#and I think Agott really looks up to him

[pentragonart]

I love this one so much and will always retweet when it appears on my timeline <3

finishing off witch hat spam with some doodles from the other week because I Am Always Thinking About Them

[ladyloveandjustice]

Anime Expo Final Day: Q & A and Live Draw with Witch Hat Atelier's Kamome Shirahama

Sunday was not as bad as Saturday crowd wise, but still a bit hard to deal with.

I got into the second Witch Hat Atelier panel, which was a live draw with Kamome Shirahama! We weren't allowed to take pics of her of course, and she came in the Iguin cosplay and somehow managed to draw in it, but I did get to take a pic of the brush buddy:

And here's the live drawing she did (Quifrey by audience demand) which we were allowed to photograph.

I was taking notes throughout the panel but then the notes app just decided to stop working and I lost it all. But I did write down everything I remembered immediately after, so here we go:

When asked, Shirahama said her influences were American and French comics in addition to manga. She mentioned Akira and the French comic Mobius, as well as a French comic with "cities" in the title I couldn't catch.

EDIT: (According to gaston26 in the comments: "I think she talked about French comics artist Moebius and the french comics with cities in the title is most likely 'Les Cités obscures'. ;)" That sounds right!)

She says she was inspired by the art style and diversity of American comics. She was also inspired by children’s literature like The Neverending Story.

When asked about the diversity in her story, she quickly said that the diversity was intentional and the fact that its even a question shows that we need more diversity. She said, "Nobody would ask this if it was just a romance between a boy and a girl or something like that, so it shows there needs to be more".

When asked how she feels about Quifrey being so popular, she mentioned that Quifrey was going to be a villain but his design was so good she promoted him to a main character.

She stated that she tries to write a story her younger self would read, but she says she was a “twisted kid” so as a child she’d be saying things like “a Pegasus with those feathers wouldn’t be able to fly!”

When asked about the magic system she said she was still actually trying to learn the magic system herself.

She talked about magic as a metaphor for creativity and said her audience is very creative so she feels they could relate. She always wanted to write a fantasy. She mentioned again that she had a mangaka friend early on and that it really made her appreciate what goes into making art and got her thinking in that direction.

She stated that there are no real villains in her story, just people.

When asked about how she comes up with names, she said she “asks Google”. She wanted names where her character would be the only one that comes up in the google search. Early on, with names like Coco and Agott, she didn’t do this, but it made her mad when other things would come up in the google search. When asked if she was inspired by any sort of ethnicity/culture for characters, she asked to pick one, and was asked about Kustas. She said that was a tough question and eventually said she took inspiration from Rome and also indigenous Japanese cultures for him.

She said she doesn’t use screentone because she’s "lazy" and prefers to work with her ink pen. When asked about her assistants she said they are the best ones at doing speed lines, which she’s "bad" at.

She said Quifrey and Olruggio were partly inspired by people she knows- not in looks, but in personality. She said traits like being strict on the outside and sweet on the inside (I imagine she's referring to Olruggio there) were inspired by those people she used as models.

She also mentioned that she draws very fast!

And that's about all I got down.

After that, the day was kind of rough, as I temporarily lost my wallet but fortunately someone eventually turned it in to lost and found. I went to Little Tokyo and attended the pop up Akiba Maid War café there. I got a Ranko cookie! The maid who served us mentioned the cafe's rivals like the poison the drinks and did the spell thing. We got a singing performance where both our maid and the woman playing Manager danced, with Manager intentionally doing it very badly. It was fun!

And that's all for my con report! Hope there was some interesting info! I'll be posting cosplay I saw and art and merch I got later.

[linkemon]

Forgetful (Qifrey x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ʀᴇᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀ ꜱᴄᴀᴛᴛᴇʀʙʀᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪʀʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ꜱʜᴇ ʀᴜɴꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ǫɪꜰʀᴇʏ'ꜱ ꜱᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴄᴀʀᴇ. ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴏᴜʀ ɢɪʀʟꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛ��ᴏᴜʙʟᴇ?

Coco ran down the stairs, admiring more and more colourful vials. They had come to buy ink but she couldn't get enough of the view around her. The shop was, as always, full of unusual tools, herbs, and instruments. Tetia tugged on her arm, almost making her fall off the last step. 

— Follow me. Professor [Reader] is here! — Her friend called out cheerfully. 

Her eyes seemed to glow. She must have really liked this person. 

— Who is Professor [Read…]? — Coco didn’t have time to finish her question.

The girl peered out from behind a large tree. There was indeed a woman standing in the doorway, about the same age as Professor Qifrey. A pointed hat rested on her head but the marking on the headdress meant nothing to her. Her clothes fluttered behind her with every step, even though the windows were closed. When the woman stood closer to the light, Coco could examine her more closely. She had been through a lot. Her coat was muddy and there were a few leaves in her hair. She tapped her boots against the floor a few times, trying to get rid of what was stuck to the soles of her shoes. 

— Not her... — Agott sighed. She frowned and turned on her heel to leave. 

— Don't talk about the professor's girlfriend like that — Riche appeared out of nowhere. The youngest adept still had no idea how she did it. 

Coco glanced at the woman again. The professor had a girlfriend? She had never heard of it before but she had just recently come to his atelier. She didn't really have time to think about something like that. She couldn't describe it but somehow she couldn't imagine him next to someone like that.

— We know very well that she is irresponsible. She always gets into trouble. — With these words, the oldest adept quickly walked away to another part of the shop. She wanted to get as far away as possible. 

— Hello, girls! — A loud voice echoed off the stone walls. 

— Good morning! — Tetia shouted louder than her friends and ran up, smiling broadly. 

— Thank you for the welcome — [Reader] tapped her on the nose. The little girl brightened even more, if that was even possible. 

She must have known her well to know how much she liked being thanked. 

— Should I show you professor how I improved my cloud? 

Coco was happy for her friend. Their last adventure, which had led to the improvement of the novelty circle, had not been a happy one. If there was one good thing that had come out of all this, it was this. 

— Maybe later. I need to buy some paper before I forget I came for it. — She pulled her pouch out of her bag, almost knocking over the nearest vial. Luckily, Riche caught it just in time. 

— You have something in your hair… — The youngest student removed a twig tangled in her hair. 

— Thank you very much, ummm... Coco? It's you, isn't it? — She looked at her curiously, counting out the money. 

— Yes. 

She was afraid of being looked at or, worse, accused. Most adult witches treated her that way. She was something of a sensation and an unpleasant one at that. Everyone had heard of her by now. Word spread quickly. 

— It's nice to meet you. Qifrey has told me a lot about you. Where is Agott? Isn't she with you? — The woman began her journey in search of the paper. 

— She’s… ummm… busy… with something — Coco finished awkwardly. 

The teacher, however, was already elsewhere in her thoughts. Coco was pleased. [Reader] seemed like the kind of person who could really care that Agott didn't like her. Coco knew that feeling herself. No pair of repaired shoes could help her get along with her. Even if they improved the situation a little, their relationship was still far from friendship. 

A loud bang interrupted her thoughts. The professor and Coco's teacher were sprawled on the floor. Mr. Nolnoa was standing over them, complaining about the mess they had made. Old books, previously sorted, lay in disarray around them. Dust flew around the room, making Coco's nose twitch. She sneezed loudly. 

Professor Qifrey was gently checking on [Reader], unconcerned by the chatter of the old man or his assistant. Tartah began to clean up the mess, glaring at the pair. There was something in the teacher's gaze that hadn't been there before. His white hair was a mess and his glasses was almost falling off his nose but he didn't seem to care. Coco smiled to herself. 

The woman stood up, apologizing to the owner who was threatening to withdraw her discount. 

— [Reader], you're sent from heaven! — Qifrey grabbed her by the shoulders, not caring about the muddy cloak. 

— I've never heard that from you before — she laughed. 

— Please take care of them until the evening! — He pointed to the students. 

— What? 

Before she knew it, the man was already at the door. He slammed it loudly. She had no idea where he was in such a hurry. She only hoped he was okay. After all, he was the responsible one out of the two of them. If he had left his duties so suddenly, it suggested something unpleasant. 

— I guess we’re stuck with each other. — She scratched the back of her neck. 

The cleaning went quite smoothly. Especially when Agott stopped hiding and with a dissatisfied face, decided to help the group. Or at least that's what Coco thought. In reality, Tartah forced her to do it, after he accidentally found her near the broom closet. 

The group was quickly ushered out. Mr. Nolnoa did not want to risk any more accidents. 

— So what do you all want to do now? — [Reader] put her hands on her hips. 

— Go back to the atelier — Agott said with a murderous look.

— What are you going to do at home? Study? Sometimes you just need to have a break. 

— How about boat? — Riche suggested in a quiet voice. — Coco hasn't been there yet.

Tetia applauded the idea and happily began leading the group through the city, ignoring the protests. 

This was a place that Coco had only heard about. One where you can sail on waters surrounding the city. Several hundred years ago, a witch had built a vehicle modeled after an enchanted sky carriage. The method of creating these self-propelled boats had disappeared over time. Although the manuscripts of their creation were kept in the Tower of Tomes, few witches knew how to use them. You had to know exactly which parts went with which spells and few people had any idea about that in those days. Many rare, ornate models were gathered around Kalhn. Some were rented out at high prices, while others became tourist attractions. 

