#Marcellus ( interests )

[catilinas]

aeneid 6.638-41, 6.672-5 trans. a.s. kline / plutarch, life of tiberius gracchus 9.4-5 trans. perrin

[septimus-heap]

Not to keep marcellusposting but who the FUCK was his father. And esmereldas father. And the baby sisters they had. Who decided to have kids with etheldredda

[chaos-has-theories]

Who takes jenna to ancient egypt????? Am I missing critical parts of fyre what

OKAY SO upon going back through the relevant passages of Fyre I realize that I somehow only remembered the conclusions I jumped to halfway through the chapter and not the actual reveal. Whoops. (In my defense, it's been close to a decade, and it was one of the first books I fully read in English. The details kind of bled together.)

So... Queens are from Venice, huh? AND the Alchemists? Funky.

Anyway for some reason I always assumed that the Queens and Hotep-Ra came from the same place, and Hotep-Ra is, hm, pretty heavily Egypt-coded. But fair enough: that explains their fashion choices, and those striped mooring posts outside of the palace.

So to edit that list:

Ancient Egypt (though possibly only some 700 EOWs ago)

14th (?) century Venice (though who knows what's going on there, why are the Queens no longer ghosts again?)

[moodymisty]

ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔯𝔲𝔪 𝔒𝔣 𝔄 𝔙𝔦𝔠𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔵

Author's note: I have a few requests left to do but I really wanted to kind of do this sort of thing after a few asks brought it up. And the Victrix Guard designs fucking slap so, here. Part 1 of something maybe? I don't know guess I'll see how people respond.

Summary: Marcellus of the Victrix Guard has a crisis of faith.

Relationships: Marcellus(oc)/Fem!Reader

Warnings: Very vague references to lewd things, Digging into an astartes brain figuratively

"8th Company has requisitioned seven more landraiders, 2nd company needs another thunderhawk,"

Marcellus' ears picked up on your voice quickly this time, as you entered the massive room. Your Ultramarine branded robes are frayed at the bottom but in good shape overall- ornate and fitting of your stature. Unlike other chapters that allow their Administratum members to retain their original clothes, Ultramarines prefer they wear the deep blue that is symbolic of Macragge.

He watched with a bored interest, but as time goes on, the feeling yet again began to rise in him like water boiling in a geyser.

Why does his chest feel like this all of the sudden? He cleared his throat in the direction of the tiled floor.

No change.

He however still continued to watch you from his post as you flutter around, reading and writing papers. Commissars and Ultramarines give you orders, requests for more materials or arms. You shuffle around response times for fleets, combat data; Administraum taxes and tithes.

He watched you do it all with deftness- a grace and dedication- from his post at the entrance, silently.

He's spoken to you a handful of times; Thanking him for allowing you to enter and exit the room. A few times you've dropped things- and once he helped you pick them up, a gesture that made you smile and thank him profusely for the assistance. Your words stumbled off your tongue like they were just falling out, before your scurried away and leaving him with a feeling of, unfulfillment.

That moment is where he's traced this feeling back to. Where it all started. Ever since he crunched your parchments in his gauntlet to hand them to you, which you took with fingers so much smaller than his own and thanked him like he’d saved your very life- there was something in his gut that swirled like nausea.

First, he had tried the apothecary.

'All vitals come back normal, brother. You are in peak shape, as one would expect as a Victrix Guard. But if you are still feeling unsure, perhaps your ailment might be spiritual in nature. A visit to the chaplain would perhaps be your next option."

He had gone to the chaplain next, as suggested, walking through the nave as he approached the brother chaplain at the altar standing in contemplation.

'Brother chaplain. I might be in need of your guidance."

He turned to him, a peculiar and almost amused look on his face.

'Might? An interesting one.'

Marcellus adjusted his jaw and hesitated speaking for a moment; This feeling of unknown, of unsure nature, eats at him like a parasite.

'I feel, wrong. I have already gone to the apothecary and he said nothing is abnormal. He suggested that I, might need your guidance.'

He had listened to the chaplain's words with the utmost vehemence, prayed with him, remembered his vows as an Ultramarine- a Victrix Guard. He spent hours in that chapel the incense burning at his nose, the taste of its smoke coating his mouth- The Emperor’s glow casting over him through the stained glass mural.

He felt better afterwards. He rose from his knees and thanked his brother chaplain before returning to his duties. Perhaps a bit of righting was all he had needed. Doubt had planted its first seed in him and the chaplain was able to pluck it, righting his path back into the brightest of holy lights.

Three days later however, upon seeing you again, the feeling returned.

You nearly stumbled to your knees, a servoskull flying over your head. You quickly scurried to pick up your things and nervously laughed.

I am so sorry my lord, I seem to make a fool of myself in front of you quite a bit.'

Marcellus hummed, it coming out of his helmet with a distorted crackle.

'I suppose we cannot all be as deft and agile as those in Corvus Armor.'

You gave a soft laugh, smiling. When you stop why does he feel, disappointed?

'No I suppose not.'

You seemed like you were going to move on, but he impulsively speaks before he has a chance to catch himself.

'What is your name?'

You had hesitated, before uttering your name with a tilt of nervousness. He gave you his own, for no other reason that it fell off his lips without his control. Whatever his ailment is now coming for his ability to speak next, what in the name of The Emperor is next? His very ability to see?

Throne, what is wrong with him?

As soon as he could, he returned to the apothecary.

Once again, nothing was physically wrong with him. He'd begun to think maybe the apothecary was missing something. But he was the only apothecary aboard, one who’d served for over one hundred years- he throws the doubt of his brother away. That’s what this illness would want of him; To sow doubt.

He considered going to the chaplain again, standing outside of the chapel, but hesitated before making himself know .

If he keeps this up, what if the chaplain begins to suspect corruption? In a Victrix Guard? Even the mere suspicion would bring a stain upon him and his brothers.

He ended up entering despite the hesitation, and prayed in silence and solitude. For whatever was wrong with him to rear its ugly head so he could cut it off.

He returned to his post four hours later, the ash of incense on his armor.

He stood vigilant, though he feels the unconscious squaring of his shoulders as he noticed your approach.

'Greetings, Lord Marcellus.'

He found his eyes drawn to the shape of your lips. The soft skin, the peak of them under your nose, like the double head of his Aquila.

'Greetings.'

You passed by him, and he turned his head to continue following.

The way your hips gently curved was, interesting. You don't have the sharp lines and angles of armor, every part of you is this smooth, soft shape that confuses him. It’s so different, it felt almost unknown.

Marcellus abruptly bit the inside of his cheek, and pushed a sharp exhale through his nose. He doesn't understand why his eyes wander so. Yet again. He is lax in his fortitude- his faith. He is allowing trifling distractions possess his mind-

You're speaking to someone.

He watched you smile at the man. He can hear talk about the frigid air of the ship over other voices and the sounds of rattling pipes, and you laughed when he jokes about them turning to icicles. It's not until after the man leaves, that Marcellus realized how tight his gauntlets had gripped his shield until he loosens them with considerable noise complaint.

