#look at my graphs aren't they beautiful

[jumpscaregoose]

What are your thoughts on the character writing in Shaman King? I think it's pretty interesting since it doesn't always spell out everything for the reader.

sorry for leaving this for like 87 years I was deliberating my opinions and then I forgot

pinkie promise to not ignore more asks for this long please give me more things to drabble on about

this triggered an unskippable cutscene so I'm adding a read more but if you don't wanna be here for years me complaining is still above the cut (though I recommend being a nerd with me I have a graph)

anyways I have a running bit with myself whenever I'm googling something mankin related (like when capitalism was invented or the average altitude in hokkaido or something about lsd for the fiftieth time) that I do more research than takei did originally writing the damn thing. the exact words I say are usually "I should stop expecting takei to be good at his job when I do this" because takei does suck at his job sometimes. directing you towards him using the entirety of pre-colonial mesoamerica as a grab bag of random traits that results in hell for me googling stuff because ohmygod

I think the character writing is where this happens the least (though there was one point during my flowers reread where I had to step away from my computer because I forgot he did a thing and it was the SINGLE WORST THING HE COULD HAVE WRITTEN for those characters with that plot element but I digress that is a whole other thing that I am not qualified for)

the writing of our main characters (specifically pacing) is funny though one second I have a graph

these lines display (roughly) the points in the story where we're introduced to our five main characters and also the points where we get full backstory reveals

as you can see

takei what the actual fuck why is it so imbalanced

I think it's a cool funny haha but sir did you forget that one of your most important characters didn't have a full backstory for like four years

not much else to say about pacing except the manga is already really zoomy and when you don't give them enough episodes to adapt it you get an any% speedrun wr 19 hours 50 minutes whateverI'mnotdoingmoremath seconds also look at this typo I made writing this it's very important

ok right where we we

actually answering the ask sounds like a good idea now

overall I really like the characters in the shaman king manga, reboot anime, and what I've seen of the 2001 anime. I've already written an entire post about how much I love yoh and hao's writing. hana and alumi are neat and red crimson is an excellent manga but we're no here for sequels

also it's important to note that I have been staring at shaman king for like two years straight, I have no sense of what's obvious knowledge and what's obscure nolifer wisdom ( no idea where I fall on that spectrum basically)

recently I've been in a real x laws appreciation phase, I think lyserg's arc specifically is a neat and complex take on justice and healing. it feels like something that could realistically happen to a person, minus all the supernatural stuff of course

ever since I first watched the 2021 anime the summer it started airing I've also really liked ren. he's got the zuko type redemption arc thing going on, and while that's an age old trope something about the way he was written always gets me. watching 2021 episode 27 for the first time the day it came out (as the first episode I watched weekly btw, rip osorezan arc you're beautiful but the first time I watched you I was so preoccupied) was one of the most memorable media experiences I've ever had. 😲 face the entire time

horo's another fave writing wise, again mostly because I think the ridiculous pacing of his arc is Hilarious, but if you interpret it as takei being good at his job (possible but unlikely) his introduction scene is fantastic at establishing a character without letting you know you're missing something. I for one didn't notice until the narrative pointed it out at which point I freaked out a bit because oh no I ignored my son by accident. the wisdom kings fight still makes me lose it every time I watch it scene of all time as well (voice performance has to be my favourite part of that I don't think it would go half as hard animated without that)

those three are my favourite characters writing wise. I also think jeanne is cool but her entire arc is very similar to both lyserg's and ren's so I shan't elaborate. I will however tell you about the time I was sitting in math class when my teacher mentioned joan d'arc, I had what can only be described as a eureka moment, and spent five minutes frantically googling things until I zoned back in to him talking about the time he almost drowned in quicksand on mont saint michel

there's also some neat stuff with plant and flower symbolism that I haven't looked into in months but is pretty neat (I like the part where weed shows up because I am so very mature)

don't even get me started on the musical leitmotifs and themes (no seriously don't I have no real musical knowledge and no one to fact check my bs) but I did write another post about some of it if you haven't read it

uh in conclusion I don't think takei knows what he's doing sometimes, character writing in shaman king pretty good sometimes me likey, I will make graphs on a whim for basically no reason

here have another one I did in two minutes to explain ren and jeanne's parallel character arcs once

giveb me more mankin asks if you have any I have so many OPINIONS and TANGENTS I wish to be PROMPTED

[anonymousewrites]

A Study of the Heart and Brain (Book 3) Chapter Eighteen

Father Figure! Sherlock Holmes x Teen! Reader

Chapter Eighteen: Christmas Deals

Summary: It's Christmas at the Holmes household, but that doesn't mean there aren't problems.

Months later…

            “Oh dear god, it’s only two o’clock,” complained Mycroft. “It’s been Christmas Day for at least a week now. How can it only be two o’clock? I’m in agony.”

            It was Christmas Day once more, and Sherlock, (Y/N), and Mycroft found themselves in the Holmeses cottage for the first time. John and Mary had been invited, too, though that situation was far more complicated. Mary had come, but John hadn’t arrived yet. No one knew what he would decide to do.

            After the confrontation in 221B, the pair had split up. No divorce, but neither stayed with the other. John moved back to 221B, and he and Mary hadn’t spoken since.

            (Y/N) had recovered from their injury, and they, Sherlock, and John had gone back to their old dynamic, but Sherlock and (Y/N) could see John was…sadder, more melancholy. It was an unfortunate turn of events, but perhaps Christmas would heal the breach. (Y/N) was told that Christmas sparked such miracles.

            And now there they were, engaging in such “Christmastime bonds of family and friendship” with the Holmeses. Well, currently they were just being annoyed by Mycroft.

            “Do you know John used to make graphs of all the childish things you and Sherlock do?” said (Y/N).

            Mycroft scowled. “You’re not an example of a mature individual, either.”

            “Mikey, be nice to them! They’re our grandchild,” said Mrs. Holmes.

            (Y/N) smiled as Mrs. Holmes ruffled their hair and handed them another cookie. Mycroft fought not to glare. It seemed (Y/N) had become the favorite of the family as soon as they got a proper introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Holmes.

            Their smile fell as they saw Sherlock reading the paper. “Lady Smallwood Suicide,” “Shamed Peer takes Own Life,” and “63-Year-Old dies following Letter Scandal” lay emblazoned on the cover.

            “Why are we doing this again? We never do this,” said Mycroft, drawing (Y/N)’s attention any from the news.

            “We are here because (Y/N) is home from the hospital and we are all very happy,” said Mrs. Holmes.

            “Am I happy? I haven’t checked,” said Mycroft.

            “Behave, Mike,” said Mrs. Holmes, putting down a mug of tea and walking into the living room.

            “Mycroft is the name you gave me, if you could possibly struggle all the way to the end,” muttered Mycroft. However, he didn’t dare say it loud enough for Mrs. Holmes to hear and took a sip of his tea when she looked back at him suspiciously.

            Sherlock started his watch, and (Y/N) furrowed their brow.

            Mrs. Holmes headed into the sitting room and put down a mug of tea for Mary. She sat in front of the fire with a book in her lap and Mr. Holmes staring into space in an armchair near her.

            Mrs. Holmes tutted fondly when she saw Mr. Holmes. “Cup of tea, Mary. Now, if Father starts making humming noises, just give him a little poke. That usually does it.”

            “Did you write this?” asked Mary, holding up the book titled The Dynamics of Combustions by M.L. Holmes.

            “Oh, that silly old thing,” chuckled Mrs. Holmes. “You mustn’t read that. Mathematics must seem terribly fatuous now!” She tutted as she heard Mr. Holmes start humming. “Now, no humming, you,” she scolded fondly before leaving him a cup of tea and exiting the room.

