#wow i haven't posted rf here yet...

[skarschu]

tpot 15 screenshot redraw!!! yay!!

[whalechief]

I wanna try the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag for 2023 :3c

Will post below cut with what I've read thus far this year~ (minor spoilers ahead for *checks notes* Atlas Paradox and How to Sell a Haunted House (but not rly that last one)

Best Book You've Read So Far: OK, I went back and forth because there were some good reads (🥁) this year. I will say both Ninth House and Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (both from the Alex Stern series) | I think this is the best introduction into dark academia, truly. It's rarely in a lull, but never too much going on at once. All characters seem to be important in their own way, if not now then later, and I just...I love the characters aaaah!!

Best Sequel You've Read So Far: The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake | Obviously spoilery, but as a Callum fan, I wanna say that the fallout of what happened in book one was very interesting to see in a character with his personality. The first instance we see of him is who he 'takes on' in the mind test, expecting one of the others but finds himself. I just...man, I focused so heavily on Callum and Tristan that I forgot a large chunk of the rest, but I know it was all good...I just hyper-focused for a moment, OK?

New Releases You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To: Yuwu by Meat Bun | I have the copy, I had it pre-ordered, but...well, another book you will see down in the post put me into a slump, and now I am slowly working my way back to physical copies (I've been audiobooking the last month or so), but I've seen fan art and I'm feral already for that good shit

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year: I'm blanking completely, a lot of things are coming out around right now that I want to read and it's been hectic, BUT for sure Yellow face by RF Kuang

Biggest Disappointment: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix | You ever read something so shit that you go from rinsing through books, reading non stop, to....like a full on reader's slump for weeks? Yeah, it took me 3 weeks to pick up another book entirely, I hated hated that book...ugh. I finished it, but at what cost? My time, given to a cast of characters that are all entirely shit. That is why I'm only at 27 books into 2023...

Biggest Surprise: Paris The Memoire by Paris Hilton | OK, I knew a bit about Paris Hilton's dj and had sort of heard something about her time in the reform places, but...wow. She really is out here exposing your ass, Provo Canyon School, get fucked. I think if you're wanting to know what kinds of places Dr Phil sent kids is like from the inside perspective, Paris went through it again and again and also fuck men and the male gaze. Anyway, love Paris, want the best for her, xoxo

Favorite New Author: Ali Hazelwood, probably. I have only read Love Hypothesis so far, but I am eager to jump into her other works. I am also interested in reading more of Holly Black's work, as I've only read The Cruel Prince and am curious if she holds up!

New Favorite Character: Hm...Darlington from Leigh Bardugo's Alex Stern Series | At first, he seemed pretty cut and dry, cookie cutter Yale boy. Yeah, well we were WRONG OK? He's beautiful, amazing, deep, deserves to be pegged, OK I said it.

Book that Made you Cry: I am not a crier, so I did not cry. However, I will say that I was left emotionally cold after finishing No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai | The character is technically fictional, but to find out at the end that this is...just technically a fictional character, and we don't know what happened where we left off but have a good idea is....Yeah, had to pause it during seasonal depression because it was too heavy for my mental state at the time.

Favourite Page-to-Screen Adaptation: I've seen the trailers, so it counts. Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 | I read this after the anime first aired, and I will never not be excited to see Toji on screen. I will not spoil anything, I will just sit back and be Big Excite.

Book You Want to Read Before the End of the Year: Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber and The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan...and also A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab I know, it's been out for forever and I own a copy, I just keep starting it and...idk what happens, but I forget to read it...

Anyway, this was fun ✌️ will be posting every reading update on Goodreads, as per usual. Add me on there, my name's also WhaleChief on there.

Full list of books read in 2023 (bottom is first, top left is most recent):

[4ishipit]

Part 3! Read part 1 here! And part 2 here!

Episode 5! This epiosde was so cute! Its so nice to see them all getting to know each other and having fun! And of course they can still mange to seek some trans coded Mome!

Ai's mother: "Oh, my! Aren't you Mr. Sawaki's...?

Momoe: "Momoe Sawaki. I'm his niece"

Ai's mother: "what a pretty young"

This literally asking pronouns introduction, which many trans people love! Ai's mother doesn't say "are you Mr. Sawaki's nephew/niece?", she instead lets Momoe introduce herself and state that she is his niece. And state that she is a girl, and Ai's mother says that she is a pretty girl, omg, you're the best! More trans coding and trans interactions!

"If you were a guy, I'd want to date you."

Omg Rika stop being so horny on main, go to horny jail *Bonk*. Any way, Momoe is still uncomfortable when Rika says that, its like a "ha, thanks" *dies inside* moment. She is happy for the compliment but still doesn't like being compared to a boy. Which as you can guess, is something trans women experience, or any trans person experience. Especially around cis people who know nothing, they try and remind the other person they aren't who they get mistaken for. Such as this line with Momoe, "if you were a guy", "if", and then be like "but you're not". Common pre-transition, trans experience? Definitely trans coding!

"Haruka was willing to see me as a girl."

Does this one really need spelling out? "See her as a girl", if she was cis, wouldn't people see her as a girl? Yes, she doesn't pass as a girl, cis or not, but people are way more accepting a cis women as a women than a trans women. Geez, even the t*rfs who watched this show saw Momoe as a girl, as they thought she was cis.

So very little people willing to see her as a girl, Haruka was, her mother kinda does. Her mother lets her have a girly bedroom and attend an all girls school, she also calls her "momo-chan" momo can be short for momoe or momotaro. "Chan" is used with family, small children, friends and sometimes women. But then why does she still wear masc clothing? maybe she is butch? doesn't have alot of fem clothing (which is true she has like, one dress). I think it could be her fathers influence? We haven't seen him on screen yet, it was only her and her mother eating at the table. We know he probably exists; Ai stated that she and rika are the only ones with single mothers. He could be more conservative? Maybe? And bargained with her that she she could be fem in private and attend an all girls school as long as she isn't fem in public or something? We also know that Mr. Sawaki probably accepts her as he is a School Councillor, and would be more open to sexualities and gender identities. Also when Ai's mother says to Mr. Sawaki that she met his niece, he doesn't say that she isn't a girl instead he just carries on the conversation. So much trans coding! Wow, I infered all that from one line? My English teachers would be proud!

We don't get much Momoe content in episode 6, as its mainly focusing on Ai's feelings for Mr. Sawaki. But the writer still give us a single sprinkle!

"They're super cute!" Both Momoe and Rika say this in union, just pointing our she still really likes cute and fem things and obviously wants more fem things. (Just like in the ending pic!) Boom trans coding!

In the next 3 epiosdes we don't get much, mainly beacuse in epiosde 7 they deal with Rikas trauma, the epiosde 8 was a recap and episode 9 focused on Neiru.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for female society"

This line is said by Neiru who is talking about how she doesn't fit into stereotypical female behaviour. She says she talks to logically, compared to other girls. I like how this is said to Momoe, another person who doesn't stereotypically fit into "female society" either it be beacuse she is GNC or is Trans. It works either way.

Then, even though the gang is together, we still don't get much time for them to explore/ hint at Momoe being trans, but they still kinda mange too!

"Yesterday, Rika and I got worked up talking about fun things to do."

Omg that is so cute! This isn't as trans coding as much as everything else, but it was still a cute way of saying Momoe finds it fun to do fem things. She even wants to go to school for it. I also love the idea that Rika, an idol, who is used to wearing make up and being overall fem, helping Momoe learn make up and stuff. That would be so cute! Or Momoe has practiced alot for what ever reason and teacher Rika, and Rika lets her beacuse she knows it makes Momoe happy. Omg!!!

Then that leaves us with the latest episode, I want to make a post all on its own, so I'll do that later. Bye for now!