#Cassius;; Study

[ofthescatteredstars]

Happy pride month! In honour of pride, here's a small gender and sexuality rundown of the main + a few of the side muses on this blog!

Soup Thornshield is pansexual, is currently in a polyamorous relationship with both his companions, and is a gender-nonconfirming man! His other-world counterpart, Orchidus Flores, is also pansexual, but is still experimenting with labels and gender expression as of his current chronological development. Unlike Soup, Orchidus has a slightly stronger preference for men.

Dejin Rafaello Stabile is a gay man - known, accepted, and beloved by his Crownswatch companions for his relationship with Yorgos Megalos, who was also gay.

Khiye Vasilescu is a trans woman, and is also a lesbian. She would also class herself as being demiromantic. Her 'familiar', Nowhere, is unable to really express how she feels about either thing, so let's leave her alone for now.

Garur Drakejaw is transmasculine nonbinary, and while they also proudly identify as bisexual, they are slightly more sheepish about admitting that they are grey-aromantic, if only because they have so much trouble actually talking about their feelings.

Cassius Crow, as a minor and a huge shut-in, has had no time to consider these aspects of himself. However, as he grows up, I like to imagine that he eventually finds comfort in the genderfluid label.

Sage Henriette Frazzlespark is, much like Khiye, a trans woman and a lesbian, happily married to her wife of 20 years, Juniper.

Tomoe, having temporarily escaped the restrictive confines of the Tatsuta no Dai Jinja, has begun to question her own sexuality. If asked, she would suppose herself to be, at the very least, bicurious.

[ohmystarrynight]

One last swim before summer ends and the next semester starts

Clark is NOT COLD.

[laikaru]

I saw a wlw version of julius caesar at the theatre recently and it‘s been on my miiiind

[curiositysavesthecat]

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[voraxiia]

⁺₊ ﹙ㅤ𝟑-𝟓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 .ㅤ﹚

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐒 :ㅤvermillion , like the gleam in his eyes . ruby , lapis lazuli , amber , and emerald green of the jewellery he puts on .

𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 :ㅤit’s hard to say . some say he smells of honey and ripe fruit , like figs , with a faint, almost heady sweetness . some find his scent clean , grounding , unlike the scene he’s often found in . the very rare few who are not under his spell , say a particular metallic smell , however slight , forever lingers on him . it strikes their gut feeling a slight , wrong way .

𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐍 :ㅤflowy shirts , with a cinched waist . dangling earrings . sharp nails .

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 :ㅤan old , yet still sharp as ever , dagger with its hilt encrusted in gold and ruby , he has to be careful not to hurt himself on it . a necklace with fangs belonging to ... some creature , that’s for sure , he made it himself ! his small perfume collection , in case his charm starts wearing off before they get to the main dish ( his date ) .

𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄 :ㅤa killer smile ! carries himself with buoyancy and flair almost theatrical at times . serpentine in his fluid movements , rarely standing straight or still , likes leaning against his person of interest . eye contact is what sets his spell in motion , what becomes hard to pull away from .

𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 :ㅤred , red , red . definitely inhuman . you cannot look away . whispers of passionate promises and fervent worship tumbling out one after another . sharp teeth sinking deep , marks an unfortunate prey's last throes .

tagged by :ㅤ@hopeharmed ( ♡ ! ) tagging :ㅤ@villain-he , @asinusxdomi , @starpoacher , @fangier , @killerhubby , @intcritus , @heincus , @strawbelina , @nezumivc103221 , & if you haven't done it / want to do it c:

[xkcdbracket]

Literal March Madness

Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life. Novel by George Eliot

Ides of March. Assassination of Julius Caesar

[chikaoofka]

A set of 3 little things with Cassius, which were supposed to be, like, "how to make backgrounds all ornate-looking and cool-looking" except I kinda lost that by the end (very sad). They still look cool though lol

background only under the cut, cos they, similarly, look pretty cool

[zingstarling]

Shoves my OCs on your TL and call me koh the face stealer the way i stole Conrad Veidts face for my OC Cassius and sorta stole Norma Shearers face too (yes i have a crush on a man whos been dead for 80+ yrs)

[vesperpharsalius]

How does the Hangar 17B chapter change after your take on Cassius and Darrow's relationship development? Can't imagine Cassius would be calling himself Darrow's brother after that 👀

Well, of course not! They aren’t Venusians!

Jokes aside, I appreciate the ask! I honestly hadn’t given this much thought, but it’s a fascinating question—to me, at least. I apologize in advance for how lengthy this answer is, lol.

The TL;DR is that Lysander would be offended by their relationship and it would shatter Cassius’ delusions about his nature, making the whole episode decidedly sourer.

I think Hangar 17B (and the entire Lightbringer segment) was very much a Cassander moment, as it should be. What I mean to say is, Cassius’ relationship with Darrow was only tangentially relevant and the nature of their relationship (romantic, sexual, platonic, etc) was even less so. That said, I think 17B would happen, more–or–less, as it did in the canon, unfortunately.

There’s at least one significant change that would ensue from the canon–divergence of More Than Brothers that comes to mind and several smaller ones, too. Although Cassius wouldn’t mention his relationship with Darrow with Lysander during their initial conversation on the Lightbringer, I think Lysander would be perceptive enough to realize something had changed.

Certainly, he would’ve noticed that Darrow and Cassius are wearing rings. Of each other’s hair. Huh.

And, once he put two and two together, he would lose what little respect he has left for Cassius and their interactions would become much tenser.

Ultimately, I don’t think Lysander is capable of overcoming his deepspine racism towards Darrow. The idea that Cassius had sex with a Red—the possibility he’d been dominated by a Red, that he could be in love with a Red—would be just… repulsive to him. He’d be outraged on Cassius’ behalf.

And, since he already questions the legitimacy of Cassius’ conversion to the Rising—the idea that it could possibly be genuine or that it’s ever ideologically sound for a Gold to choose the Republic—he would inevitably reach the conclusion that Cassius is acting irrationally because he’s in love with Darrow; that he’s been seduced and essentially become his Pink—and we all know how Lysander feels about Pinks.

Thus, he’d feel much less conflicted about killing him. It would seem almost merciful in his eyes. I think he’d still give Cassius an opportunity to leave, but—in the moment he kills him, at least—he’d feel more confident about his choice. Like he’s putting down his sick dog. And I don’t believe he’d be able to conceal this from Cassius.

In MTB, I try to make sense of Cassius’ actions from his perspective; to explore his state–of–mind and what his intentions/justifications could’ve been, for all that he did—throughout the canon, really, but especially at the end of LB.

I’ve done my damndest to give Cassius agency and make his death clearly register as his choice—even though neither Lysander nor Darrow can understand it—because it was. Theoretically, he could’ve left, but he didn’t try; he chose to stay. Why?

The majority of MTB is admittedly self–indulgent smut, but it’s also an attempt to answer that painful question in a way that gives credit to Lysander where it’s due but doesn’t reduce Cassius to his lovesick mark—and I managed to convince myself, so there’s that.

In the canon, his designs in Hangar 17B are left (deliberately) vague. Does he believe Lysander will kill him? That he could kill Lysander? Is he trying? Or is he sacrificing himself? Does he think guilt might still change him? Or does he want to destroy him?

Goryhell, Cassius—get up here and explain your death to the class.

There’s lingering tenderness between them in the canon, even in Hangar 17B, that gives credence to the view that Cassius is not renouncing him; that a softer interpretation of the scene could be valid. Without getting too deep into it, there’s definitely a sense—in my take, at least—that Cassius thinks he’s to Lysander what Darrow was to him back in MS, that if he keeps extending his (painfully overeager) hand to him, eventually, Lysander will take it.

Because Cassius perceives Lysander’s actions as a rejection of the Republic rather than the Rising itself, that he’s someone with semi–valid criticisms of the way Mustang governs and Darrow prosecutes the Solar War, someone who thinks the Society is the lesser of two evils. In other words, he sees Lysander as the well–intentioned Reformer he pretends to be—and Lysander believes himself to be.

I repeatedly stress in my fic that Darrow’s (accurate) view of Lysander, and his advice to Cassius regarding him, sadly doesn’t register—and that doesn’t change after they become lovers. Cassius is still not listening where Lysander is concerned, because he cannot believe he’s truly that putrid and unrepentant, because he thinks they’re kindred souls.

But, despite his idealistic pretensions, Lysander hates Darrow, first and foremost, because he’s a Red; because lowColors are subhuman to him. At the end of the day, the boy is racist, pure and simple. Cassius has his own issues with bigotry and prejudice that even, as of LB, he’s yet to overcome, but it’s important to note that Cassius’ commitment to the Society was born, fundamentally, of love.

Ultimately, the Family Bellona are Cassius’ touchstone for morality and the crux of his existence, even fifteen or so years after their deaths; his greatest aspiration has always been to become worthy of his name, although his interpretation of what ‘worth’ means has evolved far beyond what they were capable of understanding, within the limitations of their Society mindset, by LB.

This is the seed of a much longer discussion, but the point here is that Cassius chose the Society for the same reason he later chose the Republic: out of love, a transformative and salvific love. Lysander, on the other hand, chose the Society out of hatred and fear, even if he can’t admit that to himself.

If he wasn’t able to hold his tongue here (and how could he possibly; he’d be ridiculously offended) or if he intentionally confronted Cassius for ‘disgracing himself’ or something along those lines, I think Cassius would finally see him as he is.

And he would find it ruefully hilarious that Lysander didn’t already know how he felt about Darrow, because he thinks it’s painfully obvious. Lysander certainly should know, but as with so much of his twisted perception of Cassius, this is willful ignorance on his part.

Throughout MTB, Cassius tries to make sense of Lysander’s actions and he’s frustrated by his inability to do that; to decisively judge him. But, in this moment, he can—he sees right through him, and it’s satisfying, even though it hurts. It would make the harsher interpretation true: that Cassius is attempting to kill him, that he no longer believes Lysander can be saved/changed and he’s not trying anymore.

He would still be melancholy, I think, but instead of mourning the person Lysander used to be and hoping he might return, as he seems to do in the canon, he’d be mourning the person he thought Lysander was and the death of his decade–long delusion, which is both more and less depressing; more, because he ‘failed’ completely, and less, because it gives him closure.

It’s worth mentioning, imo, that although Cassius certainly perceives Lysander’s downward spiral as the fault of his upbringing and blames himself entirely for what transpired between them and all the evil that Lysander has wrought—and many characters in the canon agree—this is objectively false.

Cassius’ ‘responsibility’ (if he can be said to have one beyond keeping Lysander safe in the midst of war where both sides wanted him dead, as that was certainly a full–time job that nobody else expressed an interest in doing) was to teach Lysander right from wrong; to hold fast to his principles and live by example, to the best of his ability. He did this. He showed Lysander a different path and show him what Gold should be, what they could be.

Lysander chose not to walk it, for various reasons, including C–PTSD from his childhood that all–but–doomed Cassius’ attempt to reform him. But, while Cassius was certainly not perfect and Lysander is a victim, it’s important to remember that, as of IG, Lysander is a grown–ass man who should be held accountable for his own shittiness. Unlike most of the Golds in this series, who were raised with fascist indoctrination poured down their throats, he knew better—and still chose to be worse. Kindly judge him for that.

I think the canon implies Cassius was content with his fate and my take honors this. Obviously, he would’ve preferred to live, but not at the expense of his mission (to protect innocents victims of the war he takes responsibility for starting; to make reparations for his crimes, generally; to become a man his father would be proud to call his son), and he’s grateful that he managed to squeeze in some hot gay sex with Darrow. He was not expecting that, lol.

Darrow is a touch greedy; you get the sense that no amount of time with Cassius would ever satisfy him, because he wants forever—who doesn’t? But Cassius is happy with his lot.

(For the record, as y’all know, I’m not convinced that canon Cassius loves Darrow platonically, but he’s not truly pining—not after eighteen years. Neither is mine, really. He fully anticipated that he’d get rejected and already made his peace with that, to the extent that Darrow actually has to convince Cassius. He’s the hesitant one, even after Darrow dives in with tongue.)

As for the smaller changes...

Cassius would die with the picture of Darrow tucked into his armor, where he always wears it, against his heart. (This is my invention, lol.) Lysander would find it and burn it. You get the sense in the canon that he blames Darrow for Cassius’ death and that would be even more true here, because he would realize that Cassius was always in love with him (because, as I mention in MTB, Lysander knows about the picture, but not what it’s of) and he’d be livid.

Cassius would not get sundeath. He’d be cremated and brought back to Olympia, to be buried at Eagle’s Rest. I’m not sure if it’s canon or just an invention of mine that Martians, generally, prefer to be buried, but I know lowColors do, and I think Cassius would choose that. He would want Darrow (and Lyria) to mourn him in the Red way, as a conscious rejection of both Lysander and (Society) Gold values.

As for the quote, lover does rhyme with brother, lol, but idk, something about that doesn’t feel right. Dare I offer… husband? It was their honeymoon, after all. Who knows? Maybe they get married in the sequel. Stranger things have happened. Darrow is traditional, you know. And it’d be a helluva Fuck–You to Lysander. Regardless, his last words would be a more forceful rejection of Lysander than we got in the canon.

God, I really rambled on, but what can I say? You unleashed me, anon.

[ofthescatteredstars]

( what does your soul smell like? )

Cassius is... Fresh Linen

key words: refreshing, wit, humour. you are a relaxing person to be around and leave a positive impression on almost everybody you interact with! you're always sending the funniest memes in the groupchat and when you really like someone you can talk to them for hours on end. compatible with: fresh linen, grass and rain, rosewater.

Tomoe is... Candle Smoke

key words: self-assured, courageous, intuitive. you are an expert at overcoming your demons and should be proud of how brave you have consistently shown yourself to be. others are amazed by your perseverance, strong personality, and unapologetic uniqueness. compatible with: coffee, freshly baked bread.

Khiye is... Coffee

key words: intelligent, old soul, complex. you are an extremely thoughtful individual with a creative mind and loving heart. being around you is like sinking into a warm bath. there's something truly wise about the advice you give others, and being in your presence leaves others feeling warm, reassured, and inspired. compatible with: coffee, candle smoke, freshly baked bread.

Corvus is... Rosewater

key words: sensitive, romantic, calming. you are a beautiful person inside and out whose kindness shines through even on your worst days. being around you is like stepping into a crisp smelling floral garden on a spring evening. others are inspired by your empathy, charm, and all the love you have to give. compatible with: fresh linen, freshly baked bread.

Parveen is... Grass and Rain

key words: exciting, enlivened, youthful. above all things, you are a super fun person to be around! you're most likely to come up with the best ideas for how to spend a day off with the squad and are the life of every party you go to. you're incredible at cheering people up because others can't help but be affected by your energy. compatible with: grass and rain, fresh linen.

[ohmystarrynight]

RRRREHEHEHEHEHEHE Cass & Clark but make them toon-ier >:)

[from-ultra-space]

Video that you record about naganadel sticky poison liquid is so good! Its make me understand about naganadel poison but can I ask something about this video and naganadel poison?

1.you said that naganadel is sticky and it's hard to pours into clear tray right? So how you collected naganadel sticky poison liquid that spray out of thier needle? Isn't this stinger spray fast and can leak out of vial or naganadel can control how much this liquid came out?

2.this liquid is very sticky so can you tell me how naganadel sticky poison liquid came out of thier stinger? Isn't this liquid very sticky? Why its come out pretty fast and very powerful and not stick to thier own stinger?

3.what make naganadel liquid look like that? Why its very sticky, luminescent and look dark purple? Can you explain and what this effect of naganadel liquid useful to naganadel?

4.at the last part of your video look cool but pretty dangerous! Why you smell and lick naganadel liquid like that? Is that liquid stick on your tongue? Can you describe what this liquid taste like?

(Your video is very interesting thank you for great information and sorry for long question)

Sorry for not responding to this sooner, the taste of that toxin lasted for way longer than I thought it would.

1. So, there are a couple of ways of collecting a sample like that. The URS uses a lot of specialty manufactured equipment to ensure the highest quality of specimens and Naganadel toxins are not an exception. The sample I displayed in the video was taken a week or so ago from some target training I did with Stinger. I used a tool similar to that of a syringe to collect some of the Toxin off of the ground and into the vial, making sure not to collect any that had been in direct contact with the ground. When we get samples for anti-venom or procedures where the toxin cannot be contaminated in the slightest, we have a special device that attaches to the end of the stinger and automatically seals the collection container once it has reached a certain capacity. This does not harm the Naganadel in any way and is only done a trained willing participants, who get adequate compensation for their work. Stinger has done this several times and although they do not enjoy it per se, they do not seem to mind it too much. Also, they definitely can control the speed and force at which they spray and Naganadel participating in anti-venom collections must be trained to have very good control over their toxins, especially under a potentially uncomfortable an unpleasant situation such as this.

2. There are a few materials that Naganadel poison does not stick to, namely, the Naganadel themself. Each Naganadel produces its own ‘oil-like’ compound that does not bled with or stick to its own poison. In Naganadel hives I know there is a phenomenon where other Naganadel of the same hive can counteract the effects of another’s toxins and that the toxins can be used to determine how related two of these beasts are, although this is not my expertise. In terms of other materials, there are a couple of both synthetic and natural compounds that a Naganadel’s poison will not stick to, although I do not currently know what they are.

3. The biology of Naganadel is not a specialty of neither me nor Cassius, although I do know that the subspecies of Naganadel bred and raised in Ultra Megalopolis has toxins that glow brighter than the others. I can only assume this is due to the lack of natural light in our world as that seems like the most likely explanation.

4. The last part of that video was definitely dangerous, but I made sure I was safe before, during, and after. My bodily fluids and the water I washed the toxins down with allowed it to dissolve enough that it would not stick in my mouth and throat, although the taste certainly lingered. As for what it tasted like? Imagine the two worst things you’ve ever tasted and put them together, then disregard that because it was worse. I might be exaggerating but it was pretty bad.

[curiositysavesthecat]

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[victim9d]

needa just drop this

[voraxiia]

terrified ' lovers ' who try to kill cassius in 100 ways but he keeps coming back 🤝 so called ' monsters ' who think cassius is too freaky even by supernatural terms

[picusviridis]

1 Cassius 👀

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Not that long, actually? It kinda depends on if he's in a daydream-y mood or not . He can sit there for hours if he's spaced-out enough........... but if he's, like, THERE? No more than 5 minutes max. Then he starts doing random (inoffensive and mindless) things like flipping through books or cleaning the area he's in until he's gotta do something proper...................................