            Mr. Holmes chuckled. “Complete flake, my wife, but happens to be a genius.”

            “She was a mathematician?” asked Mary.

            “Gave it all up for the children,” said Mr. Holmes, smiling as he glanced into the room where Mycroft and Sherlock sat. “I could never bear to argue with her. I’m something of a moron myself. But she’s…well, she’s got the brains and beauty for the two of us.”

            Mary smiled. “Oh my god. You’re the sane one, aren’t you?”

            “Aren’t you?” joked Mr. Holmes.

            Mary lowered her eyes and took a sip of her tea to avoid answering. At precisely that moment, John opened the door to the living room and paused awkwardly. Mary looked away and focused on the random page of the book she’d turned to.

            “Sorry, I-I just, uh…” John trailed off.

            Mr. Holmes looked between the pair. “Oh, do you two need a moment?”

            John squared his shoulders. “If you…don’t mind.”

            Mr. Holmes stood. “No, of course not. I’ll, uh, see if I can help with…something or other.” He bustled away to the other room and closed the door.

            He looked at Sherlock and (Y/N), and they looked up as he spoke. “Those two. They alright?”

            “Well, you know, they’ve had their ups and downs,” said Sherlock nonchalantly.

            (Y/N) glanced at the door. No shouting. No crying. That was good. At least, (Y/N) supposed so. They hoped the pair ended up happy. They cared about them. A slight sob filtered through the door. Scratch the no crying.

            “Is that good?” asked (Y/N), looking at Sherlock.

            “I’ve heard people cry in relief,” said Sherlock. “I believe you have, too.” He referenced when he returned from the dead.

            “I don’t remember that,” said (Y/N), looking to the puzzle book they’d been given for Christmas. They were nearly done already.

            “Deleted it?” said Sherlock, amused.

            “No, I remember being angry,” replied (Y/N).

            “Ah.” That would be accurate. Sherlock glanced at his watch. “I’m going to get some air while all that—” he gestured at the door “—works itself out.” He stood up and headed towards the door.

            “I’m coming, too,” said (Y/N). They weren’t sure how to deal with the emotions John and Mary were going through, so they’d just let it pass while they waited outside.

            Sherlock and (Y/N) walked outside of the cottage and stood in the breezy air. Sherlock took a deep breath and relaxed slightly while (Y/N) tucked their hands into their pockets and looked over the hills. It was peaceful and quiet.

            Until Mycroft walked out after them. “I’m glad you two have given up on the Magnussen business.”

            “Are you?” said Sherlock in a bored manner.

            “I’m still curious, though. He’s hardly your usual kind of puzzle. Why do you two…hate him?” said Mycroft.

            “Because he attacks people who are different and preys on their secrets,” said Sherlock.

            Mycroft looked at (Y/N). “And you?”

            “Magnussen is like Moriarty. He uses people and doesn’t care what happens to them. I don’t like that,” said (Y/N) coldly.

            That made an impression on both men. They remembered everything that had gone on with Moriarty, all the danger and death. They remembered how Moriarty managed to take (Y/N) and the consequences of it. Sherlock and Mycroft both hated it. Neither had conducted themselves well.

            “The real question is why don’t you hate him?” asked (Y/N).

            “He’s never caused too much damage to anyone important. He’s far too intelligent for that,” said Mycroft. “He’s a businessman and, occasionally, useful for us. A necessary evil—not a dragon for you two to slay.”

            “Dragon slayers? Is that what you think of us?” said Sherlock.

            “I rather think we’re doing the right thing,” said (Y/N).

            “Sherl, Mike, are you avoiding spending time with us?” called Mrs. Holmes from the front door.

            “No,” said Sherlock and Mycroft quickly.

            “Just brotherly affection,” said Sherlock sarcastically.

            Mrs. Holmes gave them all a motherly glare and closed the door again.

            “I have, by the way, a job offer I should like you to decline,” said Mycroft to Sherlock.

            “I decline your kind offer,” said Sherlock automatically.

            “I shall pass on your regrets,” said Mycroft.

            “What was it?” asked (Y/N).

            “MI6—they wanted to place Sherlock back to Eastern Europe,” said Mycroft. (Y/N)’s eyes widened. “An undercover assignment that would prove fatal to him in, I think, six months. I warned them that he might not take it since he disliked his previous leave of Baker Street. But they still wanted me to offer the job to him.” He tutted and turned back towards the cottage. “I’m going in. The air isn’t agreeing with me.” He paused. “Oh, and…your loss would break mine and (Y/N)’s hearts.”

            “What the hell am I supposed to say to that?!” said Sherlock, staring at Mycroft in shock at the sickening sentimentality of his words.

            “Happy Christmas?” remarked Mycroft as he headed into the house.

            “You hate Christmas,” said (Y/N) and Sherlock.

            “Yes. Perhaps there’s something in the tea,” said Mycroft.

            “Clearly. Go and have some more,” said Sherlock.

            (Y/N) cocked their head as Mycroft walked inside. “Dad, is there something in the tea?”

            “Yes,” said Sherlock.

            “What? Why?” asked (Y/N).

            Sherlock looked down and sighed. “Because it is time for me to face Magnussen, and I can’t have anyone running around getting into danger. Here…here, they’ll be safe.”

            (Y/N) furrowed their brow as they put it together. “You drugged them?”

            Sherlock checked his watch. “It will go into effect in about…thirty seconds.”

            “Dad, why didn’t you tell me?” said (Y/N) quietly. “I thought we weren’t keeping secrets or lying.”

            “Because this is dangerous. And I won’t let Magnussen get any information he could use against you,” said Sherlock. “I can risk myself. I won’t risk you.” Not to mention, this case had gotten them close to being killed. He had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

            “But you’re not drugging me,” said (Y/N).

            “I could never do that to you,” said Sherlock. He knew it would hurt them oh-so-much. “But I need you to stay with me and stay careful. Please, (Y/N).”

            They stared at him carefully before nodding. “I’ll follow you.”

            But they, too, were willing to lie. (Y/N) cared about their dad. They would go along with his plan as far as they could without stepping in to protect him. It went both ways—even if the parent was supposed to watch out for the child, the child here was as fierce as intelligent as the parent. And if (Y/N) knew one thing, it was that Sherlock needed someone to look out for him. And who else but family? Who else but (Y/N)? They had been helpless with Moriarty. They wouldn’t be with Magnussen. They refused to be.

            Sherlock’s watch beeped. “It’s time,” he said.

            He led the walk into the cottage. Everyone lay in their chairs, asleep. Only John was crouching over Mary and trying to shake her awake.

            “Mary, can you hear me?!” he cried worriedly.

            “Don’t drink Mary’s tea,” advised Sherlock.

            “Sherlock, did you drug my pregnant wife?!” shouted John incredulously.

            “Don’t worry. I’m an excellent chemist,” said Sherlock.

            “What about—?” John glanced at (Y/N), knowing they didn’t like drugs.

            “It seems to be necessary,” said (Y/N).

            “And I’m sending someone to keep an eye over everyone. They’ll be safe,” said Sherlock.

            “What the hell has he done?” said John, staring in disbelief at (Y/N).

            “He seems to have made a deal with the devil,” said (Y/N). They crossed their arms and looked at Sherlock. “What exactly is this deal, so dangerous you wouldn’t tell me about it?”

            Sherlock took a deep breath and explained.

A few months ago…

            Sherlock sat in a small restaurant and finished eating his pasta as someone stepped up to his table.

