bibi

If you don't like what I have got to say, then just block me. Also, I love getting asks, so ask away, I guess!

[bibibbon]

Due to the various scam posts and asks, there are about donations for various reasons. I will not be posting any ask that asks for a donation simply because I don't want to cause any misinformation and wouldn't like people's money going towards a scam.

If anyone does want to donate, please do your own research and donate to a trusted charity or organisation that you know is 100% certified.

[gh0st-offline]

I wanna see them as a duo

Manga spoilers below 👇

Both Tetia and Tartah are characters heavily defined by their empathy. They want to do what they can to help the people around them, which causes them to have an ideological clash with the rules that pointed cap witches need to follow.

[bibibbon]

We should also talk about how Tetia and Tartah are both fully radicalised in the silver Eve arc due to the experiences they have with outsiders: Tartah is fully radicalised since his arc started before hers. Custas and Eoleo, two outsiders who show Tetia and Tartah the nuances of society that the witches code dismisses and can't help. They both aim to help Custas and Eoleo. Tetia helps Eoleo by providing tents to the injured and by hiding him away from those guards in chapter 52. Tartah tries to help Custas by telling him that Dagda can be saved if they get him to King Ezrest, a doctor who can treat his injuries. Tartah and Coco also try to help Custas through other ways like providing knowledge and the flying gadget before the silver Eve festival.

What's ironic with Tartah and Tetia is the constant acknowledgement by Shirahama about how 'outsider like' they are as witches. What I mean by this is that both Tartah and Tetia have multiple arts or in-text acknowledgements of them being similar to outsiders. Tetia is compared to a princess, while Tartah is compared to a regular unknowing who can't use magic. Its even more interesting that these acknowledgements reflect their relationships with an unknowing (Custas) for Tartah and a prince (Eoleo) for Tetia.

I would also like to mention that Tetia and Tartah's relationship with outsiders lead them close to the brimhats. Tartah joins the brimhats to find out the truth and to help Custas. Tetia's connection with Eoleo is also connected to forbidden magic as the Ezrest family are descendents of healing witches, and the brimhats wanted to give the silvertree seed to King Ezrest. Ultimately, this makes Tartah and Tetia vaguely connected to the silvertree seed with Tetia's connection to it, probably strengthening over time like Tartah's.

Tartah and Tetia both break the witches code in the Silver Eve arc. Tetia learns how to use herbal medicine and apply bandages to patients injured by the curtain leech. Tartah brands himself with a truth spell and joins the brimhats. Their acts of breaking the witches' code are followed by the threats of the Knight moralis. Tetia is threatened by the twins but is saved by Richeh and Agott's quick thinking. Tartah is threatened to be sent to Adanlee, and the only thing he can do is leave pointed cap society.

Now theory time!!!

As we know, Restys, Ininia, and Custas were all on a mission to deliver a bottle of silvertree seeds to King Ezrest. The brimhats are known to use the silvertree seed for their medicinal research. They most likely sought to give it to the king to form an alliance and discover forgotten healing magic. However, they failed to do this, and Resyts, after discovering what happened with Custas, chose to delay the mission. This means that the brimhat trio is likely to make another appearance in Ezrest. Not to mention that Tartah and Ininia now both have emotional ties left at Ezrest. Nolna is still looking for Tartah and chose not to return to khaln in chapter 90. The same probably goes for Galga and Atwert, who are implied to have stayed in Ezrest looking for Ininia.

Now we have Tetia who finds herself with Eoleo's brushbuddy. She definitely intends to return it to him whenever she is able to meet him next. This also means she will most likely travel to Ezrest using the window to try and deliver it. On top of this, tetia and the brimhat trio aren't the only ones with business left unfinished in Ezrest, but so is Richeh. Riphillin and Beldaruit currently find themselves stuck in Ezrest's Castle. With Richeh's arc focusing on staying true to herself and helping the people she loves, there is a high chance that once she hears about Riphilins' predicament , she would also have business in Ezrest to be dealt with. Also, Richeh's depictions as a Knight make me believe that she will help in saving Beldaruit and Riphillin.

All of these characters are now connected to Ezrest. It is possible that after this arc, we will have all these characters meet in Ezrest. This would mean that there's a high chance of brimhat/undecided Tartah meeting Tetia as they both try and break into the castle for their own reasons: brimhat trio to give King Ezrest the seed and the atelier to help save Riphilin and Beldaruit. Through this, there's great potential for Tartah and Tetia to be put in a position where they are required to utilise healing magic or medicine to help save someone. This arc can also feature Eoleo possibly being recruited by the brimhats. I would love to see an Eoleo and Custas interaction focusing on class disparity and privilege but also interactions focused on losing a parental figure.

Ultimately, an arc like this would help dismantle the balance between witches and monarchs and fully redefine said balance. King Ezrest may discover the truth of magic alongside his son, and the atelier is likely to use the window way to help rescue Riphilin and Beldaruit. Plus, if either Beldaruit or Riphilin are injured, then I can see Tetia or Tartah using healing magic or medicine to help them.

[agottsbiggestfan]

I didn't even realise that so many people hate Tartah for joining the brimmed caps. I personally saw it as the only logical way for his story to continue.

If he had refused the offer, that would've been very out of character for him.

Think of it like this: You're disabled and can barely do this thing you're really passionate about. You struggle 10 times more than the average person, and most of the people around you tell you that there is no way to make this thing you're into more accessible. You're angry because the adults refuse to even look for ways to help you since it's illegal for some reason. Why is it illegal? Why is no one explaining it in more depth other than 'forbidden magic bad'?

Why wouldn't you turn to the only group of people who claim to have a way of helping you? You barely even know anything about these people. Are they really as bad as everyone says?

Can we, as the readers, even consider the brimcaps the bad guys? Despite their mysterious and creepy nature, they do have a point when it comes to making magic more accessible, even if it is some sort of manipulation tactic.

The pointycaps aren't that innocent either. Especially in Tartah's case. From his perspective, they are definitely way more suspicious than the brimcaps. Both groups are morally grey if anything.

And let's also note all the foreshadowing. From the moment we meet Tartah, up until the moment he joins the brims, we see that he's very frustrated with the system that the pointyhats have created. He constantly questions things. It is only natural that he turns to the other side when he gets no answers.

I also see many people point out that Tartah is a child and that he doesn't really understand what he's doing. I'm not a big fan of this take since I really doubt that he would've done things differently if he were an adult. Joining the brims wasn't some tantrum to prove people wrong, but a decision he made in search of the truth.

I find all the hate Tartah gets very sad. As a disabled person, I find his anger very relatable. Not every disabled person is going to do nothing. Some can and will try to fight against the system and Tartah being that somebody means everything to me.

[bibibbon]

I would understand people disliking Tartah for the altercation he had with Coco in chapter 87, but I simply don't understand hating or disliking him for joining the brimhats. It makes total sense for him to join them, considering what he experienced and what he currently seeks: the truth and to help Custas. On top of that, if Tartah were to simply stay and not join the brimhats, he would be sent straight to aldereen no ifs or buts because of the burned spell on his arm. Again, all of this just confirms Tartah's beliefs that the adults won't help him or Custas if they knew the position they were in, which just means that he can't rely on them. Even with the altercation, there seems to be a lack of nuance when it comes to analysing it. Tartah did what he did out of desperation and the belief that it was the only choice he had. While it wasn't good and it hurt Coco, those are legitimate reasons, and Coco also betrays tartah by going to Qifrey and telling him the truth. Again, both betrayed one another (I am not saying what Coco did was bad, but it was a betrayal) except the fandom views Tartahs actions as objectively worse because he goes on to join brimhats.

I would argue that even with their altercation, you can still tell that these two care for one another and that their actions later on are influenced by one another. Chapter 87 is evident of this. Tartah sits with custas, contemplating his actions towards Coco and in general and what he is going to do next. Coco goes to Qifrey directly, seeking the truth from him. Why does he know about the silvertree? Who exactly is Qifrey?

[gh0st-offline]

I'll always find it a little silly when people who defend Agott like their life depends on it treat Tartah like the spawn of Satan for his actions in chapter 87, then defend it by saying the difference is that "Agott apologized"

Agott did apologize. In chapter 58. That's 55 chapters AFTER she sent Coco to the Dadah Range. This doesn't make her apology any less valid, and it was definitely something she needed to do before she and Coco could grow closer, but it took time. It's been 10 chapters since Tartah betrayed Coco and he hasn't had a single appearance since. Comparing the two on the basis of who has and hasn't apologized is just silly when the circumstances are so different.

I think it's also pretty clear that Tartah didn't even realize how badly he hurt Coco until this moment. We don't know exactly what was going through his head when he chose to force the truth spell onto her, but judging from his prior characterization across the series, I highly doubt he was being purposefully malicious.

With all that being said, while I don't think Agott and Tartah are a fair comparison in general, trying to justify one while demonizing the other is hypocritical at best. At the end of the day, while they've both hurt Coco, they're still just children doing what they think is right in the moment. They're not evil, they're not the villains of this story, their choices and actions are shaped by the lives they've lived and how they've been failed by the adults in their lives.

[bibibbon]

My main issue with this argument is that it always manages to diminish the complexity of both Agott and Tartah for the sake of which ship is better based on how they treat Coco.

Yes, Agott and Tartah are parallels, but their character arcs are distinct to the point that comparing their actions and scaling them on who was worse seems illogical to me.

Tartah and Agott are two societal rejects. They were both deemed unfit to become witches of the calibre that was expected of them. Agott was rejected by her family and her mother for her "childish magic" and "lack of talent." Tartah was rejected by witches and masters because of his silverwash. These rejections make them adopt rigid societal views that are altered by Coco and Custas. Their interactions with outsiders, slowly becoming friends with Coco and custas, alter their worldview. Coco's unique ideas deviod of the rigidness installed in them by witch society spur them on to deviate and stay true to themselves. Tartah is able to find a way to accommodate himself in an abelist society due to Coco's help, and Agott is able to dismantle the toxic views from her household by interacting with Coco.

Ultimately, Agott's journey to fully dismantling her prejudice is a gradual and well written one. We see with every interaction how she manages to break away at old beliefs, beginning to see Coco as a witch on par with her and slowly develop her own criticisms of the witches code. Her prejudice fully breaks away in the silver Eve arc, where her and Coco's relationship is at its strongest, and we end up getting the most iconic Arcko moments. During this arc, Agott is able to access a safe space created by Qifrey and the other Qiflings. Even though she is an incredibly hyper independent character, she luckily has a support group present and is able to express herself freely. On the other hand, Tartah (another hyper independent character) further withdraws himself and slowly goes on a spiral, losing trust in adults to the point that he joins the brimhats because of how sick he has gotten of witch society.

Both Agott and Tartah are radicalised by their own experiences. Agott goes on to dismantle the views of witch society while Tartah arguably goes a step further and dismantles his views surrounding the whole system itself: how witch society even functions in the first place. Agott is implied to hold such criticisms, yet she doesn't voice them while Tartah is someone incredibly loud about the beliefs he holds.

In the end, Agott and Tartah both hurt Coco as a result of the beliefs they held and acted upon. While it was neither characters intentions to hurt Coco the way they did, they still very much did hurt her as both were acting out of pure impulse. They end up recognising this later on. To me, they're both children, and in a society that focuses on how children are an oppressed group, it makes sense that hurt children will hurt others even if that's not what they mean to do. I can't particularly bring myself to hate either of them. Look at how much pressure Agott was under to the point that her individuality was at stake due to her desire to prove everyone wrong and conform. Look at Tartah's own exclusion from society over and over again for something that he couldn't control but could easily be accommodated for. Look at Agott's hardworking nature and the way she needs to wrestle with the fact the fact that she isn't some prodigy but has had to work tirelessly to reach the point of profiency she is at just for it to be discredited by those around her because it isn't the right type of magic or it isn't what they expected. Look at Tartah and the horror of having to see your friend and his father struggle economically and medically speaking while you have no way to help them because you know whichever adult you turn to will wipe their memories and on top of that your friend turned into a tree: the same tree at the shop you work at with your grandfather and its the witches hiding all this information. Look at how society has failed both of them and led them to the point of acting in such extreme ways while we have been shown that they're good-natured kids at heart.

[bibibbon]

How it feels to debate with my friends that the pointed cap witches are wrong and that magic should be accessible to outsiders, but they disagree, and they're anime onlys so my examples of this are incredibly limited.

I never said the brimhats were good and never said that magic should be unregulated but that society is getting nowhere by hiding magic, and it's done more harm than good.

[silverwashedstar]

Is it just me or do these two look like-

extremely similar?

Something something two boys who were told they'd never go anywhere in the world because magic isn't "for them".

Two boys who dealt with it in opposite ways— one becoming a brimmed cap and one becoming a knights moralis.

I would LOVE to see these two interact— Utowin out on a mission, see a boy with a pain in his eyes that he recognizes as his own. A chance to say the words he always wanted to tell his younger self–

But Tartah is a criminal. Utowin is supposed to arrest him.

No exceptions...

[bibibbon]

I love this!!

I literally have something similar in my drafts that I was planning on writing out, but procrastination got the better of me 😓

[wondersmark]

Okay but olruggio believing and forgiving qifrey every single time he finds out the truth to the point where qifrey jumps the gun on the memory erasure because experiencing and then losing that kindness was becoming too much is truly one of the most heartbreaking things in fiction I’ve ever experienced.

[bibibbon]

I have seen people posting these around, so I thought I would try it out!

Character version!

Link

Smile actually ranked higher than what I expected. I think I would have replaced him with Nice, to be honest.

Ship version!

Link

I am surprised Luo/Cyan didn't make it on the list at all, but overall, the ranking seems decent. Although, I probably should have ranked xiacheng and shangyang on the same level for me.

[bibibbon]

Sue me, I really want to know what Tartah was going to say about Custas to Coco in chapter 50

[bibibbon]

Galga and custas are both agile characters that end up performing in some way shape or form: Galga performs in the silver Eve festival opening with the Knight Moralis while Custas is a minstrel who has learned multiple dances and performed them with Dagda. However, both Galga and Custas end up with an injury that significantly impacts their place in society. Galga's injuries lead him to become an 'outsider/unknowing' as his memory is wiped by Ininia while Custas's injuries expose him to the knowledge of magic and make him a 'knowing'.

In some twisted way, Galga and Custas sustain their injuries when they are outside of uniform but are still trying to accomplish their 'duty'. Galga loses his memories, trying to do what HE BELIEVES is right by attacking Dagda, who had forbidden magic on him as well as rescue the children he believed were held hostage. On the other hand, Custas is injured when he tries to retrieve his and Dagda's belongings from the carriage because those belongings are their only viable economic lifeline as minstrels. Ironically, Custas and Galga are injured near bodies of water and are later rescued by witches: Galga is found by Atwert, and Custas is rescued by the efforts Qifrey's atelier.

While they're at a low point, Galga and Custas are found by Atwert and Tartah, who are keen on helping them. Atwert and Tartah aid Galga and Custas through teaching them: Atwert takes in Galga as an apprentice while Tartah teaches Custas about medicinal herbs and the alphabet. While Atwert successfully takes in Galga and is implied to teach him more about magic, Tartah expresses regret to Coco about not teaching Custas magic after he leaves with Dagda.

In their efforts to help the two, Atwert and Tartah experience the structural societal barriers reinforced by witch society. Teaching Custas magic is forbidden because he is an outsider. Restoring Galga's memories is forbidden because that is healing magic. Healing Custas's legs is also forbidden because that is healing magic. Atwert and Tartah are left with nearly nothing to help Galga and Custas directly, so they go about convoluted ways in doing so: Tartah teaches Custas what is permissable for him to learn and Atwert takes in Galga as an apprentice as a short term plan. Either way, both of them come to critique the laws in place, and Tartah breaks them in order to help Custas while Atwert is foreshadowed to also break them soon enough to help Galga.

However, it's important to note that even when Galga and Custas experience such dramatic character changes and progressions, a key part of them is still present. Galga still tries to help Ininia and saves her life even though she erased his memories (he isn't aware of this or of how the witches system works). Custas, while despising the pointed Caps and their ability to ignore his and Dagda's suffering by hiding information, still ends up offering knowledge and the pen to Jujy, who desperately wants to save Hieheart.

Both Atwert and Tartah choose to stay by Galga and Custas's side while also trying to seek more information on the predicament that they find themselves in. Something something Atwert commenting directly to the Knight moralis that Galga is "important to him" while Restys simply sees the situation unfold and comments to Tartah that "this boy is important to you, isn't he?" Not to mention that Adanlee is brought up for both duos: if it wasn't for Atwert's intervention Galga would be taken to Adanlee and if it wasn't for Tartah choosing to follow Custas and join the brimhats he would be sent to Adanlee for the spell branded on him.

Chapter 88 depicts the two duos next to one another side by side. Chapter 90 also reveals that Galwert don't go back to the Great Hall or a pointed cap predominant area as they choose to stay in Ezrest while Tartah and Custas abandon pointed cap society and become affiliated with a new society. This ultimately depicts how both of them have been pushed away from pointed cap society and are essentially 'outsiders' or misfits who don't fit in to the rigid system.

[hopetilia]

Something something... Tartah and the focus on his eyes...him not seeing the world in colour but in greyscales...something something...him not being distracted by the glitz and glamour of the witch world instead the only thing is the truth...and that is grey...the one big lie he told backfiring so catastrophically...something something...him opening his eyes on that last panel with Custas...holding that seal directly into the "camera"

(also: Custas being one of the few character that are predominantly black/white/brown (aside from qifrey and olly) so he's one of the few characters tartah sees in truth...)

[justjill72]

Calling all my wha healthcare workers!!! What do you think the line in the sand is for knowing medicine? Cause its quite clear that the witches are allowed to wrap wounds and give out 'medicine' from what qifrey says in ep 7 but draw the line at giving someone motrin to bring down a fever at the hosptial??? We also see qifrey having knowledge of herbs that can help with certain things and we know thornbark tea is basically coffee. Idk I think all witches should know at least basic life support and maybe even a bit more for those who have apprentices. Let me know your thoughts cause I have been thinking about this for a while.

[bibibbon]

From my understanding, ALL knowledge of medicine is forbidden, which includes basic first aid.

However, pointed cap witches still learn some basic form of first aid, but make sure to conceal this from the Knight moralis.

Shirahama points out that Coco's knowledge of how to make a cast when Coustas was injured was because she was an outsider. This hints that witches don't know how to make proper casts, especially ones who are closest to the Knight Moralis or in the great hall.

Shirahama also reveals that Tartah's ability to treat Coco's wound and wrap it up was because he used to get injured a lot while crafting wands. Not only that, but due to the multi-use nature of the herbs, he naturally gained information about their medicinal use. Not only that, but Tartah is socialised like an outsider would be. He is friends with outsiders. He goes to school with outsiders, and he primarily wonders in an outsider town most of the time before travelling back by ferry. This disconnect from magical society makes him more open to information, and we see him hide his witches hat when learning about medicine with custas, which Coco later on calls him out for breaking the witches code.

The closer the witch is to the Great Hall, the less they know about medicine and the more they refuse to learn. It is implied that Tetia learning about how to treat those who have been bit by the curtain leech is illegal. The way the Knight Moralis react also indicates that it is illegal for a witch to know how to treat wounds or even help apply bandages to an injured person. The closest a witch can get to medically help anyone is to help produce and acquire medically needed items like clean water and bandages. This further indicates that Richeh's knowledge of producing a makeshift cast for Beldaruit in the silver Eve festival was also illegal.

On another note, we are shown the strict regulations that are implemented on witches from the great hall as Riphilin himself is prohibited from any knowledge of medicine or how to help a bedridden beldaruit.

[bibibbon]

While I don't have much evidence for this theory, the more I think about it, the more I start to believe in the idea that Iguin is another host of the silvertree.

From Iguin adding his own blood to the bottle of ink and the theory that he and Qifrey are clones or at least share more than what meets the eye (pun intended), it just seems fitting for Iguin to be another silvertree host who has also lost an eye. The imagery of one eye is heavily present with his character similar to Qifrey.

If Iguin is indeed a silvertree host, then he could parallel Ininia. Ininia and Iguin are two silvertree hosts who have never had the silvertree emerge on screen compared to Coustas and Qifrey, who have.

On a different note, it's quite intriguing to see the similar mannerisms that Iguin and Ininia share. Two seemingly aloof witches who view forbidden magic as the right way to do things. They are witches who are incredibly critical of the witches code and use forbidden magic to reverse the effects of Dagda and Euini's injuries and transformation. The two witches try and make Coco join the brimhats with Iguin calling Coco their saviour and Ininia calling Coco a friend.

[vaguely-concerned]

man.........

[timelockedwitchgoblin]

Olruggio/Qifrey parallels with Atwert/Galga

Galga's and Olruggio's memory being erased pivotally changed their relationships. Every day, Atwert and Qifrey have to carry the memories of what their partner forgot. The past in which they could have been open and honest and known everything about each other has been shattered.

->They now have to live in these "roles" to one another just to be together. Galga and Atwert being apprentice/master, and Qifrey and Olruggio being master/watchful eye. These roles allow both couples to live together but tbh it's dubious how effective they are at their jobs, given their history it's probably a conflict of interest.

->How far will Atwert and Qifrey go to get back that future they wanted?

Atwert is determined to dedicate his life to restoring Galga's memory so they can be together again. Qifrey will stop at nothing to find the brimcaps and rid himself of the Silverwood curse. He wants to be able to be honest with Olruggio, the man who has shown him constant kindness and forgiveness. He wants to be able to feel happy and comfortable in his life in the atelier, to look up at the stars like when they were kids, to move forward and be the best teacher he can be to his students.

->Or will they make do with this new path, and try to find the small joys?

We haven't seen this play out yet for Galga and Atwert, but it's a realistic alternative if his memory can't be saved. For Qifrey and Olruggio we've experienced all the little domestic pockets of happiness they find in cooking together and raising the girls

[bibibbon]

It's very funny to me that the two people that Qifrey sees aspects of himself in are arguably more similar to Olruggio than him.

[bibibbon]

As early as chapter 1, the narrative establishes that magic is "what makes the world vibrant." Not only that, but magic is directly connected to the cycle of life itself. Magic is a source of vibrancy. Magic is a source of light. Magic is a source of warmth. These are concepts that have been repeated over and over again within the narrative, whether that be through Igiun's teachings, olruggio's magic, or the knowledge of silvertree and how magic ink comes to exist. The myths of the silvertree and the star maiden also confirm this notion, and so does the continuous use of that myth in the silver Eve festival.

On the other hand, the narrative also pushes for the alternative view that a world absent of magic is a "cold and lifeless" one. "A cold gust of wind" in the city of Ezrest is brought up twice within the narrative, which is ironic because this is the only city where we know that magic doesn't work at all in the Ezrest castle. While by this point in the timeline, winter is approaching, and the cold can be associated with that, it's important to note the grave expressions that both Beldaruit and Viviana both wore when discussing the omen.

If magic is life itself and manifests itself in every living being in one way shape or form, then the absence of is equivalent to death. Magic is deeply interwoven into the cycle of life, so what does it mean when it is no longer present? This idea is best explored with the ever-changing dynamic between witches and monarchs. Every witch and monarch myth we have come accustomed to has presented witches as a powerful source of life or the ones that manage to stay alive compared to the monarchs who end up dying and bringing on destruction as a result. Now that the monarch and witch friendships have been strictly eliminated, we find this life and death (magic vs no magic) relationship manifest itself in a different form: in the form of King Ezrest who is called the king of life and Beldaruit expresses concern over him gaining knowledge of magic and becoming the king of death as well.

The gust of wind is very likely to be an omen connecting witches, dragons (monsters), and possibly monarchs. Shirahama has depicted a monarch riding a dragon but hasn't explicity introduced the character yet in the series unless the mysterious figure in chapter 96 is her. This connection likely works to centre an arc on olruggio and Tetia, who are two characters heavily intertwined in monarch relations. On top of this, the setting of the arc is incredibly similar to Olruggio's past: A cold winter encountering a monster and those in need of help.

On top of this, I wonder if Eoleo and Tetia are bound to establish a new standard for witches and monarchs. Eoleo desperately wants to become a witch and have magic in his hands that he willingly traded his Prince cloak for a witches uniform. On the other hand, Tetia has repeatedly been labelled as a princess in canon and in shirahama's official art. There is a possibility that the mysterious women may be a witch and a former monarch herself and is supposed to be a direct parallel to Tetia.