The young adept had to admit that the view was incredible. The water reflected the colours of the rainbow leaves, creating a picturesque image. The rays of the autumn sun shone directly on the boat they had chosen. A golden swan lazily glided across the surface. On one side they had the forest and on the other, the peaceful Kalhn. Riche seemed particularly pleased. Probably because it was her idea. Besides, she valued the silence. Tetia showed the professor sketches of her glyphs, clearly happy with her attention. Agott, on the other hand, ran her fingers along the river from time to time. She was probably still thinking about what had happened a moment ago. The boat was for children only. At least that's what the man renting it had said. However, the adult witch insisted that she absolutely had to sail with the students. She argued with the owner for a long time to let her get on, although Agott insisted on choosing something else or letting them go alone. Now, from time to time, she looked at the teacher dissatisfied, narrowing her eyes. 

Coco looked at her reflection. Besides the golden hair, there seemed to be something else there. Like an image that didn't resemble anything around it at all. 

— You have to see this! 

She leaned down to take a closer look. Before she knew it, everyone else had done the same thing she had. She hadn't even noticed the boat tilt. She had only managed to squeak before it plunged into the icy water. Panic gripped her as she surfaced again. It was dark. Stars twinkled in the sky. To her surprise, she was in very shallow water. A few strokes were enough for her to feel solid ground beneath her feet. She swam to what looked like a bank. She only saw it because it shimmered with a greenish glow. The sand gleamed in the darkness. Someone coughed and she was happy to see it was Riche. The other students and Professor [Reader] followed her. 

— I have no idea what happened but we need to look around here. Can you draw a fire glyph in the dark? — [Reader] asked, holding out a small bottle of glowing ink. Luckily, the bottle didn’t float away somewhere along the way. 

Only Agott volunteered. She pulled out the wand from her belt and began working without a word. Soon, two flames were rising above them — a larger one and a smaller one. 

— This isn't the first time something like this has happened, Professor — Coco confessed, feeling the weight of guilt seem to be weighing her down. — Not long ago, I ran after a masked witch. Professor Qifrey said he must be Brimmed Hat Witch. Then we all ended up in this strange, magical labyrinth from the city and there was no way out.

It was strange that their guardian had never mentioned it to her. They saw each other rarely but they exchanged letters quite often. Considering how little he talked about himself and how much about them, she should have learned the story long ago. She had not heard of such an incident in the Great Hall either and she had visited it recently. And yet the Knights Moralis had to know something since the matter concerned outlaw witches.

— How did you get out then? — [Reader] asked, still looking around, trying to see in the dim light. 

— There was a dragon in the labyrinth. We put him to sleep with my signature cloud. It was so soft he fell asleep — Tetia chimed in — and then we destroyed the labyrinth glyph and everything fell apart. Luckily, Professor Qifrey got us out of there just in time.

— Just as I thought. Well... We have no choice. We have to do exactly what you did last time. I'm afraid it won't be so easy to find anything in the dark, though. Let's rest here for a moment. Unfortunately, I can't teach you how to draw a glyph from memory right now. I don't have enough fluorescent ink for practice but you can watch. Then we'll try to search this place together.

— Wouldn't it be better to split up? — Agott asked. — I passed the test. I can now assist. If we split up, it will definitely go faster. — She furiously drew another circle. 

— I understand you but assisting isn't the same. We're in a dangerous situation and you're not even my student.

Coco didn't need to see Agott clearly to know she wasn't happy with the answer. Of the four of them, she was the one who tried the hardest. She spent her nights devoting herself to her magic. She studied hard, even when she should have been taking breaks. She wanted to get started as soon as possible and was annoyed when Qifrey denied her the chance to prove herself. 

— Exactly. You're not my teacher. And you're the one who's hell-bent on that damned boat, even though I told you it was a bad idea...

— Agott! — Tetia stood in front of her, hands on hips. — You're being rude. Stop it!

This was heading in a very bad direction. 

— You're her pupil, no wonder you defend her — Agott retorted. After these words, she quickly walked away with her light source. 

— Oh no — [Reader] groaned. — Wait here a minute, girls. I have to get her back. Don’t go anywhere, okay?

For lack of anything better to do, they began to try drawing glyphs in the poor light. A bottle of ordinary ink and two wands survived. Everything else must now be floating somewhere at the bottom of the roaring sea. 

Luckily, the offended girl didn't get very far before [Reader] found her. 

— Agott! — The professor gasped for air. She wasn't used to running. — We can't split up. Maybe you expect me to apologize but I couldn't have known what would happen. Please come back. It'll be safer for all of us.

— If you thought I was offended, you're wrong — said the dark-haired girl, stubbornly pushing her way through the rocks. 

The truth was that she was a little offended. She had passed the second test. In the meantime, they continued to treat her as before. Now, however, when she saw something that interested her, she did not have to admit it. Several small, white brushbuddys were quickly crawling in one direction. They had clearly smelled the magic ink. 

— There might be a glyph in there somewhere. — She pointed to a rock formation in the distance. 

— You have a good eye. We'll check it out but togethe...— [Reader] acted on instinct, tapping her shoes. The connected circle on the soles allowed her to take the protesting Agott with her. She took to the air at the last moment. 

The rocks in the middle of the beach moved. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Lightning flashed with purple hue, revealing the truth for a moment. They weren’t rocks. They were four hooves. And above them, enormous legs. Another flash revealed a pegasus. The creature flapped its wings and the wind picked up the glowing sand from the beach and scattered it around. She had never seen such a large animal. Whatever it was, Brimmed Hats had certainly had a hand in it. Using magic like that on living creatures was forbidden. [Reader] couldn’t use many of the spells she had stored in her notebook. All the ones she had kept in her notebook had gotten wet. She managed to cast one of the ones she carried with her as a necklace, just in case. The pegasus howled at the sight of the massive column of fire fanned by the wind. It stamped a few times and neighed. It quickly realized that it could be extinguished with sand. It began to flap its wings incessantly. Harder and harder. Each thud on the ground sent shockwaves. 

— If this keeps up, he’ll kill us! — [Reader] shouted over the wind. — I’ll keep him occupied! You have to find the circle!

— Fine! — Agott ran towards her friends. 

The woman sincerely hoped that the praise Qifrey had written about his students was not just empty talk. She didn't want to leave them but she had no choice. 

She stepped around the wing, trying to distract the pegasus. The tiny flame disappeared from her sight and she hoped that the apprentices would actually find the spell. At that moment, she had no other ideas. The responsibility she felt was overwhelming. Maybe that was why she had never taken on an apprentice, even after passing her last exam. Otherwise, she would have to feel like she did now for the rest of her life. 

She tugged on the strap, pulling off another glyph burned into the wood. She finished the spell with her wand. She had to keep the flame smoldering under hooves. She had never had the talent for water spells like Qifrey. Fire itself wasn't as good as Olruggio's either. But wind was a field she loved. Her old mentor used to say it was because of her absent-mindedness. He thought her personality reflected that perfectly. Maybe he was right. After all, she had never founded her own atelier. And she only visited the Great Hall when she had to. She lived on the road and one of the few constants in her life was Qifrey. A man with blue eyes and a smile as warm as home. He always made sure to send her a letter on time. Even when others forgot her birthday after years, he was one of the few who always found her to give her a present. He also invited her to all the important holidays. She knew she could always come and he would welcome her with open arms but he also respected how much she valued traveling, so he never pressured her to live with him. And neither did her family. 

The pegasus grew increasingly furious. When he extinguished the flame, darkness fell. This time, she couldn't avoid the gust of wind. Her boots slowed her fall but the impact with the rock took her breath away for a moment. She touched her ribcage. She must have broken a few ribs. [Reader] reluctantly rose to her feet. She threw another wind glyph at the faintly smoldering embers. She clicked her heels to rise into the air. The necklace was empty. There was nothing she could do now. 

Suddenly, lightning appeared in the dark sky again. The sand seemed to be soaking into the sea. It was as if the water was swallowing the beach. The woman realized that the island was sinking. She looked around. In the distance, she saw a bright spot. It had to be a circle. So the girls had found a way out. Just in time. She wanted to turn back towards it but the pegasus had no intention of letting her go so easily. She was pushed away again. This time the pain was terrible. She had no idea where it came from but blood appeared on her hands. She shook her head. She didn't have time. She was going down with her enemy. A piece of land was disappearing with every second. With the last of her strength, she lifted herself up. This was the moment when the hours spent flying paid off. She glanced back, trying to judge the distance. This time, she let herself be carried away by the force of the wind. Accompanied by a loud neighing, she soared into the darkness. 

— Professor! — loudly sobbing Tetia was the first thing [Reader] saw after waking up. 

— I told you she would wake up — Agott said, looking away. 

She stared stubbornly out the window. Perhaps so no one would notice how relieved she felt. 

— If you were so sure, why did you wait here with us? — Riche asked. She couldn't help but make that quiet remark. 

She knew perfectly well why Agott had never liked [Reader]. The witch also came from one of the three famous families. Unlike the girl, however, her family was very proud of her. Although their only representative had passed all five exams with flying colours, she had not made a name for herself. She had not taken on a single student. She had not created any innovative spells either. She had difficulty with some elements and had clung to the wind to solve all problems. [Reader] had turned down several great jobs to travel. In her environment, she had gained a reputation of a carefree person, as well as someone who was not very responsible. Despite this, her family loved her very much, agreeing to her constant wandering around the world and waving her hand in response to teasing. She was the exact opposite of Agott, who had not been able to forgive her for that since she had set foot in the atelier. Now, however, she had probably changed her mind a bit about the traveling teacher. 

Coco smiled broadly. The woman lying in the hospital bed still seemed slightly confused. However, she patiently listened to the entire story from the liveliest student. When they saw the hole closing, they panicked. Fortunately, Professor [Reader] managed to fly through it at the last moment. She fell into the water with great force. Together, they pulled her onto the boat. She was unconscious and there was no way to wake her up. Even the screams of the panicking Tetia could not do it. However, they helped to alert one of the wizards who was heading towards Kalhn. As it turned out, it was Professor Qifrey, who rushed the injured woman to the hospital. The medic diagnosed several broken ribs and loss of consciousness but reassured everyone that it was nothing serious. The cut on her forehead was probably supposed to leave a scar. For now, however, it was tightly bandaged. 

— Can you leave us alone for a moment? — the man asked, taking off his hat. 

He was answered by the clatter of four pairs of shoes. 

— Professor Qifrey? — Coco stopped. 

— Yes? 

— You have a great girlfriend! — She ran off after her friends. 

Laughter came from behind Qifrey, interrupted by occasional coughing fits. [Reader] put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle but quickly lost all trace of it. 

— Who... told her... that we were a couple? — She laughed heartily. — Not you, I presume?

— I suspect the girls. And they probably heard it from Olruggio. — Qifrey sat down on the bed. — You should think about it.

— That’s a terrible way to ask someone out — [Reader] sighed. 

The man's head rested in the crook of her neck. He must have been tired too. She stroked his white hair. He smelled like his atelier. Maybe she should consider his proposal. After all, they were acting like they were in a relationship anyway. Could she even stay in one place for too long? She wasn't sure but she could try. 

— Have you notified the Knights Moralis about Brimmed Hats yet? — she asked, trying to loosen her grip. 

Qifrey froze for a moment. Something in his posture changed. As if the question had surprised him. He pulled her closer than before. She hugged him back, wanting to ask something. She didn't even notice him closing the circle in the glyph. The ring on his finger flashed. Black background and white signs. The man sighed. He didn't like doing this. Until now it was just Olruggio. Then Mr. Nolnoa too. And now [Reader]. Her body went limp for a moment. Wiping her memory was necessary. He believed it was a sacrifice for the greater good. She would definitely forgive him if she knew. Maybe he would tell her someday. When it was all over. He couldn't do that now. He had to find out what happened all those years ago. Reclaim what had been taken from him.

[asterroses]

sooo the kids in my main worldstate . thank u lily for encouraging me in my insanity

so obviously there is kieran . hes denaris's' and morrigans , hes a special little guy cus he was conceived almost entirely by the blood magic in the ritual . i have to include him cus it feels weird if i dont hes my weird guy ! !

then his sister ; sidony adaia tabris . shes born 6 years after kieran , so sometime during da2 [i think act 3 ? ? ? maybe ?] . shes like a carbon copy of zevran its like den's genes didnt even participate . shes a rogue , she has a wide variety of knowledge abt lizards and amphibians , and shes 15 years old during the veilguard . shes the last of their kids bcus denaris was REALLY unwell during his pregnancy [i think the blight in his system would just be harming him the entire time . makes it hard to conceive AND keep . he was soso sick] so he called it after sid . they didnt even plan for her but shes my babyyyyy

fenris and nikky adopt a tween a year after inquisition / trespasser . theyre an apostate mage on the run from their circle that collapsed , all they had were their phylactery , a grimoire they stole from their first enchanter , and a cloak to keep themselves warm . out of the two of them fenris is thee most protective abt them , even w all his turmoil abt them being a mage . theyre kind of like a mix of humorous and red hawke , but they care so so soooo much theyre really bad at not showing that they care . im naming them sylvan hawke :] honestly its fun imagining fenris being a dad same w hawke . sylv is about 18 ? during the veilguard ? or a bit older . i will figure it out

arcen and dorian have a son who is 6 years old when the veilguard takes place , his name is cylassan pavus-lavellan and he is suuuch a sweetie . his magic developed earlier than expected , which arcen chalks up to him being born a month early . hes a very energetic child with a love of griffons and dragons , as well as fantasy stories his dads , his older siblings and maevaris tell him . his dads utterly adore him and so do i hes just a BABYYYYY

but arcen and dorian ALSO have two apprentices learning magic from them ; valwen learning necromancy from dorian , and mabell learning rift magic from arcen . they have an agott and coco thing going on lolol i need to dev both of them more but i love them . valwen is definitely taking after arcen , and mabell is taking after dorian . both of them are kind of adapting their mannerisms like sponges . she/her for valwen , she/they for mabell ^_^

and then finally in the maxciene worldstate : anna theirin-cousland , born two years after awakening , and one year before maxciene's bastard . she takes the most after alistair personality wise , but looks like a copy of maxciene aside from her eyes . she does nottttt like her mom , nor does she want the throne . bcus maxciene has made it blatantly obvious she had her to keep the throne . maxciene my favorite problematic milf . umm she harbors grudges like no other , she has a lot of pent of anger [alistair is teaching her how to handle it . mostly w using a sword] , and she wishes to be someone elses daughter . ^_^

[outeremissary]

9 People You'd Like to Get to Know Better

Tagged by @turbulentpumpkin43. Thanks for thinking of me! I know I haven't been around much (for reasons we don't need to get into), but truly nothing summons me faster than the email notification about a tag game where I know I'm going to have to say something horribly embarrassing about myself.

Three Ships: I mean, if we're counting stuff with OCs then obviously anyone following my knows Balthazar and Tristian (and the wonderful polycule with Vio) is my number one. Aside from that, the latest volume of Witch Hat has fully converted me into an Agott/Coco true believer. I actually did like the Coco/Tarteh vibe but Agott's special brand of slowly changing rival just has me by the throat. Aside from that? Ummm. Elliot and Leo from Pandora Hearts? Does that count? I did my full reread of Pandora Hearts while afk in September and those two have had me since like 2012 or 2013 or whenever they were introduced in the English release. But now that I'm older and more mature I can better appreciate what the messy later arcs had to give, and that's the beauty of a relationship between equals corrupted by a growing imbalance no one has the strength to acknowledge and devotion so deep it tears both of their lives apart. That's awesome. 11/10, everyone read Pandora Hearts and I'm not even joking

First Ever Ship: Gamers, back in early 2012 when I was in middle school and could only see images on the computer at school because searching for anything visual online was mega bad for rural internet, a friend of mine used a science classroom computer to discover you could find non-canon images of The Legend of Zelda if you searched terms like "Link blue" and scrolled down a couple rows. I distinctly remember this as the first ever time I really understood the concept of "fan art," and more importantly as my entry into fandom as we all began to realize many of these came from the same site: a place called "DeviantArt." Some of these contained such salacious and unthinkable things as two boys holding hands and blushing, and also both of those boys were Link. I was so captivated by these mysterious images that I followed them to their Four Swords Adventures manga RP fandom source, where I am not proud to say the first "ship" I adopted as such was Vio (Violet Link for people who spent their time doing better things at thirteen) and Shadow (Shadow Link, of course). That's right, everyone! It was edgy Link selfcest yaoi between a traitor and an angsty villain all the way down!!! And you know what? When I write that I don't think my taste has changed. Except the selfcest. Mostly.

The other, more respectable first ship I remember not long after that was Ulquihime. What can I say, there's just something about the Stockholm syndrome of it all.

Last Song: No title - REOL. Narrowly missed this being edgy early Vocaloid. I've been revisiting old favorites recently.

Last Movie: I'm pretty sure it was Surf's Up. For whatever reason my friend decided we should rewatch it when I visited him a few weeks ago. Holds up better than it should, but I've rewatched it twice in little over a year and truly that is my Surf's Up limit. That trip was also when my friend forced me to watch Barbie and the D&D movie. Look at me catching up on relevant pop culture only for fucking Surf's Up to be what made this list.

Currently Reading: I'm pretty sure this came up last time, but because I haven't gotten started on a better book since then I'm unfortunately still periodically chipping at The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn. This book fucking sucks. Don't read it. If we could manga and stories that are actually good I recently did a Witch Hat Atelier reread after getting volume 11!!! That volume is. So painfully personal.

Currently Watching: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. JJK is with my friend for weekly hangout, but Edgerunners is a solo endeavor because it was bumming him out way too much. Good show though. Also JJK was way more of a bummer than expected in ways that caught me off guard??? I'm not getting over what happened to that girl, I really got fucking got by that scene. Jesus

Currently Consuming: Nothing. Just finished dinner, where I had a chicken sandwich and fries. I need groceries. It's dire.

