#they're incredibly skilled in their field and it shows

[mymp3]

The new Teniwoha song is so good it's unreal

[botanicalsword]

Indicators for “it’s impossible to ignore you ♡ ” • Astro placements

Harmonious aspect between Sun and Jupiter

Sun conjunct Jupiter + Jupiter in Sagittarius/ Pisces / Cancer

Chart Ruler in 10H + Harmonious aspect with personal planet

Personal planets in 2H / 4H / 10H

Venus in Libra, Asc in Libra w/o challenging aspects

Venus in Leo w/o challenging aspects

Harmonious aspect between Venus and Jupiter

Sun/ Moon / Venus / Jupiter in 11H + Harmonious aspect

11H Ruler in 1H / 4H/ 7H / 10H

11H ruled by a domiciled planet

Chart ruler in 11H / 2H

5H ruler in 11H

Harmonious aspect between Venus and Jupiter

Harmonious aspect between 2H and 5H and 11H (rulers / planets)

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Harmonious aspect between Sun and Jupiter - wisdom and compassion

They have a captivating aura that attracts people and ensures their safety. They remain calm, never losing their composure. Their wisdom and kindness secure respect and support from everyone, regardless of the location or situation.

they tend to handle difficulties actively. When faced with difficulties or troublesome situations, those with a positive outlook tend to actively work to find solutions. They don't face major issues often, but smaller problems help them improve.

Easy success can dampen motivation, while challenges fuel drive. Even conflicts can be beneficial. Handling minor frustrations early fosters resilience. A blend of support and issues prevents complacency and maintains goal pursuit.

✧

Sun conjunct Jupiter + Jupiter in Sagittarius/ Pisces / Cancer - they are defined by their cheerful outlook on life. With a harmonious astrological aspect boosting their mood, they tend to see the positive side in any situation. People enjoy their energy and smile easily in their presence. Their can-do attitude also helps opportunities come their way. Their natural luck maximizes when paired with practical wisdom about ups and downs.

✧

Chart Ruler in 10H + Harmonious aspect with personal planet - They are strong, can handle high pressures and challenges, and stay resilient in adversity.

✧

Personal planets in 2H / 4H / 10H - Coming from a wealthy family background, receiving strong support from their loving family circle.

Growing up with financial security provides a solid foundation for success. Their chill, can-do attitude lets their skills and talents to thrive in the work sphere. Recognized for contributions, opportunities come readily - good stuff just seems to find them.

With a little help and faith from the family, they keep their confidence sky high. No sweat, they can handle any bumps in the road.

✧

Venus in Libra, Asc in Libra w/o challenging aspects - elegance and nobility. their gentle temperament makes people feel very comfortable and intimate.

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Venus in Leo w/o challenging aspects -When everyone is watching, they stand amidst a vibrant light show, feeling incredibly classy. It's as if they have a unique filter making them look even better. The show is extraordinary, and all eyes are on them. The audience may express approval, jealousy, or admiration, but they accept it all. Because this is their stage, and they are the star of the show.

✧

Harmonious aspect between Venus and Jupiter - Their financial success and enjoyable experiences are like eye-catching flowers. They display their wealth and easily gather attention. It's not just about getting rich, but also about having an impact. They're charmers, kind of like how flowers pull in bees. Living like this, they stand out from the crowd, just like a blooming flower in a field of grass.

✧

Sun/ Moon / Venus / Jupiter in 11H + Harmonious aspect

11H Ruler in 1H / 4H/ 7H / 10H

11H ruled by a domiciled planet

Chart ruler in 11H / 2H

5H ruler in 11H

The 11th house is closely about forming friendships and spending time with your community. It primarily represents popularity and online traffic, both of which are crucial factors. As a social media influencer possess strong likability, their content will attract a larger audience, and they'll attract more views, leading to more clicks. Traffic is also a significant indicator of success in the realm of social media. All of this bodes well for them seeking exposure on their journey as social media creators.

✧

Harmonious aspect between Venus and Jupiter - Venus, as a symbol of aesthetics, grants us a unique perception and appreciation of beauty, enabling us to seek and create elements of beauty in our daily lives.

Jupiter, as a symbol of opportunities and expansion, provides us with the ability to seize opportunities and amplify our influence in the digital age. These abilities are not limited to the physical world; they extend into the digital realm, allowing us to share our creations and ideas with a wider audience through the power of the internet.

✧

Harmonious aspect between 2H and 5H and 11H (rulers / planets) - There will be a more direct relationship between wealth, traffic, and creativity. This means that wealth not only depends on our efforts but also on our ability to create compelling content and generate a significant amount of traffic. The value of such content will be more prominently recognized, and their wealth will more accurately reflect their creative abilities.

The more traffic and creativity they generate, the more wealth they will accumulate. The key is to invest effort in creating exceptional content that attracts a lot of viewers. The value of their content will be recognized appropriately, and the income they earn will accurately reflect their talent.

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[fruity-fruition]

Future Wondershow!!

Everything is amazing and ideal because I cannot handle a sad ending between them they're my lifeline

--

Tsukasa and Nene are young skilled up-rising stars in both theatre and film industry who both are rapidly growing at an incredible rate due to their natural charisma, their history of already having a quite successful troupe in high school, mixed with both stubborn hard work and willingness/ideas to do insane shit due to being under Rui's direction for so long.

Rui is also an up-rising director who took the world by storm at how innovative his directing is in a field that's lacking in passion recently. Mixed with everything I've stated for Nene and Tsukasa too.

Emu took over the theme park business kind of. She's sharing with her brother's still, who's showing her the ropes and the actual mechanism of how everything works. Shosuke and Keisuke had fully embraced Emu's bright ideas and cheery attitude now, both thanks to working with WxS for so long and Emu showing them how capable she actually is, despite her optimistic naivety. The park is running to be as successful as ever, now Emu finally has power to make the changes she knows her grandpa would be proud of.

--

Tsukasa, Nene, and Rui often work together on projects which lead their fan community to be merged in a way. It started off divided, with Tsukasa and Nene fans fighting near constantly due to the two coming into the field at the exact same time, but eventually most of the public know that if one is there, the other two won't be that far behind.

--

Tsukasa, Rui, and Nene often get invited to those fancy parties, (they absolutely do not like it. It's too boring. But they go anyway because they need to build connections and stuff apparently) and every time they have the opportunity to invite a plus one, they drag Emu with. None of them stay at the main hall for long, and they'd drag each other outside to either the balcony or garden and just hang around.

This ALWAYS results in them going viral on some sort of social media, with the press never failing to capture a photo of all four of them hanging about and laughing with each other.

--

Their work often brings them apart a lot of times, and even though they still meet weekly in the SEKAI, it's just not the same.

So once every year, they all clear their schedules completely for a full week or more so they could go on a holiday together. It doesn't really matter where. They could stay at home a lounge for the whole week for all they care. But they still do it just to physically be there with each other.

(bonus point if they invite other friends too. Saki, Toya, Mizuki, etc)

--

Again, schedules and overseas work contrast each other a lot of times if they're all working on a project.