Staying stalwart at his post eats at him like a pack of rats, he can see his hearts rising and lowering in beats from the HUD of his helmet. When it is time for him to rotate out, he leaves with no parting words or even glanse.

He rushed to a corner of a random hall, tearing off his ornate helmet and allowing it to tumble across the floor.

His hearts raced in his chest, his throat is tight; His body is hot and his lower stomach is twisted in a knot.

Throne, it's getting worse. But he knows now.

It's you. You're doing something to him.

Anytime you are in his sight or in his mind is when this sickness overtakes him, when his body gets hotter and his hands almost feel like they're- Throne- like they're going to shake. His stomach tightens in knots, his skin feels like his blood is burning; He wants to tear off his armor and cure this indiscernible, throne-forsaken ache that overtakes his lower body.

He's never felt anything like this before. Bloodlust in the heat of battle sometimes felt similar, like fire was running through his veins, his hearts pumping hot blood. But this feeling is so much heavier, and isn't sated by the slaughter.

"Lord Marcellus?"

You let his name slip off your lips so gently, so innocently. He knows better.

You approached cautiously with your arms pulled close to your chest, tentatively looking at him.

"Are... Are you alright? I saw you leave quite quickly and forgive my prying I just, wanted to make sure you were-"

With a speed only an Astartes could muster he grasped your arm with a strength that has you yelping in pain, pulling you closer to him.

"Woman, what is this foul trickery you've placed on me?"

You looked up at him with eyes stricken full of fear, facing the full brunt of an astartes' booming voice. He could hear the fabric of your clothes scratch as you shook like a prey animal.

"Trickery? I, I have no idea what you're talking about!" He leaned inward.

“You know well! I feel this curse take over whenever you are close!”

He could already see the welling of tears in your eyes, shoulders rolled forward meekly.

Throne- damn that- he needs answers!

"I, I am so sorry for what I've done my lord, but I don't know what that is..."

Your arm shook in his grip, crippled by pain that surely radiates throughout your body. You've crumbled under his stare like a wounded animal laying down prepared to die- an expression he finds unfamiliar.

He let go of you. Your hand curled limply as you held it against your chest, unable to flex it without pain in your arm.

"Retrieve my helm."

Your eyes dart around his face for a moment before looking around, scurrying to pick up his golden helm off the ground and tentatively giving it over, while looking at the ground. He could see a few tears had fallen and stained your cheeks.

He took it with one hand, before leaving.

His quarters were the first place he thinks to retreat to. They're close, and he'll have a moment without the risk of prying eyes.

The walk there however is absent of such a mercy. Astartes look at him and the petulant expression on his face- he decided to put his helmet back on halfway there. Only when he reached the confines of his quarters did he remove it once more, hooking it onto his belt before sitting on the bunk as the metal let out a resounding groan of complaint.

His armoring suit felt like a gentle, teasing touch on his chest and back under his heavy armor. With each movement it sends jolts of something through his body as it brushed against his skin. He's never been able to actually feel it against him like this; Normally it feels like nothing. A second skin.

The sensation isn't... bad.

Marcellus shifted his jaw, feeling the muscles in his neck strain. He tries to ignore it, all of this, but time doesn't weather it in the slightest.

He wonders if you’re still crying.

"Lord Marcellus," A voice spoke over vox and interrupted a moment that had haken hold of his senses to a concerning degree. "You're needed on the deck."

Why must everything test him? What did he do, who did he scorn to have his mind fogged and in it for everyone to test his patience? Nothing works- it's only getting worse- his failure for letting the Emperor leave his mind and allowing it to darken.

"…I am on my way."

Marcellus rises to his feet- the mechanics of his armor let out a soft hiss.

He walked there with an overblown show of confidence, hiding his fear of the unknown underneath it.

What eats at him? He intends to find out.

[odinsblog]

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who had sought to have the conviction overturned, said, “This outcome did not serve the interests of justice.”

“Marcellus Williams should be alive today,” Bell said in a statement. “There were multiple points in the timeline when decisions could have been made that would have spared him the death penalty. If there is even the shadow of a doubt of innocence, the death penalty should never be an option.”

Earlier efforts to halt the execution were denied Monday by the Missouri Supreme Court and Republican Gov. Mike Parson. His execution is the third in Missouri this year, and among five taking place nationwide across a seven-day span if the remaining three are carried out on schedule, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have granted the request to halt the execution.

“Tonight, Missouri will execute an innocent man,” said attorney Tricia Rojo Bushnell of the Midwest Innocence Project in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling.

“...The victim's family opposes his execution. Jurors, who originally sentenced him to death, now oppose his execution. The prosecutor's office that convicted and sentenced him to death has now admitted they were wrong and zealously fought to undo the conviction and save Mr. Williams' life.”

“That is not justice. And we must all question any system that would allow this to occur,” Bushnell said.

—Missouri executes Marcellus Williams despite questions over evidence

[haru-natsuka]

The Unending Daze Part 1 (Malleus Draconia x Wife Reader x Ace Trappola)

*Chapter start from below trailer*

>> Trailer <<

"My darling wife, the joy you have brought me throughout the years is without compare. Our children are fortunate to have been gifted with such a loving and caring mother as you,"

Malleus spoke with affection, his voice like honeyed words that melted the hearts of everyone that heard it. He leaned down to kiss your forehead, his warm breath brushing against your skin.

But just as you were getting used to this blissful scene, your old friend, Ace arrived in an unexpected turn of events. He claimed that he was your husband, which left you perplexed and bewildered.

"Wait a minute, that's not right! I'm your real husband! He's just trying to manipulate you with a dream. Wake up, now! Our children need you! I need you, Y/N!"

You were unsure how to proceed, caught in the middle of a confusing situation. In this situation, you feel conflicted and uncertain about whether your old friend or your darling husband had spoken the truth

>> PART 1 <<

"Malleus dear, this is cheating"

"My wife, this is not cheating," Malleus's soft and gentle voice responded softly, his eyes looking in confusion at your declaration. He spoke with composure and maturity, displaying a gentle side of himself, his expression and tone showing a mixture of empathy and consideration for you. In this instance, Malleus is exhibiting a side of himself that is rarely seen to others, allowing you to see the more caring aspect of his character. He was a grown man who is worthy to be called a father.

"This is simply a fun and harmless game of hide and seek. We are merely adding an extra element of challenge for them to make the game more interesting. It is not forbidden to use magic in hide and seek.You are spoiling them too much, my dear."

His tone has changed, becoming a bit more stern and accusatory, expressing his jealousy and dissatisfaction with your attitude toward the children. He seems to feel that you are prioritizing the children over him, and he does not appreciate your behavior. He did indeed love seeing your lovable and motherly side when you interact with the kids. but he felt that he deserves your attention as well.

"Are you sulking, Malleus?" You expressed sincere concern for Malleus as you gently stroked his cheeks and was met with a hint of surprise from him. You could sense that he was attempting to hide his emotion from your view by maintaining a neutral expression. Malleus's eyes flashed momentarily with jealousy as he looked back at you, unable to resist the urge to return your gaze. You had caught Malleus off guard with your direct gaze, and he was temporarily powerless to avoid showing his emotions.

"I am merely expressing my concern that you seem to be overly focused on the kids, forgetting that I exist too," Malleus answered softly.

"How could I forget about you. I admit that I was rather busy during the days with Levan and Marcellus but still, you have me during the night" As you kiss him gently on his forehead and cheek, Malleus wraps his arms around your waist to support your balance and provide comforting closeness. He presses his face against yours, his arms encircling you, as you stand on your tiptoes to reach his height.

Malleus's breath catches in his throat, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, as he savors the feeling of your tender and reassuring kisses, never wanting this moment to stop. Malleus's lower face shows the happiness emotion in his heart, but his eyes hold the reflection of a darker truth. His eyes gleam with a slight darkness, as he stares at you for a moment with hidden motive. Before you had the chance to catch his subtle gaze, two young boys came into view.

The two young boys exclaimed excitedly, "FOUND MAMA AND PAPA!" They ran over and embraced tightly, signifying the end of the hide-and-seek game.

"Both of you are really good in this game, Levan, Marcellus," Malleus added, praising the boys for their accomplishment. "So good at beating mama and papa."

Levan's response, being the older boy, was a little more direct and expressive. "Because you are so loud that we can hear you," he exclaimed, accusingly and somewhat jokingly. "That's not how the game should be played, papa. Was it your attempt to woo mama again?"

"Huh? Woo? What do you mean? I don't recall hearing such language before. The world does evolve faster, I presume" Malleus formed an amused smile as he replied, somehow surprised at the boy's word choice.

"Papa knows what brother means. Mama, papa is so childish! When I grown up, me and Levan will marry mama and replace papa"

"My precious children, mama only belongs to papa. Mama's brain is filled with me and me alone. I don't know what will happen if someone takes her from me"

Malleus' jealous and possessive intensity has reached a fever pitch, as he expresses his paranoia about someone else taking his wife from him. His voice now has a chilling and ominous edge to it. There was a sudden sound of thunder outside, as Malleus's face twisted into a dark and grimacing expression. A shiver ran down your spine, as the temperature in the room dropped with each passing second, and you know Malleus the one who did it.

"Malleus, you are scaring our boys. Stop joking around" You tried to stop him, but his glare continued to remain fixed on his sons, as his anger and jealousy grew increasingly intense, his loving and gentle facade shattered apart.

"I don't even want to create these children! I only wanna live with you! You keep on leaving me! If only you didn't love him so much. Y/N, you should only let me control the dream, and stay here with me without ever questioning me and without ever waking up. Never betray me and never break my heart. Let me devour your soul" 

His regal and dignified emerald attire instantly shifts, changing into a more sinister-looking purple and black dress, with a more intimidating and ominous aura. Malleus cupped both of your cheeks while gazing fiercely straight into your eyes, reciting his unique spell with intense focus and dedication countless times.

"Spinning wheel of fate, keep pulling the thread of disaster. As King of the Abyss, I shall bestow this upon you. Fae of Maleficence."

Your mind begins to become hazy after Malleus finishes his spell. Slowly, you feel your exhaustion and fatigue becoming a burden, as you become increasingly sleepy. Like a heavy blanket, the feeling of sleepiness begins to envelop you, threatening to swallow you whole. You can feel the grip of sleep becoming stronger, and the thought of closing your eyes and surrendering to it becomes too tempting to resist. Your body slowly becomes limp and lifeless, as you begin to sink deeper and deeper into the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Ace..." You whimper out the name at the end for help as you see the image of a man with red hair.

>> PART 2

[possessesnightshift]

regarding the beautiful bisexual italian man who allegedly is responsible for the uhc shooting...

look, i totally get the impulse to obsess over this random guy and turn him into some kind of a working class hero. we're all desperate to root for someone who can take direct action against healthcare tycoons who make our lives so much harder.

but lately i've noticed a shift in the gravity of this discourse away from "why the hell did a man need to die to get pharmacies to stop rejecting all my claims?" and more towards "i want to hear the cute italian twunk moaning and gagging on it..." and like...

i do get it. not only is he just a very clearly attractive man (despite all the media trying in vain to find the worst pictures of him to show), but he has a grab bag of random personality traits that manage to make a lot of people relate to them, even if the claims are dubious at best

he was an avid reader, he was an elon musk follower, he went to an ivy league, he was a chronic poster, he had anxiety, he was a stemcel, he was bisexual, he had mein kampf on his goodreads list, he wanted a white girl to go bug on his dick...

all of these things combined are enough to make this man fascinating to almost anyone. some of them even make him sympathetic to a lot of people (even if stuff like the bi thing is most likely unfounded)

but i want to make something absolutely clear.

this is not. about. luigi mangione...

hell this isn't about ANY suspect that could be the perpetrator (we do not KNOW if luigi mangione can be found guilty until an actual jury goes into deliberation. otherwise we're just putting our blind faith into the nypd which is definitely sketchy, even if the evidence does seem to indicate it's him thus far...)

no this is about one man and one man only:

Brian. Motherfucking. Thompson.

even if this act had been done by some unglamorous 60 year-old trailer trash person instead of a fit, attractive 26 year-old, this shooting is still not about him or his politics or whether he should or shoudln't face justice

no this is about the fact that brian thompson was valuable enough to his company to be a multi-millionaire, but not so valuable that the meeting he missed due to his execution had to be postponed. not so valuable that his position wasn't filled in a matter of days.

this is about the fact that the unceremonious death of an "innocent" man was a better policy in terms of increasing people's access to health coverage than anything the democrats or the republicans advocated for in the past decade. it's the fact that brian thompson's death apparently hurt people very little and helped people a lot.

it didn't have to be this way.

they made it this precarious on purpose because they assumed they could get away with it.

gun to my head? i personally think luigi mangione doesn't deserve to see jail time even if he is guilty. daniel penny executed a black homeless man and he doesn't have to go to prison. kyle rittenhouse is a free man. meanwhile marcellus williams was proven innocent and executed anyway for the crime of not murdering anyone. you can't convince me there are no murders the state wouldn't just unconditionally support if it's in their class interest. if that's the way it is, we deserve to allow this man his "legal kill" that serves us in our defense against the violence of the capital class.

but even if he goes down, even if they make an example out of him, it does not matter.

because this story is not about the killer.

it is about the man who was killed...

and the question of why he had to die for our healthcare needs to be properly addressed...

enjoy the memes for this brief moment in time. but once the glamor and intrigue dies away and we can stop drawing horny fanart of the alleged shooter, we need to circle back to talking about brian thompson. he needs to be the centerpiece of this story. his actions. his ruthless drive to turn a profit. the community of billionaires looking out for themselves. THAT is what this should be about...

we are brushing up against severe disempowerment in the new trump administration. we CANNOT fumble this opportunity for class solidarity...

get it all out of your systems

and turn right back around and demand to know whether these ceo monsters are planning on rejecting our claims the moment this story has faded into the background

[drachenwiki]

Chinese influences on European dragons in the early Middle Ages

Yesterday, I read a chapter about the Parisian saint Marcellus from the book  “Time, Work & Culture in the Middle Ages” by French historian Jacques Le Goff. In it, he alludes to the hypothesis, that dragon depictions from the Merovingian era have been influenced by Chinese motives that have come to Europe through cultures from the Central Asian steppe.

That certainly makes sense to me, since the Huns have had a presence in Europe up until the 5th century, but I’ve never heard of this hypothesis before. Le Goffs sources are all in French (for example “La Civilisation mérovingienne d'aprés les sépultures, les textes et le laboratoire” by Edmond Salin), which I can’t read, and a quick search in Google Scholar didn’t bring up anything interesting.

Does anybody know if this hypothesis is still considered? The book is from the late seventies, so maybe it’s something that never caught on or has been discredited since then, but I haven’t found anything on that, either.

[hoodreader]

the lynching/murder of Khaliifah Williams (Rest in Power & Peace ✊🏾🕊️)

transit, mundane, & political astrology ramble from a pro-Black + afro pessimist leaning astrology student. i’m still learning so take that into consideration when reading.

trigger warning: state sanctioned violence

it is with insurmountable sadness that i write this post regarding the recent lynching of Khaliifah Williams, a wrongly convinced Black man who was sentenced to death by the state of missouri/mike parson. after countless of calls, protests, marches, blockades, pleas from the victim’s family and the williams family, Khaliifah was murdered by this system.

i see his face and i see all of us. all of us black people!!! i see oldhead uncles, barber shops, corner stores. i see something so familiar. do not let this mourning be for nothing. arm urself with knowledge, community, and bravery.

i know i can’t physically hold a moment of silence with text, but please allow thirty seconds of quiet before clicking ‘Keep Reading,’ to simply honor the memory of another soul lost to this system.

read his poetry here: “Perspectives and Emotions” by Khaliifah Williams, aka, Marcellus Williams.

On September 24, 2024 at 6:10 pm in Bonne Terre, Missouri, Khaliifah Williams was lynched by this system / Mike Parson.

1H in Pisces containing Saturn in Pisces Rx

a water sign shows emotional sensitivity. in a mutable modality, it shows that there is change coming. i feel Khaliifah is represented by Saturn in this chart, as saturn in the mundane chart represents the oppressed, isolated, imprisoned, dead, and poor or enslaved. i also personally ascribe race (and racial oppression) to saturn as well.

if u have any understanding of the USA prison system, it is derived from the abolishment of chattel slavery in the united states. when it was illegalized to own slaves on plantations, it was then only allowed within prisons, and so, black people became disproportionately imprisoned. thus… slavery persists. source.

communally, saturn in the mundane chart rules sadness, sorrow, depression, and disappointment in the public. as u can see, saturn is in a tight conjunction to the ascendant. the moment of his lynching was a moment of disappointment and misery to the people, as it became (once again) grimly bleak what the state of this nation is. i wonder if it functions as “the last straw.”

jupiter is the chart ruler here. and it’s actually quite interesting… while saturn is the signifier for the proliteriate, the poor, the enslaved, the imprisoned, and the marginalized… jupiter is the signifier of the bourgeoisie, the wealthy, judicial leaders, justice, and judgment. but not only that, it represents hopes and aspirations.

the ascendant being in a jovial sign shows hope & aspiration. but saturn Rx in pisces shows hope is misplaced. it shattered the delusion that the united states - of all governments - and the crooked people running this nation would suddenly gain a conscience. but the united states is devoid of that. mike parson is devoid of that.

saturn in pisces Rx and the recent partial lunar eclipse in pisces tells u to let go of ur delusions, especially with saturn telling u to let go of delusions regarding structure and hierarchy. yes, this is a sad moment, but the sign pisces is the last mutable (transitionary) sign in the zodiac cycle. there is an impending change.

we need to invest hope in ourselves instead of those who oppress us. when has an oppressor EVER given their victims the keys to free themselves?

“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.”

— Assata Shakur

5H Cancer Moon conjunct Cancer Mars

the moon represents the common people, and with the moon conjunction mars (strong moon, weak mars), it can definitely be read as some form of defensiveness happening among the people. which i don’t blame. we need to defend ourselves. i interpret this as the response being heavily emotional, and the people feeling like they need to protect themselves and their sense of “homeliness.” in this case, the fifth house represents what is valued by the people, and here, it’s valued to protect itself.

8H Libra Sun

the sun represents rulers and leaders. i feel like the president is represented here, as we are nearing a presidential election. but also general leaders (of law). it’s weakened times three — in fall, in the eighth house (bad house), and it’s conjunct the south node (a malefic). it’s also harsh aspecting the moon (benefic, ruling over the people). the sun is not in a confident configuration, and i feel like that’s reflected in the people’s (moon) lack of confidence in the country’s ridership. there’s a lot of uncertainty. and this didn’t help.

the eighth house represents death, lack of control, fear, anxiety, psychological illness. with a weakened sun here, i wonder if someone judicial or presidential is going to die in response to this, or have declining health… delays in getting in office. or if there’s going to be a dramatic deconstruction of how the president/law is viewed due to radical change in belief of the general public. the south node (the headless body of the dragon) represents destruction in the mundane chart, and being in conjunction to the sun shows a destruction to the ruler/head. in libra, i wonder if the deconstruction relates to the USA’s part in imperialism/genocide/colonialism in sudan, the DR congo, haiti, palestine, and more. libra is the foreign affairs, venus rules giving/receiving, and the eighth house rules economic foreign affairs to the states. but i’m truthfully struggling to interpret this.

10H in Sagittarius, 10H lord Jupiter in Gemini

the tenth house is those in power or authority; the ‘rulers.’ in sagittarius, it shows that the authoritative figure is a judicial person (and thus, i think this what mike parson represented by). fire signs represent action - some possibly violent - and mutable modality again represents change.

i notice sagittarius is significant in the mundane charts of cultural events. for example, the death of george floyd had a sagittarius ascendant. and the january 6, 2021 chart also had a sagittarius ascendant. i wonder if there’s going to be another incited cultural action in response to this - or maybe that could be represented by all of the protests that had already happened in response to his sentence. it’s something that mobilizes the people.

i feel like because jupiter is in gemini — which is detriment for jupiter — it can be read as this lacking direction. the sagittarius sign is the archer, so it’s right on target. but gemini is scattered, & while the people may mobilize (sag energy, sag rules masses/gatherings & worldly affairs such as protests), they can lose sight of the objective thru being distracted. which is quite literally what happened with the 2020 Floyd/Taylor/etc. protests. and it’s interesting because there’s quite a few thematic overlaps between the chart of George Floyd’s death and the chart of Khallifah Williams�� death. i may or may not make a post on it. depends on my mood.

moving on though. since jupiter is read for optimism, a weakened jupiter in the invisible house supports the idea that this will be a time of confusion, distraction, anxiety, and pessimism. it’s expected that people feel hopeless in response to this.

11H in Capricorn, 12H in Aquarius, Lord in the 1H

there is awareness of how we bypass, deny, repress, or ignore reality. the twelfth house is how we are responsible for how we undo ourselves. i’m thinkinggg it may be readable as us thinking we were at the end/close to a resolution, but we are actually just beginning. same for the eleventh house lord in the first.

eleventh house is our alliances, our community, our communal goals & aspirations in the mundane chart. and i think it shows our (meaning anti-colonial radicals, i guess lmao) goal is to dissolve this system due to its violence. pluto is present in this house, retrograded and at the anaretic degree. pluto brings destruction and so does the anaretic degree. in capricorn, the destruction is to institutions, customs, hierarchies. it’s the tower card. the lord placed in the first house may signify that the power to manifest hope in placed in the hands of the people, not the government.

regarding the twelfth house, maybe it’s saying that naïveté and misplaced hope is how we undo ourselves. deluding urself into thinking voting, peaceful protests, or petitions will challenge hundreds of years of colonialism in this country. especially because of the 2020 protests. mfkas really thought that was revolutionary and it’s like no… it was cute and all i guess but that wasn’t revolution.

revolution can’t be planned or organized, and the eleventh/twelfth lord = saturn in pisces Rx shows that. i’m not saying that tomorrow mfkas gon go outside and start burning shit to the ground (although i wish they would). but hopefully… this death won’t be another forgotten name. i know he won’t be the last to get murdered to this system, but i hope we see this for what it is: it’s genocide, it is modern day lynching, it’s anti-black, & there is no justice in this justice system.

like i said, i don’t really post mundane or political astrology. but i’m trying to speak from my heart about something very sensitive to me. if there are any more seasoned mundane astrologers who can provide feedback, that would be helpful & even more helpful if they are also black.

the shit that happens in this world is so fucked up. we supposed to be using these tools (spirituality, divination, etc) to aid us because the colonialism we experienced was also spiritual warfare. like i said, as a black person this shit hit mad close to home so when i see another one of my people getting murdered to this system, i know it can be any of us. & that’s because the black body & black soul is disposable to this anti black world. so yea… #HellNaw #FuckMikeParson #FuckAmerica #FuckIsntreal #FuckEmAll

black power, HoodReader

[rebelheartedviking]

𝖁𝖎𝖉𝖆𝖗 𝕽𝖆𝖌𝖓𝖆𝖗 𝕴𝖛𝖆𝖗𝖘𝖘𝖔𝖓

the Viking king of Scotland.

Vidar Ragnar Ivarsson, better known as the fierce Viking King of Scotland, who rules alongside his wife, his queen and his one and only, his Marlena. Proud father of Ragnar Ivain, Lidija Marlene, Ranva Aleen and Lian Iwan. He is the son of Ivar the Boneless, King of Kattegat and all of Norway and Princess Xenia of the Rus, Queen of Kattegat and all of Norway and is the Prince of Kattegat. He is the little brother of his foster brother Cailan, Edda's twin brother and big brother of Iwan, Finan and Caye. Nephew of Bjorn, Hvitserk, Sigurd and Ubbe and cousin of Illian, with whom he shares a close bond like his father and uncle Hvitserk, Marlena, Ellinor, Baldur, Ragnar, Leja, Thyra and Hvitserk, Uncle of Xena and Callum and the grandson of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. Although Vidar comes from two ruling houses and is raised strictly by his father as the heir to Kattegat, from an early age he is neither interested in power nor the throne or ruling and rebels against his father's upbringing and the burden of being a king. Although Vidar inherited his father's hardness and natural arrogance, as well as the dominance that was in his blood, he is often compared to Ragnar, whom he resembles more in character. Vidar is curious and open-minded, very intelligent and always likes to challenge others and the gods themselves, not even willing to bow to the gods. The young warrior also has charm and humor despite his dignified, composed demeanor and, behind the determined facade, has a good, pure heart. His family is especially important to the young Viking, whom he loves more than anything else and protects, especially the women of the family, and would defend them with his life and blood. The well-being of his people is also very important to Vidar, who are very popular with him because of his nature, but he does not make any effort and does not care about his lineage. From a young age he took part in raids and battles with his big brother Cailan and Illian, together with his father and uncle Hvitserk, where Vidar learned quickly and proved his talent as a warrior and in bloody battles, in which he always fights hard and mercilessly. Despite the hard, arrogant, introspective and skillful facade, he is always open to his family and the people he loves, sincere and inquisitive and absolutely loyal, especially to his brother Cailan and Marcellus, who go into every battle together, whether victory or Valhalla, which the young king is not afraid of. Despite his open-minded nature, which he does not show to everyone, the King of Scotland, who becomes its king through his marriage to Marlena and is considered a great, warlike, hard but good king, is also haunted by the darkness that he always tries to keep under control, which is why he understands his little brother better than anyone else. The young Viking, husband, king and father remains loyal to his family and his people and would always do anything for them. Together with Marlena, they are considered the great, confident royal couple who not only strengthen Scotland but are invincible. ( ⸺ Vikings. )

[cassiebones]

Behind the Curtain Musical Poll

Okay, so here are the cast listings for each musical.

Music Man:

Rio: Henry Hill

Agatha: Marion the Librarian

Jen - the Mayor

Billy - Marcellus

Wicked:

Rio: Fiyero

Agatha: Elphaba

Jen: Glinda or Madam Morrible (I have no idea which would be funnier; if this wins, that will be the next poll.)

Billy: Boc or Wizard

Legally Blonde:

Rio: Emmett

Agatha: Elle

Jen: Callahan or Vivian

Billy: Chorus (European Gay)

Beauty and the Beast:

Rio: Beast

Agatha: Belle

Jen: Gaston or Sorceress

Billy: Lumiere or Cogsworth

Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein aka Brandy Cinderella):

Rio: Prince Charming

Agatha: Cinderella (obvs)

Jen: Stepmother OR Godmother (i really cannot decide)

Billy: Lionel

Grease:

Rio: Danny

Agatha: Sandy

Jen: Rizzo

Billy: some other character idk

This will only be up for 24 hours because I just want to get through with it. I'm just having difficulty choosing between them. Reblog/share to friends who are interested/reading my story please.

[klausysworld]

hello, can i request a headcanons with klaus in love with a reader! antichrist she being lucifer's daughter

Klaus & The Devils Daughter HCs

I think you’d be pretty confident with your title. You’ve walked the earth longer than any original vampire, you have the power to destroy it if you really desired to and you know it.

When you learnt of the creation of vampires it was certainly something interesting in the world, your father had never been prouder of the creation he had tampered with. What was once meant to be protection via immorality was now a new creature, a dangerous, blood thirsty creature.

You learnt their abilities and originally you would prefer Kol, he was uncontrollable, a mad man. You’d definitely befriend him at some point, share you identify and show him the better way to do things through bloodshed and torture.

It was when you witnessed his brother, Niklaus, shove a dagger through his chest did you notice his potential.

He had changed, something sinister swirling within him, he could be powerful.

You let him spot you a few times. Make an appearance at one of his events or two, even dance with him once but never did he see your face, a masquerade like mask always worn on your face.

He found himself searching for you, your touch burning him in the best possible way. Confidently radiating and red lips pulled into a knowing smirk. The fact you knew his name, knew which buttons to press for him to respond accordingly, who were you?

Your favourite time was when the originals had taken residence in New Orleans. They were like royalty, they had power and ruled together, Kol was awake and the Mikaelsons had even taken on a new family member, Marcellus.

When Rebekah and her lover summoned her father it was a moment that even the devil himself did not commend. Lucifer hated Mikael with a passion. He knew what it was like to be cast away given that he was thrown out of heaven to fend for himself. Niklaus was to protected, who better than his daughter who already had a growing interest in him.

You befriended Rebekah in the 1920s. Well Stefan introduced her to you, Stefan became one of your many…friends over the years, when he was ruthless and ripped an entire country to shreds.

Rebekah had said she had seen you with Kol and so you made an excuse before eventually telling her your story, when the trust was there of course. Not that it mattered, memory erasing wasn’t exactly difficult.

Klaus was pissed when he saw his sister talking to the women he had been hunting, your back again turned to him, blocking your face from his view but he knew it was you from your laugh, the way you held yourself.

He slowly, cautiously made his approach, he couldn’t have you vanishing into the air, not again.

This time when he put a hand on your shoulder you did not hide, turning to meet his eye with a smile on your face as Rebekah ‘introduced’ you.

He kept a hand on your the entire time you were at Gloria’s and you didn’t mind, physical contact wasn’t something you were used to, you didn’t get very close to people all that often but something about him was calming, inviting.

When Mikael arrived Klaus believed he had compelled you, told you that you needed to run away, his father would harm you and though he may not know anything other than your name, he could not bare the thought of your pain unless pleasure came from it too

It was a shock to him when he received letters with your names signed at the bottom. Feeding him information. A doppelgänger in Mystic Falls, A werewolf pack in Portland, Sophie Devereux in New Orleans with a pregnant wolf carrying his child. The last letter was slightly bitter.

There was never a return address which upset him greatly, no matter how hard he tried to find your location, you were simply gone.

And so Klaus would sit and await his letters, hoping for advice and words of reassurance, longing for some sort of peace to settle over his life, his childs life.

When he was chained in a circle of magical salt that restricted his movement, a dark knife embedded in his chest leaving him to rot in agony, it was your face he pictured. Your voice that flew through his head, your hands that touched his face and told him that Hope was doing okay and that he was strong.

It was a shock when you walked down the stairs to where he was, arm linked with Marcel who believed you to be a trusted alliance. Now you liked Marcel yes, but you adored Niklaus.

Marcel let you remove the blade from his father like figure. He kept speaking of his future plans, not noticing the little whispers in Klaus’s ear

“your family are coming for you shortly, everything is going to be okay, remember you are strong and powerful, do not be afraid. We are on your side, trust me.”

And he did trust you.

Soon enough his family had him out, he thanked them, hugged them and checked they were alright before asking where you were. Rebekah and Kol were shocked to hear your name after so long, the others remained confused.

He began to assume you were just a hallucination that day.

It isn’t until the hollow comes that you are finally with him.

Your father did not expect the pure rage that you expressed seeing Niklaus’s utter heartbreak when he had to leave his own child.

Even the devil began searching for a way to destroy the hollow once and for all.

Now that Klaus was alone, it was the safest to approach him.

He wasn’t expecting your arrival but it was very much welcome. You picked him up from his lows as he drowned in the loss of his family, kept him safe from any enemies and made sure he kept up his letters to Hayley, phone calls to Hope.

It didn’t take long for you to admit that you were not human, you didn’t even belong on this world. Of course you thought he was asleep when you shared your news, the priceless look on your face when Klaus turned his head to respond had your father laughing as he watched over you.

“i knew you were something unimaginable” he whispered with a small smile, holding onto you a little tighter.

For the next few years you helped him kill off any of his remaining enemies. Every being that helped lock him away in a dungeon, missing his daughters childhood. He could find stand knowing they were still out there. They knew that Hope was alive, they could know that Elijah had no memories. You had promised to protect him and his family came with him.

Klaus has been in love with you since he first saw your mischievous eyes through your lace mask. But he never thought that you would actually be together, in your own house living a life.

His heart had never beat faster than when your lips were on his, everything within him called for you and every bad thing that was happening in the world melted away.

He didn’t even think as you both tugged the clothes off of eachother, as your bodies became one. Him ontop on you, hips meeting yours with your hands in his hair or when you had your hand around his throat squeezing lightly as you rode him.

“i have waited centuries for that and if was even greater than i had dreamed it” he uttered while breathing heavily against your skin, hands still holding onto your shoulders to calm himself

“being a demon you aren’t exactly supposed to believe in love, especially with somebody from Earth but you, you’re all that i want” you told him, trying to say the words ‘i love you’ without saying them exactly

“you have me, for as long as you desire” he returned and he knew that together everything would be alright

[cloverskentwells]

inspired by @thefloatingwriter to make a list of clove headcanons because dayne did such a good job with johanna headcanons

so i see the vision for her as an only child/orphan but i'm of the strong belief that she has a lot of little sister energy. she has three older brothers - marcellus, mason, and gunner.

marcellus went off to be a peacekeeper in district 7 or 9 or whatever, months before clove was born, and she never met him.

mason was her favorite before he moved out when she was five because he was super nice and always playing with her.

... gunner is a weapons maker who visits like once a year but he always happens to visit when clove is at training so she doesn't get the chance to talk to him.

her brothers are all a lot older than her because she was an "accident baby"

clove's a bi girlie but she doesn't think about it that often since she's obviously super busy with training and doesn't date.

she's such a loner girl, like she's worse than katniss because she doesn't think people like her and also doesn't know anyone she genuinely likes enough to hang out with. it surprised her in the arena how funny marvel was and how surprisingly nice glimmer is, and even more when cato whom she'd written off as an arrogant and a jerk turns out to have a lot in common with her and really understand her

i've seen a lot of fics about clove's hobby/talent being woodcarving and you are all 100% correct. cooking and woodcarving are both great things that involve knives, and clove also sometimes likes to garden because knives might be her life but she's a person outside of that

her personal fashion style -> comfortable, quick, easy to wear but also flattering her body. leather jackets with spaces to hide knives, dark hair always in stylish braids to keep it out of her face during training/workouts and still look cute, and black combat boots. she likes knee length cardigans when she's in her home.

she hates cold and so you can find her huddled in front of the fireplace.

clove is a frigid bitch (affectionate) who keeps others at a distance and she unlearns this habit as a victor, first with cato and then with her parents. she laid that groundwork with cato in the arena and her parents watching the tv were surprised by how companionable she seemed to be around him and how she smiled a little more.

she clutches the handle of her knife in her sleep, it's like her stuffed animal and it's adorable. clove also murmurs death threats in her sleep, like a lot!!

she secretly loves it when someone she likes/cares about (cato, maybe glimmer on like the first night of the games, her mom at one point before they drifted apart with clove's training) braids her hair because the hands on her scalp and a tender touch from someone she loves deeply feels good. she'll never admit it though because she wants to give a strong don't touch me energy

ooh here's an interesting one that just came to me: so remember that lizard clove killed in the games? so mason actually gave her a pet lizard as a birthday gift on one of his few visits, and she took care of it and loved it so much. however one night she was practicing her knife throwing at targets in the backyard and the lizard was climbing up the tree she was throwing at and she accidentally killed it. clove cried like a little kid for hours that night but she didn't want anyone to see her in such a shameful position so her parents never found out. the lizard in the arena triggered that memory

[girlcaelius]

Hey, what was inaccurate about Domina? I want to watch it but I’m unsure on the characterizations

(oh this got quite long, sorry in advance-)

it's not that it's *super* inaccurate, it's just that (in my opinion) some of the choices made were a little, well. they could have been more interesting. guy who only ever thinks about agrippa all the time voice i am going to talk about agrippa first. i do love how they did agrippa but i also feel like his character was sort of flattened? like we see him for the most part as either a violent warmonger or then flip it entirely to this (i'm going to be mean here, but i don't care) pretty pathetic man who just kind of rolls over and does whatever gaius and livia want, and there's not really much nuance - no mention of the whole quote unquote 'exile' situation in 23, or negotiations with herod or parthia or anything like that.

(this is very much a personal thing, but the [spoilers] sort-of-but-not-really romance plot with him and livia definitely irked me. i think they did it well for what it was, but - they did come close, but when are they going to make a show where him and octavian are as insane about one another as they were historically? the emphasis on his relationship with livia over octavian lessens the effect of his death - and the whole death thing really did piss me off. they show his death, they show his funeral, they focus on how sad LIVIA is in that funeral shot (and not his, you know, childhood best friend other half of my soul etc etc) and then immediately cut to a sex scene with livia and gaius. yay. i haven't seen beyond this episode, so correct me if im wrong, but it kind of feels like people just... forget about him immediately? even gaius. there's not really a mourning or grief sort of thing. it's weird.)

the show also often skips out on events that, in my opinion, could have been more interesting than inserting some kind of weird little random subplot in instead. like - without too many spoilers, they give livia this ex best friend who's now a vestal virgin who was also in love with her as a kid which could have been really interesting! and done really well! but it's. not. it glossed over characters who's stories i think are really intriguing - like octavia adopting and raising antony's children (cleopatra selene isn't in the show at all, which i think is pretty sad) could have been interesting to focus on, but instead after a point in season 1 they just kind of reduce her to her grief over marcellus.

i think the show has a little bit of a problem with girlbossifying livia, but to the point where it sort of comes full circle and goes right back to portraying her how people like tacitus might have portrayed her. despite all the reasoning and motivation the show gives her, it still comes across like she's picking off and poisoning octavian's possible heirs one by one (because, well, she literally is) to protect her and her family's power. i think the whole 'restoring the republic' thing COULD have been really interesting! but they don't really explore *how* they'd do that or anything, they just kind of... bring it up every time there needs to be some kind of dramatic secret scene and never expand on it. i understand the show is the livia show but i think the focus on her sometimes makes the other characters (eg gaius) seem stupid or idiotic when we KNOW they weren't historically.

i am not very knowledgeable about the historical julio-claudian 'kids' (for want of a better word), so i can't really speak on a lot of their portrayals, but the whole 'bad tiberius' thing irritated me. unsure of how grounded in history this is but they give him some slightly odd butchered form of doctor-jekyll-esque did where he has an evil fucked up version who comes out and kills people sometimes. i really really love the portrayal of tiberius for the most part in the show, but this bit... eh. he also wants to kill his mum and have sex with his mum, so that's a thing.

side note but it does feel a little weird that two of the main slave characters (antigone and tycho) are both Black, especially in a setting where slavery wasn't influenced by race.

not sure if this is coherent or what you were asking at all, but here are some slightly disconnected thoughts! but despite all of this i do genuinely enjoy the show, if nothing else i think it's very fun. thanks for the ask :]

[peaceheather]

A year-end update on my original novel concept

Hey friends, it's been awhile since I've been able to put in any work on this! But I've been doing some world building and altering a few things, and thought it might be nice to send you an updated summary of my original novel. It is tentatively titled "The Pilgrimage", but who knows, that might change as well.

Alays Webster is a weaver in a small town on the edge of the Barrens in a country called Codor. Life in her hometown is pretty sedate, and more or less ruled by the country's religious hierarchy and its tenets, observing festivals and attending service and what have you. It is expected that everyone will go on pilgrimage to the capital at least once in their lifetimes, to witness miracles and see the Sleeping King himself, where he lies in state while battling in the spirit realm against false gods and keeping them out of Codor. Alays, though, was always a sickly child, and still has occasional bad days now that she's grown. So she’s put off making the pilgrimage until her childhood best friend, Vezian, now a priest, comes and cajoles her into making the journey with him.

The Barrens are a dead wasteland that surround Codor on all sides; as far as anyone knows, no one can live there, and the area is considered to be forsaken by everyone, even the Sleeping King. On her pilgrimage, Alays learns that her proximity to the Barrens causes others to look down on her, and she encounters concepts that she had never considered before, everything from how criminals are treated to “witches” and “demons”, from whose magic the Sleeping King's priests promise protection.

Alays's ill health improves the closer she gets to the capital, and this is touted as a miracle from the Sleeping King himself. It turns out, however, that Alays is sensitive to magical energies, and her health is improving because she is traveling through healthier land that has more magic available for her to draw from. Magic is secretly but strictly regulated by the priesthood, and anyone who tries to use it outside of their purview is labeled a witch, and sentenced to a terrible fate: either death, or “alteration” into Misbegotten monsters. Alays is now in terrible danger through no fault of her own.

Vezian’s mentor, Father Marcellus, explains this to Alays, and arranges for her to escape to the Barrens via airship, piloted by a man named Lucas. In my original version of this story, Lucas is a shady fellow who almost certainly can not be trusted, and Vezian is exiled along with Alays. In the updated 2023 version of this story, I want Alays to go to the Barrens alone, taken there by Lucas, while Vezian is left behind without even the first clue what could have happened to his childhood best friend. In that case, Vezian has to hunt for Alays himself, and learn a great deal about the secrets the upper echelons of the priesthood have been hiding from him. Though Vezian doesn’t know it yet, Lucas will be instrumental in helping him find Alays once more.

This is, incidentally, a plot that I write over and over again, no matter how hard I might try to to get away from it: “Character A is separated from Character B and they must reunite,” except that once they do reunite, Vezian discovers that Alays is dying, and with Lucas's help must go on a dangerous journey across the Barrens and into the unknown in order to save her life.

What follows is a tale of adventure, exile, betrayal, and trust, that tests not only their faith, but everything Lucas, Vezian, and Alays thought they ever knew. There will be magic, and gods, new lands not seen in centuries, and old tales not heard in just as long.

(My worldbuilding for this is extensive, and highly distracting. Now if only I could get the story itself to be half as interesting.)

[magnus-sm-writes]

WIP Intro: Plastic Fangs

Paranormal Literary Fiction / Drafting / Playlist / Pinterest

I finished writing the original “Plastic Fangs” short story early this year. I think in the wrap-up post I wrote about it that I said Marcellus and Abel are two of my favorite characters I’ve written for as of late, and I still completely agree with that. Specifically with Marcellus. He’s just a strange little guy who loves stealing diaries, eavesdropping on conversations, and watching “talkies” (because he was a kid when silent movies were still a thing). I definitely gave him my “weird little man” syndrome. 

My beta readers (Shini-san and my husband Trystan) both loved Marcellus as a character and lamented that the story was, well, a short story. Both straight-up told me that they would love if “Plastic Fangs” were novelized.

So here we are. Novelizing “Plastic Fangs” in time for spooky season!

WHAT

Plastic Fangs follows Marcellus, a sixty-something vampire living his best life in the eighties. Despite technically being a fledgling himself, he meets the fledgling vampire Abel and takes him beneath his wing to show him the ways of vampirism. 

While simple to boil down to an elevator pitch, I think what really shines here are the characters. I already mentioned that Marcellus is a little freak, but Abel matches his freak pretty well. Abel hasn’t had enough time to develop interests as deep or varied as normal as other vampires, considering he’s in his early twenties. Despite that, he’s still a deeply strange person.

The plan is to begin with a first chapter similar to the original short story, then build on from there. Marcellus and Abel go on a gay vampire road trip from state to state as Marcellus teaches Abel how to live as a creature of the night.

I’m expecting a lot of references to other vampire media. Dracula and Interview with the Vampire, because Marcellus loves vampire media and consumes it regularly. And of course, references to some of my favorite vampire stuff: My Chemical Romance, My Babysitter’s a Vampire, my own vampire work Night Bite, What We Do in the Shadows. That sort of vibe. I love vampires, so it’ll be easy for me to make silly references to them. 

THEMES

Plastic Fangs, like most other works of vampire fiction, has a large focus on themes of otherness, immortality, and yearning. So much yearning. 

CHARACTERS

(via ElenaA's Windswept OC Maker)

Marcellus

There isn’t much to say about Marcellus that I haven’t already said. If he were human, he would be in his mid-sixties. He’s a young enough vampire that he’s still technically a fledgling. (Vampires are considered fledglings until they reach a hundred years of vampirism.) 

Marcellus is passionate about “following the rules” as he was taught. There’s a certain etiquette to vampirism and feeding that Marcellus thinks is respectful. He’s determined to teach Abel these rules.

In the first draft of the short story, Marcellus was your typical broody vampire. He had a lot of angst about his transformation. However, I found it a lot more compelling if Marcellus enjoyed vampirism and had a funky fresh time with it. So Marcellus became the eccentric little freak he is now. 

Plastic Fangs (the novel) expands on Marcellus’ short story characterization. He’s just as delighted by the modern world (waxing poetic on how much he loves disco balls), just as nosy (frequent eavesdropping on people in motel rooms, “glass on the wall” style), and just as happy to be alive as he is in the short story; he just gets more time to enjoy it.

Abel

Abel is a fledgling vampire. He’s been a vampire for less than two years. The person who turned him did it on a whim and abandoned him. Until he met Marcellus, he hadn’t established a solid relationship with another vampire. He didn’t get to learn from a vampiric master like Marcellus did. He’s making up for lost time now.

I think Abel is just as fun of a character as Marcellus is. We aren’t as close to him, since Plastic Fangs is told from Marcellus’ point of view, but we do get to see a lot of Abel’s character in it. Abel fully enjoys indulging in nightlife. He does some fun things with makeup, in eighties punk fashion, and is wearing these obnoxiously long fake nails when we first meet him. 

Abel is a lot angstier about vampirism than Marcellus. He hasn’t had a lot of time to process his vampirism, and he didn’t get to choose it like Marcellus did. It’s pretty difficult for him. Abel is also a lot closer to everything that happened to him during his human life, so he has a lot more feelings to work through. 

THEATRE TROUPE

Marcellus’s introduction to vampirism was a theatre troupe that rolled through Provincetown. He went to see them perform for the first time and was so smitten he spent all his money returning every night. They welcomed him happily. It wasn’t until he’d been with them for a couple months when the members revealed that they were vampires.

The theatre troupe are often mentioned, but we don’t get to meet them face to face until we’re about halfway through the book. The troupe is composed of a rotating cast of characters. When we meet them, the group consists of: Julius (he/him), Cleopatra (she/her), Smythe (she/her), Mary (they/them), Calliope (she/they), and Ptolemy (it/its). We get mentions of other members offhandedly.

These vampires are all considered “elders” in the context of the story, though they are nowhere near considered elders in the counsels. The only ones who would be considered actual elders in the vampiric community are Ptolemy and Cleopatra, and even then, they don’t really follow the “old ways”. 

Julius

Julius is Marcellus’ former master/mentor. He isn’t an elder vampire by any means, but he’s old enough to have experienced the barbaric “old ways” of vampirism, and stands firmly against them. Julius is overdramatic, enthusiastic, and exactly Marcellus’ type. 

He doesn’t often create spawn, having only three (Marcellus included). Julius is close with all of his spawns, calling and sending mail. He has high standards for vampirism that he’s passed onto Marcellus. 

Their relationship is really sweet, honestly. I love how much they care about each other. From Marcellus’ perspective, Julius is his first love. Julius has great respect for how much Marcellus cares about other people and that Marcellus adopted his teachings. Meeting Abel thrills Julius; he’s overjoyed that one of his spawn is willing to take in a fledgling that isn’t theirs.

EXCERPT

“You don’t seem particularly sociable.” Abel weaves around a tree, glances back playfully. In the darkness, he looks more like a vampire than Marcellus. His long nails and contact lenses aren’t noticeable once the branches above block out the cloud-darkened sky. The swish of his hair and his cape speaks more to vampirism. He doesn’t seem to have problems speaking around the ridiculous plastic fangs.

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