            “Shouldn’t you be in the hospital doting over poor Mx. Moriarty?” said Magnussen.

            Sherlock didn’t allow Magnussen to have the satisfaction of getting a reaction at the use of that name. “Have a seat.” He got straight to business.

            “Thank you,” said Magnussen, sitting.

            “I’ve been thinking about you,” said Sherlock.

            “I’ve been thinking about you,” said Magnussen.

            “I want to see Appledore, where you keep all the secrets, all the files, everything you’ve got on everyone,” said Sherlock. “I want you to invite me.”

            “What makes you think I’d be so careless?” asked Magnussen.

            “Oh, I think you’re a lot more careless than you let on,” said Sherlock.

            “Am I?” Magnussen leaned forward.

            Sherlock smirked and leaned forward. “(Y/N) noticed it when you read the paper.”

            “Noticed what?” said Magnussen.

            “The dead-eye stare. Except, it’s not so dead-eye, is it?” said Sherlock. He reached out and took Magnussen’s glasses. “They knew you were reading but not the paper. I suspect a portable Appledore. How does it work? Built in flash drive? 4G wireless?” He frowned as he examined them and found nothing. “They’re just ordinary spectacles.”

            “Yes, they are,” said Magnussen, taking them back and smirking. “Maybe Mx. Moriarty can figure it out. Want to bring them down?”

            “This is between you and me,” said Sherlock. He wouldn’t give Magnussen a chance to get his claws into (Y/N).

            Magnussen chuckled and sat back. “Pity. You continue to underestimate me.”

            “Then impress me,” said Sherlock. “Show me Appledore.”

            “Everything’s available for a price,” said Magnussen. “Are you making me an offer?”

            “A Christmas present,” said Sherlock.

            “And what are you going to give me for Christmas, Mr. Holmes?” said Magnussen eagerly.

            “My brother,” said Sherlock.

Present day…

            “Oh, Jesus,” said John, taking a step back from Sherlock.

            “Dad, this is risking so much. We should’ve tried to figure out Appledore ourselves, first. There’s something…something we’re missing, and he’s going to count on that,” said (Y/N).

            “You’re going out of your mind!” said John, staring at Sherlock.

            “I like to keep you guessing,” said Sherlock.

            Before the discussion—argument—could continue, the sound of helicopter blades split the air.

            “Ah, there’s our lift,” said Sherlock, straightening and leaving behind everything but his eagerness to take on this case. “Coming?”

            “I’m not letting you do this alone,” said (Y/N). They were going.

            “Where?” said John.

            “Do you want your wife to be safe?” said Sherlock to him.

            “Yeah, of course I do,” said John.

            “Good, because this is going to be incredibly dangerous,” said Sherlock. “One false move, and we’ll have betrayed the security of the United Kingdom and be in prison for high treason.”

            “What?” cried John. “But I had nothing to do with it!”

            “You’ll be there,” said (Y/N). “That’s enough.”

            Sherlock nodded. “Unfortunately, Magnussen is quite simply one of the most dangerous men we’ve ever encountered, and the odds are comprehensively stacked against us,” he said.

            “But it’s Christmas,” said John, indignant.

            “I feel the same,” said Sherlock. He glanced at John’s expression. “Oh, you mean it’s actually Christmas. Did you bring your gun as I suggested?”

            “Why would I bring my gun to your parents’ house for Christmas dinner?” exclaimed John.

            “It’s in your coat,” said (Y/N), nodding to it.

            “…It is,” admitted John.

            “Off we go, then,” said Sherlock, walking towards the door of the house.

            “Where exactly are we going?” asked John.

            “Appledore,” said Sherlock.

            Danger, thought (Y/N).

Taglist:

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[yuzukahibiscus]

SEWATCH (95th Class) – 2016 Archives

From 2010, Takarazuka GRAPH has a corner for introducing classmates (douki) in our colour pages. 95th class is the 6th edition and we now disclose excerpts of writer Seo Yuria (Seocchi) and her classmates.

~ Taken from August 2021 GRAPH.

JANUARY – Seo Yuria X Manaki Reika

To celebrate our first issue, the guest is...Manaki Reika of Moon Troupe ☽ It's Chapi~♡ Ah, she's an angel ♡ She's full of clarity....Let'Sewatch the mystery of this angel descending to earth!!!!

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: Everyone already knows about the beauty and cuteness of Chapi, so I thought what if we showed a different side of Chapi~

Chapi: No, not at all. But because it's the New Year issue, aren't we wearing these for the New Year?

Seocchi: We thought, "Year of the...Monkey, right? OH!" (LOL) What do you think about becoming a monkey (LOL)?

Chapi: Since I was born, I've been told that I look like a monkey, so it's an honour to be a monkey [for this corner].

Both: (exploding in laughter).

Chapi: My mother used to say, "I thought I gave birth to a monkey" (LOL).

Seocchi: Well, you could say you returned to your roots. What a new feeling (LOL).

Chapi: Yes, that's right. My ears are also "far away from each other" (and while saying that, Chapi flapped her hands beside her ears).

Seocchi: That's cute (LOL).

FEBRUARY – Seo Yuria X Rei Makoto

The guest for this month is the Super Boy, our Rei Makoto of Star Troupe ☆ It's Coto-chan~ (Coto)☆

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: I thought would it be possible to show a side of Co-chan that everyone hasn't seen before~ and the result of constant frustration and thinking, I've decided that we should wear the Takarazuka Music School uniforms!!

Coto: First, I need to find my uniform~

Seocchi: Yeah (LOL). How do you feel? Actually.

Coto: No I mean, it's nostalgic.

Seocchi: I remembered that the two of us used to sit side by side whle having lessons.

Coto: That's when both of us were fighting the urge to sleep away.

Seocchi: A time that we were scolded almost every day, but the days where we were very determined.

MARCH – Seo Yuria X Reimi Urara

Now, the guest this time is Reimi Urara-sama of Cosmos Troupe, it's Yuuri!! Let'Sewatch at the mystery of this flawless beautiful girl!!!

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: While both of us are thinking a lot about what to do, we heard Zun-chan (Sakuragi Minato) having her interview nearby on "What is your dream if you didn't enter Takarazuka!?".

Urara: We heard her answer, "I'm not sure if this is what I really want to do, but maybe the admirable flight attendants?"...

Seocchi: That's why everyone can see this wonderful Reimi Urara-sama!! (Thanks Zun-chan~♡)

Urara: I hope we can show that relationship between the pilot and the flight attendant (LOL).

Seocchi: There's some story between us... (LOL)

Urara: (LOL). That's fun!

APRIL – Seo Yuria X Tsukishiro Kanato

The guest this month is – remarkable! Tsukishiro Kanato of Snow Troupe!! It's Usshi (Reiko)✨ Wow~ So pretty...She's already beautiful, so let'Sewatch if we could show a mysteriously different look of Tsukishiro Kanato-sama.

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: After much thinking...

Reiko: We revived as the anime of "Shonen Ashibe"!! Well, I like Goma-chan. No, not just that, I like seals (LOL).

Seocchi: That's why, Usshi wore a seal costume and searched for various pictures, and found this really cute seal costume, and asked me "how do you think"?

Reiko: No, it's because I said, I want to be a more real seal!!

Seocchi: She seriously ordered this full costume (LOL). How do you feel wearing it?

Reiko: When I actually wear the costume, I can feel it looks fluffier than how Goma-chan was like, (LOL), but I'm really satisfied!!

Seocchi: That's great~ It's a great success that it made Usshi satisfied!

MAY – Seo Yuria X Minami Maito

The fifth guest is Flower Trouope otokoyaku Minami Maito (Maiti) ❀ I wanto see~!! Let'Sewatch the stunning muscles of this girl!!!

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: If we talk about Minami, it's muscles!! That's why I immediately think of the muscleman Superman, and we had a meeting over this photoshoot [concept] (LOL).

Maiti: What!? Is my image really like that? I thought (LOL).

Seocchi: No, when we first met, you were skinny!! Then after the summer of being a primary course student (yokasei), I was so shocked (LOL).

Maiti: Right, right, when I came back my uniform seems stiff [from the muscles] (LOL).

Seocchi: I thought, what did Minami do in the summer!!!!! I remember everyone being crazy over it (LOL). That image is too strong, you definitely need to be Superman this time!

Maiti: But, this costume seems too buff (LOL). This is too exaggerated!! Look at the texture of these muscles (LOL)!!!!

Seocchi: How do you feel actually wearing it?

Maiti: No, but it seems easy to turn on the switch to get into character with this kind of costume (LOL).

Seocchi: (LOL). That's great!!

Maiti: Like that "I'm a hero!" kind of vibe. (LOL)

Seocchi: If you feel good about it, you should wear this under your rehearsal clothes next time, and when something happens, you can remove those clothes to reveal yourself as Superman!! Then it would be great!! (LOL)

Maiti: I got it!! If that's necessary, I'll give Seocchi (Seo) a call! Believe in me!!

Both: (exploding in laughter).

JUNE – Seo Yuria X Misaki Rion

This month we have our princess from Cosmos Troupe 💕 Let'Sewatch at Misaki Rion (Mirion)~ 👀

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: We decided easily this time.

Mirion: Yes, yes, I asked Seocchi "Can I be a nurse?"

Seocchi: Surely, I also wish to see how Kumi-chan (Misaki) is as a nurse (LOL).

Mirion: Since I was young', I've admired nurse so I thought, "Nurses are good!!" and decided on the theme quickly.

Seocchi: How does it feel? To be a nurse.

Mirion: I'm very satisfied because it feels my wish is fulfilled! Holding onto the syringe, I felt it was fun to feel how it is for a nurse (LOL). (I also enjoyed seeing Kumi-chan's look as a nurse!!)

Seocchi: I'm also excited because I want to play as a doctor!!!!

Mirion: You seem to really like the stethoscope (LOL).

Seocchi: Yes (LOL). This feels like "The Dangerous Love of the Doctor and the Nurse" (LOL). I hope everyone could feel happy seeing this photo and imagining various situations!

JULY – Seo Yuria X Kizuki Yuuma

This month, let'Sewatch at the mysterious Mayupon, or Kizuki Yuuma of Moon Troupe, who is so inclusive and gentle towards others~✨

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: This time, I hope it'd be great to do a concept of boys' friendship that I could do only with Myaupon.

Mayupon: Right!! We talked about, let's make this look manly as possible!

Seocchi: So, we told the edtors we wanted to do something like [the movie] "Umizaru", and we didn't think we'd have these costumes handmade!!

Both: Thank you so much!!!!!!

Seocchi: How does it feel wearing these?

Mayupon: Yes, this is so fun ♪ Of course, we wear various kinds of costumes on stage, but this feels totally different!!!

Seocchi: That's right. This feel like "Real Men's" kind of feeling (LOL)! And with that, we'd be happy if this lets everyone realise Mayupon's new charms!!

AUGUST – Seo Yuria X Hinami Fuu

This month, we have our princess from Star Troupe✨✨✨ Let'Sewatch the mysterious Fuu-chan, or Hinami Fuu!

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: We always talk about tropical countries ☼✨

Fuu-chan: Right! We never knew we would love tropical countries so much ✨

Seocchi: If there's a chance, I always thought I should go to the Sebu in Philippines with Fuu-chan and Matsuko (Renju Kouki) ☼

Fuu-chan: Right!!! My first overseas vacation was at Sebu, and it was really exciting✨✨✨

Seocchi: Every day would be so fun✨ So we decided to wear something we would in these tropical countries! How does the photoshoot feel for Fuu-chan?

Fuu-chan: Well, fun✨ Wearing the aloha shirts, holding on to the ukuleles immediately!!!

Seocchi: Yes✨✨ It's as if we could see the sun in front of us ☼

SEPTEMBER – Seo Yuria X Sakuragi Minato

This month, let'Sewatch the mysterious Zun-chan, or Sakuragi Minato of Cosmos Troupe, who always flashes the wonderful child smile ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Zun: About sommelier, it's just a Style we simply want to do!!!

Seocchi: No, no matter how we say it, this look great.

Zun: Yes (LOL). It's just black, so it may look plain~ Which is why we also used wine bottles and glasses.

Seocchi: I think this makes it look really stylish!!

Zun: I hope to wear this costume one day on stage.

Seocchi: It was fun to feel like a sommelier even for a short while~♫

OCTOBER – Seo Yuria X Asami Jun

This month, let'Sewatch the mysterious Asami Jun of Moon Troupe or Aasa✨✨ Truly from her name, she is beautiful from the morning~ (*Asa 朝 = morning; Mi 美 = beauty)

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: I asked you, what do we want to do?

Aasa: We thought about our similarities...

Both: We have a strong visual!!!!

Aasa: Then, we decided on doing [the manga series] "Thermae Romae" and on the day when we wore the costumes, and tried the first photo, and we chekced to find out??????????????

Both: We have a weak visual!!!! (LOL)

Aasa: This is an emergency situation 💦 She quickly came to the dressing room of Moon Troupe since we were performing (LOL).

Seocchi: Yes, I went to Aasa's makeup table and both of us desperately wanted to make up for it.

Aasa: We started putting more makeup! (LOL)

Seocchi: How did you feel wearing this?

Aasa: It feels comfortable and it makes me feel really good! As if, this was how I would be like in my past life (LOL).

Seocchi: You're not wrong! Have you worn this type of costume on stage before?

Aasa: Nope, this is my first time! Also it was fun to use different small props for the photoshoot✨

NOVEMBER – Seo Yuria X Hoshino Anri

This month let'Sewatch the mysterious Hoshino Anri of Snow Troupe, or Hiroko ❅

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: This time, both of us thought over quite a lot. Then Hiroko suggested, "Should we do baseball [concept]?"

Hiroko: Yes! If you turn on the television, you can see the rankings of Se Ring or Pa Ring, [Hiroshima Toyo] Carp and [Fukuoka] Softbank [Hawks] would be the top positions respectively, and they are baseball leagues of our hometown, so we wore their jerseys✨

Seocchi: Well, I believe when this [October] issue, Carp would definitely win by then!

Hiroko: Softbank too! Because they are so powerful!! If Carp wins, wouldn't that be since then 25 years since their last win?

Seocchi: Amazing! Hiroko knows so much! (LOL) When both teams win, let's celebrate together!

Both: Let's do this!!!

Seocchi: How does it feel wearing this uniform?

Hiroko: No, before wearing it I was already thrilled. I was even more excited to wear it! I was jumping around just thinking of it before Seocchi came! (LOL)

Seocchi: Ahaha (LOL). So cute.... 💦but I missed your moment💦

Hiroko: (LOL)

Seocchi: As expected, won't seeing these uniforms make your heart race? Because we've always seen these uniforms!!

Hiroko: Yes! We saw them before, and now we're wearing them ✨

Seocchi: The photoshoot was fun. But for our hats....

Hiroko: Instead of holding onto them, we were holding on the baseball bats instead (LOL).

Seocchi: Because we felt it would be awkward with our hands empty.

Hiroko: We're not used to that (LOL).

DECEMBER – Seo Yuria X Yuzuka Rei

This month we have Yuzuka Rei of Flower Troupe to grace the last edition✨ Let'Sewatch the mysterious Rei-chan 👀✨

~About the theme of our cosplay~

Seocchi: The costumes for today are really surreal! (LOL)

Rei: Really! When I wore it, this was more surreal than I imagined (LOL). It's Christmas when we talk about December, which is why we dressed up like that.

Seocchi: Right! I was thinking if I should do Santa or the reindeer, but she said, "But Santa Claus won't look as funny, right?" (LOL) As expected✨

Rei: (LOL). So we featured supporting characters! But I was surprised because I was surprised because I couldn't do many poses with these costumes (LOL).

Seocchi: Right! That's something we missed out💦 Because [trees and snowman] give off inanimate vibes (Iaughs).

Rei: Even if we act a lot into it, our faces...

Seocchi: Becomes emotionless (LOL).

Rei: It's rare that it was difficult to smile [in this costume] (LOL). Which by the way, I read this corner every month! But I thought, "She doesn't call me a lot....will this end without me...." (LOL).

Seocchi: Really.... (erupts into laughter). So you felt anxious over it, I'm sorry!

Rei: Nah, but this was great fun–♪

[dgrailwar]

Further Servant details under the cut:

ARCHETYPE EARTH:

A beautiful princess of the Moon who hasn't yet tasted blood. In another world, her Class would be 'Funny Vamp'.

She serves as the soul of the Planet, and therefore possesses immense power and purity, raised as a delicate and well-mannered princess. As a Servant she is theoretically much weaker than she would be in her natural state, bound to a Saint Graph rather than the planet itself. Therefore, rather than being able to augment the Earth's rotation and treat continents like pinballs, she's simply only able to create destructive storms and earthquakes with a flick of her fingers.

A version of 'Archetype: Earth' that has retained her innocence, one that being bound to a world of 'Fate' has not met her own. A natural phenomenon in the shape of a girl, a soul who watches over humanity without understanding, an Archetype of the Planet that exists brilliantly and positively, with only the slightest curiosity of when her life will truly begin.

SESSYOIN KIARA:

A Buddhist monk of the Shingon Tachikawa Eiten School. A woman of calm composure and pure veneer.

She is a master Spiritron Hacker, a type of magus from the future that specializes in Code Casts. She thoroughly believes in the value of 'desire', and sees that as her own personal path to truth, making her an entity of unrelenting faith. However, as pure as she may seem, there are no truly perfect souls in the world, and those with seemingly no secrets to hide may hold the most sinister ones of all.

A precise woman, who can see those for who they truly are, while leaving herself an enigma. Like a hungry beast, she stalks her prey, slowly peeling away their layers and exposing their vices before going for the killing strike. While her style of battle is patient, it is exceptionally brutal-- but that's just how matters of the heart are, yes? Reaching that secret flower garden in order to sully it and claim it for yourself.

B.B.:

“Everyone’s favorite kouhai and little devil, B.B.! The beautiful black blossom of the Moon makes her debut, and she has a real nasty cheat skill in order to commemorate! What? There’s something dark and obviously evil mixed into my Spirit Origin? First off, I was already devilish enough, so it was really just a power boost, and also… do you really care that much? I mean, watching our enemies struggle will make any sort of mods worth it, right?”

"Anyways, do I really need to sell myself? Oh, well maybe there are a few people who aren't in the loop, and I'd hate for any potential fans to get FOMO! What do you want to know? My three sizes? My greatest fear? My one true love? Well, that's a big 'nope' to all three! I'm what some people may deem a 'rogue (and powerful) A.I', a scourge on the Moon. A 'Moon Cancer' (obviously), and any sort of digital, quasi-digital, pseudo-digital, or conceptually-digital space is basically my domain! So, you know, if you're looking for winners…"

"Anyways, you know the right choice (It's me, if you didn't realize). I'll ~ be ~ in ~ your ~ care ~! ♡"

GANESHA:

The Great Statue God. The God of Prosperity and Fortune. The Elephant-headed God of Overcoming Obstacles, Ganesha. A mighty Divine Spirit, distilled into a vessel that Ganesha himself thought was suitable- a woman who had her very fate changed on the surface of the Moon.

Vessels are chosen, and often don't volunteer, so this particular soul was rather surprised to end up a Divine Spirit. However, she's willing to step out into the world and give it 110% to represent Lord Ganesha! Do your best~!

"…eh? Seriously?!"

…This Ganesha greatly enjoys living the slow life, not having to worry about combat, danger, or fighting-- however, as a vessel for a god that also represents forward progress and overcoming obstacles, she can’t sit and bide her time forever (despite REALLY wanting to). Finding out when to rest and when to strike… perhaps that’s a lesson that both you and this god’s vessel can learn together.

[hydrxnessa]

guys i don't know how to explain it but the new Animation vs. Math got me so happy and joyful like, kickinf my legs kinda vibe.

you can just TELL it was made by someone who's so passionate about maths. props to them. and props to the team making such beautiful visualisations like DAMN the animation is GOOD.

ness begins to ramble, here we go

anyways when i first clicked on the vid i wasn't really expecting too much; like simple square numbers, silly pythagoras theorems, throw a little trigonometry in if we're feelin daring. but NO. it jumps STRAIGHT into the complex planes. my guy TSC went from adding little baby numbers and then jumped straight into the fuckign imaginary numbers. pov me

like holy shit i was NOT expecting that. i kid you not i jumped from my seat and leaned closer to my screen with WIDE EYES. eagerly WATCHING.

also whoever thought of the black-background area as the 'real' plane and the white-background as the 'imaginary/complex' plane?? like when e^iπ multiplied itself by i so it could escape into the imaginary dimension? because without the i in front it's still a real number?? hello you are SO smart. you are SO real for that. that is SUCH a cool idea like omgf. wonderful. fantastic. you all deserve praise

i mean like THIS. THE WHITE BACKRGOUND. THE COMPLEX DIMENSION. ALL THE IMAGINARY NUMBERS FALLING OUT. THE VISUAL EFFECTS WERE SO COOL TO WATCH. this was such a creative way to represent both planes that is SO AWESOME.

and i'm assuming it starts to break cus e^iπ and TSC aren't complex !! they're real (so real) !!! they don't belong in the complex dimension hence why the real dimension breaks into the complex dimension (i could be wrong about this but its a guess ;3)

(also they show the actual values like sqrt(-7) instead of 7i - cus you don't really see sqrt(-7) in the complex plane. it's always in the form a + bi . i like that visual)

and when the unit circle came up like woah. this was gettinf good. the way they visualised the trigonometric sine n cosine graphs ??? and getting into RADIANS ???? not a degree in sight. bro was NOT messing around in the world of maths holy shit

also THIS PART. my guy turned a trigonometric identity into a fucking WEAPON. and if u look closely the waves that the gun shoots resembles tan. like ohmygodf. actually insane how they thought of this. whatthefuck

i wont get into other parts mostly cus my knowledge of other maths like euler's number is so fucking limited also i don't want to seem too much of a maths nerd when actually i don't know a lot !!! i just go wit da flooww !!!

one final thing !!!

it's so hard to see but look at he !!! silly big boye aleph !!!! he's so fuckign massive cus he represents the measure of the set of all natural numbers (im probably remembering that wrong but its something like that), hence why he's a biiiig booyee

anyways that is all. thanks for reading this i dont know why you'd listen to a crazy gal rambling on about a vid of a silly stickman fiddling about with silly numbers. the vid makes me very happy ;3 appreciate you

[jrheatriz]

Got any more lore on the Glezra world? 👀 I know about Glory, Ezra, the instructer guy, and the assassin that Ezra had a crush on, but have you come up with any other characters for that world? Alsoo what office was Ezra working at? I know it’s set in a 70s noir sort of aesthetic thingy so I was thinking news paper vibes for him, but I realized I don’t think you’ve mentioned what he did specifically before getting caught up in all the spy stuff haha. Ooh also does Glory have like a specialty as a spy? Like is she really good at languages or a certain weapon? Gimme all the deats!!

shout out to melancholy once again for answering my prayers and rescuing me from the psychological torture house (not having attention) all day 😭

EXTRA CHARACTERS:

okay okay so. There aren't many characters other than the ones you listed because 1) i am a little lazy and 2) the story mostly revolves around glezra forming a companionship due to being stuck as roommates. HOWEVER there are other characters, i just need to flesh them out more. For instance, there is ezra's older sister and her baby, who i think will play a bigger part in the story once glory and ezra have more freedom to leave the apartment later in the story (i have long since decided that the aftermath of killing the instructor dude will be the preface for glezra to like. figure out how they actually feel about each other and what to do about it). both ezra and his older sister have the fact that they are in desperate need of a higher purpose, which ezra seeks out in the form of trying out espionage (and almost getting himself killed) and ezra's sister seeks out in the form of trying to be the perfect mother of her own family. both of them are not really satisfied at all, but from their family's perspective ezra's sister is far more successful than their kinda-loser son. oh well.

The next most fleshed out (but not that much) character is glezra's ex, whom glory seduced when she was on a mission when glory was still erm. employed by her old boss. i haven't decided on a name for this character yet, all i know is that they are a beautiful nonbinary princess bc i really wanted to have a beautiful nonbinary princess character (i will be calling them BNP for the purposes of this post). anyways for the mission glory had to get close to them to gather info on their father, and the bad part is that the two actually fell in love, but at the end of the day glory was on a job and was forced to leave when her mission was over. The REALLY bad part is that glory was terrified to let them go and waited til the last minute to choose between BNP or her assassin life, and so the day she ended up deciding to leave was their wedding day. TERRIBLE MOVE. glory literally was the gf BNP had at 19 that ruined their life. glory beats herself about it Still and she's literally 30. it's probably high on her list of the shittiest things she's ever done and as you know, glory's straight up murdered a ton of guys. it was truly that bad. anyways i have plans for them to meet in the future, but by that point BNP is over the fuckery and got themselves married to someone who didn't leave her alone at the altar. good for them!

EZRA'S JOB:

so the deal with ezra is that he thought he was working a normal desk job--and i mean technically it was-- but it had also been a front for the organization glory used to work for. he's just doing cubicle desk shit like data collection and looking at boring graphs. it's the very cheesy trope equivalent of like, working at a fast food restaurant and then it turns out there's a secret culty fighting ring happening below deck and the restaurant is just a cover for tax benefits. (i get to be a little more absurd with the premises of this story bc technically it's a futuristic noir spy-dramedy and very unserious.) but anyways for ezra, this is like the first job he's been fairly steady for cuz he really sucks at holding them down--this is cause for contention with his family and a main part of why they think he's a disappointing loser. so 3 months into having the job, ezra does the previously mentioned trope of like, stumbling into the basement of the fast food restaurant and getting a glimpse of a super secret cult secrets happening unbeknownst to the public, and instead of taking this as a red flag and dipping or just ignoring it to secure a bag, ezra decides to do some snooping. as you can probably guess, it was a bad idea, and he quickly finds out that some of the guys who work at HR literally do not gaf about killing his ass if he accidentally finds info they don't want regular people to know about. oops!

GLORY'S FIGHTING:

because glory was trained basically since birth to become an assassin, she's well versed in most weaponry. i mean, she probably wouldn't pull out an ax from her spy kit and try to whack you with it, but most other things are fair game. in particular though, and for convenience, her go-to fighting weapons are her dual-wield guns, her confusingly large array of daggers, and also hand-to-hand combat, which is basically a weapon in and of itself. and also, strangely, her "murder knife", which is just a really gnarly and unnecessarily scary looking knife that is solely for threatening people. i will be using this knife in the story mainly for joke purposes. and finally there is the age old weapon of using your environment. see a trashcan lid? hit a guy with it! that fancy vase? smash it over some guy's head! that conveniently placed yet seemingly innocuous bottle of ketchup? figure it out and get creative! the possibilities are endless!! (<- will also definitely be utilized for comedy purposes.)

aside from physical weapons in her arsenal, there are her traditional spy talents of speaking many languages and being very good at blending into situations. alot of this has to do with an obscene amount of prep that she does before each mission in the event of any hiccups. she also gets very upset of things get off plan, which sometimes they do and sometimes it's ezra's fault. (glory has undiagnosed autism and anxiety but she can't worry about that cuz she has a job to do. we'll put getting an evaluation on the back burner for now.) one super specific skill that puts her apart from most of the other assassins in the story is that she's also a fashionista, so not only will she beat your ass in battle, she'll beat your ass in a custom-made, perfectly tailored, mega fierce outfit. because what's the point of having a story set in a futuristic 70s aesthetic world if the characters can't look cunt?

[luxmaeastra]

The silver city rose out of the clouds. It's towers glinting with flecks of ivory. Rigelus swallowed the lump in his throat. This was what his people had wanted for nearly a millenia. This was stolen in the civil war Cassandra had waged for over 50 millenia before that. This was everything he'd wanted and prayed for. 

"Rigelus?"

He turned to look back at Bryce, her freckles looked like dusted stardust. How many times had he tried to count them before he got distracted? How many times had he looked to the night sky and tried to graph her skin to it? How many times had he dreamed of her before they'd met?

"You don't need to do this. You -"

"These are my people Bryce, our people. Aren't you tired of fighting? Aren't you tired of running? Aren't you tired of hiding?"

He looked past her to Aleksander and Anastasiya. He held his hand to them. What this was it like to have friends? Is that what Aleksander and Rhysand we're to him? Is that why their words would hurt him?

"Come with me. You both could ascend - you could become like me. Invincible, indomitable. Isn't that what you both want?"

Their people had been shattered and sundered by Cassandra and her ilk. But they were poised to be great like they had been. They could be the gods they'd been millenia ago. 

//100 years into the war!! The creation of Midgard 👀//

Yes, she was tired of fighting, but was this really the right way to go about it? Was he not just doing to others what was done to him? How did replacing the already rotten help anyone? How did the beautiful male who had always made her feel so loved and safe, become the very one who was now standing before her?

Bryce looked towards Aleksander and Anastasiya as he held out his hand to them, her jaw tightened as she considered how many would be foolish enough to fall for his promise. A place with no more fighting, somewhere they didn't need to run. That peace he promised as impossible.

"Please don't feed into this," she begged them before she looked back to Rigelus, her hand reaching out to take his. "Please, this plan is going to only end in heartache. Please stop this before you, or anyone else, gets hurt."

[postwarlevi]

between one mental breakdown and another, here I am

So, classic movies... I remember you telling me that you loved Roman Holidays. When was the first time you watched it? And, I have to ask for national pride and curiosity ehehehe, if you could see/visit/eat/do only one thing in Rome, what would it be?

About fruits, I believe that our loved Levi canonically likes apples (?). I don't think Jean would be into fruits in general, while Armin would be a total freak about it, always telling everybody how it is important to eat healthy .

And, last but not least... can we swap bodies for a day and can you do my English business exam I swear I am going crazy with all these graphs and idiomatic expression 😭😭😭

Jk apart, a random question

What's your favourite historical period? 👻

Luv u :> 💗

Hello my love! I am sorry, I did see this yesterday and fell asleep, had an early workday today, one tomorrow, and am trying to avoid all these fireworks the neighbors have already started even though the official holiday is tomorrow.

My schedule is always so messed up around this time because for 2 weeks in the evening I put my earplugs and headphones on to block out outside noise, otherwise I am super anxious. And I put on Disney movies and cartoons to distract myself. And then I don't do the things I would have liked. Tomorrow should be the worst and then hopefully the noise will be about done!

ANYway, that's my mental breakdown, but I'm trying to get through it! I hope you are making it, and I must say you don't want me doing our exam LOL. I am not an expert in the language I've been taught since birth! You got this though! I'm sending you lots of good vibes and hugs!

Roman Holiday?? Oh I love that movie! Dashing Gregory Peck and beautiful Audrey Hepburn on location in Rome, what a dream! I must've watched it around 10 years ago the first time? At the time I was picking what movies to watch based on the actors in them because I was obsessed and never had enough time to watch all I wanted. I don't think I really appreciated the whole thing until a few viewings in. I've even seen it in the movie theater!

I of course would like to do the normal tourist stuff like see The Colosseum and The Trevi Fountain, but I would seriously look into things to do that aren't the regular thing. Have any ideas? Are outdoor markets a big thing? I would have to try tiramisu and gelato and see what type of vegetarian pasta dishes I could try!

Have you seen the film Light in the Piazza? It's also a beautiful scenic film with some on location filming in Rome and Florence!

Yes it'd been decided (by me LOL jk) that Levi loves apples and apple desserts. They're so refreshing and there's so many varieties! Perhaps canon Jean is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but I stand by my silly thought that modern Jean loves strawberries. Not even only the real fruit, but artificially flavored strawberry anything! You better be wearing strawberry chapstick too hehe. For my fun little favorite fruits HC I keep going back and fourth between some (who likes grapefruit?) but I will say I keep going to blueberries for Armin. I bet he's like me and loves giant fruit bowls and smoothies!

For time periods I feel like I like to intermix them and cannot properly separate them anymore LOL maybe the Victorian era? Or for the United States, what I found is called the post-war era from 1945 to 1964. Music, film and fashion were flying high! Of course it had it's issues but every time period has some!

Thank you for stopping to say hello! Send me stuff anytime and, don't be alarmed if it takes me a day or two. I want to get to everything cannot always do so <3

send me stuff about aot, fruit, movies, all the things!

[kestrellady]

August Reading Wrap-Up

A few more books this month, but still fewer than the first part of the year. You can definitely tell on my pages graph when we went on vacation and when my husband left on his trip right after.

Books I Actually Rated What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher- 4.5/5 A quick, delightfully creepy retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. Kingfisher has a gift for taking characters that should be very tropey and making them feel like real people. And there's a sequel in the works!

Stand Out Books from August Heartstone by Elle Katharine White An homage to Pride and Prejudice but with Dragons! This is classed as YA, but could easily be shelved with adult fantasy, imo. The author does a great job hitting the heart and story beats of Pride and Prejudice while letting the characters be their own people with their own motivations. First in a trilogy, though the others aren't a retelling of anything.

Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace This book was... something. I really don't know how to classify it. Somewhere between fantasy and dystopian sci-fi, shelved as YA, but opens with the protagonist in a ritual fight to the death, so 🤷 An incredibly rich mythology that seems to suggest conclusions without actually spelling them out for the reader. Whatever it was, it's going to stick in my brain for a long time and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber First in the Verity Kent series. I love Huber's Lady Darby mysteries, so I picked this one up to scratch the itch until the next one comes out and it's definitely a very different protagonist. These are set just after WWI and it's really fascinating to see a world (and protagonist) that is simultaneously trying to move past a catastrophic war and still dealing with the fallout.

What I'm Reading Now The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson I was thoroughly captivated by Wilkerson's more recent book Caste, so I added this one to the list. It's the story of the Great Migration told primarily through three protagonists that left the South at slightly different times. It does a beautiful job weaving together the broad strokes historical with the incredibly personal. Hopefully I can finish before it goes back to the library in a few days. 🤞

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle Despite being able to quote the movie most of the way through, I'd never read the novel, so this was perfect for the Read Harder challenge. It's... strange. I can hear so many of the lines in the voices from the film, but there are also references that I definitely didn't get as a kid and times the novel about breaks the fourth wall. I'd probably call it a "modern fairy tale" more than just about anything else I've ever read.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month I started Marshall Ryan Maresca's Maradaine world with the Constabulary series and only realized at the third book that they're all intertwined, so I'm going back to start from The Thorn of Dentonhill. Crossing my fingers on a few holds coming in soon, especially Ruby Fever, the third Catalina book in Ilona Andrews' Hidden Legacy series, and Fault Tolerance, the last in Valerie Valdes' Chilling Effect series. Nona the Ninth also comes out next month, but the odds of me getting to read it next month are pretty slim.

Book Challenges I'm most of the way through both of the Read Harder books I picked for last month, so the goal is to finish those and two more to get caught back up. I've got either Velvet Was the Night or While Justice Sleeps for (10) Read a political thriller by a marginalized author, but I'm not sure about the other one. I've tentatively got The Song of Achilles down for (3) the Women's Prize longlist, but it's got a ridiculous number of holds on it (like 125 on 21 copies for the ebook despite being a decade old! Seriously people!), so maybe it'll be The Cat Who Saved Books for (2) Set in a Bookstore, instead. For r/Fantasy's Book Bingo, I've got The Oleander Sword on hold, which will cover "Revolutions and Rebellions."

Follow me on The StoryGraph

[sauntervaguelydown]

man I could just talk for a million years about "Midnight", it's by far my favorite episode of Doctor Who.

Just from the way that it uses the medium!! Look at the way that Sky is framed, with the light coming down on her, with all the other passengers in a circle around her while they argue. Look at the way that the dialogue is used to build almost the entire concept of the planet--there's only two shots of Midnight's surface, both still shots, basically just Star Trek soundstage backdrops. But it's so rich, and so present, every aspect of Midnight's physiography looms large over the plot. I love the little pie graph you can see on the professor's slide show talking about the mineral composition of the planet. The deadly sunlight, the mechanics of the train. It's the perfect ship in a bottle episode, it feels rich and expansive and it only has three sets in the whole thing, just the train and the driver's compartment and the hotel pool. That's ALL.

not to mention the breathless pacing, not to mention how it hinges on these intense performances, not to mention how integral the character writing is--!

Every one of these passengers is an intensely individual creation, with patterns that are at once predictable and complex. I love how the White couple keep asking their son to validate their panicked conclusions, because they know that he's smart and maybe smarter than them, but then as soon as he disagrees with them the mother shuts him down with insults and anger because he's just a boy. The hostess is ruthless. Deedee has to solve a logical problem even if it makes things worse.

But I think the reason that I keep coming back to it, year after year, is the way that it handles the question of human goodness.

Deedee saying that she just wants to feel safe, in that tone of voice that drips with guilt and desperation, with all the knowing that this may not even fix the problem but she's too scared to accept doing nothing as an alternative. The hostess, who is as brave as she is ruthless, who both saves a life and also arguably escalated the situation to life-and-death stakes in the first place. People aren't good or bad, they are just people, and you can prevail on their better natures but you can also prevail on their worse ones, and when those two impulses come to battle on the field of human fear what happens is a horrifying ugly beautiful brave and cowardly contradiction

[eddis-not-eeddis]

The Last Book I...

Bought: Chinatown Quest by Carol Green Wilson. A book about Donaldina Cameron, a Christina woman who rescued Chinese women who were sold into prostitution in San Fransico. I'm not that far into it, but so far it's fascinating.)

Borrowed: The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was good. Not as good as Paladin of Souls, but I enjoyed it.

Was gifted: Oooooh. @maysartcorner recently gifted me with a BEAUTIFUL copy of Pride and Prejudice.

Gave/lent to someone else: I gave All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot to The Golden Princess. That girl inhales those books.

Started: The Man Upstairs and Other Stories by P. G. Wodehouse. He makes me laugh, and I've been on a Wodehouse kick for three months already.

Finished: Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge. This book. Guys. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I love it. I read it first when I was...sixteen? It started off my trend of writing 18th century style "domestic" fantasy.

Gave 5 stars: Okay, so that last one I gave 5 stars to would be Fly By Night, but before that, the book I gave 5 stars to was Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living: A Handbook for the Damned Human Race by...Mark Twain. It started me off on a Twain spree. I've been reading a lot of humor recently.

Gave 2 stars: Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K. J. Parker. Okay look, I liked this book pretty much up until the end...and then BAM. I hated it. Since it was pretty good up until the last two-ish chapters I still gave it two stars but. Ugh.

Didn’t finish: I don't really DNF books. I can usually tell by the synopsis if it'll be okay, and within one page I know whether or not the writing style matches my tastes. I've gotten really good at figuring out how to pick books I'll like and avoid books I'll hate. If you look at my reading stats (something I love about using Story Graph) I rate over half the books I read between 4 and 5 stars. (I know what I like, okay.) I can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book.

Thank you for the tag @lady-merian, I LOVE talking about books. You're the best!

I tag @scarvenartist, @maysartcorner, @quiet-but-not-blind, and @hollers-and-holmes, if y'all aren't too terribly busy. :)

[i-want-a-bagel]

2021 is the year of podcasts for me

They've literally saved my mental health through my seasonal depression

Here are some of my recommendations :

Face Jam

Concept: Two dudes go to fast food restaurants and try the limited edition foods, and give you their comments on the whole experience

NOTE: They do NOT eat during the podcast, they eat beforehand, so no munching noises. They post photos of the food on their Twitter, but it isn't necessary to understand the episode (I personally look at the photos afterwards).

Why you should listen: It is so fucking funny, and relaxing, and you don't need to know anything about food or these dudes to enjoy it. You don't need to listen to them in order, but it can help understand some references.

Black Box Down

Concept: Airplane crashes and accidents explained and discussed

NOTE: don't listen to this while on a plane, unless you enjoy being very anxious? They do post some images on their Twitter if they reference a photo or a graph, so it may be best to listen when you can look at your phone.

Why you should listen: I am personally fascinated with plane-related accidents, but even if you aren't, this podcast does a very good job of explaining everything. If you are in anyway curious about air disasters, this is the one for you.

Annual Pass

Concept: An avid theme park enthusiast and his friend discuss parks, rides and all amusement news

NOTE: There is only one episode out as of April 23rd, so you can listen to them as they come out. They hope to be able to travel to theme parks when health restrictions permit.

Why you should listen: First of all, the main host, Jack, is an absolute sweetheart. His genuine love for all things Disney and Universal and Six Flags is contagious and you can't help but be charmed right away. That said, if you care about amusement parks at all, this podcast is very interesting with news and behind the scenes info, especially as Jack worked at Walt Disney World for years, and they have a segment where they interview someone related to either a ride or a theme park. And even if you don't care about theme parks, it's a nice discussion about positivity and happiness and I would still recommend it.

The Shit Show (or Shit You Should Care About)

Concept: Discussions about things you should know about, but probably don't. Mostly related to identities, social justice, anti-capitalism and the likes.

NOTE: Some topics may make you angry at the system or uncomfortable, but you will learn so much that it is totally worth it. They also have a very active Instagram account you can follow to get a look at what they're doing.

Why you should listen: Nobody's got time to go through 12 news organisations to find the smaller news related to all the social causes you care about. The Shit Show does it for you! You can stay updated and informed about what's going on in the world and/or learn about yourself and your place in it. Truly a pearl of a podcast, that addresses serious issues in a humane, realistic, factual kind of way.

Welcome to Night Vale

Concept: Welcome to Night Vale, this quaint little village that swears it is perfectly normal, thank you very much. Except every conspiracy theory is true. And some unexplainable things started happening. And now we've got this radio show.

NOTE: It is much better than you expect. I promise, try it.

Why you should listen: Yes, it is a classic. Yes, it's been going on since 2012. Yes, there are almost 200 episodes. BUT, the beauty of it is that you can start anywhere in the series, or go back to episode one and binge. Whatever floats your boat. It is a truly unique, funny, curious artistic masterpiece that revolutionized the world of podcasts and the way people perceive them.

[daniquesdesignstorytelling]

Week Five

In class today we discussed what makes a good visualisation of data, and we looked at this Venn diagram type infographic from Information is Beautiful, by David Candless. From this, we can see that there's a lot that goes into a good visualization, but the four main points are;

Information (Data)

- Integrity

- Accuracy

- Consistancy

- Honesty

Story (Concept)

- Interestingness

- Relevance

- Meaningful

- New

Goal (Function)

- Usefulness

- Useable

- Fitting

- Efficient

and Visual Form (Metaphor)

- Beauty

- Structure

- Appearance

- Harmony

This diagram also tells us what we would get if we're lacking any or multiple of these aspects. For instance, having a goal and a visual form leaves you with just a template, because you are lacking the story behind your visualization and why it is important, and the information to back that up. Whereas, if you only have the information and the story it is just an article because it is more of an information dump than anything else.

SOURCE: https://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/what-makes-a-good-data-visualization/

Personally, I think that using objects that represent what a piece of data is talking about is far more interesting and engaging than a plain bar graph with labels. An example of this is;

SOURCE: https://infogram.com/blog/20-best-data-visualizations-of-2018/

I also enjoy gifs and videos as data visualisations because their movement catches my attention. An example of this is;

SOURCE: https://padlet.com/anna_jackson7/niqtilocqzdvxqo6

After discussing what makes a good visualisation, we needed to focus on our own visualisation. As a group, we began to review and select our information. We decided to focus on the mental health of young adults in New Zealand, especially in comparison to that of children and the elderly. It will be interesting to see the differences between the access that each age group has to mental health care in consideration to how much they need said care. For instance, we discussed how when we were in college we had free counsellors and everything was cheaper. Now that we’ve left college and we’re in University, we’re struggling with a lot more than we were in college, but we have far less access to mental health services.

Although it is great that AUT offers free counselling services, we’ve heard that the counsellors are still studying, themselves, and therefore can’t properly diagnose you, and also they aren’t always available and sometimes you can only get a counselling session once a month.

It was also briefly discussed how as children we all had frequent physical health checkups, but not mental health checkups. I wonder if going to therapy more as children would help develop healthy coping mechanisms as people get older, which would cause a ripple effect of less substance abuse and less suicide down the track.

Reflection

This lesson was inspiring for me because I liked seeing what other people have done before in regards to data visualisation. I noticed that there aren't a lot of intriguing data visualisations concerning mental health in general, let alone mental health in New Zealand. There are endless amounts of data and graphs and pie charts, but nothing engaging. I understand that the seriousness of the topic would prevent anyone from wanting to make the data fun and bright, but it could still be captivating to watch, I'm sure.