But whenever Rui, Tsukasa, and Nene end up home all at once, unplanned, they all collectively decide to just drag Emu to go out with them to their old restaurant that they always go to after a show in high school.

Emu's employees have gotten used to seeing Emu piggyback riding Rui/Tsukasa at full speed leaving the office that they have an entire protocol that Emu and her brothers made for when it happens.

--

Wondershow would do random livestreams together. Either gaming, or baking, or painting each other's nails. They have no specific genre. They just do it for fun.

Nene would still do singular gaming livestreams still, because it's one of her passions.

--

I have more but the rest is kinda shippy and I wanted to keep this PURELY Wondershow friendship because I love Wondershow friendship so much guys they're everything I hate them

(you can so clearly tell that English isn't my native language in this post. Wow. I'm so sorry I hope it's coherent enough)

[ladysomething]

not really unique but maybe some kind of actors/movie star au where max and charles are the two it boys of hollywood and therefore have always been pitted against each other as rivals. however, they’re casted together in a movie with an esteemed director that neither want to refuse. then they fall in love woopty doo !!

firstly it's not your job to make the concept unique! that's on me baby! so don't stress about it, and I love this idea!!

also... this one got so long haha

ok so to keep the past tension, for sure they were on like. a Disney channel show together growing up. pit against each other like Zendaya and Bella Thorne.

they were playing best friends and had amazing chemistry, but secretly couldn't stand each other. Max is definitely a repo baby, whereas Charles is so pretty he gets a lot of opportunities. they both resent each other because of it: Charles thinks Max gets everything because of his dad, whereas Max thinks Charles get everything because he's pretty.

eventually they have a big fight on set, and the show gets shut down because of it. maybe they get physical - maybe they just refuse to work with each other anymore

Max is the first one to rebuild his image - he works and works on as many movies as he can, trying to only be in Serious Dramas so people know he's a Real Actor

whereas Charles kind of disappears from acting for a while and instead turns to modelling

cut forward, they're both very successful in their fields. Max already has an Oscar, whereas Charles is getting brand deal after brand deal

and then, like, Scorsese or Greta Gerwig or somebody incredible goes to Charles and pitches a movie to him

some kind of really angsty, dramatic, gay love story set on the Italian coastline (heh heh, just because I think I'm funny, let's make the movie be based on Give Me That Fire lmao) (even though that was set in London) (lets make it GMTF but set in a restaurant on the Italian coastline lol)

anyway so Charles turns them down at first and says he doesn't act anymore, but Greta Gerwig is like, "No, I want you in this part, and you can have first pick of your co-star."

So Charles, "I want Max."

Max is tentative at first, doesn't want to work with Charles, but Gerwig says that Charles picked him and so Max ends up agreeing

it's super awkward between them at first, so they end up having to do some bonding exercises to try and ease the tension, and while they do it they apologise to each other for their behaviour as kids and congratulate each other on their successes

filming is much smoother from there, and Charles and Max end up admiring each other's skill

Charles appreciates how hard Max works, and how much more he achieved that his than his father, while Max is impressed with how good Charles still is even though he hasn't acted in years

they end up kind of being like ... "Hey, you're not too bad?" and spending a lot of time together outside of filming

maybe Charles spends a couple nights in Max's hotel room

they film that really intimate sex scene from GMTF and afterwards they're both so emotionally spent but also a little turned on from the tension and the kissing, even though its a Film Set and they're not actually that sexy to film

Max absolutely falls in love first - he realises what he's feeling for Charles, and pines hopelessly from a distance

meanwhile Charles is terrified of being Known and Knowing Somebody, and he can't let himself fall in love

but Max is so sweet and charming and the more time they spend together they more he realises just how wrong he's always been about Max

anyway, by the end of filming they're both hopelessly in love but neither have admitted it

they part ways, Charles going back to modelling, Max moving on to his next movie, and then they're reunited for the press tour

they end up confessing their feelings during the tour and having an intense affair, but at the end of it they decide to go their seperate ways because of how busy they both are ... though obviously neither of them actually want to seperate. they just think the other person does.

anyway the movie comes out and everybody loves it, they praise their acting and the range of emotions Charles showed and how well Max embodied this lonely chef and the chemistry the two of them had and how well it told the story of these people who had been in love and who's relationship had fallen apart, but then who had wanted to try again anyway despite it (yeah obvi it's a metaphor for Charles and Max's relationship in this universe too haha)

it ends up getting nominated for a bunch of Oscars, and Max gets nommed for best actor and Charles for best supporting actor

idk if Max wins but Charles definitely does

and at the after party they find each other and it's just inevitable, really, that they'd kiss again

anyway from there they'd basically just make it work, because they admit they're in love and want to give it a go, so they do

Max keeps acting, and Charles gets to choose between modelling and acting, whatever he wants. idk exactly how it would end aside from them being very happy!

[theflyindutchwoman]

The airplane bathroom. Your apartment. Look, I-I don't know. Call me crazy, but it just doesn't feel like pretend. Uh… It's an intimate act. I mean, we'd have to be dead inside for it to not trigger something, right? It -- It's basic biology. Okay, so… So you're saying it's not a big deal? Doesn't mean anything? Right? I...

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 5.01 - Double Down

That first (practice) kiss changed everything, affecting them both in ways they weren't ready to admit out loud, let alone to themselves, at the time. But they couldn't put off that conversation for much longer either. Or at least, Tim couldn't. Not after everything that happened in the plane…  And with that comes the beginning of their misunderstanding and pining era… They are usually so good at reading the other that it makes this miscommunication a bit more tragic. But there lies the difference : unlike before, there is the possibility of losing the other, of changing fundamentally their relationship… And this is scary. So even though this trope usually feels contrived, in this particular case, it actually makes sense. They're in the middle of an op, they've just found out about Rosalind's escape… In other words : this isn't the best setting for a confession.

Lucy immediately turning the TV on, trying to catch any news regarding Rosalind, just shows how far from alright she is. It may not be affecting her skills in the field but it's still weighing her down emotionally. Tim snatching the remote control right back, knowing that this is only going to increase her anxiety, is such a quintessential Tim-move. He's watching over her, being the fierce protector. He's doing everything to distract her… and how meaningful and sweet is it, that the first thing that comes to his mind is to compliment her on her undercover skills, trying to boost her confidence at the same time. He's come a long way since the time he openly doubted her skills. Despite his efforts, Lucy remains a bit out of sorts, her mind understandably occupied elsewhere. But it also looks like she pauses for a second, as if wondering whether this is truly meant as a compliment. It's really once he smiles that she visibly softens and appreciates it for what it is. It's a small detail, but the fact that she keeps massaging her head, as if trying to release the pressure, is a good indication on how all the spinning and tension is catching up to her, giving her a headache. She did it earlier in the private jet as well. Her decision to take a shower to help her unwind and relax, with no hesitation whatsoever, while Tim is present in the room, is incredibly vulnerable and intimate… It's all about the implicit trust they have in each other.

And Tim… who was finally regaining his equilibrium after that kiss… who was trying to order Lucy's favorite comfort food to make her feel better… only for his brain to short-circuit all over again when he catches a glimpse of her in the bathroom (and what is it with them and bathrooms)… The man spends this whole mission being knocked off his feet and barely has time to recover. This shows how gone he is that a mere glimpse of her bared back sends him reeling this hard. He's so flustered that he has to sit, trying to look everywhere but at the bathroom - though he can't fully tear his eyes away either. You know he's completely shooketh when even a game can't hold his attention for long. And to be fair, Lucy being a vision with her curly wet hair and dressed in only a robe is not helping him one bit. The fact that he decided to address the elephant in the room right away is so surprising, but commendable. It may have taken him a while to finally figure out - and admit to himself - that he sees Lucy as more than a colleague or even a friend… But now that he has, he's willing to discuss it, to take the plunge. It also doesn't completely come out of nowhere : there were already hints of this, like when he was on the verge on bringing it up to Lucy before he chickened out, the morning after their kiss. And while she might have been the one dreaming about it, it was clearly still on Tim's mind too. So much so that he had to confide in Angela, which was unusual in itself. This time, he can't hold back.

Unfortunately, the timing is less than ideal… Not to mention the way he approaches the conversation. He's naturally trying to keep his cards close to the vest but he unintentionally ends up sounding more accusing than anything. It's how he slowly gets closer to her, practically towering over her, listing their two kisses (that she initiated), saying that 'it just doesn't feel like pretend'… Combined with his earlier compliment about how good she is at that and it could easily be misconstrued as a call out. And judging by Lucy's deer in the headlights expression, this might be exactly what she's thinking. He looks so hopeful for a moment, with his shy little smile, waiting for her answer, for a sign that it's not just him feeling this way. Her using biology and psychology as a crutch sounds so much like she's panicking and trying to think of an excuse… It's something she'll do again for her breakup with Chris. But the interesting thing is that she doesn't completely deny it either. She is genuinely confused and conflicted. About where he is going with this. They're both being careful and that's what leads to this misunderstanding. A part of her is visibly scared and vulnerable. They both are. Still, she's trying to check in with him : her little 'right' at the end of her sentences is her way of trying to check if this is what he meant, giving him the option to correct her, whereas he understands it as a firm confirmation (as an aside, she will do the same in The Collar, after she blurts out her feelings for him : 'So we should just keep going the way we have been, right?'). Only here, Tim doesn't understand what she's doing. He looks so crushed when she claims that it doesn't mean anything. All the while, she's intently looking at him, searching for a clue about what he truly thinks… Their emotions mirror each other so well, they're just too busy playing it safe to realise it. Miscommunication in all its glory… There's a second where Lucy hesitates though, as if she's realising that there might be more to this but they're interrupted by Angela… who unfortunately piles on with her innuendos, further shutting Tim down. And Lucy finds refuge in the bathroom, using an excuse to compose herself behind a door...

Like I said earlier… The timing couldn't be worse. Tim told Lucy that she needed to get her head in the game, otherwise it would get her killed… And that's almost what happens here - only he's the one too preoccupied that he doesn't recognise the bad guys' trap. Something that will happen again in Going Under : he was so distracted by Lucy getting shot that it affected his concentration and could have cost him his life. Thankfully, she has caught on to what was happening here and takes advantage of being underestimated to get the drop on the bad guys. Such a badass. The way she stays by his side, worried… Her lack of filter is killing Tim a little bit more though… The kiss and the sight of her bared back was enough to break his brain, he doesn't need any more images in his head. His little head shake, like she's driving him crazy… he wouldn't have it any other way.

And what's even more telling is that, despite the awkwardness that could have resulted from this moment, they were both able to get past it for a little bit longer, to be around the other and still feel completely comfortable… That's how strong their connection is. And why this angsty era won't last too long either.

[anxiously-sidequesting]

Okay I'm so sorry cuz, not to post two things literally minutes apart, but I just got some inspiration for a post that's been sitting in my drafts for like 5 months now so. I want you Girlies to enjoy some Diviner headcanons I came up with

Storm wizards can visibly bristle. You know how like when your hair stands on end for any varying reasons (static shock, fear, the cold), well Storm wizards can just do this whenever. Excitement, anger, shock, etc., it can make their hair puff up and out like a dandelion. It's cute shut up

Storm wizards are physically more resistant to hearing loss (tinnitus) than any other type of wizard, but ironically enough they're the most likely to suffer from it when they're older. Along with spells of crashing storms and roaring waves they have to endure whenever they use their magic, it's common for Storm wizards to go into constructive work as adults; which involves drills and shit. A large percentage of diviners have partial or total hearing loss when they're nearing their elder years

As mentioned above, Storm wizards typically invest their time in work that involves building something in some way. Architects, plumbers, construction workers, inventors, even woodworking are jobs that you'll find are mostly Storm dominated. Due to their skill, creativity, and interest in that field they're often sought out and they often apply when they're of age

Funny enough they're paired with their magical opposite, Myth wizards, when it comes to certain things because they're also good at creating things for some reason(?). Myth wizards typically create things like art, so you'll see Myth wizards being authors, movie and play directors, performers, song writers, etc. Whether they need props for their shows or some Diviner thinks they can just do it better than a Myth wizard they usually find themselves together in a professional setting. Sparks fly

Storm wizards typically have incredible vocal range and are able to do really cool things with their voices. Ventriloquism, since they're able to throw their voice around. Mimicking other people's voices and even animal sounds with an eerie accuracy and some are even very good singers. (I'm pulling this from the website where it says that storm wizards use their voices to charm storm creatures into helping them. and also the Sirens exist)

Storm wizards are also just kinda loud. They shout and yell a lot even when they don't have to. They're banned from libraries /j

If their magic is strong enough, Diviners can sense, smell, and even taste storms miles away from when they hit. Not all of them can do this but it's very fortunate to have a friend go "oh yeah we're gonna have a tornado in a couple of hours" even if they were warned on the weather for cats beforehand

(((i was gonna say that they would be good hypnotists because that sounds metal as fuck and it seems like they have that kind of power anyway. but im afraid im making them too OP as it is so this is just kinda up in the air)))

Diviners get zoomies. It's common for them to be very "flighty" in general but when they get that random burst of energy or when they just feel super happy or euphoric for some reason they are flipping off walls man. Running around and squirming and shit. Menaces

[suzy-queued]

https://www.tumblr.com/doshiart/738428068343971840/gallavich-music-band-au

please write this if you're interested

Anon, thanks for thinking of me. I write a new multi-chap fic in my head every day. If only I had time for them all!! My thoughts on this gorgeous art go to something like this (which isn't exactly as was described in the post, but it's my own spin on the images):

Mickey is the guitarist for an underground punk band in the city called Corroded Sorrow. They are ultra-secretive and only do pop-up shows. They announce the shows 24 hours in advance, and they're always at grungy places like drainage ditches or abandoned buildings.

Ian is trying to make it as a pop singer. He's waited for his big break for years but can never gain traction. He receives a mysterious text that he's been asked to open for Corroded Sorrow at tomorrow night's secret show.

Hell fucking yeah.

A gig with CoSo would secure Ian's place in the Chicago music scene. Even though he knows he'll never be asked again (since CoSo never uses the same opening band twice). It's a dream come true.