Currently Craving: doing something creative, but that would require moving the giant zine pile on my chair........ this is how I'm procrastinating

I'm sorry, but I'm actually not tagging anyone on this tonight! I haven't been on enough lately to know who has or hasn't done it, and frankly I'm not ready to be back on Tumblr enough to map that out. If you're seeing this and want to do it, please go ahead and do it. Tag me like I tagged you, we are collaborators in this and I want to see what you say.

[lorddarkkitty]

I just finished reading volume 1 of the Witch Hat Atelier.

I love it. I like the idea that the witches powers comes from drawing sigils. It kinda ties into our world of how there are witches that do spells through sigils. Although not all of them and of course the magic isn’t gonna work the same but I thought that was really neat touch. I also saw that there will be an anime adaptation with this series too. I can’t wait to watch it. But I now have to buy the other volumes. Ahhh but it so hard to choose what to buy cause I’m also reading The Witch and the Beast and I also want to start reading spyxfamily too.

Anyways the love Coco and her starry eye wonder of the world of magic and her I want to say tenacity hmm… for her to learn magic considering the reason why she’s learning magic in the first place is cause she figured out how the magic is done in her world is throught drawing sigils, and then she drew a sigil she wasn’t supposed to from a book that this mysterious witch gave her like when she was five. This, of course caused some chaos and now she hast to learn magic to undo what she’s done.

I have questions of course. WHO is this mysterious witch in the weird getup with the eye and why did she sell a picture book to a five year old to learn magic? Why did you wait five years for the child to learn how to do the magic? Why did you want this particular child to do something or learn?

Second is I find Mister Qifrey very suspicious. I don’t know maybe it cause I seen many anime that has characters like him that turn out to be bad and I don’t want to get my hopes up. It like a trauma.

Maybe it’s his glasses that makes me not trust him who knows lol.

Then there this one

Her name is Agott. And No I do not like her. Upon meeting Coco she immediately does not like Coco and believe she doesn’t belong at the Atelier. Because only Coco, Agott has been practicing and learning magic since she was small. While Coco literally just started to learn, and obviously doesn’t know anything about the witches world. And while Mister Winfrey was away for two days Agott decides to send Coco on the test that apparently all apprentices must take before becoming an apprentice basically. they have to go to this place called a Dadah and pick a very specific flower.  However, she sends Coco hoping she would fail AND WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM QIFREY because it’s that time of season where they don’t normally do this test for newcomers to become apprentices because it is too dangerous. The altitude I guess it’s too high and Qifrey didn’t want to do that to her so quickly cause they kinda need her to find this other mysterious witch and they can’t do that if she dies.  like Coco got there yesterday and in the time frame Coco only learned so much about the sigils and magic.

Like who are you to give Coco a test? You’re not in charge of anything! you are an apprentice you have no authority. The fact that you thought you can do that in the first place bugs the fuck out of me. Like Coco could have died. Why because you had to take the test to and pass. OH and the fact that you can only take the test once too. Agott really believes she better and shouldn’t have to waste time with the outsider has she calls Coco. But then when Qifrey comes back and finds out that Coco went to go do this test. they open up the window thing to find Coco coming back and she presents the flower to Agott. And man does she look pissed that Coco pass at all. Qifrey even told her that it was dangerous for her to do that and she should know better then to preform magic without completely understanding it yet. That obviously she didn’t need to prove herself cause she was already his apprentice. Personally I think he should have talked to Agott too for puting Coco in that situation in the first place without permission or his knowledge especially since she could have gotten hurt trying or died. Something like don’t do that again or your apprenticeship can be revoked and she no longer allowed to be a witch or something. Like Agott can be upset that’s fine but Coco’s here now and there nothing you can do about it. Like she needs to learn this shit so she can save her mom do you really wanna be the jerk to stop her from doing that. Cause I know Agott not gonna try and save Coco’s mom. I do hope she has character Growth within the series.

I can’t wait to read the next volume. Sorry if I rambled on a bit. I’m excited and don’t have anyone to talk too about these things.

[solarsnapp]

I posted 163 times in 2022

That's 73 more posts than 2021!

106 posts created (65%)

57 posts reblogged (35%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@solarsnapp

@bodypositivemitsurizine

@knyplotrewrite

@teenyzines

I tagged 163 of my posts in 2022

#my art - 40 posts

#not art - 37 posts

#kny - 34 posts

#demon slayer - 33 posts

#kimetsu no yaiba - 32 posts

#kny plot rewrite - 32 posts

#zines - 26 posts

#sketches - 21 posts

#witch hat atelier - 17 posts

#self rb - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 114 characters

#also habibi i hope you do not mind me tagging you in literally anything jjk related im just hyperfocusing big time

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

126 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

#4

[ID: A black and white drawing of Kamado Nezuko from Demon Slayer. Nezuko is a young Japanese girl with dark leaf patterns on her limbs and long messy tangled hair. She is wearing a hemp-leaf patterned kimono, a dark haori jacket, a bamboo muzzle, and thick black cloth pieces around her legs segmented in three bunches by ribbons. She is sitting on a hill, looking towards the top. Her hair is billowing with the wind. End ID.]

raffle prize for @weeweeboy

136 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

#3

[ID: Two black and white traditional sketches of Yuuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen. Yuuji is a tall, fat teenage boy with short curly hair that has an undercut. He is wearing a plain jacket with a thick collar, pants that are cuffed at the ends, and running shoes. The first sketch is a fullbody where he is casually leaning against a rail with a hand in his hair. He’s smiling. The second is a redraw of the “Oh, Ariana, we’re really in it now” meme with Yuuji leaning his head against a poster of Megan Thee Stallion and looking up at it wistfully. End ID.]

give it up for my guy yuuji itadori (if you dont clap for him im gonna blow this place up)

(@keniaku you asked my body hcs for some of the jjk cast a while back so heres yuuji tee hee)

143 notes - Posted October 13, 2022

#2

[ID: Two digital drawings of Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen. Satoru is a young guy with short white hair and a high-collared jacket. He has six eyes clustered on his face like a hexagon, all with black irises. There are floating black eyes surrounding his head in a halo shape. His hands are raised, one pointing two fingers to the front. The second image is an inverted colored version of the first piece, where the eyes are white with significant chromatic abberation around the edges. End ID.]

obsessed with the idea of gojo having void black eyes

204 notes - Posted October 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

[ID: A primarily pink and blue colored manga page from Witch Hat Atelier featuring the characters Tetia and Agott. Tetia is a brown girl with pinky curly hair, some of her hair in two short pigtails. Agott is a light brown kid with short, fluffy black hair. The first panel is a halfbody of Tetia with her cupping her face. She looks deep in thought.

Tetia: I think that being able to become anything you want to, just by changing your outfit, is a kind of “transformation magic.”

The next panel is a fullbody of her clasping her hands under her chin with her eyes closed. She is surrounded by blue and pink clouds.

Tetia: With just a button and a ribbon, you can change the way others see you. And the way you see yourself.

The last panel is a detailed one with Tetia in a princess-like blue dress. She is looking up at Agott, who is wearing a primarily purple and black prince-like outfit with prominent gold accents. Gold flowers crawl around the panel, near the edges of the pink, white, and blue border.

Tetia: An ordinary child can become a princess. Or even a gallant knight.

End ID.]

(mangacap coloring) this is the most trans thing i have ever heard

214 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[labarch]

Attempt at a Witch Hat Atelier timeline

We are still missing a lot of backstory for our main cast, but I thought I’d try and write a timeline based on what we know so far, and explore where their storylines might intersect.

I am pulling these numbers out of my hat for convenience sake, but here are some approximate ages for the characters: at the start of the manga, let’s say Coco, Tetia and Agott are all 12, Riche is 11, and Qifrey and Olruggio are 28.

20-23 years ago: Olruggio leaves his birth town Godley and moves to the Great Hall, maybe as young as 5 years old.

While many witches are born in the Great Hall, Olruggio comes from a town called Godley in the North. Yet he doesn’t remember Utowin, who came from the same place. We know that young witches usually start their training between the age of 7 and 10, but since witch society is awfully elitist, Olruggio would have been sent there as soon as his talent for magic became apparent.

Being ripped from his home at an extremely young age could explain his fear of being unwanted and left behind: he overworks himself as a way to feel useful and validated, is defensive about his own feelings, and he gets agitated and sometimes aggressive whenever Qifrey hides things from him.

20 years ago: arrival of Qifrey at the Great Hall at age 8. Olruggio befriends him soon afterwards. The both of them start sneaking out at night to chase Brimhats.

8 year old Qifrey was one fierce little thing, you have to give him that. His abuse at the hands of the Brimhats was brutal enough to break a grown man, but he picks himself up and goes right after them like “Alright jerks, you’ve got some explaining to do and I want my eyeball back!”.

Also it cracks me up that Olruggio was carrying this massive book in their flashback. Gotta love that his reaction to Qifrey’s “Let’s go chase some terrorists!” was “Sure, let me just pack my homework =>”.

Finally, there might be a slightly more selfish motivation for Olruggio’s fast friendship and devotion to Qifrey. Olruggio’s self-esteem lies in his ability to help people, so he would naturally be drawn to someone helpless. It’s unclear how much of Qifrey’s memory was missing: apparently he didn’t know about birthdays. How many other basic concepts was he missing? Did he know how to read? Between that, his lack of knowledge about magic and his injury, he was probably completely dependent on Olruggio at the beginning. Given Olruggio’s wish that they go back to “the good old times” when they were always together, I am wondering whether some hidden part of him misses being essential to someone. It’s well-intentioned, but not entirely healthy, especially if he is using Qifrey as a coping mechanism for his own insecurities.

14 years ago: Olruggio and Qifrey make a pledge of (betrothal) friendship, exchange tassels and attempt the Librarian test at age 14. It is their last adventure together, but Qifrey will continue his investigations on his own, to Olruggio’s disappointment and betrayal. Qifrey starts wearing his half-tinted glasses.

In the pledge flashback, they are wearing their old tassels, but they have swapped them by the time they undertake the third test. Also, when he remembers that pledge, Olruggio says that Qifrey’s investigation “should have ended at the Tower of Books”. The tower is the last likely place where Qifrey could have found answers about his past and a non-forbidden way of getting his eye back. Olruggio probably made him promise that he would stop his search afterwards.

Beldaruit says that he thought Qifrey had given up on his search after the third test, but Olruggio tells a slightly different story. Apparently he thought Qifrey “finally stopped causing trouble” after taking in apprentices, which means he was still behaving suspiciously right up until he became a teacher. Alaira also comments on Qifrey’s interest in the Brimhats in the first volume, so clearly his investigations were common knowledge among his friends, even as an adult.

Olruggio’s anger whenever the Brimhats are mentioned would then be caused not just by his own fear of forbidden magic, but by the reminder that Qifrey broke his promise to him, and refused to leave his past behind. Naturally, Olruggio doesn’t know about Qifrey’s change in circumstances: he is no longer looking to retrieve what he lost, but trying to stop an impending threat.

Qifrey’s discoveries in the Tower of Books also seem to have renewed his disgust towards his own scar: he starts wearing glasses shortly afterwards, even though his eyesight hasn’t yet started deteriorating.

14-5 years ago: in that interval, Coco’s father dies of illness. Olruggio becomes more and more famous for his magical items, and is given the title “Shining Torch” / “Master of Lights”. His glowstone paths become widely popular, and are installed around the castle near Coco’s mom. Both Qifrey and Olruggio pass the fourth test and complete their training.

At this stage, I really doubt that Qifrey intended to become a teacher. Whatever information he found at the Tower of Books convinced him he had to stop the Brimhats’ plan. He was probably planning to complete his training and then go straight on to his quest, not really expecting to return alive.

There are also hints that this was a strained period for Qifrey and Olruggio: Olruggio mentions that he would like them to confide in each other “just like old times”, which implies that they grew more distant after the Librarian test. I’m suspecting that Qifrey was trying to slowly remove himself from Olruggio’s life, hoping Olruggio would be so famous and beloved by the time they graduated that he would forget about Qifrey and barely notice his disappearance. Qifrey’s self-esteem isn’t the best y’all.

5 years ago: Coco receives the magic picture book from Iguin at age 7 at the Silver Night Festival. The Brimhats stop showing signs of activity. Qifrey takes on his first apprentice (probably Tetia, age 7). He interrupts his investigation of the Brimhats and creates the atelier. Olruggio becomes his Watchful Eye.

We don’t know exactly how old Coco was when she got her book, but her tiny chubby face makes me think she was 6-7. Alaira also tells us in the first volume that the incident with Coco’s mother is the first sign of Brimhat activity in five years. I am thinking that after Iguin gave away the book, he instructed the other Brimhats to keep a low profile until his scheme could hatch.

I also wonder whether Coco getting her book might coincide with Qifrey becoming a teacher and creating his atelier. Given that Qifrey is probably tied to Iguin’s schemes, how coincidental is it that Qifrey wandered into Coco’s village and set her fate in motion? Perhaps Iguin contrived for them to live in the same area so that they would meet eventually. Either he somehow influenced Qifrey’s choice of location for his atelier, or he selected Coco as his “child of hope��� because of her relative proximity as well as her love for magic.    

7 years old is when we could expect Tetia to have passed the first test. For now we know little about her backstory, but we can guess a few things: she is enthusiastic and ambitious, but gets easily side-tracked by pet projects and struggles to stick to the curriculum. She craves positive feedback and is worried her spells and interests will be condemned as frivolous. It makes me think that she passed her first test early, but was then mistreated by her first teachers for being too childish.

We’ve seen that Qifrey has a compulsive tendency to adopt children in distress. It would fit his character if he became a teacher on impulse. Maybe he had to pass the fifth test in a rush to be allowed to keep Tetia by his side. This also brought Olruggio back into his life, as he was the only one willing to follow him away from the atelier as Watchful Eye.

The complicity between Tetia and Qifrey, and Tetia taking on the role of a big sister for both Riche and Coco, also make me think she was Qifrey’s first apprentice. Tetia is often shown teasing Qifrey, quoting both Qifrey and Olruggio, and imitating Qifrey’s teaching style: I can totally see them as a little family of three at some point in the past.  

4 years ago: Riche starts training under her brother’s master, a creepy asshole, at age 7.

We actually have a clear timestamp for that one in chapter 25, woohoo! Riche’s old teacher can eat a brick.

3-2 years ago: Qifrey and Olruggio learn about Riche’s mistreatment in her old atelier and promptly adopt her. Beldaruit takes on Ririfin as an apprentice. Qifrey’s eyesight starts deteriorating. He adds the light protection glyph to his glasses.

Before that time, Qifrey might have intended to put his quest on hold until after Tetia’s graduation, but now his impending blindness puts him on a time limit. He can’t do a lot about it however, since the Brimhats have been keeping a low profile for years and are not leaving him any clue.

It’s unclear how long Riche stayed at her old atelier, and whether she joined Qifrey before or after Agott. I’m hoping she made it out as soon as possible.

2 years ago: Agott passes the first test at age 10. She gets accused of stealing someone else’s spell, is rejected from her prestigious family’s apprenticeship, and joins Qifrey’s atelier.

Agott has been treated harshly by her family for not being enough of a genius. She mentions passing the first test at 10, the upper end of the normal age range. She was probably given a hard time for starting her apprenticeship so “late”, which explains why she is now adamant about passing the other tests as quickly as possible.

I wonder whether she felt ambivalent about joining Qifrey’s atelier at first. On the one hand, Qifrey was taught by the Sage of Education himself and is clearly very powerful. On the other hand, he has only a couple students and lives in a weird little school in the middle of nowhere, a big fall from grace compared to her prestigious upbringing. I wonder whether Qifrey went to find her after he heard she was the object of nasty rumours (he knows a thing or two about those), and Agott didn’t feel like she had other options.

0 year ago: Coco and Qifrey meet. Iguin goes “F***ing finally, I thought I’d have to watch that humdrum one-eyed twink bake potatoes for another five years. It’s dragon-slaying time now baby!!!”  

[cynical-gamer-media]

Coco/Agott Headcanons:

There is a severe lack of headcanons in the Witch Hat Atelier fandom! There also isn’t as much Coco/Agott cutesy stuff so here we go:

Agott refuses to acknowledge that she has a crush on Coco.

Her? Crushing when she is focusing on becoming a Librarian Witch? Ridiculous!

She just has grown to admire her talent as an outsider...

And her smiles...

And her selflessness

Her passion for magic...

How she is confident in her, regardless of what has happened...

She is absolutely not blushing!

But is she good at hiding her crush? Mostly...

except when Coco hugs her, grazes her arm, and compliments her to the moon and back.

Of course Tetita and Riche suspect something.

Qifrey too, but he doesn’t pry (open to listen to Agott if she ever comes to him).

Tetita tries everything in her power to have Coco and Agott together to bond.

‘Oh I JuST goTta GeT soMe stUff~!’-Tetita, through the art of subtlety, leaves the two.

Coco, oblivious to this, is whimsical with the idea of having Agott privately mentoring her.

The two have been having a lot of private magic sessions together.

(Agott will just say it’s because they share the same room).

Coco will take any opportunity to request to brush Agott’s hair.

The first time Agott allowed her made Coco die of happiness.

Riche, being blunt, is like ‘you have a crush on Coco’ to Agott one day and the raven head almost trips over.

And of course Agott denies this... while blushing... Not so convincing.

Riche is tired of the two dancing around each other and gives up.

But is Coco any good at hiding her crush? Yes.

Does she acknowledge she has one? ...Maybe a bit...

Who wouldn’t admire Agott for her strength, her determination, her wisdom, her loyalty--

Coco helps Agott in relaxing and not being obsessed with her studies.

Took a while, but it was worth it: seeing Agott smiling, smiling!, is worth it.

First time Coco heard Agott laughing without a care in the world she was all ‘cute’ and some time later ‘oh no...!’ while blushing.

Coco, suffering PTSD, really appreciates how Agott, unused to physical affection, tries to calm her with soothing back rubs here and there.

When Coco first had nightmares Agott would get annoyed by being awoken up, only to then, overtime, soothe and support Coco.

They shared a bed one night after a terrible nightmare woke them both. 

Agott actually thinks Coco’s green hair is pretty and suitable for such a lively girl. (Spring = liveliness).

Coco blurted once that she thinks Agott’s eyes are pretty and the usually super serious girl appeared flustered.

Coco may had died for a second when Agott eventually admitted that she sees her as a friend.

Over time the two just... know what the other is thinking just by looking at the other.

One time they accidentally held hands after some dangerous event and they blushed so hard that one could see their blushes from space.

It’s going to take a long time for the two to realise their feelings, but hey they’re getting there.

One blush at a time.

[meringuejellyfish]

god that one bonus chapter uhhh 51.5 i believe centered around olruggio who is burned out from work and realizing he kind of hates being an industry witch and then is found outside conjuring beautiful figments of light that have no “purpose” really other than to sort out some feelings and ananad like the ending bit where he just wants the apprentices to remember to do art for themselves and. i’ll write a better thing about it eventually its just very short and sweet and kind of made me emotional the first time i read it LOL also these specific panels are so cute

he got so flustered after agott said something. LOL. he doesnt talk about his feelings often. also awww such a sweet compliment also look at him standing up there

oh and these panels i think about them sometimes

[carbootsoul]

erika+ephriam+lyon for ask game 👀? and a witch hat character of your choosing if you like as well :3v

omg clint you're spoiling me :) also this is mostly unrelated but i was listening to kat flint today and a) her music is so good thank u for introducing it to me years ago and b) VERY witch hat atelier vibes which was fun. im putting my answers under a cut bc i am sooo verbose about characters

eirika: a song that reminds me of them: this is just the first that came to mind but oh what a world by rufus wainwright! oh what a world my parents gave me / always traveling but not in love. the rly interesting mix of idealism and pragmatism that she embodies- both being in awe of and in love with the world and the people in it but also not hesitating to accept that they are in a war and the tragedies that come with it what they smell like: i think for most of the game she smells like sweat and dirt an otp: eirika and l'arachel is actually the best ship in the whole entire world they're sooo funny. they keep meeting and every time eirika is like ???? and l'arachel is just falling head over heels in love a notp: eirika and lyon romance honestly very textually relevant in the game and adds to the story and whatever but they're both so absolutely homosexual that i can't conceptualize it favorite platonic/familial relationships: eirika and ephraim 🥺🥺 but also eirika and seth he's such a good big brother figure!! but also eirika and colm and eirika and tana and eirika and lyon. it's like.. rag tag army as family.. a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: there are like two posts about her on tumblr dot com but her fire emblem heroes characterization makes me insane shut up about your brother shut up about your brother the position they sleep in: on her side one leg curled to her chest

ephraim a song that reminds me of them: omg lies by marina abt his relationship with lyon. you're too proud to say that you made a mistake / you're a coward till the end i really wish we had been able to see more of ephraims reaction to the true story of what happened with lyon, since he obviously forgives him but also seems to be angry about it and that's such a good dynamic. also oc can't let you go / i just want it to be perfect / to believe it's all been worth the fight. they make me... ugh what they smell like: he has also been living in tents for months so he probably also smells like horses and sweat an otp: ephraim and lyon do get to me... 🥺 also he and innes as a like teenage fling is hilarious to me they're so funny to each other i can't believe they don't have supports a notp: if i ever see another incest joke i'm killing someone favorite platonic/familial relationships: he and his sister are so good!! they're so siblings! a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: again i have never rly interacted with the fe fandom but something from canon i disagree with is the assignment of the sun to him and the moon to his sister he is so obviously the lunar twin im furious abt this the position they sleep in: absolutely sprawled out. he takes up as much space as is given to him

lyon a song that reminds me of them: ache with me by against me just happened to be playing rn but it's very him. do you share the same sense of defeat / have you realized all the things you'll never be / ideals turn to resentment, open minds close up with cynicism / i've got no judgement for you / come on and ache with me. what they smell like: roses but in a fucked up revolutionary girl utena way like the roses symbolize something sinister an otp: lyon and ephraim.. admittedly lyon is kind of carrying why this ship is compelling with his tragic backstory but ephraim is such a boy so he's important too a notp: see eirika :/ favorite platonic/familial relationships: he and eirika and ephraim as a unit are so important to me they are so [unintelligible] a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: i haven't rly seen this much but i guess any tendency to soft-boy him bc of his character design like this guy sucks a lot and he has a lot of flaws that almost ended the world :/ the position they sleep in: hugging a pillow

and for the wha character.. agott bc she's so girl :) a song that reminds me of them: pretty little things by the crane wives! but trust is now something i make people earn / so i'm not inclined to just give it away / to a pair of blue eyes with some nice things to say what they smell like: grass in the best way possible! an otp: she and coco are SO !! im in love with them. sasunaru dynamic but better in every way. all the panels of coco hugging or complimenting agott and agott blushing furiously are the new wonders of the world. shipping kids in media always feels a little weird but i think they're a rly cute like first crush dynamic a notp: i dont think she's been shipped with anyone else lol favorite platonic/familial relationships: agott and olruggio are rly interesting to me! i've probably just drawn lines between them because they're both grumpy but i could definitely see agott becoming for coco what olruggio is for qifrey and i love when children are friends with their adult narrative foil it's about helping the younger generation overcome the things that they couldn't! it's also about olruggio being able to connect with agott because they're both grumpy :) a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: not a headcanon bc again the fandom is tiny but so much of her tag is ppl being mean to her about what she did in the second (?) volume like yeah that was mean but she's like 12! 12 year olds do fucked up stuff all the time they're still learning what interpersonal relationships are the position they sleep in: on her stomach clutching her pillow a crossover au i’d love to see them in: anything that would allow her to say swear words my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: the like single panel where tetia is getting mad at her about not liking wearing costumes and it shows her dressed as a prince! she looks so good

djskflj i feel like i wrote a novel about each of them and tbh i do not know if u will make any sense out of it but thank u for sending this it was super fun to think about them for a while!!!

[bemused-writer]

Witch Hat Atelier Fairy Tale Pictures

What does one do when they have insomnia? Write more meta, of course. Since I went over the Valentine pictures for Witch Hat Atelier, I figured it would be fun to also over-analyze the fairy tale pictures! I'm just going to preface this with the warning that it's been a little bit since I've read any fairy tales so... if I get anything wrong that is why. (^^)"

I'll start with Coco here, who is very fittingly depicted as Alice from The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. There's no doubt that Coco has landed in a mad world, one she's always dreamed of but found to be much stranger than she expected. She's curious and bold, so Alice seems like a good pick. I don't think that kid was scared of anything. 8D And she was definitely willing to investigate everything around her! Having said that, she wound up in a lot of trouble because of that, and while things turned out all right in the end, there was a lot of danger along the way. Perhaps Coco's journey will be similar.

Agott is Snow White, but she's not about to be tricked into eating that poisoned apple. If anything, she might be the one experimenting with it! Visually, Agott fits Snow White pretty well: fair skin, dark hair, etc. There's also the matter of her liking company more than she lets on (our "seven dwarves" or just the other students). Another thing about Snow White: she's very helpful and diligent. She cooks and cleans with all her might. Likewise, Agott works hard to teach her fellow students (Coco in particular) and winds up being more of a team player than she probably expected. Because of Snow White's helpful nature, I think it's fair to expect Agott to take on a similar role in terms of being someone you can rely on; I expect Coco will come to rely on her as the series goes on.

Tetia is ... Puss in Boots? I think? I can't read the Japanese there. Anyway, assuming that's what she is, I have to admit I'm not terribly familiar with the tale, so I looked it up! It seems to be a rags to riches kind of story that emphasizes working hard and passing various trials. Wikipedia also notes it emphasizes dressing well, and Tetia is certainly stylish with her desire to customize her future witch's hat.

So, the rest could certainly be applied to Tetia. She works very hard and always with others in mind and she may have been poor. We know the least about her, so it's hard to say much about how she's similar to Puss in Boots outside of her being courageous and working hard for her goals.

Olruggio's makes me laugh. XD I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be Sleeping Beauty (I think the vines are a reference to what the Prince fights to get to her?) and that's fitting enough because, well, the man really wants to get some rest. However, let's not leave it at that and let's see if we can find something a little deeper to his being Sleeping Beauty!

Well, Sleeping Beauty is induced into a magical sleep that can only be broken by true love's kiss. And she falls into this slumber because she's been cursed. As we know, things haven't been going great for Olruggio in the latest chapter and he has been "cursed" to lose his memory. A symbolic sleep, if you will, where he is unaware of what is happening around him, just like Sleeping Beauty. Likewise, this can only be broken if something jogs his memory. Whether it's a "prince" or not remains to be seen.

Qifrey is continuing the Alice in Wonderland theme to compliment Coco, which is suiting once more. He is the rabbit that so famously led Alice deeper and deeper into the mad world of Wonderland and, well, that kind of speaks for itself here. (^^)" The rabbit may not have had evil intentions, but he wasn't perfectly helpful either.

Tartah is Pinocchio, and I like this take in particular. He wants to be a "real boy." That is, he wants to make his way in witch society regardless of his impairments. Pinocchio finds joy in the end when his wish is granted after he's honest, and as we can see Tartah is an honest boy. Perhaps this means happiness is in his future and he will be permitted to study magic? That would suggest witch society itself changes, and that couldn't hurt.

Beldaruit is the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, which means we now have a trio of madness being passed from teacher to student. The Cheshire Cat largely amused itself and had no qualms with messing with people. Yeah, I can kind of see how Beldaruit fits the bill... But the Cheshire Cat didn't really intend to cause harm either; arguably it offered advice. Beldaruit is always extending his hand to others, but it often results in the negative (Qifrey and Coco both). Will he be able to change this in the future now that he has a new student?

We don't know Suzie too well yet, but here she is portrayed as Cinderella! Hard working, stylish, and a wish fulfilled all characterize this princess, and I can see these qualities in Suzie as well. She must work hard to be an assistant at her age and she definitely has style. Will she have a wish granted? Hard to say at this point, but I'm rooting for her.

And then there are all of the Knights Moralis depicted as mermaids. This is actually quite fitting: nowadays we have a tendency to think of mermaids as positive creatures. Beautiful, alluring, all of that. But they're also dangerous and willing to lure sailors to their deaths. Likewise, the Knights Moralis should be trustworthy and they're certainly all very stylish, but as we've seen they take their methods too far and become more like vipers. Fitting indeed.

Riche and Euini share the same theme: Little Red Riding Hood with Riche as Little Red and Euini as the Wolf. This fairytale gets interpreted a lot of different ways, but straightforwardly it's about a girl trying to reach her grandmother while being hunted by a wolf. We know Riche cares deeply for her brother and wants to make him proud. We also know that she and Euini are inextricably tied together, though the hostility of the relationship in the original fairy tale is replaced by mutual care and growth. They need each other and have learned from one another. Riche takes the lead and Euini follows, sort of like Little Red and the Wolf. I'd say these two are the closest we have to a "canon" couple, so it makes sense they'd share the same fairy tale.

And that's all I got for now. (^^)

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 7/11/20

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 1 | By Tamifull | Viz Media – This title has a lot of things going for it, once you get past the “draw them in with sex” opening pages. It’s a college-aged relationship, still rare enough to be notable. The pair get together very quickly, but navigating being a couple is different for both of them—they have different experiences in lesbian relationships, different comfort levels in being “out,” and different ideas of when they can move forward in terms of intimacy. It’s a push-pull that feels more realistic than a lot of the yuri manga that end when the couple get together, and I’m not entirely sure that this series will end with the couple together. There’s also one really weird friend who can’t keep her mouth shut—I liked her. Want to see where this goes. – Sean Gaffney

How Do We Relationship, Vol. 1 | By Tamifull | VIZ Media –Miwa Inuzuka knows that it’s totally normal that she loves women, but she still lacks romantic experience, despite her physical attractiveness. Just when she’s about to come out to the first friend she makes upon starting college, upbeat and unabashed Saeko, Saeko beats her to the punch. And since they’re the only lesbians they know, they decide to try dating. This is kind of an unromantic start, but I still really enjoyed this first volume. Miwa’s and Saeko’s personalities come through clearly, and all of the hurdles in their relationship come from who they are as people. The one thing that bugged me is that twice Tamifull cuts away from a scene of conflict and picks back up after apologies have been rendered off-camera. That’s kind of unsatisfying. On the whole, though, I’m really looking forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 15 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – There is a good amount of humor in this volume—Ice Kaguya’s desperately obvious attempts to do couple things, and Shirogane’s equally hilarious denseness, is a highlight, as is the Christmas party. But for the most part the drama is more interesting, as “Ice” Kaguya is in charge but her headstrong and blunt approach merely sends a stressed-out Shirogane into the hospital. Their views are polar opposites (she doesn’t want to hide her real self, he desperately does) but talking things out helps a lot, and their second kiss is quite sweet. There’s still a lot more ground to cover in this title (Ishigami’s love life, Kaguya’s awful upbringing, what’s the deal with Hayasaka, etc.), but at least the main premise of “when will they confess” has been put to bed. They’re a couple. – Sean Gaffney

Little Miss P: The Second Day | By Ken Koyama | Yen Press – The second volume of this manga that teaches people about periods has stories that are a lot more long-form than the first. A young couple’s relationship can’t survive a vacation with Little Miss P; two people who don’t match their gender norms deal with periods and a zombie manifestation; an elementary school has a co-ed discussion of periods; an alien couple are trying to get pregnant; a middle schooler who’s been bullied into not attending school worries about her future; a manga editor deals with something that ISN’T her period; an ovarian cyst; and an idol competition is filled with periods and various remedies. This may be better than the first book; it has more variety, and is very well done. – Sean Gaffney

Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – This series is very pretty and likable, but it has to be said it’s not really breaking any new ground. There’s a lot of standard shonen beats here, and you can easily guess what will be happening next. Theo has to learn to work together with another woman who is arrogant and haughty, and does so. He has to think that he’s done horribly at one part of the test and become convinced he’s failed (he hasn’t). He has to meet a random crotchety old woman and befriend her, only for her to turn out to be much more than she seems—check. That said, provided you don’t mind not being surprised, this is good stuff, helped along by the lush, expansive art and the occasional action sequence. It’s a good series that I think we’re already caught up on, but hopefully more soon. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 12 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – Every time Richard and Buckingham are on the page together I want to drop this. I really dislike their relationship and the power dynamics that it shows off. And yes, I know it’s not meant to be a good thing, but that does not change the fact that I hate it. That said, there’s always one woman being awesome at some point in this series, and for this volume it’s Anne, who is given a fine chance to kill her husband and get away with it, but finds the idea that everyone she is surrounded by being a horrible person rather appalling. As such, she chooses the devil she knows, but does it with BADASS panache. Meanwhile, the War of the Roses continues apace, though we’ve wandered far from Shakespeare here. A problematic fave. – Sean Gaffney

Something’s Wrong with Us, Vol. 2 | By Natsumi Ando | Kodansha Comics – I mentioned last time that I wasn’t ready for the author accelerating immediately to ‘everything is awful’ quite so fast, and that doesn’t let up here, as things go from bad to worse with Nao. She’s banned from the kitchen, the family HATES her with varying degrees of “I want her literally dead” to “I want her to simply go away,” and even Tsubaki, her husband, indicates that if “Sakura” ever appeared to him again, he’d make her disappear. Really, it’s amazing Nao is able to concentrate on sweets at all. That said, Tsubaki may want Sakura to disappear, but he’s slowly falling for Nao, and she for him. They consummate their marriage at the end of this book, but… are things going to get worse and worse? – Sean Gaffney

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 3 | By AidaIro | Yen Press – While the first two volumes firmly established Hanako as an enigma, some of that mystery begins to unravel with the third. Up until this point, much of Hanako’s past was only hinted at. But with the introduction of important new characters in this volume come distressing new revelations about who he really is (or was, considering he’s currently a ghost). The comedic aspects of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun and the goofiness of many of its characters keep the series from becoming overwhelmingly oppressive, but there are still some pretty dark elements. Both Nene and Kou—the closest things to friends that Hanako has had in a long while—wanted to know more about him than he himself had revealed; now they have to come to terms with what they’ve learned and how it will impact their friendships. I look forward to seeing how Toilet-bound Hanako-kun continues to develop a great deal. – Ash Brown

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – It’s hard not to make the entire review “OMG GORGEOUS,” because so much of what I love about this series is the artwork, which never gets tiring no matter how much you reread it. There’s more to it than the art, though. The girls’ test was interrupted, and they’re brought to one of the Big Witches in this world, who demands as a make-up test that they simply surprise him with magic. This doesn’t go well at first, but after realizing that they should work together to do this, they come up with a brilliant idea (Coco) and execution (the others) to win him over. Even the translation is great, with some hilarious wordplay around Agott’s name. This is one of the best manga releases out there right now. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[lorddarkkitty]

So I’m reading Volume 2 of Witch Hat Atelier. I will be tagging this is from now on as wha spoilers cause i will mention stuff or else it be hard for me to talk about lol.

So I’m reading volume 2 of WHA and I’m already angry not even a couple of pages into the book lol

Towards the end of V1 master Qifrey took the girls to this town so he can get Coco ink and pen for her. Coco and the other princesses wander off down the alley in the alley, teleports them to an unknown place that basically that has a dragons.

So obviously, in volume two, we see that they run away from the dragon they distract it so they can think on how to escape. Tetia is freaking out and saying “ why did I have to get dragged into…” while looking at coco insinuating that this is Coco’s fault when it not. SHE IS 10 how is it her fault y’all walked down an alley and got teleported. (I can’t remember but I think coco saw the brimmed cap witch that gave her the book when she was 5 and started to follow her cause Coco wants Answers duh and the others follows her but like that’s their own fault lol )

Any way Coco spots something in the distance that the dragon is guarding and trys to tell Aggot but accidentally messy Aggot up in her drawing of a sigil which then Aggot just rips into Coco like so harshly like Coco then just forgot to tell them. but they cast a spell to break a tunnel through the wall.

We also find out the the ppl that are after coco are called the brimmed caps that’s are witches that wear hats and masks from this Bygone Era that hide their faces and practice forbidden magic

Tetia ended up apologizing to Coco and summoning this cloud spell of hers which generates an idea for Coco that they can do to distract the dragon and get to the seal which surprises Aggot cause Coco also took into account that she might fail so the plan wouldn’t put them in harms way. Master Qifrey ended up finding them too and the brimmed cap go coco and slipped her something for later use.

They return to the Atelier quickly after the incident and life kinda just resumes with Coco struggling to study ( which I feel so deeply)

Eventually Master Qifrey like “ okay time for a break let’s go make lunch” which they do and the others besides Agott join in and they go eat lunch outside under this bridge cause it raining but the sun comes out shining through the clouds so Coco rushes back to get abhor and runs into a new character named Olruggio.

Which master Qifrey and him talk and stuff but it starts pouring some more. Something happens and a person comes to their atelier seeking help cause their carriage has gone over into a river and there are some ppl in the carriage. So everyone goes with Master Wifrey to go help. mostly him and Olruggio while the girls help tend to the ppl. Agott really wants to prove herself because there is another test she needs to take. There are 5 test in total so she eager. So they help the ppl in the carriage and everything seems alright so master Qifrey and Olruggio to up stream to see see if everything alright.

BUT one of the ppl from the carriage was trying to get the stuff from it cause it’s like products to sell and he slips and not a boulder on his leg coco also slips and down there with him. and the ppl are begging Aggot to do something and she freezes cause all eyes are on her now. And she thinkingback to when she was younger and lol the ppl saying she dull or average in magic compared to her mother. I’m assuming all the awful comment are coming from family member which explains Aggot attitude and eagerness to get better as quickly as possible. She feels the need she has something to prove which is her motivation. Coco shouts from below bringing Aggot back to reality and so they work together. Agott has to cause a distraction sooooo Coco can cast a spell that she learned to turn rock into like sand and she can’t do that if everyone is watching her from above so Aggot does so. And Coco was able to get the guy free and was able to get him up the I want to call it a hill or a cliff but I guess that’s what I’m gonna go for like a hill. Or up the bank from the river.

Apparently these new guys come called the Knights Moralis cause Coco spell has changed nearly the landscape itself into sand. So the Knights are accusing the girls of being the brimmed caps and is about to erase both of their memories. the seem to be the ones that keep order and erase memories of those that find out how witches cast spells. I hate them cause they are making assumptions without any evidence. Which ends V2 with Aggot and Coco being tied together and floating in the air with sir asshat. Lol. Overall I still don’t trust master Qifrey cause he trying to find the brimmed caps and get close and we don’t know what his end game is. Also the Brimmed caps what their deal and why target Coco? Also I’m holding out hope that Aggot spending some time with Coco will help her grow more as a person cause I think at the moment she has one end goal and she gonna do whatever it takes to achieve it.



[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 12/21/19

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 3 | By Mika Yamamori | Viz Media – There’s less humor and more romantic drama in this volume, but that’s OK as the romantic drama seems to be slightly better. It helps that the teacher rejects the student, though I’m sure that’s not the end of it, and that scene manages to be the best in the volume. That said, Suzume is not the only one Shishio’s having issues with, and a lot of this book amounts to “sometimes you really do break up for the right reasons even if it doesn’t feel like it.” Honestly, the best relationship in the series so far may be Suzume and Yuyuka, who aren’t a romantic pairing but have the potential to be great friends provided they get past the love quadrangle. This is shaping up to be decent shoujo. – Sean Gaffney

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 | By Gege Akutami | VIZ Media – Yuji Itadori is a member of his school’s Occult Research Club and when he finds a cursed object (a mummified finger that he eventually eats – ew!) he gets involved with a group of jujutsu sorcerers aiming to collect all the fragments of a powerful demon before they fall into the wrong hands. Spurred on by his dying grandfather’s words that he should help people, and by the realization that he’s the only person who can nullify the demon fragments before they cause more harm, Yuji joins up with their cause. This first volume was intriguing, if a bit gross at times, but Yuji feels really flat as a protagonist so far. I’ll keep reading for a bit in hopes that it all becomes more compelling. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 19 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – This has always been a fairly saucy manga for Nakayoshi, and it feels appropriate that the final volume has Yukina and Shigure, now a couple (if you’re surprised perhaps you should look at the cover), snowed in and Yukina being far too forward… at least till she’s taught that sex really is a step too far for someone still brand new to her feelings of loving someone else. Elsewhere, the manga is somewhat satisfying—I just don’t like Hisame, and even though the triangle with him and Mami is left unresolved it feels like he’s going to win, which doesn’t make me happy. But Yukina is cute, and we even get a callback to the glasses/social awkwardness thing. This was VERY up and down, but worth the ride. – Sean Gaffney

Monster and the Beast, Vol. 2 | By Renji | Yen Press – I enjoyed and was greatly intrigued by the first volume of Monster and the Beast, a somewhat unusual BL manga, so I’ve been looking forward to reading the series’ second volume. As the plot continues to develop, it’s revealed that Liam’s natural charm isn’t entirely natural. He puts it to honorable use in this volume, but it seems it’s gotten him into trouble more than once in the past. While Liam and Cavo travel together, Liam softens and opens up a bit towards his companion, making it clear that he actually does care for him and isn’t just taking advantage of the demon (something Liam would be completely capable of). As for Cavo, he becomes a little more daring in expressing his feelings and desires, although he still gets delightfully flustered. Monster and the Beast has its cute moments as well as some deadly serious ones. – Ash Brown

Our Fake Marriage, Vol. 2 | By Kiwi Tokina | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Yae Sendo is living with her chidhood friend Takumi Natsume, now a famous architect, and posing as his wife to act as a buffer for all the chicks who want to bone him. Of course, he immediately starts putting the moves on her. Where are Yae’s family and friends to question this arrangement? Nonexistent. This premise was not the best to start with, but things take a downhill turn in volume two when Takumi tells her, “Resist if you want to. But I got no intention of stopping tonight.” By this point, she’s into it, but still.. this man basically said “I am fine with raping you” and it sends up no red flags! I assume readers were supposed to find story this sexy and/or romantic, given the implication that Yae was Takumi’s first love, but I find it icky and problematic. I shan’t be reading any more. – Michelle Smith

PENGUINDRUM, Vol. 1 | By Isuzu Shibata and ikunichawder | Seven Seas – Once again, I have not seen the anime this is based on, and I get the sense that a lot of the imagery probably works better when watched rather than read. Two brothers are dealing with a sister who’s dying, only to find her corpse possessed by the spirit of… something. Now they have to find a Penguindrum… and are not told what that is. And, on top of everything else, they run into a girl who’s very, very obsessed with her teacher. There are tidbits of a very interesting story here, and the possessed Himari can be quite funny (SURVIVAL! TACTIC!), but as with a lot of Ikuhara series that aren’t named Utena, I find it very difficult to get emotionally involved with it. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 12 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – I asked for more of Takane and Hana smirking at each other, and instead I get to what amounts to Takane losing his mind. He finally admits his feelings to Hana, who’s a bit poleaxed, and then proceeds to be an absolute ass for almost the entire rest of the book. He still has no idea how to properly interact with a girl he likes, and I hate to break it to him, but the solution to a relationship between a rich heir and an underage schoolgirl is not “well, whatever.” Hana spends much of the book simply exhausted, and I felt like that as well. Hopefully the next volume will get back on a more even keel, as I just don’t like Takane when he’s like this, and I don’t think Hana does either. – Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 18 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – MORE Negima flashbacks, as the author tries to sell me on a Negi/Eva romance I still really don’t want, and essentially finishes giving us the backstory related to how things got this way. Next it’s time for more romantic stuff, as Chamo wants Pactios. Kirie isn’t able to do it because of her power, but Kuromaru can… and finally works up the nerve to confess about their future gender choices. Tota, of course,l takes everything in stride, but still it feels as if, as with Negima, any romance in the series moves at the speed of a slug. We also add in Karin towards the end, who wants to pactio with Eva but is steered towards Tota, and confesses some of her past as Judas Iscariot to him. If you’ve read all of both series, this was OK. – Sean Gaffney

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 11 | By Rei Toma | VIZ Media – I never doubted for a minute that this series would have a happy ending, but man, Toma-sensei really nailed the Water Dragon’s God’s terror in the face of mortality as well as Asahi’s abject despair when she believes he has died. It’s heartbreaking (and relatable). I also loved that Subaru’s confession prompts Asahi to take the initiative and get her smooch on with the Water Dragon God, and that he cries from his happiness. I will try not to think about how they’re going to navigate their future together and just be happy that they’re together. Looking forward to more Toma-sensei in the future! – Michelle Smith

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 4 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – Another of the quartet of young apprentices takes the spotlight: Richeh, who wants to make her own magic and hates compromising. Sadly, that makes it hard to take tests, and she’s doing the next one, along with Agott and a third apprentice, a young man who seems to be abused and belittled by his instructor, but has a wealth of knowledge once he gets over his self-hatred. As always half the reason to read this is the art, which gives us the snake-like path that the test-takers travel down. And of course there’s Coco, who may not be taking the test but still finds a way to get herself into trouble, though more accurately trouble comes to her. This is still gorgeous and compelling. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown