her character as being very stubborn and willing to fight her own battles. Aries is also the first sign of the zodiac cycle, so they tend to be stereotyped as being natural-born leaders, which suits Tatiana as the boss of NSR. Additionally being the first, Aries rules over the head and face, and Tatiana is literally described as the head of NSR. It could also be that this sign just so happens to be before Mayday's sign, Taurus. So she literally precedes Mayday both in life and the zodiac.

Mayday - Taurus (The Bull)

Unlike other characters, it's pretty clear that Mayday was chosen for May because her name is literally Mayday, and it's her actual birthday rather than her personality. But I'll try to make it fit anyway~ Tauruses are another stubborn sign (as fixed signs tend to be). The other stereotypes of Taurus being materialistic and pleasure seeking just don't represent Mayday well in my opinion. Though, I suppose Taurus's simple and straightforward nature could represent how Mayday is generally a straightforward kind of person. IMO, I think she would have suited Sagittarius more.

Eve - Gemini (The Twins)

As already discussed, Gemini are the twins, which fit into Eve's themes nicely. While Gemini's are considered the social butterflies of the zodiac, they're not known for being particularly committed to other people. They're often considered the most intelligent of the signs, which can lead to isolation as they find very few people that can keep up with them. In a sense, I suppose that suits Eve having a unique view of the world and feeling isolated because of it. Perhaps coincidentally, Gemini also rules over the hands and arms, an obvious symbol of Eve's. Gemini is also associated with the tarot card of "The Lovers", which has obvious implications about her past.

1010 - Cancer (The Crab)

I'm kinda stretching with 1010. Cancers are usually considered sensitive and emotional. They're the crybabies of the zodiac, which doesn't really seem to fit 1010 that well (unless you want to consider how they literally cry, "Baby.") More than anything, Cancers value "security" and tend to be homebodies, so maybe it references how as navy sailors, their job is to protect and serve their city/country. But it may be as simple as Cancer being a water sign and them being sailors, or the hard shell of the crab represents their hard metal exteriors. Cancer also rules over the breasts, so maybe it's a reference to their tig ol bitties. Its symbol is also literally a 69, so I'm not completely joking about sex appeal as a reason for making them Cancer. But it could be that they were chosen for July less for the zodiac, and more for the fact that it's a summer month, and summer is usually associated with the ocean/beaches to fit with their nautical theme.

Yinu - Leo (The Lion) The most proud and self-centered of the zodiac signs. Yinu being a literal child and stated to have been a little spoiled by Mama, this sign would fit her very well. Also, being a child prodigy has inflated her ego, and Leo is all about the ego. But Leo also rules over the heart. While it's Mama that has the heart motif, I think that just serves to link the two together. Leo is also ruled over by the sun, so it tends to be associated with the colors yellow and orange, which are both very prominent in Yinu's design. You also need the sun to grow plants, so it works out that way too.

DJSS - Virgo (The Virgin)

Virgos are kind of known for being very critical of others, but are also just as critical of themselves, if not more so. They're usually tied with Gemini as being the most intelligent of the signs, which would fit DJSS fairly well. Perhaps ironically, the ruling planet of Virgo is Mercury, the smallest of the planets in our solar system (and not counting the moon or Pluto, which are considered "planets" in astrology), but it's also the planet of communication which would fit DJSS's need to spread his "gospel" across the universe. They might also be trying to say something since his sign is the virgin, but it's unwise to assume...

Sayu - Libra (The Scales)

Libra is one of the most romantic of the signs, which would fit Sayu perfectly. Libra (and Taurus) are ruled by the planet Venus, which is associated with beauty, and Sayu's main gimmick is that she's irresistibly cute. Libra is also the scales, so it may reference how Sayu is actually a balance of ideas between multiple people (or her literal fish scales). I will give them a little credit for not making her a Pisces (even though that one would fit too). It implies that whoever made this graphic was probably thinking about the characteristics of the signs beyond just the symbol they're associated with, which is nice~

Kliff - Scorpio (The Scorpion)

Scorpio is often (unfairly) stereotyped as the most "evil" sign, which of course references his role as antagonist. They never let go of their grudges, but they're known to be incredibly passionate and seductive, which would reflect his passion for rock and how he manipulated B2J to continue the revolution. Scorpio is also a water sign, which are associated with being in tune with their emotions. This could reflect on Kliff's antagonism being fueled by his emotions, as opposed to any real logic.

Mama - Sagittarius (The Archer)

This is another one where I think the connection is very weak, or was possibly another "left-over" sign. I generally associate Sagittariuses as being thrill seeking and highly extroverted. Though they can be wise, they also tend to be fairly reckless. It's almost the opposite of how Mama is characterized as being overly protective of Yinu and being defined by both her love for her family and the anger she experiences when it's threatened. I suppose it could be argued that she starts becoming reckless as she loses her composure, but that seems to be the result of anger rather than real spontaneity. Or maybe she was chosen for December less for the zodiac and more for what the actual month entails. December is the first month of winter, when all the trees should have already shed their leaves and/or died. Since Mama's big form resembles a dying tree, maybe that's why she was chosen for December. I dunno. I really tried to make it work, but I really think hers was an afterthought.

[millylotus]

Story Index

I’m going to be posting a bunch of stories right about now, and I want to have it all lined up so people can find them easier. Hope ya like ‘em.

Master Posts

POLL FIC MASTER POST [specifically this poll]

DeadLights [Duke Thomas x Danny Fenton | DP x DC]

Fic Prompt Master Posts *TO BE MADE*

Poems

Sol Born of a Wish

The Nebula

The Coven in the Woods

The Rabbits are not what it seems to be

The Desperate Broken Prince

The Demon Heart [Talia Al Ghul]

The Sunspot Prince [I’ve always liked bringing up the fact that Duke Thomas is probably a minor god]

In Madness

I call for a sacrifice to be my savior: my he be swift and kind (We worked on Tanka poems in class today :D)

In Madness (Dionysus invites Ariadne into his world)

Princess Most Holy (Ariadne’s life in one poem)

Little Brother (Ariadne mourns the Minotaur)

A Ring Lost In A Decade Is Still Lost (Ariadne misplaces the engagement Ring Dionysus gave her)

Parking Lots, Angry Birds, Forgotten Gods (A mortal approaches Ariadne at midnight in a Target parking lot)

Sherlock & Killer

Sherlock : Francesca “Frankie” Linly Bonet (Frankie’s back story and the songs I used to make her)

Ghost Zone Lore

How Ghost Are Born/Spawned

How to care for Young Ghosts [Lair]

Danielle’s Rebirth

Valerie Spots them

Ghost Classification

The GS Batfamily AUs

I have a google spreadsheet document that I keep all my AUs in for the batfamily.

BASE AU

Bat-Family Ages

Inheritance In The Bat-Family

Cullen Row / Mockingbird

New Baby Jitters

The Malones

Miscellaneous AUs

Madrigal Batfamily

Circus Robins

Birds Migrating East

This is a Justice League and Harry Potter, world mash crossover fic. Where every bat has some form of magic or another. And Tim, Steph, Duke, and Damien are sent to protect Harry in his fifth year. While Zatanna joins the Order. And Constantine infiltrates the Death Eaters.

Lore

Chapter I [May]

Chapter II [Four weeks later/July]

Chapter III [That Night/July]

Chapter IV [Three weeks later/June]

Chapter XI [Couple Minutes Before the Arrival of the Birds, and Batdad]

Chapter XII [In Number 12 Grimmauld Place]

Chapter XIII [Right when Dumbledore walked in]

Short Stories

Prompt: Five passengers are riding a train when something happens (It’s a zombie apocalypse and someone’s water broke)

The 8th and 9th wonders (Don’t really know how to explain this one)

Cassandra Sanvanterules (DnD character I was thinking about using)

Saint Lucifer (I remember writing a lot of this down on paper but I don’t feel like pulling out all my old journals)

Ender Bunn (One of the stories I finished for a Minecraft OC… I’ve changed them if your wondering)

Liminal Sanctuaire (A little story of puppy love that I had to make for school)

what a way to go. (A captive escapes their hell, but in the vast emptiness of space, they find no one) WARNINGS: TW SU!CIDE, TW SELF MUTILATION, TW SELF HARM, TW SELF CANNIBALISM

Chills (Just two love bros playfighting, and drinking beer)

But Never Enough (Abandoned Story Idea)

Boy Isn’t Right

Hello Lovely

But Never Enough

Unfinished Stories/Fanfiction

Moon Goddesses (Creation Myth)

A Kingdom Old and Forgotten (Was supposed to be a DSMP fanfic set in the modern world thousands of year after the DSMP fell, but then I got bored)

Jordan Needs to Move (In an apartment complex AU where all the MCYT families live together. Jordan moves away from his wife after divorce to Dream Family Apartments. (Not actually owned by Dream, but by his dad)) [Fanfiction]

I’m Not Gonna Be the Side-Character Anymore (A stereotypical Manhwa Harem goes wrong when one of the Harem boys defects and leaves)

The Animals Feed (Noble families are comprised of the Chinese zodiacs. And they all choose their heir, by making the twelve children (all of different zodiacs) fight to the death in different ways)

The Time of Fea (A story of two sisters who run away into the Fea populated woods)

OCs from a long ass time ago. That I honestly forgot existed.

Spirit of Bleak Winter & Knight of Shadows [DC x DP, Ship: Bruce/Danny - Frostbat] (Just a one-shot for a prompt I saw and loved)

Absolutely Smitten [Rottmnt x Into the Spiderverse Ship: Mikey/Miles - MarbledSpider]

Secret Son John Constantine [DpxDc John Constantine is the Everlasting Trio's magical baby child]

Super Villain Summer Internships [DpxDc Everlasting Trio go to Gotham & run amuck]

[therealgchu]

OC mega Q&A

fun thing @silurisanguine did, and i'm joining the fun.

this is my first OC, so let's see how this goes. i love this sort of thing <3

i need to get a new pic of her. i do a lot of these posts at work, and all of my stuff is on my home computer.

ooh, long post is long! cutting this to keep from cluttering other ppl's boards.

BASICS

What’s their full name? that's an interesting question. her real name is hwa-young kim (see Little Flower). when she left the syndicate, she changed her name to myeong-hwa kim, which was her mother's name. regardless, she goes by hwa.

What does their name mean? hwa-young means little flower. myeong-hwa means bright flower.

Do they have any nicknames? i suppose technically hwa.

How old are they? 27 years old at the start of the story.

When’s their birthday? she doesn't know. she doesn't have a birth certificate or any sort of record like that.

What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? nope. she neither knows, nor cares, about astrology, other than a passing familiarity with the quaint, old earth custom.

What’s their species/subspecies? human. she just started obtaining starborn powers, but hates them. she actively avoids using them as they make her feel even more of a freak than she already feels.

What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? she's a sniper and hacker. her favorite weapon is her hard target sniper rifle. she's been trained since she was 12 in special unit military tactics.

APPEARANCE

What do they look like? 4'10", slender, but very muscular. she grew up on neon (high G world), so was already strong to begin with. naturally, she just has denser bones and muscles than even an average person on neon. think gymnast build. currently, dyed blue hair, cut into a short bob. one weird thing is that she has naturally curly hair, which is unusual for koreans.

Do they have a face claim? i had to look up what this means. anyway, it's me when i was 27, but with short hair.

What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? she has style? her style is completely based on what's practical in any setting. she doesn't think much about her looks, literally and figuratively.

How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? with as little expression as possible. when she's by herself, she can be very child-like. but, around almost every other person, she's non-nonsense and non-emotional.

Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? she's autistic. she had a very traumatic, violent life until she left when the story starts.

Any defining features to their character? she has the ability to completely dissociate from all emotions and compartmentalize everything. it was a coping mechanism she developed as a child. she also has a kinda shaky morality as she was raised by a criminal syndicate. she's very utilitarian in that fact.

PERSONALITY

What’s their alignment? chaotic neutral. she wants to be a good person, but isn't quite sure how to accomplish that.

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? ooh, that myers-briggs nonsense. that has as much weight as astrology. there is neither scientific credibility, nor real life applicability for such pseudo-science.

What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? she's never been allowed to have any real hobbies, other than reading. she'd like to develop hobbies, but doesn't even know where to start. she loves classic books. she went through a phase in her teenage years obsessed with Lord Nelson's Navy. she loves reading about military history, but thinks marcus aurelius is a twat. she prefers sun tzu, to be trite.

What are they bad at? being human. relating to other humans. interacting with humans. understanding humans.

What kind of things do they dislike/hate? bullies, regardless of where they come from.

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? she has a lot of things psychologically wrong with her. she resigned herself at a very young age that she was irreparably broken and will never be normal. her main goal is to get by, day-to-day.

What are their goals and motivations? that's a complex question. she hasn't really had the security to think in terms of what she wants or motivation, other than survival. ultimately, she wants to find someone to love, that will love her back, and security that she never had. but, those last two are amorphous and not really something she actively thinks about.

What are their manners like? Any habits? she doesn't have much in the way of manners. she's reserved and non-emotional. she has no patience for social niceties. she generally only tries to deal with people in a business-like manner.

What are they most afraid of? spiders. fuck spiders.

BACKGROUND

Where were they born? What was their childhood like? she was born on neon. her mother was an aurora junkie and prostitute. she had a brother 2 years her senior. her mother sold both she and her brother to the Seokguh Syndicate when she was 7 and disappeared. they never saw their mother again. like many children that are part of the syndicate, she started as a look-out. she killed her first person when she was 10. always a prolific reader, and good with technology, she came to the notice of the special ops unit of the syndicate when she was 12, and was trained to be a cyber-runner and special unit tactics. she was about to be promoted to an underboss when she decided it was either to get out now, or never leave. that's when the story starts.

What’s their family like? see above. myeong-hwa was her mother's name, and everyone said that she looked like the spitting image of her mother. so, when she left the syndicate, she went to enhance to make herself look more like her mother.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? she is technically freestar collective, but feels no loyalty to any organization. she (currently) joined the freestar rangers. she's a member of constellation.

How do they fit into their “story”? well, she's the protagonist? so, the story is about her. not sure what this is asking.

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? she considers her ship, the razorleaf, her home. it's the first place that's truly her own. she has it decorated to her specifications. the lodge is a somewhat-home.

How do they eventually die? that remains to be seen. i know how she dies. but, that's for the future.

RELATIONSHIPS

Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? she's learning how to make friends. her best and only true friend is sam, and cora by extension. she likes barrett because he does all of the talking. previous to constellation, she never had any friends. all relationships in the syndicate are purely transactional, and developing any emotion for anyone or anything was a liability.

What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? she's never had a friend group. see above.

What’s their love life like? Do they have any kids? sam coe, and cora coe by extension. she's madly in love with sam, but doesn't know or how to tell him. she also doesn't know if he reciprocates her feelings. they're currently sleeping together, but she doesn't know if that means anything. prior to sam, sex had always been completely physical, and in her experience, she has no reason to think he thinks otherwise.

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? whom do they look up to, and whom to they trust. anyway, the only person she trusts is sam, and that's kinda shaky. she doesn't really trust anyone. she doesn't know how. she doesn't look up to anyone.

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? whom, again. no one. she doesn't like a good number of people, but hate, no one. to spend that level of emotional energy on anyone is illogical.

Do they have any pets? nope. never even occurred to her to have one.

Are they good with kids? Animals? she actually is quite fond of children of all ages. when she was in the Syndicate, if she wasn't out on a job, she'd help take care of the children. she unreservedly loves cora like a daughter.

FACTS

Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes? the survivor.

Do they play any instruments? Sports? nope, but she does sing. she likes showtunes and old rock songs the best.

What are some items they always carry? her sniper rifle. a lot of digipicks.

Do they collect anything? plushies. she never toys growing up, so she grabs and hordes every plushie she can find.

What position do they sleep in? tummy, mainly.

Which emoji would they use the most? she would never use emojis. she doesn't understand them.

What languages do they speak? standard.

What’s their favorite expletive? jesus fuck.

What’s their favorite candle scent? she doesn't like scents of any sort.

What songs remind you of them? to the shore and lady ice

Which animal would you say represents them? porcupine. they also mate for life.

What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into? they wouldn't fit into any. they'd generally be disliked by everyone, regardless.

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be? roller coaster.

Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else? aliens are a scientific possibility. as for anything supernatural, no. she's an empiricist and a nihilist.

Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays? no. and, if there is a god, that god is one sick fuck to make a little kid suffer so much. fuck that god.

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue? none. if anything, she's more like a buddhist ascetic.

If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be? right now, 10 of swords.

SOCIAL

1. How does your OC feel about their full name? they have no feelings about it. it was done out of practical necessity.

2. What do strangers notice about them first? she's very short and unemotional.

3. How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone? when she's alone, or with sam, she can be very child-like in her wonder of the universe. she's learning to let down he guard with sam and let herself feel anything. when she's with anyone else, she's non-emotional and totally business.

4. How do they act around a crush? she tried very hard to repress her attraction to sam. in her experience, emotions and attachments were a liability. but, she liked being around him because she thought he was funny. and she really liked to just listen to his voice. also, she already adored cora. she doesn't know how to show affection. she's very binary in that either she's very emotional or completely emotionless.

5. Do they have a “tell” for when they’re lying? no.

6. What do they smell like? like a person that bathes regularly? she doesn't like perfumes or any kind of smell like that.

7. What is their hair texture like? very coarse, very thick, curly.

8. How much jewelry do they wear, and do they have a favorite or distinguishing piece? none. jewelry is bad to wear as an opponent could grab it. rings could lead to degloving injuries.

9. Do they have a word or phrase that they tend to overuse? in her head, she is constantly not understanding social situations, so it's "i don't get it." but, generally doesn't talk to people more than strictly necessary.

10. What is a weird quality that they have (ie their hands are always cold, they’re always hungry, they snort when they laugh, etc)? she has a very high metabolism, so is always hungry and eats everything in her path. her stimming behavior is shaking her hands frenetically.

11. What color do they look strikingly good in? any jewel tones, and black. she prefers black or grey simply for practicality sake.

12. How do they show affection to someone they love? she takes care of those she loves: cooks for them, makes time, prioritizes them. she doesn't know how to really show affection, however. she is finding that she enjoys the intimacy of holding hands. she'd never held anyone's hand before sam's.

13. Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone? no. unless it's a power move to show dominance.

14. What attributes do they have that are inherited from their parents or shared with their siblings/other relatives? she doesn't know. her brother died when she was 10. she barely knew her mother.

15. Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid) she is exceptionally efficient at what she does (being a killer, mainly) and being able to compartmentalize everything. this has made her completely detach from emotions, and frequently doesn't understand even basic human interactions.

16. How has their childhood affected the way they view an aspect of their life (people, education, society, themselves, etc)? everything is shaped by her childhood and trauma.

[nebulanewts]

One more LL related ramble,but this time just some of my overall thoughts on the new Liella girls separately and in general -

• Like most people,I did like the fact that Liella was only five members bc it was a new and fresh concept for Love Live but I feel like since the 12 member Niji thing got mixed reviews,they scrambled a little and decided to follow the nine member tradition

• And I don’t know why they decided to add them NOW instead of earlier,especially since we’ve already had so many songs,lives,SIF cards and also a whole anime season without these girls

• That being said though,I do think this was planned (just like how R3BIRTH was planned since 2018 supposedly don’t quote me on that I just read it somewhere) in a way,plus it makes sense since a big factor of Superstar is that the school is just opening up and new students are coming in so it’s not completely out of nowhere

• Also to piggyback off of that,I’ve seen this theory called the constellation theory and from what I understand of it,the original 5 represents the 5 points of a star (hence Superstar and the meaning of the name Liella) but 9 “stars” can make a constellation (again don’t quote me on that just roll with me). Plus each girl is a different zodiac sign,so we might be getting 3 more girls in the future with the remaining signs to complete the “constellation” and although that’s a cool theory that might be true idk if they’d do that

• Now I’m curious about who the seiyuus will be,since that is a large part of LL’s popularity (just look at how popular Aqours’ seiyuus are) and if we’ll get subunits now

• I’ve also seen a theory where we will actually see the original 5 grow up and we’ll get 3 seasons,and honestly?? That would be interesting I’m also interested in seeing how the original 5 will get along with these new girls

• Speaking of subunits,I 1000% think that this is why we haven’t gotten them yet. They were waiting for the group to be more “complete” but I’m excited to see them,and I also think that they were waiting to add them to All Stars because of this too

• From what I have gathered,Shiki is by FAR the most popular no doubt about it and imo it will probably stay that way I like her a lot too she’s a very unique character

• But for me though,Kinako and Mei will most likely be my favorites just based off of their designs and what little information we have so far

• Mei and Shiki are 110% in love,I have a strong feeling that they will be the most popular ship between these girls like Shiki LITERALLY says her favorite thing is Mei,they’re in the science team together,their hair and eyes are inverted of each other and they’re drawn together like come on they’re definitely setting it up

• This is less serious like the previous one,but I saw someone on Twitter say Natsumi is like if Mr. Krabs got reincarnated as an anime girl and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it cndjsj I also think Natsumi and Kinako are going to be a popular ship as well idk why just a feeling

• My personal predictions for their image colors and attributes : Kinako - Yellow,pure , Shiki - Gray / white,cool , Natsumi - Pink (but a different shade than Chisato’s) or maybe an aqua,either smile or cool and Mei - Red or purple,either cool or pure

That’s all I can think of,overall I’m hesitantly excited and curious to see what these girls will bring us in the future! Liella isn’t my favorite of the 4 groups,but I think this might mix things up for them and change my mind idk

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Egyptian Astrology and Calendar

(credit)

Modern beliefs regarding ancient Egyptian astrology stem mainly from two reliefs - the Dendera zodiac, found on the ceiling of the pronaos of a chapel room dedicated to Osiris within the Dendera temple of Hathor, and a papyrus labelled the Cairo calendar that came from an antiquities collector in 1943.

In order to comprehend how the Cairo calendar and the Dendera zodiac, we need a basic understanding of how Egyptians counted their years.

- They had three seasons, each about 120 days, and each divided into four months of 30 days. Within those months were 10-day weeks called decans. To solve the unevenness of the earth’s tilt, they had five epagomenal days.

The seasons were thus:

• Akhet; Inundation, generally from June to September. It was the flooding season in which the Nile grew in size.

• Proyet; Emergence, which came after the flood.

• Shomu; the Harvest, within which you can assume what they did.

The beginning of Akhet was marked not by a specific date, but by the emergence of the star Sirius, which usually preceded the flooding of the Nile.

Now that that’s out of the way, an important fact to mention about ancient Egyptian horoscopes is that they weren’t especially specific, and the horoscope applied to everyone in that one day, not just a certain one. The options daily consisted “"Favorable", "Mostly Favorable", "Very Favorable", "Adverse," "Mostly Adverse," and "Very Adverse.”” For example, most of the days displayed on the Cairo calendar are marked as “Very Favorable” or “Very Adverse.”

Commonly these titles are affected heavily by what events of mythology happened on that day in the ‘past’. The day in which Horus fought his uncle Seth, and consequently losing one of his eyes, was regarded as a very adverse day. On other days in which there were parties and/or happy peace on heaven and earth, the days were called favorable.

The last part of an ancient Egyptian reading on astrology and horoscopes is essentially telling the person what they should do because of that good or bad luck. On the day Horus fought Set, Egyptians were advised to stay in their homes.

To sum up:

Egyptian astrology contained the classic 12 constellations. These were formed from 36 groups of stars called decans. Each decan had a God to go with it and covered 10 degrees—or ten days—in the calendar. So, the 36 decans each having 10 days made up the 360 day calendar, and once you add the epagomenal days (in which Osiris and his siblings were born), you get 365 days. Fun fact: the epagomenal days were essentially half a week of straight partying.

There are 12 astrological signs, as previously mentioned. They all have Gods or Goddesses that represent them and the people born under the 30-day (or 3 decan) timespan each of them are owed. They show the character, strengths, weaknesses, skills, and behaviors of their people.

Before I get into the signs, I’d like to mention that because we don’t have the full story on Egyptian astrology, and because Egypt’s history spanned such a long era and overwent many changes, there are two different ways of practicing ancient Egyptian astrology. One is to attempt to assign traditional dates based off decans, which is the one I am referring to, and one that filters in the influences from other cultures such as Babylonia and Greece.

Let’s get into the actual signs themselves, now.

Amon-Ra

Dates: Jan 8-21, Feb 1-11

Similar Signs: the Nile, Horus

Colors for men: yellow

Colors for women: orange

People born under Ra tend to be generous and stumble easily open great opportunities for success. They often reassure others and are good at inspiring people. Seldom will your life be mediocre.

Anubis

Dates: May 8-27, Jun 29 - Jul 13

Similar Signs: Bastet and Isis

Colors for women: purple

Colors for men: sienna

Like Anubis himself, people born underneath his sign are intelligent and easily gift compassion, while simultaneously carrying a darker presence of thought within them. This does not make them a bad person—it simply means they understand the inherent darkness in the world, an understanding that can sometimes make them seem fatalistic, or, at times, extremely ambivalent. These people may find it difficult to healthily maintain a happy love life.

Bastet

Dates: Jul 14-28, Sep 23-27, Oct 3-17

Similar Signs: Sekhmet, Horus

Colors for men: yellow

Colors for women: grey

Those born under Bastet assume much of the role that Bastet herself occupies in the Egyptian pantheon of Gods. They seek peace and harmony within themselves and in their relationships with others. Since they care deeply for many things, some have a tendency to overprotect and devote themselves to their loved ones, while forgetting to maintain their own health. They have a great intuition and easily pick out secret enemies within their social groups.

Geb

Dates: Feb 12-29, Aug 20-31

Similar Signs: Seth, Horus

Colors for women: red orange

Colors for men: violet

Geb as a God within the pantheon acted as a sort of mediator, coming in to overlook agreements and pledges to make sure they were of good intentions. With that information it’s not hard to see why he was representative of a guardian of life, a sweet, submissive, and peaceful image. People born in his stead are often writers, administrators, or counselors. They can be highly sensitive and very impressionable. Empathy can run at an all-time high with the way Geb raises those born under his name above the sins of vanity.

Horus

Dates: Apr 20 - May 7, Aug 12-19

Similar signs: Geb, Bastet

Colors for men: carmine red

Colors for women: gold

Those born beneath Horus’ wing have fierce, intense personalities, highlighted by an intelligence that easily attracts people to them. The width and variety of their knowledge can give them an ‘all-knowing’ image to an outsider. In order to reach the full potential of Horus, they must learn to control their rebellious tendencies early on before they get too far ahead of themselves. They may have a special respect or appreciation for mothers and wives.

Isis

Dates: Mar 11-31, Oct 18-29, Dec 19-31

Similar signs: Osiris, Thoth

Colors for women: blue

Colors for men: white

Isis is another Goddess considered a mother Goddess—a protector of innocents. People born under Isis earn her special protection and tend to have an air of hospitality about them. It woild be well advised for these people to seek out positions in life in which you will be able to protect or give life. Judge people fairly and be receptive, but keep your standards.

Mut

Dates: Jan 22-31, Sep 8-22

Similar signs: Ra, Thoth

Colors for men: brown

Colors for women: carmine

People born under the sign of Mut adopt many of the Goddesses’ traits, which can result in a melancholic, sometimes secretive persona. They have a shyness that can create frustration when it comes to their romantic and sexual life. Still, they contain within themselves a rich inner life, and can have lots of wisdom to give. They may find themselves, throughout life, searching for the goodwill of others and the protection of a father figure.

The Nile (mine!)

Dates: Jan 1-7, Jun 19-28, Sept 1-7, Nov 19-26

Similar signs: Ra, Seth

Colors for women: Deep blue

Colors for men: Vivid red

Those born under the Nile are peacemakers and lovers of the finer things in life. They believe they owe it to themselves to live in an awakened and aware state. The Nile watches over all—the resurrection of Osiris, the defeat of Seth, and the forming glory of Horus. People of the Nile are wise from this, tolerant of many different types of people, and have the capability of an extreme tenderness towards others. They want to be free from the bonds of ignorance but, like how the Nile brings both fertile earth and corrosive silt, they can be a victim to the everchanging tides of their emotions.

Osiris

Dates: Mar 1-10, Nov 27 - Dec 18

Similar signs: Isis, Thoth

Colors for men: yellow

Colors for women: green

These people may have two distinct sides of themselves. Despite that, they are kindly prone to generosity towards others. They have a passionate, fiery pull within them, but can simultaneously be quite vulnerable. When faced with a predicament, they may find difficulty in acting in both a quick and wise manner.

Sekhmet

Dates: Jul 29 - Aug 11, Oct 30 - Nov 7

Similar signs: Bastet, Geb

Colors for women: turquoise

Colors for men: green

Those born under Sekhmet are observant, somewhat controlling, and at times, very telepathic. Very rarely do they indulge in their deeper desires. Their sense of right and wrong can be muddled in their head. Despite that they have an intense inner, and often outer, beauty, occupying themselves with an unearthly gracefulness.

Seth

Dates: May 28 - Jun 18, Sep 28 - Oct 2

Similar signs: Geb, the Nile

Colors for men: blue turquoise

Colors for women: black

Seth is a curious God, and despite the inherent darkness surrounding him in most Egyptian mythology, he is not a truly ‘evil’ God. Those born under his sign are free spirits, like Seth, and are wanderers, also like Seth. They search for an innate wholeness and believe they can find that in the surroundings they find themselves in. Oftentimes they must endure hardships and go through many adventures before finding that part of themselves. Once they feel complete, though, they have an intense inner power. They easily learn from their mistakes and possess a strong sense of tenacity.

Thoth

Dates: April 1-19, Nov 8-17

Similar signs: Bastet, Isis

Colors for women: white

Colors for men: pink

Similar to Thoth, those born under his wing are enthusiastic and inventive. Mediocrity in themselves and others can have a tendency to frustrate them. Even with that though, they scorn any type of meanness towards others. They have a tendency to take brave risks that can either harm them or further themselves as people. They abhor losing their sense of the world, and misdoing others.

[the27percent]

———  BASICS  !

(PEN)NAME:  Eh. I answer to a few - starting Kyrian is fine, tomie is fine, rumi is fine.

PRONOUNS:they/them or xe/xyr

ZODIAC  SIGN:  Sagittarius

TAKEN  OR  SINGLE:  single.

———  THREE  FACTS  !

Big horror nerd. Part of me wants to explore writing horror poetry - is that a thing? That has to be a thing. I want to write some specific horror poetry like pieces. So that may be what I try to do a personal writing front

I’m a sucker for any rice and veggies based dishes. Love that stuff. So much. I will try any and all variations of it and be very content with it for the rest of my days.

I honestly considered a PhD - maybe in critical data studies or science of technology and society. but.. I’m not doing that. I’m still very interested in those fields though because the implications of all this shit is something I do spend a lot of time thinking about.

———  EXPERIENCE  !

PLATFORMS USED: tumblr, I have discord as an option, i mess around on twitter now and then (because of some friends more than anything else really lol) and i used to like forums a lot. Sometimes I like the idea of emailing rp replies or something idk.

I’ve been writing since ...2010, so it’s been about 12 years now. That’s... that’s really something else. But I do enjoy my characters a lot so it is what it is.

I sometimes do some original fiction and other writing. I don’t have anywhere really to host it .. outside of an occasional newsletter I do.

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE  !

GENDER: My muses tended to end up some kind of nonbinary even if they didn’t start as such originally. That’s just how it is for me. I am not sorry about it at all.

LEAST FAVOURITE FACE(S):Uh. I mean. I have ones that I don’t like but I don’t.. care enough about fc in general to talk about it too much. It’s partially why I’m like at this point fc are besides the point a little bit. I have them but.. eh.

MULTI OR SINGLE: Single for now. If I had more muses that I wanted to write on this platform maybe I would do a multimuse. I like the idea. I’ve even considered just doing two of my muses on one blog and the other standing alone because two are close in universe to each other and their interactions vs the one. But like.. I’m not doing all that work. I just move between accounts as I need to.

———  FLUFF  /  ANGST  /  SMUT  !  ♡    

FLUFF: Fluff is fine. I enjoy writing it - but like it’s hard for me because I don’t consider muses just interacting and getting to see what people are about to be fluffy necessarily. It’s just part of different interactions. I don’t know. I think fluff can sometimes be a misnomer for what I like to write. I do like cute stuff, i really do - but like there’s often more to it - there’s usually a surfacing of other things that may not come up.  It’s cool though, I’m not opposed to it at all.

ANGST: Open to angst although it’s really dependent on the nature of the muse. And angst once again doesn’t feel like.. the term that I would use. Like fluff/angst - I’m not one or the other. I’m more interested in adventures, conversations, random encounters, things that emerge from the interactions that may not be easily placed into one thing or another. So I guess I struggle with these kinds of categorizations.

SMUT: Open to it - I think I genuinely prefer it in more private settings but if folks are okay using read mores or whatever.. I can do that. I think this is just another element of characterization that can be interesting. How do characters get to that point? Do they struggle with it? If so why? Confronting issues with desire is .. something that I find myself curious about. Or working through acting on it is .. interesting to me. But it’s not necessary for a good interaction. It’s just an option if the dynamic seems to be appropriate for it.

PLOT  /  MEMES:Always good for light plotting just get a set up of what’s happening and where is this going potentially. I like having room for things to emerge from the things that our muses do together. Also down for winging it. And please do send all the memes, they are solid starting points- if only to get a sense of how muses respond to each other.

tagged by: @viopolis @cosmicnexus

tagging: you

[metalandmagi]

Summer 2019 Anime Worth Watching

Summer is here, and with it brings another new season of anime! In case you’re feeling lost and want to find some new shows to pass the time, here’s some of the anime I think are worth checking out...because some really good shows tend to fly under the radar. I think there’s some genuinely interesting stuff this season, so hopefully you’ll find something you like too. 

I also have a Winter list and a Spring list and a fall list now!

And here’s my master list for 2020

New Shows!

Given: A *cough* BL *cough* romance anime in which tsundere highschool guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama is on the verge of losing his passion for music when he stumbles upon the sleepy-eyed Mafuyu Sato who constantly carries a guitar around that he doesn’t know how to play. Drama and musical shenanigans ensue. This was by far my most anticipated show of the season, because I happen to have read a few chapters of this manga and liked it a lot. The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to hear the music in this music oriented story...so naturally the anime makes me very happy. Not only is it sweet and cute with great animation, but it’s also hilarious. Sato is also basically a human incarnation of a lost puppy, and you just help but fall in love with him and the other characters! AND NOW WE HAVE TWO GAY MUSIC SHOWS THIS SEASON! 

Dr. STONE: An action adventure anime that takes place 3,700 years in the future after the world is struck with a mysterious phenomenon that turns the entire human race to stone. Our protagonists: the genius, scientific minded Senku Ishigami and the muscle-y comic relief Taiju Oki, must find a way to rebuild civilization and turn humanity back to normal using the POWER OF SCIENCE! It’s fun, good looking, and way more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m not very attached to the main characters yet, although it’s still early. I’m mainly sticking around for the plot, the comedy, and the answers to the crazy amount of questions I have after watching the first episode!

Fire Force: An action/drama where super powered fire fighters must protect Tokyo from people who are spontaneously combusting while our hero Shinra must find out who started the fire that killed his mother. More than anything, I’d say this show is definitely worth watching for the cinematography and action because almost every second has been high flying dynamic animation that really grips you. It reminds me a lot of Soul Eater, the story and characters have a lot of potential, and you know an anime will be good when the girls have muscles too!

If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Can you tell it’s based on a light novel? A slice of life set in a fantasy world where an adventurer named Dale stumbles upon an adorable lost little girl in the woods, who happens to be branded as a criminal. So of course Dale basically adopts her and tries to find out how she came to be with him. It’s basically fantasy School Babysitters without the tragic depth to it (but there’s room for potential). Yes, this is definitely the most wholesome show of the season, but it’s to be expected considering it’s basically Japan’s latest attempt to get people to have more babies. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this show is the fact that Dale and his “daughter” can’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, the light novel ends up pulling a Bunny Drop...so I sincerely hope the anime doesn’t try the creepy romance factor. So for now, if you feel like puking up some rainbows, give this one a try. 

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: An action drama where, during a civil war, one side used “forbidden technology” to enhance their soldiers and basically turn them into badass monsters. The only problem: the soldiers who were turned start to lose their humanity and end up killing humans for the fun of it. Now our protagonist must hunt down his fellow soldiers and kill them before it’s too late. Honestly, this show has some pacing issues and can be a bit stilted in terms of its character interactions, but what kept me watching was the last 5 minutes of the first episode. I was so not prepared for the roller coaster that was the first episode’s ending, and now I’m extremely intrigued. Besides it’s made by MAPPA so I would at least give it a couple episodes to see if it’s for you.   

Vinland Saga: The story of a young boy named Thorfinn’s journey to become a great warrior and while the adults deal with going to war. IT’S THE ONE WITH THE VIKINGS!!! It basically feels like a darker, grittier viking version of Moana. I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for this manga for so many years that my hopes skyrocketed as soon as I heard Wit was doing the adaption. And it has definitely lived up to the hype so far! It’s a great action historical drama to fill the void after Dororo. The only problem is no one will watch it because it’s on Amazon Prime.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga: A fun brightly colored historical anime about the famous warlord Nobunaga when he was a young teenager. I honestly don’t know what the tone of this anime is going to be from here on out, because it’s going to go from “fun thieving shenanigans with pretty boys” to leading people into battle, but it got me interested. I know putting Nobunaga in an anime isn’t exactly original, but this one seems like a fun ride...and it looks gay as fuck. 

And I have to shout out some that haven’t premiered yet...just in case...

Try Knights: This one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but you bet your ass I’m going to be watching it because it’s an original anime about PRETTY BOYS PLAYING RUGBY! And I have a feeling it’s going to be very... different from the other resident rugby anime All Out. 

Yokai Ningen BEM (Humanoid Monster BEM): Okay, this one’s not out yet either, but the trailer had a really cool vibe to it, so I’m including it anyway. It’s a remake of the 1968 anime in which a group of yokai who look like humans fight crime in the big city. If nothing else, the music is cool, and it’s made by Production I.G, so why not?

*UPDATE* The first episode finally dropped, and holy crap I’m so into this. It’s basically Durarara mixed with Psycho Pass mixed with Bungo Stray Dogs. The first episode has me completely hooked!

Next seasons and continuations!

As always there are some leftovers from the spring season that are continuing into the summer that I highly suggest!

Carole and Tuesday: The musical sci-fi anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe wherein a rich runaway named Tuesday meets a streetwise girl named Carole, and the two decide to start a band together. Now Carole and Tuesday must rise to stardom in a world dominated by android created music. It was by far my favorite new show of the spring, and if you can find a way to watch it (because it’s still not available legally anywhere aside from Japanese Netflix apparently) I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s got the best and most diverse music I’ve seen in an anime in a long time, an interesting setting (apparently it takes place in the Cowboy Bebop universe!?), and very well rounded fun characters. And I'm dying for a soundtrack release with all the songs!!!!

Fruits Basket 2019: Yes, the remake of the classic 2001 anime in which a girl moves in with a family who can turn into animals from the zodiac is getting a full run. And thank God because I just can’t say goodbye to it after only 12 episodes. It is so stunningly beautiful in both animation and story subjects that I don’t know what I would do without it. The characters feel so much more fleshed out, and I feel like I learn a lesson about life each week even though I already know most of what’s going to happen. If you never watched the original because thought you were too “cool” to watch a shoujo anime, give it a chance. Because if you think it’s just a generic love triangle romance show, you couldn’t be more wrong. The reboot is so good at portraying different kinds of love and how the presence of love and family can change lives AND IT’S JUST SO FREAKING GOOD! 

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: In case you missed Ufotable’s newest project, this is a shounen anime that follows a young boy named Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been possessed by a demon and their journey to turn Nezuko back to normal while fighting demons along the way. I still feel like this is a pretty basic shounen anime story wise, but I really like the characters, especially the villains. It has some of the coolest fighting/power mechanics I’ve seen in awhile, and the animation is very cool and different!

Ace of Diamond act 2: Our favorite shounen baseball anime is continuing into the summer. And I have very mixed feelings about this season so far. We are getting some fun new characters and some great scenes with the team, but the games are very...choppy and rushed. Apparently this is how it goes down in the manga, and we’re in for some good Sawamura development...but it’s still touch and go for me personally.  

That’s it for now. Most of these are available on Crunchyroll, except Vinland Saga, Carole and Tuesday, and Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga. Since Try Knights and Yokai Ningen BEM aren’t out yet, I don’t know where they will be available legally. 

See you next season!

[dokidokivisual]

Gochiusa BLOOM episode 4 impressions

Previously: episode 3, episode 2, episode 1

And now, episode 4. Last time we saw Chiya and Cocoa being put in charge of organising a “restaurant” for their class’s entry into the cultural festival. And it ends with them showing up at Rize and Sharo’s school and borrowing some “supplies”. At the start of episode 4 we go back in time to see what happened between those two events, as well as the cultural festival itself.

The episode opens with one of Cocoa’s classmates discussing a proposed arrangement of tables in the classroom, from the feng shui point of view. This traditional Chinese practice is often used in East Asia to create harmonious environment. In Japanese it’s called fūsui (風水). One of the main instruments is a compass (羅盤 raban), which can be seen placed on the table here:

Like with a normal compass there are symbols for directions written around it. However it also includes Chinese zodiac and Celestial stem characters. Just so we don’t forget what show this is, the character for Rabbit zodiac sign is replaced by a pictogram. The flow of qi (or chi) energy is also discussed, which is one of the primary feng shui concepts.

In the very next shot we see a bunch of Cocoa’s classmates gathered around the table. In anime it often happens that the main characters greatly stand out among their classmates by having original design and colorful hair. In fact in season 1 episodes 4 and 8 when Cocoa’s class is shown, that pretty much appears to be the case.

However the new group of classmates we’re introduced to is different. Not only do they have colorful hair and unique design, but they also have names and different personalities. Moreover this story arc isn’t the last time they’re seen (at least in the manga). Some backstory for these characters is also revealed, such as Kano staying at carpenter’s house, and Class President having deep-seated issues because of failing to get into her preferred school.

Anyway, Cocoa and Chiya decide that the best way to decorate their “restaurant” is by borrowing the decorations from the other school. Apparently they had to defeat the clubs over there in various contests, including the blowgun club (with its president making only a background appearance this time). This is obviously a callback to season 2 episode 10 where Rize and Sharo also had to win various contests to reach their goal.

The “spoils of war” include a bunch of masks that were previously seen decorating the blowgun club. I’m honestly not aware of any connection between fukiya and masks, but anyway, in a callback to an earlier feng shui scene we see classmate Anzu being aghast at the negative qi the mask seemingly emanates.

We get a little "imagine spot” with the classmates imagining Rize and Sharo based on their descriptions, which are apparently quite scary. I thought it’s interesting how the question marks which in the manga were drawn on top of the characters silhouettes ended up being drawn directly on characters’ faces and being partially covered by hair. Spooky.

We also see how the classmates imagine Cocoa and Chiya. Cocoa is seen as a “little sister” (much to her annoyance), while Chiya is seen as bancho (番長) which is the title of a leader of a group of juvenile delinquents, a surprisingly common character archetype despite the fact that this subculture hasn’t existed for decades. This is in contrast to Chiya imagining herself as shacho (社長), company president.  社 also means “society”, while a delinquent is basically the opposite of that.

Also, what was up with this soup being prepared? I don’t think they even served it. Anyway, Cocoa and Chiya give invitations to the rest of the gang, and the official theme of the “restaurant” is revealed, which is Beer Hall! And more specifically, Oktoberfest. Now, as you probably know this is a huge beer festival held in Munich, Germany. Contrary to its name, it takes place mostly during late September, and ends on the first Sunday of October, so perhaps this is the time period when the episode happens. On the other hand, cultural festivals are usually held around  November 3rd (Culture Day) in Japan. So that’s another datapoint. On the third hand (?) we haven’t reached the Halloween episode yet so it’s probably not November.

(yeah, this is the second gif of Cocoa and Chiya on fire, what about it)

Anyway, it’s the day of the Cultural Festival and we see all sorts of stalls set up by the other classes. Chino, who has never been there before(?) seems to be impressed by it all, while Rize seems to imply they don’t have events like this at her school. Chimame run off by themselves, which leaves Rize and Sharo on a date basically.

Soon Chimame come back, each carrying a beer mug (called Maß in German and “stein” in English) which contains what looks like beer, but is actually a very frothy apple juice. However note that in Japanese “juice” (ジュース) can mean any soft drink, so it might have been carbonated or something?

Soon, a very scary person in a Tippy costume shows up, but it’s actually Cocoa and this is her idea of a “Tippy hat” which she mentioned earlier. Cocoa (and the rest of her class) wears a costume which could be previously seen on the cover of Memorial Blend, the season 1 Gochiusa guidebook. This is actually a traditional dress called dirndl which is worn in southern Germany and other countries around the Alps.

The full menu can be briefly seen here and includes Apfelsaft (apple juice), Apfelwein (apple wine), Apfelsoda (apple soda, but pretty sure that’s not a real word) and Brezel (pretzel). No soup included. Also note Sharo being scared of the rabbit statue before this scene.

Anzu shows up again, this time doing a Tarot card reading. It seems she’s interested in all sorts of divinations. In response Chino does the same “much obliged for taking care of” greeting Chiya did to Karede Yura in the previous episode, while calling Cocoa dame-ane (ダメ姉 “no-good big sister”) in the process. It’s not very often that Chino calls Cocoa “big sister”, so Cocoa is very happy about that.

Kano is seen bringing 5 full beer steins to the table. The standardized volume of one beer stein is 1 liter, which corresponds to 1kg of liquid. Together with the glass itself, total weight is about 2.5kg, or 5 pounds. The largest number of beer steins a single person has carried simultaneously is 29 (by Oliver Strümpfel). For a female, the record is 19 by Anita Schwarz. I didn’t expect Rize to win the armwrestling contest against Kano (in the manga it was ambiguous who won, or whether the contest even took place) but I guess being a CQC expert would help with that.

Chimame, Rize and Sharo are convinced to try on the dirndls of Cocoa’s classmates, who then immediately bail, leaving Rize and others in the position of the waiters. However they happily take on the challenge, and even Aoyama and Rin join in. We also see the mysterious pretzel that was on the menu:

Without Cocoa, there was nobody to call in new guests, but it turned out that Chino had more appeal wearing that Tippy headgear, so Chino bravely takes on this role for herself.

This kind of dramatic shot is called “harmony processing” (ハーモニー処理) and comes from the time anime was cel-animated with the character cel being painted in to blend with the background cel. The most famous example of this technique is in the boxing anime Ashita no Joe.

Eventually Cocoa, Chiya, Rize and Sharo get to leave their post and explore the school, all wearing Cocoa’s school uniforms, and have a good time. They imagine how it would’ve been if they were all classmates (even Rize who is technically a year older, but if her birthday was not in February but in April she’d be in the same class as the others).

Just like the last episode’s title, the title of this episode あったかもしれない日常 is reused from the manga, namely the chapter 12 of volume 5. It basically means “the everyday life that could have been”, and refers specifically to the alternate timeline where Rize, Sharo, Chiya and Cocoa are classmates.

More importantly, Chino gets to see what it looks like, and it might be the final push she needs to decide which school she would join (although there are many scenes hinting towards it throughout the episode). Chino even manages to get a photographer to preserve the memory of this moment. She wasn’t brave enough to ask for it directly, so she puts on the Tippy headgear to do it. A funny difference from the manga though, is that in the anime Tippy (to his horror) gets covered up by it, instead of staying on top of it like before.

After the festival, there’s a mostly anime-original scene where Chino pretty much announces her decision to Maya and Megu. With Chino’s statement “I have decided” I can’t help but recall the lyrics of the ending theme

決めちゃいます ○ですから問題なーい (We’ll decide. Because we’re <blank> it’ll be ok.)

With the placeholder ○ standing for “Chimame-tai”, of course.

Which brings up a question: when does Chino tell Maya and Megu she has chosen Cocoa’s school in the manga? I can’t find it at all. Seems like they already know by vol.6 ch.7...

After the ED there’s another short scene of Chino sneaking in Cocoa’s room to imagine how her uniform will look on her. Interestingly, this is based on 4-koma from chapter 13, making this the first episode this season to adapt content from 3 different chapters. Makes me wonder how they’ll adapt the rest of chapter 13 because this reveal is at the end of it, and some scenes rely on Cocoa not knowing Chino’s decision. But I guess we’ll see in the next episode.

Anyway, thanks for reading, see you next week!

[dragonastra]

1-100 on the DnD questions, for Deah >:3

Wow you're sure as hell fishing to kill me huh xD

I'll answer these under a read more cuz FUCK. I'll also try to keep it spoiler free -- I may mention stuff that hasn't come up in game but it would be stuff that might not ever come up explicitly anyway. Everything else has either been said or can be gleaned.

If your character wasn’t an adventurer, what livelihood would they lead Probably what she had been doing -- being a pirate

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life Probably Maddie and/or Gael. Maddie is a divine soul sorcerer and probably the one Deah is closest to. Gael is our barbarian/paladin who is probably the emotional backbone of the group? He is very earnest and genuine, and also hits like a brick house.

What are your character’s core moral beliefs? [Brushes off notes I made like a year ago] Promises must be kept, and debts one day fulfilled. Clean up the messes you made. Family is more important than self. Survival means not letting the past define you. (Not all morals but those are her ideals)

What relationship does your character have with their parents and siblings? She has a twin brother, whom she would die for. Their relationship used to be solid, but theyve currently broken apart somewhat due to lies and building tension, and the brother needing to go his own way. She is still very broken up about it. Her parents are both dead, and she has not spoken of much closeness there, but describes them as "they tried their best." Her pirate captain was basically a surrogate father for her teenage years and onward until their separation, and she... misses him.

Does your character have any biases for or against certain races? Not really. She probably doesnt trust ratfolk based on where she grew up, but beyond that? If you're good, you're good.

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority? (: fuck em. She is... shall we say... less inclined to help rich people.

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc. She's grown out her undercut so she has an asymmetrical style, one side of her head buzzed. She is still wearing her bright red pirate coat, but now wears a dark brown vest with purple accents underneath, as well as a long black sleeve to cover magical scars she received when she accepted a warlock pact with the hunter god. Also covering her scars is a gauntlet made by Maddie, so that they can't be detected by Detect Good and Evil and such.

What location encountered in the campaign has your character felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most? Sometimes she still thinks about that nap she had on the beach at a random island they had stopped at to restock on food.

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship? As i mentioned, she has a pact with the hunter god, Erastil. She does not worship him. In fact, she rather doesnt like gods much. She doesnt really understand other worshippers, but if they're not hurting anyone with it she doesn't really care. Their worship doesnt affect her.

If your character had time to pick up any artisan’s tools, game set, instrument, etc., what would it be? Let's get this binch some navigator's tools finally!

Describe your character’s current relationship with the player character sitting to your right. We are entirely online so we don't really have table seating. Based on the order of our nicknames in discord though, that would be... Haru, our new kitsune Oracle who joined us to fill a gap while some other players went on hiatus. Deah is uncertain about him, and she is generally pretty wary about strangers in her party, but he is useful. Their relationship is not deep by any means tbh.

What is your character’s current goal, summed up in one sentence? Stop the lord of the sea, and stop Aleksander.

Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.? ;) you'll have to ask her

Has your character ever been in love? Before the campaign, certainly not. She's hella ace, and doesn't open up easily, so she's got some confusing feelings right now for Maddie ;)

What battle in the campaign has been most memorable to your character The battle against Tokt, since this was the battle that she was able to help save a person from being possessed by a demon -- something she figured out beforehand and convinced her team about.

If your character wasn’t whatever class they are, what would they be instead? I mean... probably a fighter???? Or maybe a full warlock, if she was desperate enough.

What is your character’s favorite season? Probably the fall? Sailing is usually good during that time, plus the harvest is coming in on land, so there's a lot of fresh food.

What would your character’s Zodiac sign be, following stereotypical astrology? She would be an Aries based on her birthday! Our homebrew world just uses "Season Day" as time markers, with 90 days each season. She was born on Spring 12, which would translate to the first week of April.

Where in the world does your character most want to visit? She's been all over as an adventurer and a sailor. The place she'd like to visit the most is one she doesn't know about -- somewhere important to her old captain.

What is the biggest mistake your character has ever made? Deah would maybe even say joining the pirates. It was the happiest she'd ever been, but it led her brother to a path he regrets and feels pain over, and she feels a... bit guilty about that.

Does your character have any noticeable scars? If so, what are their stories? The only scars she has are from her pact to Erastil. She hides them, though. She's not ashamed of them, but she likes to keep them to herself... she's private like that.

What animal best represents your character? I always liken her to a hawk, especially a sea hawk. In some ways she’s like a cobra or a porcupine too -- kind of hard to get close to!

If your character could go back in time and change one thing about their life, what would it be? 😬

Which other player character does your character find themselves having the most in common with? I don't know about most in common, really, but she gets along easiest with Ro, our halfling. Their banter is 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻. Honestly though? She probably has the most in common with Mercy, our tiefling fighter/paladin.

Does your character regret any particular choice the party has made? She probably regrets the party not staying behind in a certain town after a powerful enemy escaped. They thought the immediate threat had been dealt with and that another team from their guild could keep watch over the town, but then that team got surprised by an undead and two of them died. She feels at least partially responsible for that.

What would your character say their best trait would be? Her ability to perceive and track things. She has the observant feat plus the invocation that lets her see through even magical darkness!

What is your character’s greatest fear? Deep, irrational? Being abandoned.

What is currently motivating your character to stay with the party? No where else to go, really. Like, sure, she likes at least most of them and they've been through a lot!!! And she DOES you know, feel like this is a stable job, and she does feel good helping people. But... she really does have no where else to go. :(

What are your character’s hobbies and interests outside of their class? She does enjoy reading, though she's a little slow. Her favorite books are detective/mystery novels! She also sometimes likes to practice magic tricks (like... sleight of hand stuff). And technically this isnt outside of her class, but she really does enjoy training. Let's her burn off steam.

What would most people think when they first see your character? Pretty little waif, but that resting bitch face looks like she will cut me of I even say hello (this is by design).

What stereotypical group role does your character play in the party? (The Mom, the Mess, the Comic Relief, etc. Optionally: What role would your character play in the “Five Man Band” structure?) [Googles five man band] probably Lancer. Initially she wanted to be the Leader type but with the group dynamics and her own insecurities and issues, that isnt really truly possible for her. But she still tries to lead...

What is your character the most insecure about? :)

What person does your character admire most? Her old ship captain. Her DEAD ship captain :(

What does your character admire and dislike the most about the player character sitting to your left? She admires maddie's strength and kindness (and to a degree, innocence). Maddie's cooking skills. Maddie's family. She dislikes how nervous/anxious and possibly depressed Maddie can get :c

Why is your character’s lowest stat their lowest (the in-character reason, not “because there’s no reason for a wizard to have 16 strength, duh”)? Her lowest stat is strength, and her second lowest is constitution. This is because she grew up poor, and was at times starving and definitely malnourished. Once she was om the pirate ship, she was regularly fed though.

What would be your character’s theme song/favorite band/favorite genre of music? I've been saying if she was in modern time, her favorite band would be Florence and the Machine. There's just something about the Florence sound that speaks to her. She'd definitely be into that kind of music, plus some heavier stuff leaning more towards metal or symphonic metal...

What stereotypical role would your character play in a high school AU/if they attended a normal high school? (Nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc.) She's got the soul of a goth but the hobbies of a jock (in our team's college AU she's totally on the fencing and sailing teams). When I've drawn her in modern day she is usually wearing athleisure (capris leggings, loose tank top, sports bra, e.g.) but also it's mostly dark colors. She's Joth.

What treasure/item/artifact that your character has collected during the adventure is the most important to them? Toby :) just kidding, the pseudodragon isn't an item!!! Specifically collected during the adventure, probably her force blade. Her brother had found it, but had given it to her, near the beginning of the adventure.

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find? She's not really looking out for items, no.

Where does your character feel the most at home? On the beach, on the ship. Specific locations to call home, she does finally feel like she has a stable place to call home in the patty's estate.

Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people? She's worn disguises and fake names before, but that's mostly to protect herself during her pirate years. She doesn't care a whole lot, but she does want to appear somewhat intimidating so that unsavoury people won't approach her LMAO. But she also wants to be seen as nice by children and poor folk, so she does soften a bit when they're around.

What does your character think is the true meaning of life? Happiness. Safety. Survival. Family/community.

What is your character’s scent? (Bonus points for a description that sounds like it could be from a bad [or awesome] fanfic.) She's always got a slight scent of salt on her, reminding you just a bit of the sea. For herself, she prefers to just smell... clean, so there's a fresher floral scent lingering...

Does your character think more with their heart or their brain? She tries to think more with her brain but sometimes the bottled up emotions get to be a bit much.

What is your character’s most recent or frequent nightmare? BEING. ABANDONED.

What opinion does your character have on [CERTAIN ESTABLISHED GROUPS/AUTHORITIES IN THE GAME WORLD]? (Dragonmarked Houses, royal crown, etc.) She hates (most) rich people and used to be a pirate, so you can kind of figure it out.

How did your character spend their childhood? Where did they grow up/who were their childhood friends? :(

What aspect of your character’s future are they most curious about? (If they could know one thing about the future, what would it be?) I dunno man she is just taking things one step at a time.

What colors are associated with your character? Red is her primary color. She also uses blacks/dark grays and a light purple as an accent. She's using more brown now tho to represent her connection to the hunter god.

Who in the party would your character prioritize rescuing, in dire circumstances? Maddie always. Then Ro. Then Gael. Haru would probably be up there because he is squishy and also mostly blind.

Is your character the most swayed by ethos, pathos, or logos? A mix of pathos and logos is most effective on Deah. Logos probably most of all, but there are pathos buttons that hold away above all that... if you know which buttons to press.

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for? Currently? To bring back her pirate captain. She knows its selfish but...

What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.? Her favorite spell is stab with rapier.

How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party? She keeps secrets pretty regularly! Basically if the party needs to know, then the secret should be shared. But if it doesnt really affect the group or something important, and the person doesnt want to share, then go ahead and keep the secret.

What type of creature in the world is your character the most intrigued by? Dragons probably, at this point. Definitely an influence by me the player, haha, but it's buoyed by an early meeting with a particular dragon that sparked her interest.

When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ she didnt have life plans as a kid. She just wanted her and her brother to live.

The player character to your left admits that they’re passionately in love with your character. How would your character respond? That's already happened LMAO. Deah didnt know how to react so her brain blur screened and she ran away from the situation for a bit.

If somebody (an NPC, someone from their backstory, etc.) your character trusts/loves asked your character to do something against the party’s best interest, who would they side with? If it only involved herself, Deah would probably go do it. But if it was a huge net loss for the group, she wouldn't, if that makes sense? It's hard to make sweeping statements like that.

Does your character value their own best interest more than the party’s? She values her own interest for sure, but she would prioritize the party's if one meant dunking on the other. She knows what it's like to sail with a tight knit crew; sometimes you sacrifice to make the group as a whole better/happier.

What decision would the party have to make in order for your character to consider splitting off from the group? Oh gosh, uh.... I mean, if they decide to help her enemies (not likely to happen, there are a couple shared ones). If they don't let her do something she REALLY wants... I can't really think of anything specific.

How does your character imagine the way they will die? Tragically. 

What is your character’s greatest achievement? Taming her pseudodragon ;w;

Is your character willing to risk the well-being of others in order to achieve their goal? Hmm... not to a certain degree. Eh, probably not. She only really wants to risk herself, not others. Risking others doesn't give them the choice.

What is your character’s opinion on killing others? She does it all the time!! But if they're defenseless or not fighting back, she won't.

What is your character’s favorite food? Beverage? She really loves fresh baked bread!! As for beverage, uh.... I guess she'd like water with like, something fruity mixed in???

How generous is your character? Especially to those they don’t know? To the poor and to kids? Very. Also, recently, she gave all of the money she got from a quest to a townsperson to help them rebuild their city a bit (secretly of course. Not even her team knows she did that, though maybe some of them suspect hahaha)

What is your character the most envious about, regarding anyone in the party? Once again... probably most envious of Maddie!! She comes up a lot doesn't she ;P

The player character to your left and the player character to your right are both telling your character two different versions of the truth. Who does your character believe? Maddie vs Haru? Shed probably lean towards Maddie :p

What is your character’s sexuality/relationship with sex? I've described Deah as Panromantic Asexual. She is rather sex averse and has difficulty pinpointing romantic feelings as well, being rather prickly at times.

What is your character’s biggest pet peeve? When people try to dig into something she doesn't want to share at the moment.

Describe how your character feels about the party’s current situation/objective/etc. The current objective/situation involves her backstory, so you'll see soon ;)

Who in the party would your character trust the most to keep an important secret? Maddie of course! She trusts Gael, but not with secrets. Similarly, she trusts Mercy to hold an oath to the best of her ability, but not if a secret comes up -- same with Rudi. Ro does what she wants LMAO and she isnt telling Haru anything personal atm.

If your character knew that they were going to die in a month, how would they spend the rest of their life? I dont want to think about that question and neither does Deah

What makes your character feel safe? Having her weapons. Having her pact/her pact scars.

If your character had the chance to rename the party/give the party a name, no questions asked, what would it be? Nah, she likes Fortune's Blades

What memory does your character want to forget the most? Cal leaving. It's probably her most painful memory.

If your character had to multiclass into a class they currently aren’t the next time they level up, what would it be and what reason would they have for doing so? She's already multi classed and her reasons for becoming a warlock are kind of muddied. She explained them initially but maaaaybe wasn't 100% truthful. If she had to pick a third, probably uh.... fighter?????

What television/book/video game/etc. character would your character be best friends with? (Or: what media character is your character the most influenced by/similar to?) I would HOPE she would be friends with Elizabeth Swan (: but idk lol

What unusual talents does your character possess? Sharp senses and magic tricks.

How does your character feel about receiving/giving orders? Are they more of a leader, or a follower? It's rather situational. She tries to be a leader type, but she also realizes she's not at the top of the leader chain (and, with her party, at times different people take the head, so it's almost more consult-y like).

What does your character’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose your character’s name?) The player of Cal, her brother, chose his name first from a generator. I like to construct my names sometimes from different name elements, so I made hers to match the sound of her twin's (that is, make it sound like it came from the same language). Her name is constructed of "Feld-" (field) and "-Deah" (dye) so her first name translates roughly to "field of dye." Her original last name is Shearwater, which is a real life sea bird but also follows the traditional elven naming convention (their dad was an elf). She never felt much of an attachment to her last name. She recently changed her last name to Blackheart, which was the moniker of her captain.

Is your character more of an introvert, or an extrovert? Introvert for sure

How far is your character willing to go to pursue the “greater good”? Do they believe in a greater good at all? She would go as far as she needs to, but would never force others to make that same decision.

What does your character want to be remembered by? At one point she thought she would eventually be a famous pirate captain. But mostly I think she just wants to be remembered by those who love her and by those she helped...

What would be your character’s major in college? Fuck, uh... I had discussed this before.... I think I made her pre-law??? Math major???

Does your character consider themselves a hero, villain, or something else? Something else. She doesn't really care about that, she's just Being.

What major arcana tarot card best represents your character? I believe last it was discussed I had picked the Chariot for her.

Where does your character see themselves in 20 years? If not dead from adventuring, then settled somewhere nice, hopefully...

What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it? For a long time she was the Sokka of the group, the only non-magic user. Then she got her pact. She's still kind of awkward about it, and at times really doesn't like magic, but she sees it as a tool. A means to an end.

Who is your character’s biggest rival? Rival?????? I guess Morrigan tbh??? Cuz a rival isn't an enemy, and she had a thing going with Morrigan (her player is on hiatus tho). In some ways she rivals Mercy too. A dance of similarities and differences.

What is your character’s guiltiest pleasure? Fine, beautiful dresses. She doesn't own any, because it's a waste of money, but.... she wants them. Secretly.

What does your character hope for the afterlife? Peace and rest.

Who in the party does your character trust the least? Haru, currently, simply by virtue of being new.

What is your character’s biggest flaw? BIGGEST flaw???? Uhhhmmm..... Her secrecy probably. Her tendency to run away from really big, painful problems, to bottle up her emotions around that until everything just gets worse.

How did your character learn the languages that they speak? Common, prucrician and Elvish she learned just growing up. Deep, she just... mysteriously knows. Doesn't know why she can speak it. Draconic she learned at first from Rudi, and then from a dragonborn NPC to finish her lessons during a timeskip.

What is your character’s favorite school of magic/type of weaponry? Rapier

What is most important to your character: health, wealth, or happiness? Why must she choose? Wealth, because that brings health and happiness in her eyes. (Because money buys food and when you have food.....)

What advice would your character give to a younger version of themselves? I know it's hard, but open up more. You don't have to keep it to yourself to protect others. Your brother can be your friend as well... you don't have to just keep holding yourself back for your friends and family.

Are there any social or political issues your character feels strongly about? She doesn't feel super strongly about politics, having been a pirate. She feels strongly about protecting children and poor though, as I've mentioned.

What, currently, is your character the most curious about? The afterlife. Erastil, but specifically just that one god. Her ship captain.

[gaad]

“The State as apparatus of capture has a power of appropriation; but this power does not consist solely in capturing all that it can, all that is possible, of a matter defined as phylum. The apparatus of capture also appropriates the war machine, the instruments of polarization, and the anticipation prevention mechanisms. This is to say, conversely, that anticipation prevention mechanisms have a high power of transference (...)”. “(...) (W)ar machines have a power of metamorphosis, which of course allows them to be captured by States, but also to resist that capture and rise up again in other forms, with other “objects” besides war (revolution?). Each power is a force of deterritorialization that can go along with the others or go against them (...). Each process can switch over to other powers, but also subordinate other processes to its own power.” (1) “The idea of a constitution (...) involves not only the idea of hierarchy of authority or power but also that of a hierarchy of rules or laws, where those possessing a higher degree of generality and proceeding from a superior authority control the contents of the more specific laws that are passed by a delegated authority.” (2) It is time for a new humanism. Time to set a place, a forum able to stage the powers of today. Time to call up the ancient, dispose them, squeez them, twist them to reassess todays world. We have lost the meaning of natural proportions, let us look at godly excess. Monotheic religion castrated our apprehension of the world, seeing things either good or bad. The polytheic family encompasses the world and beyond, spinning around our prosaic flatland. A figure founded on intricated concepts is a powerfull constellation naviguating above polysemic ambiguities.  As the grand daughter of the Philantropist eponym Elisabeth Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch feels the will to engage her vision in the public debat. Since her childhood she was confronted to a rigourous, competitive, mostly manly world. Inspired by her grandmother she cultivated a spiritual friendship with greek feminin characters. Grew up with them. Now her interest does not lie in presenting her various personal relations with them but to stage them. “(...)(A)dvertising, news, publicity, periodical literature.” This is Elisabeth's inherited background. “(...) They work to a single end: to give the stamp of authenticity and value to the style of life that emanates from the metropolis.They establish the national brand: they attempt to control the national market: they create a picture of a unified, homogeneous, completely standardized population that bears, in fact, no relation to the actual regional sub stratum—although in the course of time it partly succeeds in producing the thing it has imagined.” Take Paris for example: “(...) the Champs Elysées, become the goals of vulgar ambition (and a)dvertisement becomes the “spiritual power” of this new regime.” (3)

“This is the moment when the masterpieces of ancient sculpture are about to appear in all their glory in front of the eyes of France (...)  (they) have chosen to live amongst the French, and are to be adored in their living images. Ah! Who would be able to step into the temple of these divinities without saying to himself: these masterpieces, these gods had ceased to be gods for us; the cult of Antiquity had been forgotten; who would believe it?(...); it is Vien, it is David, who then made themselves into their apostles and ministers; it is through them that this great revolution, which has at least given us the hope of creating gods ourselves, has taken place in the arts.” (4)

The time of revolution is now back but as Foucault said : “il faut avoir une méfiance absolue et totale à l'égard de tout ce qui se présente comme un retour. L'une des raisons de cette méfiance est logique : il n'y a jamais, en fait, de retour.”(5) Therefore the story of Elisabeth's friends will intentionally follow the unfaithfull path. In Momus from Alberti “the extended climax (of the seventh book) occurs in an urban theater where the gods act as their own effigies(, Alberti) repeatedly uses the word persona (and so will we) (“mask” or “personality'') to underline the false, theatrical behavior of his characters.” (6) “Or, as is the case now, the mask assures the erection, the construction of the (new) face (of Elisabeth), the fascialization of the head and the body: the mask is now the face itself, the abstraction or operation of the face. The inhumanity of the face.” (1) So be it. Let them be the masked actors of a twisted tragedy, trapped in their performance, speculating above our heads, fertilizing our ground. A spectacle of a new kind. Let them play, individually, together, contradict each other, themselves. Let them work as technologies, systems, embedded in concepts and rituals. “They (a)re living geometry, lines and curves of color, entwined into a coalescing whole yet maintaining distinct identities.” (7)

Three personas. Pandora, Circe, Metis. Not the ones we usually know. Their Alter Ego. The ones who stand up, do not apologize. This is Elisabeth's Friends. Pandora has inherited a box, a jarre which contains unspeakable truth. She knows now how to sort things, pick up elements, unleash others. Circe masters metamorphosis by exploring with drugs and potions. She learned to articulate her recipes and to play with the right parameters and Metis is renowned for his wiseness and cunning, making problems no longer valid. As a constellation, they are powerful. As a unity, they can deal with the plenty, transform it. As an unfaithful story, it accesses the realm of discussion. As statuses, they need a sophisticated territory from which to operate, a palace. Three Faces where “(i)t is not the individuality of (each) face that counts but the efficacy of the ciphering it makes possible, and in what cases it makes it possible.(...) The face is a surface, (...) the face is a map.” (1 ) “How disappointing this answer seems to be! We asked what was the origin of Ideas and where problems come from: in reply we invoke throws of the dice, imperatives and questions of chance instead of an apodictic principle; an aleatory point at which everything becomes ungrounded instead of a solid ground.” (8)

“For each genre, now, the problem will be to decide whether its audience is such as to demand utility or delight or both, and what brand of either of these will be acceptable to it.” (9) To anchor ourselves we will now deepen our reflexion in space with Alberti and Vitruve. But keep in mind : “The mathematics that is needed here is of a new brand.” (10)  Their concept and ideas of proportions being a fertile ground from which we should elevate. This palace will be a theater, a circus and a amphitheater, simultaneously, as the temple of our time, able to adapt to change, suitable to glorify the unknown. If we follow Alberti and Vitruve who compare the three typologies as such: “(...) (W)e will describe both manners of spectacles. In the first, which is for the delight of peaceful times, are introduced the poets, musicians, and actors. In the second, which regard the studies of war, are performed different kinds of duels and contests having to do with bodily strength and dexterity.To the former is dedicated the theatre, a name which means both ‘spectacle’ and ‘a place to watch’.To the latter, which are spectacles of agility and dexterity such as running or jumping, is dedicated the circus. To events such as assaults and fights against animals or men is dedicated the amphitheatre. There are some things that are proper to all of these spectacles: first, that they are horn shaped and curved; next, that they have an open space in the middle; and finally, that they have steps all around and raised places where people can sit and watch.” (11) “But then they differ as to the Form of the aforesaid Area; for those which have this Area in the Shape of a Moon in its Decrease are called Theatres, but when the Horns are protracted a great Way forwards, they are called Circusses, because in them the Chariots make a Circle about the Goal.” (12) So if we follow them and we free this typologies from their form, we can imagine a place which could embody the spectacle. The Palace of Spectacle. This Palace will be entered through a garden where a fountain lies at its very center. Heron's Fountain one could claim. Another form of spectacle.

1) Deleuze Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus 2) Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty 3) Mumford, The Culture of Cities 4) Harrison Wood Gaiger, Art in Theory 1648 1815 5) Foucault, Le savoir, le pouvoir et l'espace 6) Alberti, Momus (Preface) 7) Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology 8) Deleuze, Difference and Repetition 9) Weinberg, A History of Literary Criticism in the Italian Renaissance 1 10) Ayache, The Blank Swan 11) Williams, Daniele Barbaros Vitruvius of 1567 12) Alberti, 10 books of architecture 1755

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

Further quotes: 

Vitruve

these vessels - ( poor vessels) large jars made of clay, but similarly resonant

THE plan of the theatre itself is to be constructed as follows. Having fixed upon the principal centre, draw a line of circumference equivalent to what is to be the perimeter at the bottom, and in it inscribe four equilateral triangles, at equal distances apart and touching the boundary line of the circle, as the astrologers do in a figure of the twelve signs of the zodiac, when they are making computations from the musical harmony of the stars. Taking that one of these triangles whose side is nearest to the scaena, let the front of the scaena be determined by the line where that side cuts off a segment of the circle (A B), and draw, through the centre, a parallel line (C D) set off from that position, to separate the platform of the stage from the space of the orchestra.

The circus was based, so it is said, on the heavens

Unlike that of the amphitheater, the central area of a circus was not empty, nor was it filled with a stage, like that of a theater --------------------------------------------------------------- Alberti

We have dealt with the theater; next we shall discuss the circus and amphitheater.All buildings of this type are derived from the theater: a circus is nothing but a theater with its wings extended along parallel lines, although its nature does not require the addition of a portico; an amphitheater, meanwhile, consists of two theaters, their tiers linked into a continuous circle.They differ in that the theater is a form of semiamphitheater; another difference is that the central area of the amphitheater is quite empty and free of any stage. In every other respect they are similar, especially in their tiers, porticoes, passages, and so on. The amphitheater, we think, was built originally for the hunt; this was why they decided to make it round, so that the wild beast, trapped there and baited, with no corner into which to retreat, would be easier for the hunters to provoke.

The rest of the ornament is taken from the temple

The theater takes the lineament of its area from the hoofprint of a horse.Once this is done, the uppermost portico is built on top. The facade and colonnade of this portico do not receive light from outside, as those we have described below it do, but face instead toward the central area of the theater, as we have mentioned already. This work prevents sound from escaping, and compresses and fortifies it; we shall therefore call the work the circumvallation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Perrault (on Vitruvius)

And the Paintings represented three sorts of Buildings, which made three sorts of Scenes, viz. The Tragick by Magnificent Pallaces, the Comick by Private Houses, the Satyrical (i. e. the Pastoral) by Fields and Groves.The Parascenium or Postscenium was the hinder part of the Theater, and the place whither the Actors retired and dressed themselves, and had their Rehearsals, and where the Machines were kept.Near the Theaters, were Publick Walks, in length a Stadium, which is about 90 Perches. There were Trees planted

[auntynationalsblog]

5 Netflix Films for the Week, set before the 21st c.

How’s quarantine going? Yeah, same here. But it’s Monday after all, and you still have over 150 hours to kill if you’re dealing with this quarantine via a week-by-week approach. I can help you kill around 8%, 12 of those hours. Here are five must-watch films set before the twenty-first century. Don’t watch them all at once, that’s lame. 

No spoilers. 

5.  The Revenant (1823)

Main Cast:  Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy 

“Revenge is in the Creator's hands.”

Many of you will know of this film as the one which finally gave LDC his first Oscar, for Best Actor, at the 88th Academy Awards. Unfortunately, you would have stopped at that information and not bothered to watch the film. Released in 2015, the film is based on a novel of the same name. The definition of ‘Revenant’  is “a person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead.” The story-line does not deviate from the title, as an American frontiersman named Hugh Glass is engulfed in a bear attack and is left for dead by his hunting crew. But he survives. And he’s fucking pissed. The novel is called The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, and yeah, the film is pretty vengeful too. Interestingly, even though Hugh Glass was indeed a real person, and it is mostly believed that the film and novel are based on a story, there exist no writings from the man himself to verify the description of his story. His story was first published in a Philadelphia literary journal known as The Port Folio. Some say that it is no more than a legendary tale. Nevertheless, a brilliant film, don’t miss out. 

4. Before Sunrise (1994)

Only Cast (LOL): Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

“If there's any kind of magic in this world…it must be in the attempt of understanding someone.”

If you’re a fan of love stories/romantic films, and if you haven’t come across the Before Trilogy, I don’t know what kind of love stories you watch. Why is this film unique? In technical terms, it’s minimalist. In simple words, there’s no real plot. There’s no action or drama or horror. These two just walk and talk. Then they talk some more while walking, and when they’ve nothing to talk about, they just walk quietly. So why watch the film? For starters, it’s very peaceful and relaxing, unlike The Revenant, which is fucking intense. Secondly, the conversations in the film constitute some of the best dialogue-exchanges in the history of cinema. Their characters are very carefully crafted, as their varying perspectives on living and loving bring out some deep AF points throughout the film. It is a slow film no doubt, but I promise you that the blandness is worth it, and the ending is too nice. Don’t get bored, give the film some time and thank me later. 

3. Django Unchained (1858)

Main Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio

“Sold! To the man with the exceptional beard and his unexceptional nigga!”

Django Unchained is Tarantino’s highest-grossing film ever, for good reason. Although it has been criticized for historical inaccuracies, violence, and unprecedented high use of the N-word, Tarantino delivered one of the most dramatic and entertaining films from the era of plantation slavery. While the image above portrays Foxx, a slave, and LDC, a rich plantation owner, the highlight of the film was the German dentist-turned-bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz, played by Christoph Waltz. Waltz’s performance is impeccable, only matched by his portrayal of Standartenführer Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (also directed by Tarantino). While the film starts off with Dr. Schultz hunting for his bounties, it eventually goes on to become a rescue mission, where Django and Schultz look for the former’s estranged wife, Broomhilda von Shaft. TW; extreme cursing and racism. But the film is a work of art. In fact, Jamie Foxx has revealed that LDC was pretty uncomfortable on the set, as his character had to use extremely racial slurs. But boy, he pulled off that role brilliantly.

2. Zodiac (1969 - 1980s)

Main Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.

“I wanna report a double murder. If you go one mile east on Columbus Parkway, to a public park, you'll find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a 9mm Luger. I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye.” 

What happens when Iron Man, Hulk and Mysterio gang-up against one of America’s most notorious serial-killers? For now, I can only tell you that it was a pretty uneven contest. Based on a true story, this film depicts the useless San Francisco Police Department’s hunt for the Zodiac Killer, led by Dave Toschi (Ruffalo), and aided by political cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) and crime reporter Paul Avery (Downey). In case you’re wondering if they’re fictional characters, they’re not. They became pretty famous while the Zodiac Killer was running havoc, and have multiple articles and Wikipedia pages dedicated to all three of them. The Zodiac Killer remains unidentified by the way, and the cases are still officially open. Why watch the film then? Because the mysteriousness of it will blow your mind. Note that the film is directed by David Fincher, the same guy who directed Seven, Fight Club, Gone Girl and Mindhunter, among many other murder mysteries and thrillers. Don’t be surprised if you spend the rest of the day investigating the case yourself, happens to the best of us. 

Consolation Prize: The Irishman (1950s - 1970s)

Main (legendary) Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci

“I work hard for them when I ain't stealing from them.”

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking how can a film with a cast of three actors who redefined cinema in the late twentieth century earn only a consolation prize on this list? The truth is, that such crime/mafia/gangster films, no matter how legendary the cast is, only appeal to a particular audience. A lot of film buffs who truly appreciate cinema and actors are simply not enticed by this genre, which is okay. Nevertheless, this film, which spans over 200 minutes, is one of Martin Scorsese’s best works, along with other mob movies like Goodfellas and The Departed. Based on a true story, it follows the adventures of ordinary truck driver-turned-assassin Frank ‘Irishman’ Sheeran (De Niro), who gets mixed up in some extraordinary business with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci), his Pennsylvania crime family and American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). The punchline of the film is “I heard you paint houses” - a mob code implying: I heard you murder people for money, the paint being the symbol of the blood that splatters when bullets are riddled into the target. Typical Scorsese, mesmerizing direction. The punchline is also the name of the novel the film is based on, in case you love reading about organized crime. 

1. Dallas Buyers Club (1985)

Main Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto

“Sometimes, I feel I'm fighting for a life that I just ain't got the time to live. I want it all to mean something.”

On the day of the 86th Academy Awards, Facebook and Twitter erupted in outrage. LDC had not been awarded the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of  Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, also known as The Film You Must Never Watch With Your Family. I merely asked every hot-tempered schmucks who posted that LDC had been snubbed, “Have you watched Dallas Buyers Club?” Either the answer was no, or the answer never came. The point being, Dallas Buyers Club is one of the best films ever made. Based on the true story of Ron Woodroof, a once homophobic, junkie cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, co-starring Jared Leto (who won best supporting actor) as Rayon, a fictional trans-woman with HIV, this film tells us an extraordinary tale of friendship, hope and empathy. When Ron discovers that the Federal Drug Administration has been systematically banning cheap drugs that can improve the condition of existing HIV-AIDS patients, he opens a ‘buyers club’, that enabled sick people to make drug purchases at lower prices. Things get more interesting with the role of  Dr. Eve Saks, an AIDS doctor, who recognizes the villainous role of the state, but wants to remain within the ambit of the law. Ron’s character development might be the highlight of the film, as he transforms from a selfish, homophobic asshole to a dying man waging war against the American government, fighting for the healthcare of the underprivileged. Very few equally magnificent films have come out post Dallas Buyers Club. Don’t miss out. 

So that’s it folks. Make good use of your quarantine by immersing yourself in good quality cinema. I’ll come up with some more suggestions on films and TV shows soon enough. Till then, Netflix and Don’t Chill. 

[millylotus]

Story Index Post

I'm going to be posting a bunch of stories right about now, and I want to have it all lined up so people can find them easier. Hope ya like 'em.

Poems

Sol Born of a Wish

The Nebula

The Coven in the Woods

The Rabbits are not what it seems to be

The Desperate Broken Prince

The Demon Heart [Talia Al Ghul]

The Sunspot Prince [I've always liked bringing up the fact that Duke Thomas is probably a minor god]

In Madness

I call for a sacrifice to be my savior: my he be swift and kind (We worked on Tanka poems in class today :D)

In Madness (Dionysus invites Ariadne into his world)

Princess Most Holy (Ariadne's life in one poem)

Little Brother (Ariadne mourns the Minotaur)

A Ring Lost In A Decade Is Still Lost (Ariadne misplaces the engagement Ring Dionysus gave her)

Parking Lots, Angry Birds, Forgotten Gods (A mortal approaches Ariadne at midnight in a Target parking lot)

Sherlock & Killer

Sherlock : Francesca "Frankie" Linly Bonet (Frankie's back story and the songs I used to make her)

Ghost Zone Lore

How Ghost Are Born/Spawned

How to care for Young Ghosts [Lair]

Danielle's Rebirth

Valerie Spots them

Ghost Classification

The GS Batfamily AUs

I have a google spreadsheet document that I keep all my AUs in for the batfamily.

BASE AU

Bat-Family Ages

Inheritance In The Bat-Family

Cullen Row / Mockingbird

New Baby Jitters

The Malones

Miscellaneous AUs

Madrigal Batfamily

Circus Robins

Birds Migrating East

This is a Justice League and Harry Potter, world mash crossover fic. Where every bat has some form of magic or another. And Tim, Steph, Duke, and Damien are sent to protect Harry in his fifth year. While Zatanna joins the Order. And Constantine infiltrates the Death Eaters.

Lore

Chapter I [May]

Chapter II [Four weeks later/July]

Chapter III [That Night/July]

Chapter IV [Three weeks later/June]

Chapter XI [Couple Minutes Before the Arrival of the Birds, and Batdad]

Chapter XII [In Number 12 Grimmauld Place]

Chapter XIII [Right when Dumbledore walked in]

Short Stories

Wilbur Confronts Sally (all I had to do was write a scene about a conflict for one of my classes and this is the angst I get) [Fanfiction]

Prompt: Five passengers are riding a train when something happens (It's a zombie apocalypse and someone's water broke)

The 8th and 9th wonders (Don't really know how to explain this one)

Cassandra Sanvanterules (DnD character I was thinking about using)

Saint Lucifer (I remember writing a lot of this down on paper but I don't feel like pulling out all my old journals)

Ender Bunn (One of the stories I finished for a Minecraft OC... I've changed them if your wondering)

Liminal Sanctuaire (A little story of puppy love that I had to make for school)

what a way to go. (A captive escapes their hell, but in the vast emptiness of space, they find no one) WARNINGS: TW SU!CIDE, TW SELF MUTILATION, TW SELF HARM, TW SELF CANNIBALISM

Chills (Just two love bros playfighting, and drinking beer)

But Never Enough (Abandoned Story Idea)

Boy Isn’t Right

Hello Lovely

But Never Enough

Unfinished Stories/Fanfiction

Moon Goddesses (Creation Myth)

A Kingdom Old and Forgotten (Was supposed to be a DSMP fanfic set in the modern world thousands of year after the DSMP fell, but then I got bored)

William's Family (In a Pirate AU, Wilbur's dad [Phil's brother] is lured over the side of the boat by a siren and dies. A couple years later the same siren Comes back to give Wilbur to Phil) [Fanfiction]

Esmaray's Wish (Pirate AU the siren who lured William of the edge has some thoughts of the night) [Fanfiction]

Jordan Needs to Move (In an apartment complex AU where all the MCYT families live together. Jordan moves away from his wife after divorce to Dream Family Apartments. (Not actually owned by Dream, but by his dad)) [Fanfiction]

I'm Not Gonna Be the Side-Character Anymore (A stereotypical Manhwa Harem goes wrong when one of the Harem boys defects and leaves)

The Animals Feed (Noble families are comprised of the Chinese zodiacs. And they all choose their heir, by making the twelve children (all of different zodiacs) fight to the death in different ways)

The Time of Fea (A story of two sisters who run away into the Fea populated woods)

OCs from a long ass time ago. That I honestly forgot existed.

Spirit of Bleak Winter & Knight of Shadows [DC x DP, Ship: Bruce/Danny - Frostbat] (Just a one-shot for a prompt I saw and loved)

[cards-and-stars]

✧ Astrological Oracle Cards

Author/Artist: Lunaea Weatherstone & Antonella Castelli

Editor: Lo Scarabeo

ISBN: 978-88865271481 ✧ 978-0-88079-965-2

Link: https://shop.loscarabeo.com/index.php?id_product=553&controller=product&id_lang=1

Disclaimer: No matter how much I played with the settings of my camera it just refused to render the colours as muted as they actually are. While they look vibrant on the following pictures, please bear in mind they look much more worn out in reality, keeping with the classical tones associated with the Art Nouveau movement.

Today, let's take a look at an oracle deck. I have selected one of the first ones I acquired, which blends the themes of Astrology and Art Nouveau. It is published by Lo Scarabeo which is quite a big deck editor, offering options for all tastes and needs. In this review, let's focus on the Astrological Oracle Cards.

✧ The Box

The box is a gorgeous, deep, emerald green with accents of silver on the moon, stars and the character's jewellery, as well as on some text. The character represented on the box front is the one you will find on the Luna card.

On the back of the box, you can see a sample of cards (Aries, Cancer, Scorpio and Saturnus). You can also read a short intro: “The wisdom of the stars in everyday living in 22 Art Nouveau cards. Feelings and intuition indicate the path towards the spirituality of the stars”. This is written in 6 different languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Russian, the languages usually used in every Lo Scarabeo deck. The full telescope box comes with a fabric band to help pick up the cards and booklet. The inside of the box is simply plain green.

It looks and feels gorgeous!

✧ The Cards

To be honest, after seeing such a gorgeous box, I was expecting the cards to bear a similar depth of colour. In actuality, the illustrations remain true to more traditional Art Nouveau palettes, which makes use of warmer but more muted colours.

There are 22 cards, 10 planets and 12 signs, and they are slightly bigger than usual RWS cards, but they remain comfortable to handle. The finish is nice and glossy, with a few small, matte, silver elements ( backgrounds, stars, jewels, hair, etc). The edges are also silver.

Now let's touch on the illustrations.

The planets are illustrated by deities from the Roman pantheon. Some of them will have additional symbols, relevant to their interpretation. For example, Luna has moths in the background, Venus has shells, Neptune has a bunch of sea horses and Pluto has skulls. Jupiter is accompanied by his eagle while Uranus holds a globe. The others are decorated with flowers only.

The two top corners of each Planet card are decorated with flowers, and these framing elements are present on each of those cards, only changing colour from one card to the other. In the top left corner you can find the name of the planet, a glyph in the top right corner and a name-plate at the bottom center of each card. I'm not quite sure why the name appears twice, but It may have something to do with some of the layouts of the Zodiac cards. Overall, each planet card is designed with the same layout, which does bring consistency and feels finished and tidy.

As for the meaning associated with the cards, not all are representative of their astrological properties: for example Mars doesn't convey any energy, power or action and Mercurius doesn't show anything related to intelligence, communication or swiftness. Yet these are the meanings attached to them by the booklet, which would result in a hard time intuitively reading the cards for someone who is unfamiliar with astrology.

The zodiac signs are all illustrated as white women. Now, granted, Art Nouveau focuses almost exclusively on the elegance of the female body, but I do believe that the deck would have benefited from some more variety in representation (more different skin tones, body types, ornament, flora, etc). This uniformity may deter some readers.

Now, where the planet cards showed a consistency in the layout, this is completely thrown out the window in the zodiac cards:

7 cards bear the name of the sign in the top left corner and the glyph in the top right corner (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Aquarius and Pisces).

The other 5 cards also show the title and glyph of each sign, but they are complemented by an additional illustration of the said sign:

3 cards show the illustration within a circle, located at the bottom center of the cards (Aries, Cancer, Capricorn).

1 card shows such a circle but it is located to the bottom left (which is ironic, because it's the Libra card, the one that SHOULD display balance).

1 card shows the illustration in a rectangle, located at the bottom center (Scorpio).

1 card has this rectangle on the bottom left (Taurus) and one on the bottom right (Leo).

When sorted by element or mode, the cards do not show more coordination either. (the Earth signs almost had something going with 2/3 cards having a green undertone).

As an artist and fan of Art Nouveau, this sort of random composition stands out like a sore thumb to me. I would have understood if each card was different, if the extra illustrations for the signs were (or were not) present on every card, but no such luck.

As for the illustrations themselves, some of them are really on point (the water signs clearly display more emotions than other signs and Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Capricorn are quite representative of their sign. Other signs look more generic and less inspired, such as Aries, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.

The back of the cards is decorated with a symmetric deign made of pomegranates and stars, with the same muted colours as the card fronts. Why pomegranates? They are the symbol of Persephone/Proserpina, who is not referred to in any of the cards. There are so many symbols that could have been more relevant to the theme, such as a zodiac wheel, or the 4 elements, or constellations, etc.

✧ The Little White Book

At first glance, the booklet is an impressive 192 pages long. However, you have to account for the fact that it contains 6 different parts, one per language. The actual content is about 50 pages per language. It starts off with the interpretations of the signs, the planets and the houses (while there are no cards representing the 12 astrological houses, they will come up in the recommended spreads).

It proceeds to present two different spread. In the first spread, you draw two planet cards (therefore all planet combinations are covered in the booklet). In the second, you create an astrological wheel, pulling the sign that corresponds to the 1st house at random and then arranging the other signs accordingly. You then select the house you want to focus on and draw a planet card to place there. All the planet-sign combinations are also available in the booklet. Also, the houses are explained again in this part of the book, with a shorter blurb this time (more like a reminder). I actually really like this one spread and will probably build up on it. All in all, the booklet covers a lot of information.

The last page shows the glyphs of the planets and signs.

The cover is adorned with Luna while the back is illustrated with Sol, both enhanced by the gorgeous silver effects you find on the box.

✧ Conclusion

▐ Likes

Astrology and Art Nouveau.That's a killer combo!

Lovely illustrations and finish.

The suggested spreads are interesting and a bit out of the ordinary.

The booklet is very interesting and provides a lot of interpretations based on combinations of 2 planets and of a sign and a planet.

▐ Dislikes

The box and the cards don't feel like they are part of a set.

Some card illustrations seem uninspired.

No consistency in the cards design.

The depth of symbolism found is Astrology is left unutilised in the illustrations.

Some cards do not convey their actual meaning easily (or at all)

To be perfectly candid, I like this deck. Despite all it's flaws, I still refer to these cards as signifiers in my readings because Art Nouveau speaks to me on a deeper level.

However as someone who's education was about the visual arts, their history and their critique, I have to admit it feels superficial and rushed. The illustrations are shallow interpretations of the signs and planets, carefully avoiding the wealth of symbols and correspondences associated with each of them. This can be a problem for readers who have no background in Astrology and can make it hard to read as there is no deeper meaning to rely on.

I also picked up some favouritism when it comes to the signs cards. Some clearly had more effort put into them, while others only get a generic illustration.

This prompted me to look further into the artist's work. It turns out that the Neo Art Nouveau style is her speciality and she has illustrated numerous decks. I am quite surprised as I would not consider this deck a success. I might, in the future, purchase another deck illustrated by the artist, for the sake of comparison and also to give her another chance.

Overall, while I still enjoy this deck, looking in detail into it made me realise how imperfect it is. It also allowed me to realise how the cards have a very low energy feel to them. So while it is a pretty deck, it is not perfect. If you think this could bother you, I would not recommend this deck. But if you don't mind and have a good knowledge of astrology, then why not give it a shot?

✧ Rating

✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧

Thank you for reading and see you later, little MonStars!

[entamewitchlulu]

so i did a reading challenge this year and i wanna talk about what i read

transcription under the cut

i did Popsugar 2019 and wanna talk about what i read:  Book Reccs and Anti-Reccs 

1.) Becoming a Movie in 2019: Umbrella Academy (vol 1) by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba

4/5. A fascinating take on superpowers, dysfunctional families, and the apocalypse. Can get pretty gory, confusing here and there and you have to pay close attention to panels for lore, but overall an entertaining romp.

2.) Makes you Feel Nostalgic: Circles in the Stream by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Middle grade novel about the magic of music, belief, and of course, friendship. Definitely written for kids, and has some unfortunately clumsy Native rep, but overall an absolute joy to dive into once again.

3.) Written by a Musician: Umbrella Academy (vol 2) by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba

4/5. Ramps up the confusion to ridiculous degrees with some absolutely bonkers, unexplained arcs, but still fun to watch this dysfunctional family do its dysfunctional thing.

4.) You Think Should be Turned into a movie: All That Glitters by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Continuation of Circles in the Stream, but with more unicorns, more rainbows, and more fae, which makes it automatically even better than the first.

5.) With At Least 1 Mil. Ratings on Goodreads: 1984 by George Orwell   

1/5. I understand why it's important and all but wasn't prepared for some of the more graphic scenes and the overall hopelessness of the message.  Would not recommend or read again.

6.) W/ a Plant in the title or cover: The secret of Dreadwillow carse by Brian farrey

5/5. A fantasy world where everyone is always happy, save for one girl and the princess, who set out to solve the mystery of their kingdom. Poignant and great for kids and adults.

7.) Reread of a favorite: Cry of the Wolf by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Yet another installment in the Avalon: Web of Magic series, which clearly I am obsessed with.  Please just read them.

8.) About a Hobby: Welcome to the Writer's Life by Paulette Perhach

5/5. A welcome kick in the pants, chock full of great advice told without condescension, and full of hope and inspiration for writers both new and old.

9.) Meant to read in 2018: The Poet x by Elizabeth Acevedo  

4/5. Absolutely beautiful coming of age novel told in verse.  Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook version.

10.) w/ "pop," "sugar," or "challenge" in the title: Black Sugar by Miguel Bonnefoy

2/5. I think maybe I just don't understand this genre.  Or maybe the translation was weird. I was confused.  

11.) w/ An Item of Clothing or Accessory on the cover: Our dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

4/5. It had a lot more slurs/homophobia than I was prepared for, but otherwise is a very touching, relatable collection of queer characters living in a heteronormative world.

12.) Inspired by Mythology or Folklore: Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly

3/5. A girl goes on an impossible quest to save her brother from a child-eating witch. Really wanted to like it more because I loved the first one, Monstrous, but it dragged a little.

13.) Published Posthumously: The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones

3/5. I adore Diana Wynne Jones, but this one was missing some of the magic of her other books. Not sure if it was because it had to be finished by someone else, or if I just grew out of her stories.

14.) Set in Space: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

4/5. Powerfully written story of a girl straddling tradition and innovation, who wields power through mathematical magic, surviving on a spaceship alone with a dangerous alien occupation after everyone else has been killed.

15.) By 2 Female Authors: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

2/5. Ostensibly a story about a revenge pact in a small island town, but leaves far too many dangling threads to attempt alluring you to the sequel.

16.) W/ A Title containing "salty," "bitter," "Sweet," or "Spicy": The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith  

3/5. It's okay but I literally just never know what anyone means at any time. Are they being reticent on purpose or do i just not understand communication

17.) Set in scandinavia: Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura

2/5. Technically and historically accurate and well made, but the story itself is not my cup of tea.  Very gory.

18.) Takes Place in a Single Day: Long WAy Down by Jason Reynolds

4/5. A boy goes to avenge his murdered brother, but ghostly passengers join him on the elevator ride down. Stunning and powerful character-driven analysis.

19.) Debut Novel: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

4/5. Charming and then surprisingly heart-breaking comic about Nimona, a shapeshifter who wants to become a villain's minion. Really love the villain/hero dynamic going on in the background, along with the dysfunctional found family.

20.) Published in 2019: The Book of Pride by Mason Funk  

4/5. A collection of interviews with the movers, shakers, and pioneers of the queer and LGBTQ+ community.  An absolutely essential work for community members and allies alike.

21.) Featuring an extinct/imaginary creature: Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson

4/5. Incredibly charming, Calvin and Hobbes-esque collection of comics featuring the adventures of Phoebe and her unicorn best friend.

22.) Recced by a celebrity you admire: The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen

2/5. Recced by my fave author Brandon Sanderson. An unfortunately disappointing anthology proving that any story can be made uninteresting by telling the wrong section of it.

23.) With "Love" in the Title: Book Love by Debbie Tung

4/5. One of those relatable webcomics, only this one I felt super hard almost the entire time.  Books are awesome and libraries rule.

24.) Featuring an amateur detective: Nancy Drew: Palace of Wisdom by Kelly Thompson

4/5. REALLY love this modern take on Nancy Drew, coming back home to her roots to solve a brand new mystery. Diverse cast and lovely artwork, though definitely more adult.

25.) About a family: Amulet by Kabu Kibuishi

4/5. Excellent, top tier graphic novel about a sister and brother who have to go rescue their mother with a mysterious magic stone. LOVE that the mom gets to be involved in the adventure for once.

26.) by an author from asia, Africa, or s. America: Girls' Last tour by Tsukumizu

4/5. Somehow both light-hearted and melancholy. Two girls travel about an empty, post-apocalyptic world, and muse about life and their next meal.

27.) w/ a Zodiac or astrology term in title: Drawing down the moon by margot adler

3/5. A good starting place for anyone interested in the Neo Pagan movement, but didn't really give me what I was personally looking for.

28.) you see someone reading in a tv show or movie: The Promised NEverland by Kaiu Shirai

4/5. I don't watch TV or movies where people read books so i think reading an adaptation of a TV series after watching the series counts. Anyway it was good but beware racist caricatures

29.) A retelling of a classic: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero

5/5. We can stop the Little Women reboots and retellings now, this is the only one we need. In fact, we can toss out the original too, this is the only one necessary.

30.) w/ a question in the title: So I'm a spider, so what? by Asahiro Kakashi

4/5. Cute art despite the subject matter, and a surprisingly enthralling take on the isekai genre. Love the doubling down on the video game skills.

31.) Set in a college or university campus: Moonstruck (vol 2) by Grace Ellis

2/5. An incredibly cute, beautiful, and fascinating world of modern magic and creatures, but unfortunately falls apart at the plot and pacing.

32.) About someone with a superpower: Moonstruck (vol 1) by Grace Ellis

4/5. Though nearly as messy plot-wise as its sequel, the first volume is overwhelmingly charming in a way that overpowers the more confusing plot elements.

33.) told from multiple povs: The Long way to a Small, Angry Planet by becky Chambers

4/5. Told almost in a serial format, like watching a miniseries, a group of found-family spaceship crew members make the long journey to their biggest job ever.

34.) Includes a wedding: We Set the dark on fire by Tehlor kay mejia

4/5. Timely and poignant, a girl tumbles into both love and resistance after becoming one of two wives to one of the most powerful men in the country.

35.) by an author w/ alliterative name: The only harmless great Thing by brooke bolander

3/5. Much deeper than I can currently comprehend.  Beautifully written, but difficult to parse.

36.) A ghost story: Her body and other parties by Carmen Maria Machado

4/5.  It counts because one of the stories in it has ghosts. A sometimes difficult collection of surrealist, feminist, queer short stories.

37.) W/ a 2 word title: Good omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

4/5. Charming, touching, and comical, probably the best take on the apocalypse to date. Also excellent ruminations on religion and purpose.

38.) based on a true story: The faithful Spy by John Hendrix

4/5. Brilliantly crafted graphic biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and his assistance in fighting back against Nazi Germany.

39.) Revolving around a puzzle or game: the Crossover by Kwame alexander

4/5. The verse didn't always hit right with me, but the story is a sweet, melancholy one about family, loss, and moving on.

40.) previous popsugar prompt (animal in title): The last unicorn by peter s. Beagle

5/5. Absolutely one of my all-time favorite books, it manages to perfectly combine anachronism and comedy with lyricism, melancholy, and ethereal beauty.

41.) Cli-fi: Tokyo Mew Mew by Mia ikumi and Reiko Yoshida

4/5. Shut up it counts

42.) Choose-your-own-adventure: My Lady's choosing by Kitty curran

3/5. Cute in concept, a bit underwhelming in execution. Honestly, just play an otome.

43.) "Own Voices": Home by Nnedi Okorafor

3/5. The storytelling style was definitely not my style; while the first book was slow, too, it felt more purposeful. I found my attention wandering during this installment.

44.) During the season it's set in: Pumpkinheads by rainbow rowell

3/5. Cute art, but precious little substance.  The concept simply wasn't for me in the first place.

45.) LITRPG: My next life as a villainess: All routes lead to doom! by Hidaka nami

5/5. An absolute insta-fave! Charming art, endearing characters, an incredible premise, and so much sweet wholesome fluff it'll give you cavities.

46.) No chapters: The field guide to dumb birds of north america by matt kracht

3/5. It started out super strong, but the joke started to wear thin at a little past the halfway point.

47.) 2 books with the same title: Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roger

4/5. A brave and enduring personal story of growing up in and eventually leaving the Westboro Baptist Church. Really called to me to act with grace and kindness even more in the future.

48.) 2 books with the same title: unfollow by rob williams and michael dowling

1/5. How many times do you think we can make Battle Royale again before someone notices

49.) That has inspired a common phrase or idiom: THe Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

4/5. Definitely good and deserves it's praise as something that pretty much revolutionized and created an entire demographic of literature.

50.) Set in an abbey, cloister, Monastery, convent, or vicarage: Murder at the vicarage by agatha christie

3/5. I just cannot. physically keep up with all of these characters or find the energy to read between the lines.

ok that's all i got, what did y'all read and like this year?  (oh god it’s gonna be 2020)

[weasleyi-blog1]

Merlin’s beard, what is ( CHARLES ‘CHARLIE’ WEASLEY ) doing out at this hour? For a ( HALFBLOOD ) who is ( 24 ) years old, ( HE ) really ought to know better. You know, I hear that they’re aligned with ( THE ORDER ), but that could be just a rumor. I do know that ( HE ) is ( CIS MALE ) and a ( GRYFFINDOR ) alumni though. They’re very ( PERCEPTIVE ) and ( ADVENTUROUS ) but also quite ( FICKLE ) and ( PRIDEFUL ), which could be why they remind of ( A DEVILISH GRIN, RUNNING HEADFIRST INTO DANGER, BURNS THAT NEVER QUITE HEAL AND AN UNWAVERING LOVE FOR WHAT WAS MEANT TO KILL YOU. ). Some people say they’re the spitting image of ( MICHAEL B JORDAN / adopted ), but I’ve never heard of them.

BACK TO BASICS.

name: charles elliot weasley. occupation: dragonologist. nicknames: charlie.

+ practical, perceptive, adventurous, experimental. - fickle, prideful, impulsive, indecisive.

age: 24. date of birth: december 12, 1972. zodiac: Sagittarius. hometown: devon, england. current location: lives in a small apartment in london but travels to romania and sweden as well as other dragon sanctuary and bases frequently. gender: cis male. pronouns: he/him. orientation: very bisexual. spoken languages: english, romanian, bulgarian, french, german. moral alignment: neutral good. element: fire. house: gryffindor.

CHARACTER INSPO.

Hagrid ( imagine seeing a dragon and instinctively just wanting to take care of it, seeing the best in people, so warm, so soft ), Finnick Odair ( effortlessly charming, more than what meets the eye, so loyal, playing at a multitude of endgames all at once ),  Scott Lang ( cheeky jokes when you least expect them, man of honor, would definitively hack a corporation and give back to the wronged workers if the opportunity presented itself ), Steve Rogers ( strong instinct to protect, strong morals, brave, empathetic ), Newt Scamander ( never truly met a monster he couldn’t love, also he is 100% Charlie’s idol, a little bit awkward, would lay down his life to protect magical beings, can’t follow orders for shit  ).

BACKGROUND / CHILDHOOD.

Charlie was born to Olivia Selwyn ( nee Novak ) and Benjamin Selwyn on the 12th of December, 1972. Olivia was a muggle born and thus, despite his good name, Benjamin Selwyn was labelled as being sympathetic to the muggle cause. Things would only get worse, as both Benjamin and Olivia were quite vocal about their views, and their support for muggles and muggleborns alike. Benjamin was labelled a blood traitor, and cast out of the community he had grown up in. It was a common tale, at the time ---- Benjamin was certainly not alone in his fate, nor would he be the first or last to die for what he believed in.

Olivia worked as a librarian, and was a Ravenclaw down to the bone. Benjamin worked at the ministry, in the department next door to Arthur Weasley’s office. He was a Gryffindor.

So, Olivia and Benjamin had a son. He was a beautiful baby boy, angelic yet always energetic. They named him Charles, and wished for him to have courage, and be kind. For three months, they would get to cherish him, but reality would soon catch up to them. It came in the form of four death eaters, who entered the Selwyn home and murdered both Olivia and Benjamin in cold blood. The Selwyn son, however, they spared. Though halfblood, he was not yet completely ruined.

The Selwyns were close friends with the Weasleys, and upon their death, they decided to take in Charlie, and raise him as their own. Charlie was practically already part of the family - Benjamin Selwyn and Arthur Weasley had grown up together, been close friends for years. Arthur was already his godfather ---- so taking him in made sense.

So Charlie Selwyn became Charlie Weasley, and part of the family. He grew up at The Burrow, became just as much of a son as the rest of them. He wore the same knitted sweaters, smiled in family photos, followed his father to work ( with the same big, awe-struck eyes ) and played in their garden. Charlie was as much a Weasley as anyone else, and would not let anyone forget it.

He never knew his birth parents, and has no memories of them. 

The type of kid to constantly bring home animals and strays. Some were dangerous, other weren’t. Has probably taken home a fire crab on at least one occasion. His mom was probably not too happy about that one.

Loves all of his siblings !!!! So much !!!!! 

Sort of a gullible kid that never met a stranger. His mom had to keep a close eye on him because he would 10/10 wander off, always trusting that everything would be fine. Why wouldn’t it be?

Second oldest Weasley !!!!! Takes his older brother role semi-seriously. He’s the kind of brother that will 1000% take you into the Forbidden Forest if you ask and break curfew with you and sneak around with you but at the same time, always keep you safe, and set you straight if you’re being enough of a dumbass to warrant it.

HOGWARTS YEARS.

Hogwarts was generally a very good time for Charlie. He was immediately sorted into Gryffindor, which was... a relief, tbh. Bill was in Gryffindor, and the knowledge that he’d be in the same house as his brother was comforting. The Weasley boys would stick together. Through thick and thin.

As the second oldest, one might expect that Charlie felt a need to prove himself, show that he was just as good as his brother. Charlie felt little of that pressure. Instead, he was easy going and carefree, and mostly lived by the motto that what was going to happen, might as well happen. No point in worrying about it.

He was also not particularly worried about setting a good example for his brothers. Which could potentially have been disastrous, if it wasn’t for the fact that Charlie naturally gravitated towards doing good. He was an overachiever, enjoyed pleasing his mother and the teachers at the school. Charlie was the type of kid that usually did his homework on time, but even when he didn’t - he had built up enough of a trust with his professors, that they were more often than not lenient on him.

Still, Charlie shares some of that streak of mischief that some of his younger brothers have ( not naming any names here but we all know who they are .... ). He has been known to be impossible to keep away from the Forbidden Forest, in particular. Already in his first year, Charlie would sneak off, wander deep into the woods, and eventually get lost. That year, Charlie made friends with the centaurs. He also made friends ( with varying degrees of success ) with a vast abundance of magical creatures and animals in the forest, and his interest for wildlife grew.

Admittedly, he didn’t always know that it was dragons that would be his main interest. For a while, any magical creature would have done just as well, and Charlie was interested in following in Newt Scamander’s foot steps ( lbr Charlie is his biggest fan ), and do research, learn, and discover. He had always loved dragons, considered them gentle giants, but it was the rumors of the Gringotts dragon ( which he would also manage to have confirmed, eventually ) that swayed him into a path of working with only them, rather than magical beasts in general. Charlie is of the opinion that dragons should be treated humanely and with respect.

During his fifth year at the school, Charlie was made prefect, and it was a position that he excelled at, as well. He was the type of prefect to put kindness first, always spoke to the first years in a soft voice, made sure to explain everything carefully, rather than just order them around. 

By his sixth year, Charlie was made Quidditch Captain, too. 

By his seventh year, Charlie knew the Forbidden Forest like the back of his hand. He was also quite well acquainted with the Great Lake, and was in the habit of making up new spells to fix whatever problems he had at the time, however dangerous that could be.

His favorite class at the school should be easy enough to guess, and Charlie spent the most time preparing for his Care for Magical Creatures classes. During those hours, Charlie lit up, came alive.

AFTER HOGWARTS.

So Charlie graduated with top marks, and went on to study dragonology in Romania. Once the war started, he returned to England briefly, and joined the Order. Charlie has always had a strong sense of right and wrong, and was highly motivated to fight for his family. He is all too aware what danger they are in, what people think of them. Charlie would rather die than see something happen to his parents, the people who have done everything for him, taken him in. He also has very strong protective instincts of his brothers and sister. Joining the war was a no brainer, for Charlie.

But the best thing he could do for The Order, was to use his ties and connections that he had garnered during his years abroad. So he moved back and forth from England, traveled to different countries in Europe, gathered supporters of their cause, all the while also keeping a careful eye on the magical creatures population, being very aware of the kind of danger they were in, too. Charlie has come to understand that magical creatures often become casualties of the wars of wizards. He doesn’t like that, and he wants to protect them.

Charlie has an impressive amount of burn scars, which he has chosen to not have removed. Both because he genuinely thinks they look kinda cool and he’s proud of them, but also because they remind him the sort of respect he needs to have for the creatures in his care. Charlie is not an idiot ( in this instance ) and knows that a dragon would hardly hesitate to kill him on the spot, if given the right circumstances and opportunity.

Charlie currently lives in a small apartment in London, but he rarely stays there. He is always on the move ---- traveling to other countries, to wildlife reserves, to the ministry. 

He has admittedly become a little bit of a workaholic, but only because he loves his job so much? He feels the most alive when he’s out in the field, when he’s outside, when he’s surrounded by only nature and wildlife. 

PERSONALITY.

Charlie is so so warm, caring and kind. But he is also a little bit unreliable, and has been known to not always show up when he’s needed. He’s easily distracted, and if he gets drawn into work or Order business, he can disappear for weeks on end without any word from him.

Usually very optimistic and happy go lucky. Charlie was born in the middle of a war, and certainly has had his fair share of reasons to worry. Despite this, Charlie tends to take everything about as seriously as he needs to, which usually isn’t very seriously at all. Charlie has smiled death in the face enough time to not be wary of it, anymore. He is of the strong opinion that whatever is going to happen, is going to happen anyways. Him worrying will not affect the inevitable outcome.

Charlie is a little bit quiet, but not exactly shy either. He just doesn’t always find a reason to talk. Also it’s a bit of a habit. When working in the field, it’s usually too loud for them to hear each other anyways, so Charlie has just stopped trying. He also quite likes the silence, finds it comforting.

Bit of a romantic, tbh. Believes in ideals - like love at first sight, a happily ever after, soulmates. But never actually has time for love, either?

Has never met an obstacle that he didn’t want to climb and it’s a bit of a problem.... Although not particularly reckless, Charlie is known for not thinking twice about putting himself in danger.

Also probably a little bit arrogant, or to put it nicer, very confident. 

Has the sort of ‘wink at you before he disappears into the masses’ sort of aesthetic.

Very experimental too? Likes to experiment with spells and potions and experimental approaches on how to best deal with various situations that arise in his line of work. This has almost cost him both an arm and a leg at some point...

VERY proud of who he is and what he comes from. Though he shrugs off most things, he WILL throw hands at anyone who dares insult his siblings or his parents.

Has never backed down from a fight, ever !!!!! 

OTHER STUFF.

Charlie knows that he is adopted, but he rarely thinks of it, these days. It was more of an issue during his Hogwarts days, when other kids would prod and pry. Because of that, Charlie fully embraced his Weasley-ness, swore to himself that he’d be the biggest blood traitor the world had ever seen. He loves his family, what they stand for, everything that they are. Charlie is proud to wear sweaters knitted by his mother ( he still does, catch him wearing a Christmas sweater in July ) and tries to be the best son he can be. As much as he can, anyways.

Thinks that he owes a lot to Hogwarts, and has on a few occasions guest lectured there about dragons.

Shares part of his father’s fascination with muggles and muggle objects !!! Especially motorcycles and telephones are of Great Interest to Charlie. He thinks muggles to be a bit peculiar, but interesting.

Still plays Quidditch on occasion, but not with a specific team. It’s usually just a game with the lads after a long day’s work in the conservatory. 

[romchomp]

That One Track from your favorite romance anime

So, I’m a whore for soundtracks. The amount of hours I’ve spent listening to various soundtracks is in the hundreds. Something I’ve noticed in discussions about good anime soundtracks is that romances are often left out, with the exception of Clannad and Your Lie in April. So here I am, ready to take the task nobody requested.

Before I start listing animes and their soundtracks I’d  like to first say that the thing about scores in anime, movies, video games, and even tv shows is that they usually have one track that’s easy to identify (ie. a theme song, a track that plays during a progression/training scene or a track that plays during the climax, etc.). Depending on the tone and atmosphere of the series, this track could be sad, fun, a mesh of the two, or something beyond those lines. Regardless it should affect how you feel and be memorable. So in this post, I’m talking about different romance anime and what I think is** that one track** from them.

**Because I’ve had troubles embedding the tracks into this post I’ll just leave a link to a playlist I made with all the tracks used on soundcloud and youtube**

1. Toradora- Lost My Pieces

There are a lot of tracks from Toradora that I adore, including Yuugure No Yakusoku and Ameiro Rondo. What makes Lost My Pieces work out, however, is the fact that it plays at the climax of the series and stands for a mental shift in the main character as well as a tonal shift in the series. What else is interesting is that this is the only time the track is ever played in Toradora. It really shows how effective it was, considering the track's popularity. When most people think of Toradora’s soundtrack they’ll think of Lost My Pieces. This is certainly** that one track** that will make you...feel things.

2. Clannad- Roaring Tides

This one is probably more arguable considering how many tracks in Clannad are severe tear jerkers. Personally, Roaring Tides has always been that one track in Clannad that would without a doubt fuck me up. There’s just something about that piano...and the...everything. It’s a very dramatic piece and man is it good at heightening the drama in Clannad. Of course, Nagisa and SnowFeild are very close seconds and I can’t forget to mention Town, Flow of Time, People; or Existence; or the goddamn ending Dango Daikazoku (why does this show hate us).

3. Fruits Basket (2001)- Secret

Fruits Basket has a generally wacky soundtrack that covers a variety of tones. However, if there is one track that could be associated with the darker moments in the anime, one that always played when one of the characters talked in depth about the zodiac curse, it’s Secret. This track is a little different from the ones in Toradora and Clannad though. This one’s purpose isn’t to make the viewer cry. I think the track only has that effect from a nostalgic standpoint; listening to the track on its own after the fact adds quite a bit of feeling to this one. Secret is more or less, meant to set the atmosphere. That, put together with how often the track was used, makes it one of the more memorable ones. I can't wait to add the reboot to this list.

4. Nana- Akai Ren

Nana’s soundtrack doesn’t get talked about that often even among its fans. I’m not talking about the vocal pieces that were played by Black Stones or Trapnest, but the background osts. The reason for this probably has to do with 1) the songs sung by Black Stones and Trapnest are on a separate CD than the background tracks and 2) there are a whopping 43 tracks on the CD of background tracks. Regardless, there are a number of tracks that stuck with me even after finishing the show and the best example of this would be Akai Ren, which made me cry EVERY SINGLE TIME it played. That piano still haunts me. What also haunts is the second ending, Starless Night. That one’s a close second.

5. Anohana- Secret Base

I’ve been avoiding using the openings and endings on this list, but I’ll make an exception for Secret Base considering it plays like a track in the background for emotional scenes on several occasions. I was considering using Last Train Home instead, but that track just...doesn’t hit the same way and isn't utilized nearly as often as Anohana's ed. Secret Base also has the advantage of not being played in its entirety until the most climatic and emotional part in the series (as if just a few seconds of the song wasn’t already enough).

6.  Your Lie in April- My Friend A Will Be My Accompanist

We all know the soundtrack for Your Lie in April is amazing. Whether it be the classical pieces performed by characters or the rest of the soundtrack that’s left for the background, but I think My Friend A is a particular track that’s memorable and easy to listen to on its own. It plays often throughout the show and because of that, I think it’s the most identifiable piece in the series. My Friend A is beautiful. It doesn’t even need the context of the show to make it an emotional listening experience. If anything this gives context to the show.

7. My Little Monster- Tetsukazu no Kanjou

Not as much of a tear jerker as it is just an adorable track that I often come back to. Maybe it’s a more of a track that elicits happy tears? My Little Monster’s soundtrack reminds me of Toradora’s in the sense that they both have fun scores that feature mostly quirky tracks with a few emotional ones sprinkled in. For this series,  it’s emotional one is Tetsukazu no Kanjou, which the show utilizes quite well. It often plays when the audience discovers something new about a character or see an emotional shift in them.

8. Snow White with the Red Hair- Reconciliation: The Beginning of Two People

The best word to describe Shirayuki’s soundtrack would be magical; it's a true fantasy romance score. I was hesitant to mention this soundtrack at all because at first I felt that while Reconciliation is a gorgeous piece, it’s not overwhelmingly emotional, but I’m listening to it right now and have realized that uhhh it’s very emotional and I don’t know what I was thinking. And looking back, this track in specific added a lot to scenes and did, in fact, bring up several emotions. While (maybe) not tear-jerking, the track would definitely have you gushing at how sweet and precious the main couple is.

9. Bloom Into You- Earnest Wish

You know, you hear a lot of piano in romance series. A lot of violin. A lot of flute. But  clarinet? That's not as common.  This track really makes you wish there was more luckily, a lot of the other pieces on Bloom Into You's soundtrack also have clarinet in them. Anyways, any moment Earnest Wish started playing...I knew shit was about to go down. There was usually some dramatic wind (oftentimes blowing Touka’s hair) when it started playing. Something new would be revealed about the character's backstory or their insecurities. Good piece. Very good piece.

10. Kanon- Winter Fireworks

Kanon has the misfortune of forever being compared to Clannad and living in its shadow. Something I think, however, that doesn’t deserve to be compared to Clannad would be Kanon’s soundtrack. Its score is unique and successfully conveys a winter essence. Winter Fireworks is the best example, but there are so many other amazing tracks. I just [making aggressive hand gestures] really love it.

11. Your Name- Sparkle

Your Name is really good at using its score to accelerate emotional scenes and generally flow with the mood of the film. Its best example of this would be Sparkle, which plays at the climax and man does it work. The pace of the track has the perfect amount of energy to go along with a beautiful running sequence that was emotional as all hell.

So far I have only talked about tear-jerker tracks, but romances are also completely capable of having a track memorable by how warm and happy it is.

12. Toradora (again)- Startup

Startup is probably the easiest to remember/call out but I think Happy Monday is a really close second that no one talks about. Startup is used similarly to Lost My Pieces, though more often. Where Lost My Pieces plays at an emotional climax, representing a progression in the characters, Startup always plays when one of the main characters is making a stride to better themselves or their situation (hence, progressing the story). It’s a great track and does its job well.

13. Kaichou wa Maid Sama- Main Theme

Man, I could dance to this track. I remember always feeling giddy when this track started playing. You knew things were about to get exciting. It’s the perfect amount of fun and cheesy for a hilarious and sweet shoujo such as Maid Sama.

14. Princess Jellyfish- Umi to Tsuki no Yume

While it’s hard to stream the entirety of Princess Jellyfish’s soundtrack for free, there are a few tracks that are easily accessible on youtube. Umi to Tsuki no Yume is one of them and lucky for me, it’s one of my favorite tracks as well as one that seemed to stick out to others as well. It’s very befitting of the show’s flamboyant yet down to earth atmosphere.

15. His and Her Circumstances- Peace Reigns in the Land

I love every track from Kare Kano but this one especially left a mark on me. There’s plenty of lovely piano pieces that you could you point to as that one track but I personally find the tracks with trumpet solos and soft drums to be the charming point in its score. Peace Reigns in the Land normally plays sometime during the beginning of episodes and really leaves you feeling like everything is gonna be okay. As for accessibility to the soundtrack, there are a few tracks you can find on Youtube and I managed to find the entirety of the soundtrack here on Soundcloud uploaded only five days ago (so who knows how long it'll be up).

16. Nisekoi- Meirou

Nisekoi’s production value was always too good for its own good and its soundtrack is no exception. I was torn between a number of tracks from Nisekoi to mention. Should I go with the sweet and warm Lost of Words that reminds me of summer? Or the fun and goofy Meirou I can still remember playing at the end of each episode years after watching? Or what if I go with the more bleak Nikuhaku to represent that one track that stuck out in the series? Well. It’s Meirou. Hate to be anticlimactic, but Meirou captures the tone and atmosphere of the series better than any other track in the series. It's sweet but in a ridiculous kind of way.

17. Honey and Clover- Be Careful of Being Tricked!

I absolutely adore Honey and Clover’s soundtrack. It has an interesting range of instruments that gives it a unique charm. Be Careful of Being Tricked is no exception with its use of bongos, the organ, and acoustic guitar along with humming... It’s a good time. Bon Bon Bereppa was another track I thought of using for this list. Both tracks scream "How did I get myself in this situation?". It was really hard to pick one over the other, to be honest. It came down to the organ.

18. Lovely Complex- Orchestra Na Risa

Generally, the score of Lovely Complex is goofy and a riot to listen to on its own. Orchestra Na Risa is one of the slower pieces, and a touching one at that. Somehow it manages to feel sweet and whimsical while still fitting in with all the other ridiculous tracks and antics in the show itself.

Honorable mentions??

Doukyuusei (the whole thing tbh)

From Up on Poppy Hill- Kokurikozaka kara (theme song)

Air TV- Natsukage

Yosuga no Sora- Kioku

Now there are plenty of romance anime I have yet to watch and I hope many of them will make me think to myself "Wow, this would've made a great addition to that blog post I made about romance anime with good soundtracks". There are certain anime I’m even prepared for. But for now, I’m just writing about what I already know [it’s not a lot].

Here is a playlist of the all the tracks I listed in this blog post and here's a playlist I made of all my favorite romance anime tracks that you can check out if you feel inclined.