Ian plays the gig, which is in a rusty train car at the edge of an overgrown field. He gets applause and adoration, even though his music is more poppy than CoSo's usual crowd.

And then … Mickey's band comes out. Ian is instantly mesmerized. The music is incredible and raw and soulful and real. Everyone in the band plays with a natural ease, like they were born to make music. And the bass player … jesus. He's shirtless and ripped and mouthy and looks fierce. He plays these deep notes that hook into Ian's soul. He understands why Corroded Sorrow is so sought after. He wishes he had one tenth of their talent.

Ian notices something else, as the show goes on. The bass player hands his pick to one guy in the crowd about two songs in. Not too strange; bands do that all the time. Then, on the last song, Mickey jumps down into the crowd. He cruises through the fans and hands a new pick to another person, a girl. It's so deliberate and dramatic, but Ian has no idea what it means.

The show is amazing. Ian is breathless. There's an after party, where both bands and some of the fans hang out and drink from a keg in the field. Ian tries to talk to Mickey, but the guy has an attitude and sticks to his own circle.

And that guy and girl, the ones who each got Mickey's picks … they find each other across the party and walk toward each other like moths to a flame. Are they … glowing?! They clasp hands and kiss like no one is watching.

Ian vows to go to as many CoSo shows as he can, because this is all very strange and wonderful.

He realizes that at every show, Mickey hands out picks to two people, and they always get together.

After a handful of shows, Ian realizes that Mickey is a clairvoyant who can see people's soulmates. Whenever he notices soulmates in the crowd, he connects them.

Ian falls head over heels for Mickey and chips away at his gruff exterior. Mickey is quite guarded because people only want him for his matchmaking skills. Mickey hates love and has vowed to never seek it for himself.

Will Ian ever make it as a singer on his own? Will Mickey ever point that soulmate radar on himself, or on Ian? Will CoSo ever come out of the shadows and claim the fame they deserve?

[thecryptidzenith]

Thinking about powerless witches in TOH. Like, for all the magicless characters in the show, for all of the reasons why they're powerless, none of them are born as powerless witches. In fact, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to assert that witches who are born powerless don't actually exist. The only confirmation of it is Hunter telling Luz a lie that Belos told him, and even Willow who was a late bloomer did eventually show incredible magical prowess.

But what if they do exist. What about the witches who could never go to school because you need to preform spells to get in. Witches who could still be considered wild witches despite being physically incapable of performing magic because no coven would have them. Witches thrown out of their houses as kids for not developing magic quickly enough, or even at all. What about the people who took 'low skill, low paying' jobs because those were the only ones that could be done without magic. Luz stumbles into the Boiling Isles thinking that it's a magical place, a safe haven from all her struggles. A place free from the racism and homophobia she would have inevitably experienced in the human realm. Luz projects a lot onto the Boiling Isles, I expect that little could shatter that image as much as knowing how much society hates people who are functionally the same as her. How much they hate people who don't have magic, and how she avoids it by virtue of being a human, by virtue of being exotic. Hell, what about a little human kid who fell through a puddle and didn't get picked up by Eda or by anyone for that matter. What about them?

If we want to go back farther--remember that there's no evidence that wild magic existed as a concept before Belos, and everything to suggest that he just made it up as a scapegoat. Before that, before people could actually buy the concept of wild magic, who would have supported Belos? What kind of witches would be interested in equality between them and magic users? Who would have had nothing to lose by supporting the restricting of magic that they never even had? Belos could have promised opportunity and greatness for powerless witches (or perhaps, magicless witches--for after this, they would not be powerless anymore) at a cost that they would never have to pay. Besides, the witches would only be limited to one kind of magic, they can't use any. It's just leveling the playing field. Once he had enough support and his rhetoric was legitimized, Belos switched gears, learning that it's better to have the people who can summon fireballs with a gesture on his side than those who can't. What happened to powerless witches then? How betrayed were they, and how did they fight Belos' targeting after that?

What about those few who managed to create something beautiful despite their lack of magic? Who managed to carve out a niche for themselves in an area which didn't involve magic? There's no evidence of mechanics schools on the Boiling Isles, and Alador's abomination contraptions are complicated mechanisms. Why would he have had any reason to learn mechanics when abomination magic was enough? Furthermore, who could he possibly learned mechanics from? Mechanics might have been disgraceful work when a powerless witch did it, but when Alador Blight (emphasis on the Blight) incorporated mechanics into abominations, he was hailed as an inventive genius.

Obviously, this is all the realm of headcanon. The effect of powerless witches and their place in the Boiling Isles goes unexplored in the show, and that's fine. TOH did what it set out to do, with significantly less time than it should have had to do it. TOH is a story about oppression in the broad and soft terms. It's about individuals who become powerless and their struggles which features a rebellion populated by only a few characters. The communities of the Boiling Isles, the covens themselves and Hexside and the implied powerless witches, are not the point. Their stories are not relevant to the story of TOH.

But it's interesting to think about, isn't it? To imagine how these systems and communities would have actually worked. TOH is chalked full of allegory, specifically allegory of marginalized groups (most specifically, queer groups.) Hell, the thesis of the first episode is 'we weirdos have to stick together.' It might as well be: 'we queers have to stick together.' Powerlessness is quite obviously a disability allegory, Eda's curse is treated like a chronic illness, etc. The scenarios presented above just get a little more specific with it.

I understand why they these ideas are ignored by canon. The Boiling Isles are magical, that's the whole point. How drab would it be to follow characters who don't participate in that magic, who may be actively resentful of it. You want your audience to relate to your characters (generally,) and the audience of a show about a girl falling into a magical world is going to want to see that magical world and the magical people who occupy it. A character who despises magic and society's reliance on it would be at odds with an audience who is enthralled by magic. The exploration of the specifics and complexities of oppression is superfluous to the story, so why include it beyond broad allegory?

Cause it's fun, is the obvious answer, but I suppose that's the fandom's job, isn't it?

Anyway. Thinking about powerless witches.

[mdhwrites]

What do you think about Huntlow? Was it really supposed to be a canon ship or just there for the fans to be interpret?

So as a couple they're fine. I can see them being happy and cute but also INCREDIBLY boring because you have a girl with not a lot of personality with a boy who struggles to keep a consistent personality. A cardboard cutout for hugs and an angst bucket. That's not all that interesting to me.

That may sound harsh but as far as their interactions go and how they behave with each other, that's what they look to me together as. I find both more interesting separate than together because together they're just... happy. Which again, good for them, it makes the ship fine but there's no narrative hook for me there. Not enough contrast for me to ever imagine them fighting because neither holds enough of an opinion about something to have a fight. Admittedly, that's still better than Lumity where I wouldn't expect Amity to ever stick to a position if Luz told her not to by the end of the series. That doesn't make it interesting though.

As for whether or not they're meant to be canon... Yes. Not just because of the blushing but actually because the show likes to have relationships as part of transformation and who the partner is almost always dictates to some extent the transformation that has/will happen. This isn't even only romantic. Lilith and Matt both befriend comic relief characters (though I suspect Gus and Matt were meant to be the mlm rep which... Your decision on how to feel about that) and thus their characters become comedic and punchlines which brings them narratively closer to their partner. 'Mama Eda' as a term comes from the episode that Raine is introduced where Raine's calm and focus actually reflects how much Eda has given up chaos for responsibility. Though shoutout to this happening in reverse as well as Raine becomes a duplicate of Eda during Them's the Breaks because these writers literally only know one type of relationship to write. And finally, of course, Amity becomes more lighthearted and carefree and stops caring about consequences as much, just like Luz. When she fully is willing to abandon anyone but Luz, they get together. -_-

It's part of what makes the relationships in TOH feel inherently toxic to some extent, at least to me. Rather than highlighting what makes each person unique and those strengths being what each other admires in their partner, it's much more about one conforming to the other. Losing their identity and picking up the one that belongs to the person they like. Which, you know, isn't good. A partner should push you to be the best version of yourself, not a new person for them.

Huntlow... Is both the same and different. The plus side is neither conforms to becoming the other person which is good! This happens because instead of a single arc being capstoned by the two finding each other like the rest, it's actually twin arcs meant to highlight one another. Hunter's arc of becoming pathetic and losing all of his actual skills, control, prestige, etc. like that ends with him becoming small, a failure and really just not much of a fighter at all. Not because he disavows fighting but because he's just bad at it. This all is meant to help Willow look stronger, more competent and more confident as she refuses any side of her that was shy for someone who will make you listen to her: Period. Remember, she does still force Hunter, against his will, onto the Grudgby field because while she talks a big game about being like him with her magical issues, she is still the Titan blessed prodigy while he has an actual disability.

Which... Boy scars from my brother are real sharp on that point and I'll just leave it at that.

Honestly, when described like that, you can see why the two were meant to get together. In a story actually about the two instead of Willow being a character who sat out almost an entire season until her boyfriend showed up, it could have been really interesting to see the two helping each other grow like this. They also would have needed more consistent characterization for this too. As it is, it's just boring because they don't have an actual dynamic between one another, just a meta one I can analyze onto them that is over by the time they get together.

Which makes Huntlow just like any other TOH relationship, for better and more often worse.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[utilitycaster]

i really enjoy your opinions on different builds! build-wise, do you have a favorite character for each campaign? (simply build-wise, so i suppose the question would be better phrased as "favorite build per campaign")

Hi anon!

Campaign 1 is hard simply because between the cast learning the system and there not being a huge number of options, most of the builds were pretty simple. Percy, Pike, and Keyleth don't really have many build choices at all - they're all good builds, and the players played them well, but it's pretty much as simple as "this is my class and subclass ok done" because Pike and Keyleth are both prepared casters. Grog taking fighter levels is solid but fairly straightforward. Vax gets points for narrative integration but it was so item-dependent and base assassin rogue is so weak. I am torn between Vex and Scanlan and I think I'm calling a tie, which I also am going to do for C3:

Vex makes the most out of a limited base subclass, and the observant feat is an excellent touch. The choices she made for terrain and enemies were well-integrated into her story, as was her choice to multiclass into rogue (assassin rogue as a multiclass for a dex-based combat class is a different story than for base class). Her spell list was solid to the point that she was a strong secondary healer, unusual for a ranger.

Scanlan had a good spread of feats (warcaster and tough) but what puts him here is that he was often the only full caster in a position to cast on the field, since Keyleth was frequently wildshaped and Pike absent. This is incredibly hard for a bard, and his spell list was an extremely good one that had to straddle healing and arcane utility all at once, and he did an admirable job.

Campaign 2 is Fjord; this has been discussed extensively, feel free to check my archives.

Campaign 3 is tough but I'm going for a tie between our Crownkeeper members, Fearne and Orym:

Fearne's level of rogue, while it initially made me take a sidelong glance, is why she rolled that 30 on persuasion this episode, and also is a very true choice to her character. A lot of the rest is, to be honest, the fact that her subclass is one of the best out there, but I've found her spell choices to generally be very well done, she's adapted to the divine damager role (honorable mention to Laura for doing this adeptly with Jester in C2 once Cad showed up), and I have to applaud taking ASIs instead of feats when appropriate. Her stat configuration also makes perfect sense for the character.

Orym as a fighter is strong out the gate but his choices of battlemaster moves make perfect sense for the role he played and are very useful in a party with two glass cannons but also two damage reduction tanks; it's good to have a dodge tank in the mix. His feats are focused on rounding out his skills and his optimized perception is truly ridiculous.

[notsuch]

@alfajorconnoisseur TY! That is good to know!

I can actually explain the knowledge that it's hilariously, not that strange for it to happen!

Let's talk education in Junkertown for a minute bc I think between Junker Queen and Junkrat's dialogue we probably have something like the truth, found in the middle. ("that's a knock against the Junkertown Education system!" "We've got an education system?!") There is probably nothing you could point to and go 'that's an education system' from a colonial-European schooling mindset that would be recognised beyond themselves as having gone to 'school'. But there are children in Junkertown and parents who potentially have to leave for many hours a day, if not weeks, depending on who they are and what they do. Single parents and orphans as well, would also become common and ordinary. That means like any burgeoning community, there is a need for child care. Whiiiich given that shot of Odessa playing with the kids and them being in a group, yeah there seems to be something.

So then let's talk about potential Junker-population types. Saying that everyone is ex-military is probably very broad, this is a world-war situation for a country that was invaded and decimated, MOST people probably ended up signing up, so most people probably have military structure backgrounds, now. Of those, half of them might have been full-time military personal before the war (I say under only because again, most of the army was probably killed in the war), and many probably had jobs before that in civilian life in yes, dozens of fields. Which between potential military training structure, actual ex-teachers and child care workers, and people who just, you know, like working with kids there are enough people to form through either being told to do it, or volunteering, something of an early stages tutoring system to teach Junker children the basics of literacy, numeracy and practical survivor skills for their new world. (always remember education is relative to the society in which we live, and there is probably as much emphasis on reading and math, as there is on identifying finding water in the desert and so on).

So now we've got a baby Junker, ready to graduate Junker Primary School of Swearing and Knife Throwing and knowing enough English to read the "hazardous chemical, do not eat" sign and how to count their treasure effectively. They're now ready to graduate to join Junker Society with further education! Their childhoods probably end young, similar to pre-industrial societies, by 14-15, kids are probably expected to have their shit together and be providing for themselves.

This is where it probably completely dissolves past any 'classes' and becomes what you might roughly call apprenticeships. Whereas a young Junker gets roped into existing work their parents or elder siblings might be doing, or finds someone willing to let them hang around to teach them the ins and outs of certain skill sets they are already showing an aptitude for. There is time and interest in non-survival skills, of course, creativity is the baseline of humanity.

But what are the chances of a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Jamieson Fawkes finding someone to teach him shit like bomb-making and periodic tables?

Funny that, not only is it possible but he has potential options!

Option 1: Sappers. Aka the most likely option. Otherwise known as Combat Engineers, or yes, Sappers as they are called in the Army (it's a term dating back to the 1700s from tunnel diggers in England during whatever war was happening this week, that has been kept since then), are highly specialised in well, a damn lot of things, but amongst them are construction (bridges, roads, fortifications, etc), demolition (of all those same things), and bomb placing and clearing. Their motto is informally here known as: First in, Last Out and they are incredibly important to any military, and especially ours.

As you can imagine, that's a lot of chemistry (periodic table knowledge, and yes, his bomb construction) and mathematics (zeno's paradox is a calculus problem that actually comes up in understanding bridge building n shit, apparently, source: my housemate is an engineer whose favourite math joke is about this paradox and the difference between engineers and mathematicians lmao, he also said, that once you are already in this field, it's actually not considered super advanced or anything, necessarily, to be taught specifically, but it's something that gets passed around to remember in the back, so it falls into 'general math nerd knowledge'). The Combat Engineers of the Australian Army is the fourth-ranked corp of the army, with 15 regiments and an entire dedicated school to it alone, called the School of Military Engineering. An entire separate education option JUST for the men and women in this field (it's not uncommon either, btw, many armies worldwide have it). Which, I just need to throw away a certain concept: getting into our military is actually really hard. They do not just accept any 18-year-old who has no idea what else to do with their life straight out of the gate. They want life experience on them, and a degree if possible.

In fact, they will pay for your university, if it's a military desirable education, in exchange for three years of service when you finish it. The reason why is basically that we do not have the numbers of other armies, so we best make every single member of the armed forces is damn good at what they do and is efficient and sensible about their job as possible. Also to be clear: I do not say this to glorify our armed forces or the things our armed forces have done and continue participating in, but to understand that we fundamentally treat it with a process of education mattering a great deal and prize knowledge whether it's life experience or university education and a high desire to work in a team, over brute strength glory. Bright-eyed 18-year-olds with nothing in their heads is not the preference in the modern day, and people that age with no further education plans can and will be turned away many times before acceptance into our military - most people I know that tried at that age got rejected three, four times before being accepted. So it's actually not impossible to find officers and commanders in our armed forces, across the board, with everything from bachelor degrees to full-blown PHDs in their fields. (I remember meeting a recruiter from the navy for instance, who was Captain of one of a ship, she - SHE, BTW - told us how everyone on the ship, from cook to captain, were trained in star navigation. That is, how to navigate without equipment, completely, just looking at the night sky, in the case of emergencies. )

And I'd say there is some merit to this. Blowing up a WHOLE OMNIC CORE that APPARENTLY HAS NUCLEAR POWER? Is actually not done easily. That requires an advanced understanding of nuclear reactors. Those things are obviously made HYPER STABLE, it's actually hard to just destabilize them unless a lot of things go wrong.

AND WHAT WAS ALF AND JUNKERTOWN FOUNDED BY? A bunch of veterans. The likelihood of running into one of these guys is pretty damn high given how many there are in the army, and oh, this is just the Sappers, who are Combat Ranks, there is a whole SEPERATE group for logistic support to the army, which does all this stuff in variation as well. So yeah. This is by far the most likely.

Option 2: Farmers. Wait, what? Yeah. Seriously. Outside of people who actually work in agriculture, they never realise how crucial chemical knowledge is to these guys. Not only is agricultural chemistry its own field, but there is also an everyday importance to it. For different reasons, of course. Pesticides, Herbicides, Fertilisers, Worming treatments and their effective application of them all can have serious consequences if it fucks up. If a farmer does it wrong, he can risk killing whole crops or all his livestock, and potentially his neighbours too, if he poisons the water in the process. Also yes, there is a hell of a lot of shit in everything I just mentioned, that can explode it stored improperly and cause fires. Or if it's mixed the wrong way. It only takes bleach and vinegar to make damn chlorine gas, and fertiliser is actually a key part of rudimentary bomb-making. Guess who often has a lot of that shit for various reasons? There is often a lot of mechanical knowledge needed as well on those huge pieces of equipment, from tractors to irrigation and yes, in turn, math is needed in high amounts. Then there is also, just because you're country, doesn't mean you don't have access to university, btw, we have what is called Agricultural College, or Agg College as we call it. They offer courses in yeah, Agricultural Chemistry, and Agricultural-needed Engineering. I've met as many cattle hands in the process of this education as not. Hell, fucking Mako might have hung around the same kind, before the war.

Option 3: Miners! As we've gone over, mining is a huge industry in Australia, and we have a lot of kinds! You know what you use in mining a lot??? EXPLOSIVES! Not to mention a hell of a lot of people that know certain elements on sight, to know what they're digging up. Not to mention, once again, ENGINEERING! Those tunnels need to be safe! Can't send people into them and have them collapse so once again we are needing maths and chemical knowledge of many kinds!

Option 4: this is the one I understand people will squint at but I am putting my foot down as an aussie, to say again: this place is our home that we like and as many non-military, non-country people, would fight and die for it just the same. Many university-educated in niche areas people would want to go out there and fight for that scrap of memory, even knowing the risks, as the people who used to live out there. From pub owners to PHDs in astrophysics. We are a modern, multicultural country, whose history dates back 60,000 years, we have a high rate of education, and many of those people would fight and resettle in that area. There would be a wide variance in reality of Junkertown that reflects modern Australia. Finding an advance teacher of calculus whose job it was that week to mind some kids? Not unlikely as it seems on paper. That he or she is a little bemused that this teenager will sit there and learn calculus theories from them? Must be nice to be able to talk about it again.

In reality, I think it's possible it's all four, in regards to Junkrat, assuming he's the same friendly bugger in childhood as he is now, and followed all sorts of people around, accumulating knowledge as he went.

[museum-spaces]

Hi,

I recently graduated with a BA in archaeology and am thinking of continuing my studies in either museums or archives. I believe you either are Canadian or have worked in Canadian museums (sorry if I'm wrong) and I had a question about college vs university programs when it comes to museum studies. If you can't answer, no worries.

When it comes to employment, what difference does it make between having a college diploma or a master's in museum studies? Are there some jobs you can only get with a master's? Or are opportunities the same? Would both programs teach similar skills? I know the job market in museums and archives is rough and if a master's will get me further that's probably what I'll go with. I also know there's several diploma/certificate programs offered by universities and am unsure of where those would rank in comparison to a college diploma or master's degree.

Another issue is the main masters programs I know of are in BC and Toronto, places that are incredibly expensive to live rn, so if a college program will get me just as far, some of those schools are in cities with lower cost of living.

Thanks!

first of all; you're right I am Canadian and a graduate of a Canadian undergrad program. but my MA is from the UK.

secondly, for non-Canadians; college in Canada has a few meanings. One is very similar to the US - a particular grouping of students in a university. But the more common one is a bit harder to explain. It used to be that 'working' careers were from colleges [i.e. nursing vs. doctor; lumber jack vs. forester, etc] but these days the lines are more blurred. Colleges are seen by some academic fields as 'lesser' than universities but they actually just fill a different need.

thirdly; it depends on the job. For my job [Executive Director] you do not necessarily need a museum/gallery background but imo... you do need that. If your interest is in collections care, a college diploma in specifically collections care is very good - often better than a generalized masters because it shows dedication in that one area. If you are more interested in exhibition same thing - colleges are more likely to have hands-on mounting classes which will make you an asset.

If you want to work front of house - tours, guest interaction, education - university degrees will be seen as better because you are more likely to be academically inclined and things like that. You won't be unable to get a job like that with college, but given our sector, it will be very very hard.

I believe, but you would have to check, that UofT's ISchool has an online or distance Masters for museums you might want to check out. You could also go abroad like I did. University of Leicester [my alma mater] has a very good distance course though the fees for international students might make in-person just as hard. They're entry requirements for Canadians at a 4 point school is a cGPA of 3. Nice and attainable.

Its also worth noting that you do not need to have museum-focused degrees so long as you have work experience. Lets say your UG arch was focused on Coast Salish archaeology, a side focus on public history and volunteer or intern work experience in museums will make you more attractive to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC than my CV which has no native focus at all.

There's a lot of historic workers on Tumblr, I'll tag a few and hope a few others chime in to give you advice.

@grey-and-lavender @archaeologistproblems @chaotic-archaeologist @museeeuuuum

[bigfan-fanfic]

Batfams thoughts on how powerful and calculative batdad is

So, the fun thing is, most of the Batfam don't recognize it - the same way Tim is considered "the smart one" when they're all incredibly intelligent and learned people. So since they're basically all powerful and calculating, they sometimes forget that Batdad is just as calculating as they are, since he's "the civilian" or "the nice one."

Dick, Bruce, and Jason are especially guilty of forgetting how ruthless Batdad can be, and Batman has been known on occasion to freeze in shock at a plan made by him.

Barbara, Duke, and Damian all acknowledge and respect Batdad for his judicious calculating - for different reasons. Damian because it shows that kindness and compassion are a choice that anyone could make, because Batdad is just as powerful and calculating as his father and mother, in his own way, so it's not too late for him to be like Batdad instead. Barbara because it shows that even those that aren't in the field can have that same skill and mindset. Duke because he appreciates Batdad's kindness far more.

[the-technorats]

percy series ep 3 thoughts

so you can't rate shows on letterbox'd so i'm going to log my pjo thoughts here: (spoilers for ep3) (watched 27 dec 2023)

oracle scene was funny. for all the show onlys, it seems as though grover is the one kind of being built up as the character who's going to betray percy (at least in the beginning of this ep), which is an interesting choice.

on the action sequences (part 1): i do think the action sequences are pretty lackluster. when i rewatched the percy jackson lightning thief movie, the action and violence and reactions seemed very proportionate - like, the appearance of a horrifying monster actually had impact, whereas i feel like in the show, the pacing and choreography make it seem pretty banal.

the fight with the fury on the bus was uninteresting and didn't seem like much of a fight at all. annabeth's supposed to be quick and athletic and a really skilled knife fighter (skilled enough that she can even use a knife as her primary weapon instead of a sword) but there so far hasn't really been any proof of that. i'm willing to be a lot more generous though because the actors are very young and the target audience is clearly much younger than i am as well, and it's obvious that for those reasons they're trying to avoid violence/body horror/gore. however, the fight scene with clarisse in ep 2 was incredibly well-shot and choreographed, and it had action and movements that felt real and impactful, so i don't know why they don't try to achieve the same things with the other fight/action sequences.

on medusa: i was so interested by the way they were going to decide to portray medusa's story, especially because of sally's comment in ep 1 to percy about perseus being a hero because 'he killed monsters' like medusa: "who said she was a monster?"

i loved em's line: "the gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore," which initially insinuated to me that this adaptation of medusa is the one who was sexually assaulted by poseidon in athena's temple, so athena made it so no man could pull that with her ever again, but then they went with the "athena decided I embarrassed her and needed to be punished" story which i kind of feel like isn't totally consistent with the "gift" narrative? i mean they can be mutually exclusive in that what may have been originally a punishment from a god can be taken as a gift since she has to live with and make the best of it, but when medusa called herself "a survivor" and talked about "bullies" (a term that makes sense in the context given that it's a kid's/middle grade show) i will admit i was hoping it would go a different direction. alternately though if she were a SA survivor i don't know if killing her would have been the right move in the end lmao and ik they had to kill her for the plot.

i do think there was a more overarching message of the importance of understanding the unheard/unrepresented sides of stories as well as the lesson for annabeth that the gods aren't infallible and morally just but are petty and vindictive and cruel and humanlike. so i think the story was dealt with pretty well, all things considered.

on medusa and the action sequences (part 2): again, i think medusa's death scene was pretty anticlimactic. (this is not because i see them as adaptations of equal quality or even on the same playing field at all, but again,) to compare it to the pjo:tlt movie - the movie's medusa fight scene had a lot more impact; the tension and fear and stakes felt a lot more heightened and real while still being quite comedic/entertaining.

cool idea, in the show, using the hat to turn medusa invisible, but again, i wasn't ever actually convinced that the characters felt scared, under pressure, winded/tired after fighting, or even emotionally scarred by the intensity of the moment/having to decapitate someone. while all of the other scenes portray high emotions very impactfully and earnestly (i.e. sadness, wistfulness, loneliness, hurt/comfort), i have yet to be convinced that any of the demigods have been even a little bit frightened of any of the monsters, from the first fury attack at the met, and this unfortunately makes the stakes seem much lower.

while i understand the focus of the show is on character building (mainly through the dialogue), i don't see why the fight/action scenes can't be just as visually compelling and impactful. the emotional tension between the characters and the depiction of each character's internal conflicts, while powerful, can only do so much if the plot itself isn't supporting those developments, and I feel like the addition of the action sequences in the books serves to elevate the storyline to match the emotional stakes. they can tell the story as much as they want thru voice-over and dialogue, but the characters' physical actions represent just as much about the characters and their choices and motivations as their direct interactions with each other. i think maybe some of this stems from not wanting the story to be misinterpreted or to in any way resemble the movies, but you have to trust your audience. you can't just say everything explicitly, and if you do have to, then i don't think a tv show is the right medium in which to tell the story, which is typically my main issue with book-to-movie/tv adaptations.

anyway, while this seems like a lot of criticism, it's really only that one overarching problem that stands out to me. i obviously love the source material and (anyway would argue that i have to love it in order to want to think about it this much) the show itself, and the actors, and this has absolutely EVERYTHING to do with the fact that it's extremely extremely obvious how thought-out, how deliberate every single minute detail is. if there's one thing at all that matters to me, it's creators who care about their work, and this is a perfect example of ones who do.

on tv show percabeth: BRO "I CHOSE HER 'CAUSE I COULDN'T IMAGINE WE'D EVER BE FRIENDS" ???? FUCKING INSANE THING TO PUT IN THE SCRIPT LIKE?? they were NEVER this explicitly antagonistic toward each other in the books holy FUCK i mean. this drastically changes the trajectory and future impact of the slow-burn. the books were strangers to friends to lovers - maybe strangers to annoyances to friends to lovers if we're being generous, but the show is really going for that enemies to lovers arc huh. the fan edits are gonna go so fucking crazy once we start getting toward the final 2 books. and for them to only have one itty-bitty kiss midway thru botl with no emotional catharsis or resolution until the tail end of tlo? we're all gonna be absolutely frothing at the mouth for it when it finally finally finally comes around.

excited for next week!! i've been dying for the st. louis arch scene.

[wondereads]

Personal Review

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

Summary

All her life, Zilan and her two cousins have been preparing for the exams that would grant them government positions. Zilan, who strives to become a royal alchemist, uses her abilities to raise the dead to fund their studies. She hates the rich clients she works for, who fear death so much they eat gold infused with the power of immortality to stop their aging. However, when comparing making gold for the rich to a life of powerlessness, she will put aside her morals for her future.

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The plot of this book is one of the best I've read in YA fantasy. While it starts with an exam and starts becoming more focused on rebellion, a not unheard of story in this genre, the way it is executed is simply amazing. The magic system and world, which really feels like historical China, pull you in, and there were so many good plot twists. While there might be some you're able to predict, there were plenty that completely knocked me off my feet. Then the material is a lot more mature and gory than one would expect from YA; it's visceral, and the consequences feel real.

The magic system of this book was perfect for this kind of story. There are rules and limitations introduced from the beginning that play a huge role in allowing those amazing plot twists to be executed. Also, I just find the inner workings of alchemy incredibly intriguing. The worldbuilding concerning the social situation of China during this alternate period also works really well for the plot. The decision to have the elixir of immortality imbued in gold was a great choice to both emphasize its wasteful, greedy nature and to exacerbate the wealth gap in a way that feels eerily similar to modern times.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Zilan is an amazing main character. It's quite common for YA books to have these hyper competent characters that are the best in their field. It's fun, but it can feel unrealistic and as if they don't really face many challenges. Zilan is incredibly skilled, and she can do things no one else can, but she has a lot to learn. Her time in the palace definitely shows that, and there are a lot of moments where she is too impulsive or simply doesn't know how to go about something. Her competency feels real with plenty of scenes exemplifying how hard she's worked, but she also learns throughout the book.

Zilan's relationship with her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, so close they're more like siblings, was particularly interesting. One thing I really liked about this book was that although there is a romance subplot, most of the interpersonal conflict came from Zilan and her family. Their relationship is incredibly complex; they're obviously very close, but there are so many odd circumstances surrounding their lives that it can be hard to tell where they stand with each other, which is used for some very compelling conflict.

The aforementioned romance was pretty good in my opinion. I'd like to see it developed more, but I get the feeling that the kind of incomplete vibe I get from Zilan and Hong is on purpose. They're both at very vulnerable points in their lives, and they find comfort in each other, but they both have a lot of issues, and I really want to see how their relationship works in the second book. Finally, one of my favorite characters was the villain, Empress We Zetian. She is unapologetically evil, and she's truly terrifying. She didn't feel one-dimensional, but she was also totally irredeemable and a villain that really felt like a threat. She outsmarts Zilan on multiple occasions, and she really brought the more dark tone of the story into the spotlight.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The writing of this book was incredibly intense. It seems to prioritize modern readability over exactly matching the historical setting, but it rarely took me out of the story. This book honestly feels closer to NA than YA because of how dark and gory it was. As I mentioned previously, consequences in this book are horrifying and constant, taking a much more extreme turn than most YA books. There were moments where this book felt like it was verging on horror. For example, there is a scene where the empress and prince are eating gold in which they, while unchanged physically, become these voracious monsters, and it sent shivers down my spine.

I would say my one critique of this book would be that there are certain things that feel a little rushed. Trying not to spoil too much, that would be Zilan and Hong's situation, which sort of felt like it came out of nowhere, and when Zilan starts to take a more rebellious stand against the empress. However, it didn't detract from the enjoyability that much.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This book was absolutely stunning. The characters were amazing, the plot constantly took me by surprise, and the writing is a great blend of readable modern language and the intense style that usually accompanies fantasy. Zilan is an amazing main character; she’s competent without being perfect, she’s ruthless and driven without being completely heartless. Her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, are particularly interesting, especially concerning their relationship with Zilan and how complicated it is. The love interest is a good balance to Zilan, though I hope to see their relationship develop more. Empress Zetian is a chilling and horrifying villain who is truly a terrifying opponent. The plot was constantly twisting and turning, keeping me on my toes, and while I found some moments a little too fast paced and would consider this more NA than YA, the overall quality of the story definitely makes me want to keep this at a full 10/10.

About the Author

Kylie Lee Baker: Japanese-Chinese-Irish-American, plays the cello, also wrote The Keeper of Night

About the Reviewer

My name is Wonderose, and I post a reading update every week with the occasional review and themed recommendation. I take suggestions, and you can check out my pinned post for more about me :)

[animehouse-moe]

Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague Episode 2: Okinawa Getaway

What can I say, it's cute. It's really cute. And the lighting work is definitely helping that. They're very liberal with highlights in this show, but it works out well with the art style and color palette. The art is very smooth and "simple", so to speak, and the art is very saturated. Lots of deep, vibrant colors everywhere, which helps a great deal. It means the highlights can brighten the colors and it won't look blown out or plain white, and that they won't end up covering up details. Also, they use depth of field quite a bit as well (like in the image above) and it helps sell the feel even more.

Regardless of art style though, Himuro is certainly the main attraction for the series. Fuyutsuki is of course as well, but Himuro's reaction and his Kansai accent are just too cute to not get wrapped up in. And I mean, he did a whole Rocky thing this episode training to make sure he wouldn't create a blizzard while in Onikawa which was a super fun extension of his cuteness when he gets worried and worked up over something.

Also, something I picked up on in the first episode but didn't get to chat about because I was late to watching it was the names of the characters, they're all references. Himuro and Komori share very similar naming sense with the first Kanji being in relation to their spirit ancestors, and the second kanji being a location ("room" for Himuro, "woods" for Komori). Of course, Fuyutsuki and Saejima are just regular humans so they don't have that first kanji, so Saejima's name is "skillful" and "island" put together, but Fuyutsuki's is the most interesting. Her name is comprised of "winter" and "moon", which are more nonsensical than the others, but also more interesting. The moon is featured quite heavily in these two episodes that we have, specifically in relation to Fuyutsuki and Himuro together. I'm very curious to find out if there's any reason for it, or if it's just a creative choice.

Anyways, the moment that caught my attention the most in today's episode was Himuro melting. I was really expecting him to just get younger, but after thinking on it a little bit what else would have happened? There's other ways to melt, but they wouldn't exactly be relaxing or anything to experience, so at the end of the day I'm fine with it. My only real concern was how they were going to approach a "younger"/smaller version of Himuro, but they did alright. Nothing out of pocket and nothing over the top, it's a normal interaction that ends with both Himuro and Fuyutsuki getting flustered about it but not completely overreacting, which was nice.

Overall, I wouldn't say this does anything extraordinary. It's not some incredibly special series, but it's cute, it's fresh, and it's fun. It's the trifecta for a well-received series, and doesn't try to force its way above and beyond. It seems to know what it's aiming for, and hits the mark really quite well. So, if you want a really relaxing and casual adult romance with a little bit of a twist, there's really nothing wrong with checking out The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague.