#The seventh's personal advisor

[sleepyorchidmonster]

After Chapter 7, Malleus and by extension Briar Valley had to deal with plenty of backlash.

In an attempt to appease the public (and control Malleus), the Senate organized a press conference with world leaders and NRC parents (there's A LOT of overlap between those two groups).

The main idea was to show the Senate as capable advisors that would guide the young Draconia, cementing their status in Briar Valley while also "protecting" and isolating Malleus.

What really happened was that Mrs. Rosehearts yelled at them for ten hours straight.

You see, Riddle was worried about how his mother would react to the entire Chapter 7 situation, so he made sure to explain everything to her, casting Malleus and Lillia in a more favourable light.

And it acually worked! You see, despite all her failures as a parent, she is still a mother at the end of the day, and the idea that a son would go to such great lenghts, overblotting and almost dooming the entire world, just to keep his parental figure safe, was quite touching.

She also has a newfound respect for Lillia, how he spent all those years looking for ways to get Malleus to hatch, how he went above and beyond to care for the Prince, even while banished, how he adopted and raised Silver (who is the only student she actually respects). HOW HE LITERALLY SACRIFICED PART OF HIS LIFEFORCE FOR MALLEUS TO HATCH!

On the other hand, she HATES the Senate. Mostly because she put herself in Meleanor's shoes: imagine you're about to die and decide to entrust your unborn son to your friend, only for said friend to be unjustly banished, leaving your kid in the hands of a bunch of entitled senators that completely DISREGARDED YOUR LAST WISH (Mrs. Rosehearts hates it when people don't do what she says, so she feels personally offended by that last bit, the fact that Malleus almost died also doesn't help).

Anyway, she's angry and, since the Senate IS encouraging people to air their grievances with Briar Valley, might as well seize this opportunity!

Malleus, Silver, Sebek, Lillia, Baul and Maleficia feel vindicated. Since only the housewardens and Diasomnia were invited for the event, the group chat was crazy.

The housewardens were all sitting together near the back of the room, alongside Silver and Sebek (they DON'T want to draw attention to themselves, especially since most of them are overblot survivors), so they could easily chat or sleep. Meanwhile the students back on campus were watching everything at Ramshackle.

As a small bonus, a few ways to avoid panic attacks, by Riddle and Trey:

*Mrs. Rosehearts starts talking*

Trey: Hey Rook!

Rook: Oui?

Trey: What is the meaning of beauty?

Rook: :D

*Rook starts monologuing and nobody can hear the TV anymore*

Meanwhile Riddle:

*School chat*

Epel: So, how long until she stops yelling at people? It ain't funny anymore...

Riddle: Since she yelled at Trey's parents for five hours because they gave me a tart, maybe ten or fifteen hours?

Ruggie: Wtf

Deuce: Are you doing okay, dormhead?

Riddle: I have a fully charged phone with a crosswords app, headphones playing all the Queen's rules on loop, and an entire bottle filled with the strongest calming tea I could find.

Riddle: Moreover, I'm currently seated beside the sleepiest students in this school (Leona and Silver). Their calm disposition creates a peaceful environment.

Riddle: Therefore I shall be able to keep panic attacks AND overblots at bay!

Ace: Just say yes or no...

*15 minutes later*

Riddle: I beat the game, there are no more crosswords

Vil: Chess.com

Vil: NOW

Vil: Wake Leona up, we're having a TOURNAMENT!

Idia: Congrats, u just got a World Record

Idia: Also I'm sending you a list of games later...

They left a bit after the seventh hour mark.

[kurithedweeb]

Since I’ve ended up filling the ranks of side characters with background NPCs and fleshing them out to the point of basically being original characters, I’ve been considering adding OCs with no basis in canon to the mix. I’m already halfway there by giving Katelyn’s unnamed brothers a story, so why not?

For example, members of noble households. Nursemaids and pages and groundskeepers and such.

Kenmur would have had at least one nursemaid when his old village was attacked who would have likely been with him at the time of the attack and therefore likely been the one first able to get baby Kenmur to some semblance of safety and possibly survived as a result. Pages were men or boys employed to be personal attendants to people of rank who might have also done chores and errands for the household or establishment they worked for, and each of the Ro’Meave brothers might have had a page around their own age growing up, Zane might even have the same page he had when he was young still on his service as an attendant when he’s grown. Meteli’s a pretty backwater and casual place, but a Lord’s household is still a Lord’s household and so the Zvahl family probably had a few servants who might have lived in or very near the household, a groundskeeper among them that I think Cadenza would have been close to and learned about flowers from.

There’s also a big thing about succession in MCD, so I’d need to add some heirs and apprentices to the Lords in the various villages, plus actually fill some of the villages we never see in canon. Nahakra needs an heir, so do the Neopolitan villages, I need to figure out Matataki’s whole situation and someone has to fill the void in Boboros’s leadership after Gene killed both the Lord and the heir and they also need a head guard.

I’ve been dabbling with how I’m handling the families of the main and supporting cast that we don’t see or hear about in canon too.

Zenix was an only child and his parents belonged to a sect that worshipped the Destroyer and he grew up worshipping Shad instead of Irene alongside the rest of their small settlement. The settlement was found and divided when he was about ten, and his parents raised him in seclusion where it was safe after that. All three of them died in a house fire Zenix set by accident when he was a teen, and after being brought back Zenix can’t remember much about them due to injuries sustained in the fire.

Nana has an absolutely massive family. In MyS she mentions being the seventh child of twelve. In her clan’s compound in Tu’la there’s the main branch of the clan which includes Nana and her siblings, their parents, a scattering of uncles and aunts and cousins, and any nieces or nephews she may have. Then there’s the vassal clans under them, at least one of which should be a clan of craftsmen so they don’t have to outsource their gear or clothing very often. They also have the servants of the household and possibly their families, any gladiators sponsored by the clan, tradesmen under contract to the clan, and possibly any orphans the household sponsors and trains to eventually make a contract with. There would also be aides and attendants and advisors. When I say massive family, I mean it.

Then we also have a few of the main and supporting cast where I completely fudge the canon. One of Cadenza’s bio parents is a Shadow Knight and that’s why Shadow Knights are always after her. Esmund and Xavier had an older sister, then Xavier had a wife and several kids that turned into the Ro’Meave line. Aaron had a brother who’s only a few years older than Jacob. Vylad has a slew of half-siblings across the continent. Travis has a twin who the Demon Warlock stole away to make his successor when they were young. Kiki and Brendan are estranged from their father and sister. Ein was the unnamed pup from the werewolf tribe near Brightport and was adopted by an older woman from the werewolf kingdom after being split from his tribe. Dante and Gene had a father who they never saw because he was always working, alongside their canon mom and uncle. Malachi has a whole line of indirect descendants because his parents had another kid after he was sent away, and they have old family stories where being turned into a ghost like their ancestor Malachi is what happens to bad kids. Enki and Kul’zak had two kids, one by adoption and the other by magickal means.

This isn’t even getting into my whole Seven Sinners of Virtue thing, which is basically the generation before the Divine Warriors if they were part of a cycle of people whose purpose is to keep the world spinning by whatever means necessary. There’s the Seven, the families, their enemies, and the gods who were worshipped before the Divine Faith came about.

This is. So Many Characters.

[13lunarstar]

Chara karakas and their role in Vedic astrology

Vedic astrology offers a wide variety of concepts and symbols, providing deep insights into an individual's personality traits and the trajectory of their life path. One of them is Chara Karaka which plays a significant role in determining various life events and experiences. Chara Karaka refers to the "moving significator" or "variable indicator" and is a crucial component of Jaimini astrology, a branch of Vedic astrology known for its predictive techniques.

The Chara Karakas represent planets that have the highest degree in a specific sign in a person's birth chart (Rasi), excluding the Ascendant (Lagna). These planets are considered significant in predicting different aspects of an individual's life, including career, relationships, and overall life path.

Let's have a deeper look at all of them:

Atma Karaka (in Vedic astrological programs - AK): Atma Karaka represents the soul's journey, spiritual growth, and overall life purpose. It is determined by the planet with the highest degree in the birth chart, excluding Lagna (ASC). Atma Karaka signifies the deepest desires, karmic lessons, and evolutionary path of the soul in this lifetime. Its placement (house in a birth chart) and aspects provide insights into the individual's innermost desires, motivations, and spiritual evolution.

Amatya Karaka (AmK): Amatya Karaka signifies career, professional life, and guidance from mentors or advisors. It is determined by the planet with the second-highest degree in the birth chart. Amatya Karaka represents one's professional aspirations, leadership qualities, and interactions with authority figures in the workplace. Its placement and aspects can reveal insights into the individual's career path, success, and potential for leadership roles.

Bhratru Karaka (BK): Bhratru Karaka represents siblings, cousins, and close relatives. It signifies relationships with siblings and the dynamic between siblings in a person's life. Bhratru Karaka is determined by the planet with the third-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can indicate the nature of sibling relationships, communication styles, and family dynamics.

Matri Karaka (MK): Matri Karaka represents the mother and maternal figures in a person's life. It signifies nurturing, emotional support, and the maternal bond. Matri Karaka is determined by the planet with the fourth-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can provide insights into the individual's relationship with their mother, maternal influences, and emotional security.

Pitru Karaka (PiK): Pitru Karaka represents the father and paternal figures. It signifies authority, guidance, and paternal influence in a person's life. Pitru Karaka is determined by the planet with the fifth-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can reveal insights into the individual's relationship with their father, paternal influences, and sense of responsibility.

Gnati Karaka (GK): Gnati Karaka represents extended family members and relatives beyond siblings. It signifies the broader family network and relationships with distant relatives. Gnati Karaka is determined by the planet with the sixth-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can indicate the nature of extended family relationships, ancestral influences, and familial bonds. Also, GK represents challenges and obstacles (sometimes even enemies) in life that must be addressed.

Dara Karaka (DK): Dara Karaka represents the spouse or romantic partner. It signifies marriage, relationships, and partnership dynamics. Dara Karaka is determined by the planet with the seventh-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can provide insights into the individual's marriage prospects, relationship dynamics, and compatibility with their partner.

Putra Karaka (PK): Putra Karaka represents children, creativity, and progeny. It signifies the joy of children and the creative potential within a person. Putra Karaka is determined by the planet with the eighth-highest degree in the birth chart. Its placement and aspects can indicate the individual's relationship with their children, creative pursuits, and potential for progeny.

[may--hawk]

All Hail Jeeves

A Jeeves & Wooster/Good Omens crossover fic.

Rating: T

Pairings: Jeeves/Wooster, Aziraphale/Crowley

Summary:

Many things had been proposed as the agent behind Jeeves’ exceptional acumen, his savoir-faire, his shimmering appearances, his uncanny well of knowledge, his unfailing ability to get anyone anywhere out of any pinch. The potential causes had been posited as follows: a diet heavy in fish, a bedside table full of improving reading, an overabundance of gray matter, aided by a particular protuberance at the back of the head, allowing for more of the soft stuff than anybody else. Not one of these came close to the truth.* The truth was that Reginald Jeeves, the premier gentleman’s personal gentleman, Honor of Ganymede, First Class, of Berkeley Street, London, was, to put it plainly, a devil. *Except for the bit about the fish.

Not the devil, of course. Jeeves had always preferred to leave the starring roles for others. No, Jeeves was a fairly standard demon of the ninth house, seventh planet, Minerva ascending, with a scroll of medals and honors to his name. Some were made of obsidian, others made of actual souls worn thin and flat, as if pressed by a souvenir coin machine, and then stamped with accolades such as MOST PRESTEEJUS SOUL 36 AD or HELL’S TOP FLIE PHISHERMIN,2 that latter trophy remaining in his possession for a dozen centuries running. When he had found himself on Earth, Jeeves left those medals and awards down in Hell. They were not something to leave carelessly lying about the flat, where any gentlemen might stumble into them. Not that Mr. Wooster would ever think of such spying activities, but some of his acquaintances and relatives were, perhaps, a little less inhibited.

Before finding himself in Mr. Wooster’s employ, Jeeves had been on Earth for five thousand years. Not nearly as long as demons like Crowley, the original tempter, but most certainly long enough. Jeeves was a master craftsman, securing one particularly coveted soul for Satan at a time, working slowly on them over decades, like a particularly trusted servant polishing a fine bit of silver. That was, indeed, the guise often taken: trusted servant, confidante, advisor, vizier, mentor. He would be seen every half-century or so down in the Pit by Satan’s side, inclining his head as Satan requested someone in particular of him. Solomon. Caesar. Cleopatra. Nero. Arthur. An entire host of Henris and Henrys and Louis.

Satan, it was said, relied on Jeeves. Jeeves was known to assist Lord Beelzebub at times. Dukes Hastur and Ligur always treated him with the utmost respect. (“Better to have ‘im on our side than not,” Ligur was heard to say, and shiver.) Duke Usher was beneath his notice.3 The lesser demons were afraid of Jeeves, and stories were told in the lower levels of Erics being somewhere they shouldn’t have been, doing something they shouldn’t have been doing, turning around to see Jeeves standing there looking at them in disapproval. And then they were never seen again.

Jeeves’ opinions on the final battle to come were not known, although it was generally assumed he had his own plan in the making. There were a series of bets on what this might entail among some of the bolder demons, along with a great currying of favor, which Jeeves seemed impervious to. And what of his opinion of Earth, and humans? Few knew. He liked the philosophers, he was known to confess on occasion. He allowed that a few of them understood perhaps a bit better than She did what it was all about. He was rather fond of the fish. But of everything else, he was rather reserved.

And then in the early twentieth century - not much time left now, the demons would say to each other, although not really with any sort of anticipation, as they’d been down in Hell so long that, not having much imagination to begin with, they couldn’t really picture anything else - Jeeves received an assignment to ensure the collection of an age-old deal. Centuries ago, an old English Lord had promised his firstborn in exchange for the king to visit at his house on his way to hunting. The deal had been made, the king had stopped, and the man’s wife impregnated while the man himself was down in the wine cellar’s at the king’s behest. This particular turn of events, entirely foreseen to all but the man himself, raised all manner of issues regarding the legitimacy of the deal. The document had been tied up in Legal for eons and had finally come back stamped Approved.4

Jeeves had oiled from France to London to the residence of one Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, a first-born son of a long line of first-born sons, in order to win his soul to Satan in adherence to the deal as written. The man, Jeeves was led to understand, was a bit of a reprobate, recently released from jail for a most heinous crime. Like most modern young gentleman, Jeeves thought, and sighed a little. It would be an easy task, and then perhaps, he could go to Paris, or to Crete for a holiday, while they still remained on this earth.

It took a great deal of knocking to rouse the dissolute young Wooster, it seemed, and Jeeves was very nearly considering leaving - the man would undoubtedly go to Hell without Jeeves’ intervention - when the door swung wide.

“I was given to understand you required a valet,” Jeeves said. The man gaped at him like a rather mild English fish. On another plane, Jeeves smiled, not very nicely. Jeeves liked fish. “Very good, sir,” said Jeeves, and oiled in.

Continue reading on AO3.

[inosakutema]

↳ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐀, 𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐇𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝚰𝐋𝐘'𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐇𝐀?

Do you know what are the responsibilities of the members of the Nara, the Uchiha and the Yamanaka families in Konohagakure?

These are the areas they cover and how Temari, Sakura and Ino, together with their husbands, contribute to the village in detail.

As many fans of Naruto know, the Nara clan has always been in charge of commanding the Regular Forces and aiding the Hokage as advisors; the Uchiha clan has always been in charge of the Konoha Military Police and maintaining order in the village; while the Yamanaka clan has always been in charge of interrogation.

However, these roles have been changed with time, and so have the members of each clan. After the Fourth Shinobi World War, many clansmen have perished or retired.

Then, what do Temari and Shikamaru for the Nara clan, Sakura and Sasuke for the Uchiha clan, and Ino and Sai for the Yamanaka clan do for Konoha now?

.

.

◍ NARA FAMILY:

Members: Temari Nara, Shikamaru Nara and Shikadai Nara.

— TEMARI is the official Ambassador between Konohagakure and Sunagakure.

She travels between both villages to attend diplomatic events and transmits important messages between the two villages, like the rise of a new enemy or threat for both villages. As the Kazekage's sister and former bodyguard, she hosts Gaara in her house when he visits Konohagakure.

— SHIKAMARU is the official aid and advisor of the Seventh Hokage.

He helps the Hokage take important decisions for the village and also helps him to manage his job and activities. Shikamaru is the second most important person in Konoha and takes command of shinobi forces in emergencies.

Temari and Shikamaru are also active ninja that go on missions regularly. Both of them are jōnin, which means they take the most difficult missions that go from A to S-rank and are also high officials of Konoha. Shikamaru is also a Pillar of Konoha. On the other hand, Shikadai is a ch��nin with the ability to lead teams and take B to C-rank missions.

Summary: The Nara family is in charge of high official roles that include supporting the Hokage as advisor; as well as diplomatic and hosting roles for the Kazekage as ambassadors in Konoha. They are also active shinobi.

.

◓ UCHIHA FAMILY:

Members: Sakura Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha and Sarada Uchiha.

— SAKURA is the Head of the Medical Department of Konohagakure.

She's the main doctor of the village, taking the most serious cases in the Hokage Residence's Medical Office; as well as the Director of Konoha Hospital who leads the Medic Corps in the main medical facility. Inside the hospital, Sakura is a teacher of medical ninjutsu and trains future medical ninjas and doctors.

— SASUKE is the Shadow Hokage of Konohagakure.

He takes the same role as the Hokage but from the outside by going on dangerous missions and investigating any possible threat to Konohagakure. With his Sharingan, Sasuke also reads the minds of enemies in the Intelligence Division and actively participates in interrogations as an interrogator himself.

Sakura and Sasuke are also active ninja that go on missions regularly. Sakura is a jōnin and Sasuke currently holds no rank, but both take the most difficult missions that go from A to S-rank (they normally together) and are also high officials of Konohagakure. They are also Pillars of Konoha. On the other hand, Sarada is a chūnin with the ability to lead teams and take B to C-rank missions.

Summary: The Uchiha family is in charge of providing medical care and educational classes related to the medical field as doctors and teachers; as well as protecting the borders of Konohagakure from intruders, investigating threats and the interrogation of enemies as interrogators. They are also active shinobi.

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⨁ YAMANAKA FAMILY:

Members: Ino Yamanaka, Sai Yamanaka and Inojin Yamanaka.

— INO is the Leader of Konohagakure's Barrier Team.

They are a team of shinobi to detect intruders that trespass the invisible borders of Konohagakure through an automatic sensing system. When an enemy is located, their team of sensors use barrier-type ninjutsu to trap any enemy. Ino and Analysis Team members like Aoba Yamashiro can also read minds using Psycho Mind Transmission.

— SAI is the Chief of ANBU.

He takes a close look at enemies of Konohagakure by undergoing secret investigations and working closely with the Military Police Force. In collaboration with Ibiki Morino and Sasuke Uchiha, he participates in interrogations from the Intelligence Division as an interrogator himself.

Ino and Sai are also active ninja that go on missions regularly. Ino is a chūnin and Sai is a chūbu (support division), which means they have the ability to lead teams and take B to C-rank missions. On the other hand, Inojin is a genin.

Summary: The Yamanaka family is in charge of protecting the borders of Konohagakure from intruders as leaders; as well as investigating threats and the interrogation of enemies as interrogators in Konohagakure. They are also active shinobi.

.

The Nara, Uchiha and Yamanaka are the most influential families in Konohagakure. All their members are active ninja that complete missions and take many roles as leaders of Konoha to protect it.

Original Twitter post.

[mademoiselle-red]

5 Favorite Characters Poll (tag game)

Rules: make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

I was tagged by @lasenbyphoenix and since we are both cdrama enjoyers, I’ll also make this cdrama-themed. I have lots of faves, but these are the characters I find myself continually thinking about, analyzing, unable to let go of, long after I’ve moved on from their respective fandoms.

tagging @yletylyf , @bbcphile , @pi-ying-xi , @seventh-fantasy , @dangermousie and anyone else who’d like to play

Zhang Qiling: The only non-villain character on this list. I find myself returning to him whenever I plan trips to China. He is the perfect embodiment of my wanderlust — we both have an insatiable urge to see more of the country, in search of something we cannot name: perhaps a memory, a piece of the past, a sense of identity, a glimpse of the future.

Bailin: This is a character of many contradictions, which makes him fascinating (and it helps that he is played by my favorite actor Liu Xueyi). First, there is his personal struggle between his humanity and his divinity. Then, there is contradiction between Bailin as a morally neutral political actor in his role as a leader defending his people against invaders when their king refused to fight and the narrative’s depiction of him as the villain and the demons (who canonically do consume people in this show) as the victims. And finally, the conflicting storytelling that emerged out of the drama being filmed with the canonical Bailin/Luohou Jidu ship from the novel that was later mostly cut out of the show in post-production, which instead emphasized the Luohou Jidu/Sifeng ship (which doesn’t exist in the novel since these two characters never interacted).

Wang Xifeng: She was a more competent leader of people and manager of businesses than the men of the Jia household, but as woman, her gifts and ambitions were limited to the household. She was also just as corrupt and vain as the men who led the family to its eventual destruction, but she could have been so much more, greater and more terrible, if she’d been able to enter public life instead of being sequestered within the Jia manor. She’s like a beast, an apex predator, trapped in a golden cage. She was selfish and cruel, but she was also kind and generous to Qin Keqing and to Liu Laolao, and to many of the main characters as long as their interests didn’t conflict with her ambitions.

Cao Cao: There is something very romantic about his life. He was the grandson of a eunuch, shunned because of his lineage, rose to prominence in the army during the unrest and civil wars as Han royal power waned, conquered the northern lands, brought peace and order to his people, and became the supreme ruler of the north but would not crown himself emperor out of some (perhaps genuine perhaps feigned) moral obligation to the Han dynasty. He is cast as a villain in most adaptations because he kidnapped the young and incompetent heir of the Han royal family and used him as a puppet to rule over the territories he conquered. But he did bring peace to the northern lands, and he was a more competent ruler than many of the negligent and corrupt Han royals who came before him. And the dynasty he founded, the Wei Dynasty, gave birth to my favorite literary and aesthetic movement in Chinese history.

Jin Guangyao: As you can tell from the other character analyses above, I am fascinated by complex and contradictory characters who seek and weld political power. Ah Yao is a gentle and soft spoken person who is also ruthless and cold. He is a morally grey politician cast as the villain of the narrative because he is directly or indirectly behind the mysterious deaths that the main couple investigates. Jin Guangyao is similar to Cao Cao in many ways. He is a bastard child who killed those who’d wronged or threatened him and used those assassinations to rise to power. While in power he brought peace and stability to his people after a brutal civil wars: he built watch towers so that ordinary people could receive help from cultivators and he maintained peace among the various cultivator sects. He was cruel towards those who stood in his way to power (and survival) but he treated his nephew and heir with kindness. His rise to power left behind a trail of blood, but he is also the only character besides Lan Xichen (his political ally and backer in every step of his rise to power) with any semblance of a political vision in the novel. These many contradictory pieces that comprise “Jin Guangyao” are endlessly fascinating: Meng Yao the kind boy who helped a stranger, Meng Yao the desperate boy who took revenge on his abusers, Jin Guangyao the gentle and generous ruler and uncle, Jin Guangyao the ruthless and power-hungry usurper, son, husband, and brother.

[sirfrogsworth]

The number of items you qualify for determines which circle of Hell you will end up in.

Here is a handy guide to see who you will be partying with in The Inferno.

First Circle: Limbo or "Heaven Lite."

Were you a decent person but forgot to get baptized? Welcome to Meh-ven. Not quite as good as Heaven, but you still get to live in a neat castle.

Second Circle: Lust or "Too horny for Heaven."

This circle is for those who banged their way through life. You are punished by being blown violently back and forth by strong winds, preventing you from finding peace and rest.

So, basically Chicago.

Third Circle: Gluttony or "You should have ordered a salad instead of that Bloomin' Onion."

I'm pretty sure this is the fat shaming Hell. You are overseen by a giant worm monster named Cerberus and placed into a large slushie machine. You must lie in frozen slush for eternity thinking about all of those hot dog eating contests you won.

Fourth Circle: Greed or "What? I gave $20 to the Red Cross every year!"

You are overseen by Pluto, the dog of Mickey Mouse. Or maybe the demoted dwarf planet. I honestly did not do enough research to be sure. Circle 4 is divided into people who spent too much and people who hoarded too much. They must push giant boulders at each other in a game of eternal rock jousting.

Fifth Circle: Anger or...

The angry must join a fight club and brawl each other atop the River Styx.

The grumpy must gurgle beneath the pugilists--submerged forever in that same river.

Sixth Circle: Heresy or "Ya know, I'm pretty sure the Earth revolves around the Sun. Hey, why is this priest placing me in shackles? It's just science, bro!"

Did you go against the Church? Well, for that they just straight up set you on fire. Not the most creative damnation, but I'm sure all of the flaming souls look neat from a spectator's point of view.

Seventh Circle: Violence or "Apparently, these things are all the same amount of bad... murder, suicide, and booty sex."

This circle is divided into three other circles. Which means there are 12 total circles. Which is confusing, but whatever.

In sub-circle 7a, you have the murderers. They are submerged in a river of blood that is also on fire.

Is blood flammable? Did Dante even try to set blood on fire before writing this? I'm thinking, no. YOU ARE TESTING MY SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF, DANTE.

In sub-circle 7b, you have people who have taken their own life. These folks are turned into shrubbery. Once in your final shrub form, this handsome harpy gal slowly eats you for eternity.

In sub-circle 7c, you have all of the anal fornicators. If you ever stuck it in a butt or had it stuck in your butt, you get to spend your afterlife in a desert of burning sand. And it is raining. So it is one of those rare rainy deserts I guess. Oh, but the rain is on fire.

WHY ARE SO MANY NON-FLAMMABLE THINGS ON FIRE, DANTE?

Eighth Circle: Fraud or "Is fraud really worse than murder?"

I'm going to be straight with you.

The eighth circle is a hot mess.

I'm pretty sure Dante was getting tired of creating new circles for every bad person, so he made a catchall for the villains that didn't quite fit into the previous circles and sub-circles. Instead of creating 10 sub-circles for the 8th circle, he decided to just throw everyone into their own hell ditch. These ditches are called Bolgias.

And now a Top Ten List from the home office in Wahoo, Nebraska.

Top ten types of people stuck in an eternal Bolgia ditch in the 8th circle of hell.

10. Falsifiers such as counterfeiters and wellness gurus. 9. Divisive individuals such as Fox News pundits and Chris Pratt. 8. Advisors such as self help authors and life coaches. 7. Thieves such as whoever created overdraft fees. 6. Hypocrites such as rich Pro-Lifers who have paid for several abortions for their mistresses. 5. Corrupt politicians such as (the list exceeded this post's maximum word count). 4. Wizards!

3. People who purchase pardons like pretty much anyone associated with Donald Trump. 2. Flatterers such as pick up artists and old ladies who tell me I am handsome in the grocery store. 1. Seducers such as people who have cake and want sex and are like, "Would you like some tasty cake in exchange for sex?"

Look, seduction is in the eye of the beholder and all I'm saying is cake would probably work on me.

Circle Nine: Treachery or "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"

Okay, so the 9th circle has 4 rounds.

Which sound an awful lot like circles.

Which brings us to 16 circles in the 9 circles of Hell.

I'm wondering if Dante named the book before he wrote it and everything was done with permanent ink so he couldn't change it.

The 9th circle has 4 frozen circles rounds, each dedicated to notorious traitors. Like a tribute to their epic level of sinfulness.

First up you have the Cain round. He was the first person to ever have a little brother and no one told him you can't just kill the little shit. People in the Cain round are encased up to the base of the neck, so they can still look around and stuff.

The second round is dedicated to Antenor. He was a Trojan. In reality, he negotiated peace with the Greeks. In myth, he opened the city gates and let the Greeks in so they could murder everyone. He was spared because he painted his house with panther blood.

"Panther Blood... 60% of the time it works *every* time." --Antenor

People here are encased to the top of the neck, so they are looking one direction forever.

Coming in round three we have Ptolemy. He didn't care much for his father-in-law, Simon Maccabaeus. So he invited Simon and his sons to a fancy banquet and Red Wedding'd the shit out of them. Ptolemy rounders are encased face-up in the ice just below eye level. That way, whenever they cry for being damned, their tears will freeze over. Over time those frozen tears create an ice visor that takes away the ability to weep ever again. And I'm guessing everything is real blurry too.

Round four is dedicated to the most infamous betrayer of all time. That's right, my favorite character in JC Superstar... Judas Iscariot.

Judas rounders are completely encased in ice. Permanently frozen and immobile with their bodies in every conceivable distorted and twisted position. Chances are, they have too much Heaven on their minds.

And in the very center of the nine-ish 16 circles of Hell, you have Satan himself. The fallen angel, Lucifer.

The story, as I like to imagine it, goes like this...

Lucifer was shooting the shit with the other angels and was all, "I could probably take God, right? He's not so tough."

And since a utopian existence is actually pretty boring and without drama, the other angels responded, "Absolutely! You've been working out and look totally jacked. You got this, dude." All while trying to hold in their laughter.

ANGEL PRANKS!

Lucifer then challenges God and gets instantly Thanos snap'd into a frozen lake. Lucifer sulks for all eternity wondering why those other angels told him he could whip God's metaphorical noncorporeal ass.

Satan is depicted as a hideous three-headed beast frozen up to his waist. He has six bat-like wings that flap and create a chilling breeze that keeps the ice frozen. Literally a hell of his own making. In each of Lucifer's mouths is a famous traitor being forever gnawed. History's most famous collective stabbers, Brutus and Cassius are being chewed in the left and right heads. And Judas is stuck in the viscous center maw while getting the world's worst backscratch from Satan's claws.

But wait, it gets racist!

Each devil head is a different color... Red for Europeans. Yellow for Asians. And black for Africans.

Dante, you little shit.

Alright folks, it is time to add up your totals. Which circle or sub-circle of Hell are you going to party in for eternity?

I'll do mine.

I am slightly homo for Chris Evans when he uses his biceps to curl a helicopter. I want him to hug me because I think he probably smells nice.

I do consider myself a feminist because I watched too many woke Disney films and I was indoctrinated by public schools.

I once ran out of RAM because I had too many tabs open in Chrome. I'm not sure if that qualifies me as a "porn freak" but I'm going to count it.

I smoked pot twice. The first time it made me feel like my head was full of bees and then I passed out for 12 hours. The second time I only inhaled once... and my head filled with bees and I passed out for 12 hours. Counting it.

When I was 18 my church's youth counselor matter-of-factly stated that my best friend was going to Hell. I thought, "That's silly, he's just a theater nerd who wore a floofy shirt and a Phantom of the Opera cape to school on multiple occasions. He's harmless and religion is dumb." So a big check for atheist.

I idolize my bestie Katrina because she is very good a puns. Is that worthy of idolization? Probably not. But I stand by it regardless.

And as far as masturbation goes... again, I ran out of RAM for having too many tabs open in Chrome.

I think I qualify for the seventh circle of Hell. I think I am going to engage in some mild thuggery so I can hang out in 7b as a nice shrub getting eaten by a harpy.

I realize there are only 12 options and 16 possible circles. So I have decided you may use a yoga pants multiplier.

1x if they are too tight but you went through tremendous effort to put them on so you are just going with it. 1x if they were acquired from an MLM mom on Facebook. 1x if they make that booty pop. 1x if they contain a pattern with as many non-complimentary colors as possible.

Welp. I put way too much effort into this.

I guess I'll see you all in Hell!

[web-novel-polls]

Smartest WN Character Submissions

Last Checked: October 31st, 2024 - Please check the original post for updates

Submissions End: TBD

Rules:

One character per response. Submit as many responses as you want, but please don’t submit the same character more than once unless you forgot something important (can also be fixed via asks).

Must be from a web novel or similar media (Ex: manhwa/manhua) with a web novel adaptation/source. 

“Smartest” can be based on anything from studies to martial arts to strategy to emotional intelligence. If you think they’re smart in any way, they’ll qualify & compete

Tournament Tag: #smartest WN character tournament

Major Spoilers for TYK/WOH, SVSSS, MDZS

Submissions

No Propaganda

Cui Buqu from Peerless: Wushuang

He Xuan from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

Jing Beiyuan from Lord Seventh / Qi Ye

Jin Guangyao from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

You Huo from Global Examination / QQGK

Fei Du from Mo Du / Silent Reading

Submission: idk what to say without spoiling the whole novel

Carrd Link

Gu Mang from Yu Wu / Remnants of Filth

Submission: He is intelligent and clever enough to rise from a slave to a general and then become a high-profile spy in the enemy's camp. His intelligence is only compromised by his idealism and its resulting naivete. Even so, he's a genius. 

Ji Yushi from Mist [Unlimited]

Submission: He is somehow able to figure out and understand all the super complicated things that go on in the novel. Incredibly intelligent (and not just because of his hyperthymesia).  

Klein Moretti from Lord of Mysteries

Submission:

i'm not done with the novel yet but he's literally so smart!!

the way he can process information and make connections so quickly, the way he's always great at adapting his way of thinking and doesn't hesitate to change his conclusions when new information comes to light,,, (and the way he can use that to make others believe he knows everything when he's literally hearing about stuff for the first time and doesn't know shit? incredible)

i'm just so impressed by him all the time, i love him sm

Lloyd Frontera / Kim Suho from The Greatest Estate Developer / TGED

Submission: Excels in both long-term and immediate planning, if the standard for excelling is 'how to get the absolute most benefit out of the situation'. WILL use methods no regular person could ever think of.

Nie Huaisang from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Submission 1: He delicately wove a ten year revenge plot, manipulating people and evidence behind the scenes so deftly that even after having pulled his plan off, only a few people ever even learned of his involvement. 

Submission 2: Bro was several steps ahead years ahead all to get justice for his brother. bro was a lazy student in childhood, faced incredible loss, and decided fuck this im gonna plot my way to vengence. he did this all while not fighting people's assumption he was dumb from his school days, let them think the worst of me, it will only benefit me.

Qiyan Agula from Clear and Muddy Loss of Love / JWQS

Submission: She's an excellent schemer and manipulator, and is even able to easily adapt her carefully calculated plans when faced with major setbacks. Also able to rank first in very difficult scholarly exams among numerous other candidates. Incredibly clever and cunning.

Wiki Link

Shang Qinghua from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System / SVSSS

Submission: 

Hear me out: he created the world he transmigrated to and managed to not get caught for spying on his sect. He worked for MBJ and CQ (at the same time) becoming the most trusted advisor of one and a peak lord in the other. While he didn't remember EVERYTHING from his novel, it was a literal life time before. He's a mental swiss army knife, jack of all trades. He's not the best at anything, SJ and SY are definitely smarter, LBH is for sure super clever, but SQH is able to keep up with them. (And not get murdered! Way to go Airplane!) 

Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Submission:

He literally learned how to be a peak lord of the scholarly peak within months, even though his loveable unreliable narrator self makes it unclear how much knowledge he got from the original goods (cultivation and muscle memory are in tact to some degree, at least)

Textual evidence: “ As Shen Qingqiu had, since his arrival, been furiously reviewing various manuals, he had also recently seen a description of it.”(ch1) where he recalls a specific technique and uses it in the moment. “Shen Qingqiu had no say in any of it. As such, he had diligently trained for numerous days, single-mindedly seeking to make his abilities second nature…” (ch 1) yeah so this goes into the having to relearn everything category.

He’s also a walking monster/PIDW encyclopedia. I think his most impressive memory feat [spoiler] is navigating the Holy Mausoleum’s traps better than Tianlang-Jun. note that at this point it’s been years since he read the original book, the Mausoleum is very large, and yet he’s familiar with all the main rooms he encounters, and it’s been years since he read PIDW (the source book). He uses this knowledge to escape/outsmart Tianlang-jun.

Any intelligence he has is made up for by his loss of IQ points around the protagonist, though. And his general obliviousness to those around him.

Shen Zechuan from Qiang Jin Jiu / QJJ

Submission: He is the schemer of all time. Schemes within schemes within schemes. Incredibly clever and an excellent manipulator. He is everything. 

Song Qingshi from Mistakenly Saving the Villain

Submission: The scholar tyrant himself! He knows everything there is to know about medicines and poisons. A very well-read pebble. 

Wei Wuxian from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

Submission: He is a genius and a visionary. He's invented numerous things that make it easier for the cultivation world to do their jobs. He also figured out how to control resentful energy.

Mod Propaganda: He grandmastered that Demonic Cultivation, man

Wen Kexing from Faraway Wanderers / TYK

Submission: 

Saw that someone submitted him without propaganda so here I am with propaganda! Wen Kexing is pretty much responsible for all of the plot stuff happening in Tian Ya Ke. At the same time, he does absolutely Nothing for the duration of the novel for his massive-scale revenge scheme to work out. And that's because he set it up so brilliantly that he didn't need to lift a finger for his enemies to deliver themselves up on a silver platter.  It was genuinely a domino fall: he only created the inciting incident, and then the pieces slowly but surely fell into place. Except the pieces were people, and if any SINGLE one of them decided they didn't want the Lapis Armor - the treasure Wen Kexing baited them with - then Wen Kexing's scheme would just fizzle out on its own. BUT. None of them could give up the pursuit of power. None of them could be satisfied with what they already had. And Wen Kexing perfectly understood those people's psychology and built his scheme based on that.  He really created this poetic justice situation where his enemies walked themselves to their deaths on their own, and only because they wouldn't stop doing the things that he wanted to take revenge for in the first place. Moreover, he set it up in such a way that he didn't need to commit attrocities while in 'the human world', and instead let his enemies expose themselves by 'not conducting themselves like human beings'. Wen Kexing only started killing when his enemies entered his world, the Ghost Valley. So it was not just poetic, it was also theater-level dramatic! Moreover, his scheme worked so perfectly that when Wen Kexing left partway through the final battle, one of his enemies actually finished up everyone else FOR HIM. And while Wen Kexing baited everyone with Lapis Armor, he also ensured that his father's promise to 'not let it fall into wrong hands' is kept - by destroying the key to it prior to kicking off his scheme. So ultimately, even if Wen Kexing died, his revenge would still be completed, AND the last man standing would receive a big fat Nothing for all the murder and plotting they did. And this is just about his revenge plot. He also sussed out a literal spymaster's true identity within like 11 chapters! Not to mention the whole, 'tricked a bunch of crazy murderers into thinking he was even more insane than them', which he did at age 9 (NINE!). Oh, he also staged a perfect coup within three years or less, somewhere between ages 18-21. And ruled over the Ghost Valley for 8 years when no other Valley Master before him lasted longer than 3.  Tl;dr: A LITERAL EVIL MASTERMIND! AND WE LOVE HIM FOR THAT! 

Rejected

Ballister Blackheart from Nimona

Reason: Not from a web novel

[cress-meadowforge]

the seventh trial (pt. one) @slate-skylar & @cress-meadowforge

There were seven trials.

The first was self-inflicted. The second required proof. The third was simple. A vow, an oath. The fourth accumulated slowly.  The fifth was luck (wasn’t it?). The sixth dawned with the war.  The seventh:

“No, this is the most recent dispatch. Came in a few hours ago,” Cress swapped one sheet for another. Seven for Four, two fronts besieged by the Tarrens, who ate viciously at the borders. “More names, more losses. Some territory taken back along the eastern shore. Are you printing the names?” Cress thought they should. She wondered if her family had conscripted, if her siblings were in one of these districts, fighting this war. Would she find out from one of these lists? Would there be something more personal? A word from Terra, or one of her advisors: we’re sorry for your loss?

“Yeah, every one we have,” Slate said, flipping through his notes from his most recent call with Denver. He was feeling distracted, at odds with everything. It was hard to focus when he was still having trouble believing that this war was really happening, that he was playing a role, that it had led to the Games returning.

Cress plucked a photo taken from the makeshift medical camps in Seven. Tents were pitched among the great redwoods, large frames dwarfed by larger trunks. The sides were lined with cots, and bodies filled them: civilians turned soldiers, their bodies mangled and gruesome, vivid even in black and white. But the focal point was a boy (a boy, she thought, and not a man, for he must have been barely of age) with his eyes turned toward the lens. The blankets that covered his body had been discarded, revealing the truth beneath: that he had lost both his legs, one to the hip and one to the knee, the remaining bits of limb wrapped in bandages, which needed changing, as they’d become bloodied. But he was smiling. Smiling. The boy was smiling and raising his fist–

There was a scraping noise at the door. A measured woosh. Cress lowered the photograph, blinking dazedly as she glanced at Slate. “What was that?”

Slate jumped a bit at the noise, frowning, and turned toward the door. He felt like he’d been on constant guard ever since the Arena, like it had never quite ended. The only times he’d felt calm were under the false guide of morphling. Every other moment — it was war. The enemies kept changing, but the objective remained the same: stay alive. Protect the ones you love.

He stood up, grabbing the knife that he’d taken to keeping on himself at all times again. He’d finally kicked the habit after the Arena, but then when everything started up with the Vox in earnest, he’d found it in his hand more often than not. Cress shifted from the floor, up to her knees, a measured hand splaying protectively over Kya’s bassinet. It was paranoia. Of course it was. Disordered thinking, illogical and frantic, to where she couldn’t stand to let them out of sight. Kya would have slept just as soundly in the nursery, but Cress needed her nearer, never farther than arm’s length. It was all so tenuous, so fragile these days. 

They were both on edge, hearts racing as Slate neared the door.

“Don’t know.” He peered at the door, then saw what had made the noise: a little piece of paper, slid beneath. His heart dropped. Was it bad news, was it a threat? “Guess someone wants to tell us something,” he said, approaching the door and stooping to pick up the piece of paper.

She eased, sinking down onto her heels. Her guarding arm dropped. “They could have knocked.” The sentiment was laced with annoyance, but fear still saturated the core. There had been no time to heal from their old wounds before the Tarrens – and in some ways, the Vox – inflicted more. A phone ringing in the other room could send her spiraling. When they finished working on the zine, she’d need the materials tucked away, somewhere out of sight. It was too familiar, somehow still bright and raw. 

“Why would they have knocked when it’s always twenty times more creepy and annoying to just be a weirdo about it?” Slate joked, or tried to — but it was hard, the tense moment difficult to break. He stepped closer to her to hand over the note. For some reason, he got the feeling this was for Cress; if the message were for him, it felt like it’d be, well, a little bloodier, a little more obvious.

“A long-awaited invitation back to District Zero?” A wishful jest, playful in a way that staved the panic from mounting further. Both of them, trying to play it cool, light. Cress took the piece of paper, inspecting the note:

22nd & Liberty

2 AM

She turned it over:

Burn after reading.

“Ominous,” she appraised, scoffing, “and poorly addressed. Any guesses who it’s for or from?”

Slate took it, peering at it closely as if he could deduce the handwriting, but of course, he couldn’t. That was much more Cress’s wheelhouse anyway. Slate was all blunt instrument. “No idea, but it looks, sounds, and, let me see…” He brought the paper to his nose, gave it a whiff. “Yeah, it even smells like a fucking trap.”

She huffed again, almost nearly genuine with humor. “From who? Snow?” It seemed precisely the kind of thing she’d have done before having her brains blown out on television. “I doubt the Tarrens are luring us into the heart of the Capitol, and if Cacus wanted something, she could have sent a minion or picked up the phone.” But it was unnerving to be summoned, frightening to have the message delivered to their home. 

“So then who?” Slate asked. It was almost more stressful to have the big players ruled out. “I wanna know who we’re dealing with. And what to bring. Is this a knife fight or a gun fight?” He was being partially serious there, already thinking about how to arm and protect themselves. “Assuming we’re going, which… I mean. I figure — we are.” Because they were them. They’d be too curious not to.

Cress sighed, peering down at Kya in her bassinet, “bring both.”

[kylejsugarman]

happy birthday to the babyest baby that every babyed!! how do they celebrate baby’s first birthday together as a family? how does present-day baby feel about being 20? how does au squared fam celebrate baby’s third birthday once theyre disappeared to alaska? how does present-day au squared baby feel about being 16?

anon hitting ALL of the possible universes and scenarios in one question like beating me with clubs and sticks 😭 thank u for the questions and saving me from having to write an annoying, unprovoked post!! ill try to keep these brief so im not putting a gd novelization on everyone's dashes

their first birthday as a "family" is baby's seventh, where jesse's only known demi for like 5 months and doesnt know what the rules are for something like this, but hes saved from any awkward questions by demi calling him like (royal advisor going door to door to every person in the kingdom to invite them to the ball) "baby would like to see u if then if that's ok." of course its ok, but now he's gotta get her a present!! hes still getting the hang of carving and woodworking in a more professional, advanced sense and decides to practice his new skills by carving her a little dolphin that looks like the stuffed one she's always carrying around. theres no birthday party like the kind he remembers from childhood ("baby's not very. Into that kind of thing," demi says charitably later when he asks her about it. which Is true), just him and demi and mason having dinner at ihop before going back home for some gifts and a "the spongebob movie" viewing party. baby doesnt make much of a fuss but shes Very excited to open her presents and when she opens jesse's gift, she gets more excited and animated than hes ever seen her before as she describes each of the dolphin's fins to him and then (following a gentle "what do u say?" from demi) thanks him with a little hug of his arm. because of her joyful reaction, he carves her a sea creature for every birthday going forward and is now giving her a tiny wood barracuda for her collection as he and demi make the long drive up to fairbanks to visit baby at school for her twentieth birthday!! they're going to spend the weekend with her :) and though they dont say anything significant about it, they're both really happy that when they go back to their hotel this evening, baby is going to be spending time with some of her new college friends to celebrate :') shes kind of ambivalent as always about "turning" twenty and still doesnt really feel like an adult or anything close, but she does feel more comfortable and content about moving forward this birthday more so than any other beforehand. twenty feels like a big number and shes not as scared or lonely or anxious as she thought she'd be

god, au squared fam.....Au Squared Fam. this is literally the first time jesse's able to actually physically be there with baby on her birthday other than like. the Day of her birth. after missing the first two due to rehab and Being A Slave. he almost doesnt know what to do because its really just the three of them, they've made some tentative acquaintances here in alaska since arriving, but neither of them have families anymore and baby's fully three and thus doesnt Know anyone, so its almost like. what do u do?? he rarely lets baby out of his sight anyway, how's her birthday going to be any different?? demi convinces him to throw a little party in their kitchen to at least set the Tone and even though its just some streamers and balloons and a little grocery store bakery cake with some questionably accurate sesame street characters piped onto it, it really does make the occasion feel festive. they both feel like things might be ok :) baby doesnt really comprehend the Significance and freaks the fuck out when they light the "3" shaped candle (thats fire!! in the house!!), but she has a good time and is stoked to see elmo on a cake and plays "bap the air-filled balloon around the living room" with her parents for a solid 2 hours. its all so beautifully mundane, so normal and safe and quiet. jesse knows that baby doesnt really understand what birthdays mean and that he wasnt there for her first two (only that he Wasnt There in general for a while), but he can't help feeling periodically guilty and overwhelmed and just holding onto her so nothing can ever separate them again. and present day au squared baby is having a sweet sixteen!! just a tiny one (and no car, the dyspraxia still reigns in this universe) in their backyard, which is decorated, and baby and her friends are all dressed up so they can take fun pictures. demi sets out tons of flowers and jesse gets a baby shower cake that says "congratulations on the baby!" for the Bit, which baby honestly loves. she knows why hes so All In about her birthday and being a good dad in general, so she takes a second to tell him that she loves him and always will no matter what :')

[lennyinlordran]

A “Brief” Summary of Doctor Who; @bananapudding752

So, the overarching premise of the series is that an alien called “The Doctor” picks up random people, befriends them, and takes him on his dangerous adventures throughout time and space.

Sounds fun? Of course the doctor himself’s kinda nightmare fuel, but I’ll get into that later.

(Time Lords/Galifreyans)

Time Lords were once the most powerful civilization in the universe. Having had created linear time, Black Holes, Dimensional Folding, etc. They were Notorious for having innumerable rituals, ceremonies, and being extremely formal. Note— formal, not polite.

Time Lords have many strange qualities, most notably regeneration. Up to a functional maximum of twelve times, they can Sustain Lethal Injuries, and then “Regenerate”, Changing their Cellular makeup and their appearance in the process. They Suffer from short term memory loss and major personality shifts as a side effect. In addition, the natural lifespan for a single regeneration is somewhere between 1500 to 20000 years.

Note that a small number of injuries can functionally prevent a regeneration; in addition, Regeneration can be knowingly suppressed by the Time Lord in question.

(Pre-series)

Rassilon, Omega, and the Other(s) Create the Web Of Time of and start the Civilization of Galifrey, the Time Lords.

A few, I dunno, billion years later, The Doctor is Born. During his childhood, he was close friends with another Galifreyan Named “The Master”. (Galifreyans have a birth name, a student name, and a Title. The title is self selected and customarily prefixed with “the” when speaking formally.)

The Doctor and The Master were then enrolled in The Academy, where young Galifreyans are trained as Time Lords.

During his time at the academy, he befriended several Students who went on to become Renegade Time Lords. These characters were important during the classic series. (Note that a “renegade” Time Lord simply means one who takes unsanctioned trips off of Galifrey, and Time Lords in Exile, self imposed or otherwise.)

At some point, the Doctor dropped out of the academy, and then stole a Tardis and ran away with his granddaughter, Susan. (Don’t ask when he had kids, nobody knows.)

Keep in mind all this Happens during his First Regeneration.

After Meddling about to much in his second regeneration, the High Council Executed him for This, Confining him to earth for his third regeneration; during this time he was employed by UNIT as their Scientific Advisor.

During his fourth regeneration, the High Council Called on him to ensure the Daleks Wouldn’t Become powerful enough to conquer the universe. (This accidentally ensure the Daleks became an intergalactic power as well as causing their unique hatred for the time lords.)

During his Seventh Incarnation, the Doctor #LockedIn and declared himself “Defender of The Laws of Time”; through many acts of Machiavellian Genius and Cruelty— including Blowing Up the Dalek Homeworld, Skaro— and may have inadvertently become the most feared being in the cosmos.

At the start of his Eighth Incarnation, The Daleks and Time Lords went to war, an Event that would become known as The Last Great Time War.

The Doctor Spent His Eight Incarnation Dodging the Draft, until He Eventually Electively Regenated with the help of the Sisterhood of Karn, Turning into a Warrior Proper, Abandoning the Title of “Doctor”.

After Centuries of Fighting, The Last battle took Place in Skies of Galifrey. The High Council Had Planned to enact a plan Called “The Final Sanction”— activating a device that would cause their ascension to a higher plane of reality… while ending this one.

To prevent this, the Doctor snuck into a Vault Beneath the Capital of Galifrey. From this vault, he stole a weapon called The Moment, With it’s power, He Wiped Out The Daleks and The Time Lords.

“The end of The Last Great Time War. Everyone Lost.”

The Blowback from using the Moment Caused the Doctor to Regenerate. This is what we Commonly call his Ninth Incarnation.

Now, That’s most of the the important stuff out of the way. If you’re wondering why the fuck the Last Great Time War ended the way it did; classic who had waayyyy to much lore, so RTD, the showrunner for the first four series of the revival, decided to add a big event to cleanly kill of any major Characters and Factions that were too much to explain. (For Example: The Rani, The Monk, Omega, Rassilon, The CIA (celestial intervention agency), The Paradox Cultists, etc…)

Anyway, if you want to jump into NuWho, I recommend Starting at Either Series One Episode One, Or Episode One of Series Five.

[servantofthefates]

What It Means to Have Opposite Sun and Rising Signs

“Opposite.” Sounds negative. But we only call them that because they sit opposite each other in the Zodiac wheel: Aries faces Libra, Taurus faces Scorpio, Gemini faces Sagittarius, Cancer faces Capricorn, Leo faces Aquarius, and Virgo faces Pisces.

When it comes to their dynamics, it is more accurate to call them “sister signs”, because their elements work perfectly – Fire and Air; Earth and Water. They understand one another.

You are promised a partner.

When your Sun and Rising signs are opposite (e.g., Sun in Aries and Libra Rising), it means long-term relationships will be of prime importance in your life. If that has not happened yet, rest assured that it will in the future.

Your Sun – the core of your personality – is in the Seventh House of Partnerships. Fleeting romance and shallow friendships are covered by the Fifth House of Pleasure, so we are not talking about such connections. Instead, you are guaranteed to have one or all of these: a devoted lover, a reliable best friend, a trustworthy business partner.

You will find fulfilment in service.

Beyond finding the perfect partner, you like being a beneficial partner to those you meet in day-to-day life. Which is why you are very likely to succeed in fields where you are of service.

I do not mean being a hairstylist, a personal assistant or a server. Such professions fall under the Sixth House of Routine. The Seventh House covers jobs where the service you offer has a stronger impact in your customers’ lives. Lawyers protect their clients’ freedom. Therapists and spiritual advisors care for their clients’ sanity. Doctors and healers preserve their clients’ life.

You define your identity by how others do.

Because you were born between sunset and moonrise, your sense of self is dependent on a blend. That is, you see yourself the way those around you do.

I am a Scorpio Sun and a Taurus Rising. I am the youngest among my siblings and cousins. But in my family, blood matters. My cousins who are older than me in age treat me as their elder, because my parents are older than theirs. By line of descent, I am regarded as superior. (Not as an individual per se, but as a practitioner of the craft.)

Because this is how I was seen by others in my childhood, I carried it with me throughout school and adulthood. If you look back to your past, you will find that your own sense of self was defined for you when you were young. You can evolve from it, but it will be hard to escape it.

You should beware of dependency.

In line with the above, you should be careful of allowing others to define your worth. If unchecked, your Seventh House prominence, along with your sunset and moonrise blend, could give you a chronic need for companionship and prevent you from feeling complete in yourself.

This tendency for dependency is stronger in Fire-Air opposite signs than in Earth-Water opposite signs, because by nature, Fire and Air absorb external energy inwards, while Earth and Water project internal energy outwards.

Every placement in astrology has a positive and a negative. But there is more good than bad in being a Sun-and-Rising opposite.

[cupidastrology]

What’s up, how are you? I wanted your opinion on Venus in Taurus in the six hours and mars in cancer in the seventh house. I been reading some and from what I got it’s not looking good for me long term in the romance department… just wanted some clarification or to tell me I’m wrong.

Thank you for your question! Let's break it down <3

Venus ︎ ♀︎ in the Taurus ♉︎ in the 6th House - Venus ︎ ♀︎ is the lover, the seductress, the seduction, the aura and the general space of true happiness and love. When it is at home in Taurus ♉︎, you are the lover and admirer of touch, of all things physical, and need the verbal expression from the partner. Having a possible attraction towards creating homemade items and fashion, you are always doting towards the partner. Taurus ♉︎ being fixed, it is a sign that is a ride or die.

When this Venus ︎ ♀︎ placement is situated in the 6th House of health, work, self care, and self understanding, this position becomes a lover that brings passion and strength to another in times of need and bad times. You are the nurturer, the parent, and the advisor of the partnership, and at times can be taken advantage of your kind and caring nature. You are the protector.

Mars ♂︎ in Cancer ♋︎ in the 7th House - Mars ♂︎ is the motivation, the ambition, and the strength that we must have in order to get all deed done in our daily lives. When sitting with the emotional and intuitive Cancer ♋︎ , you are always open to understanding the feelings of another, especially when it is a person that you wish to place all your intimacy and passion into. It is a turn on and a pleasure to experience your partner's feelings, and shoulder their hardships.

When sitting in the 7th house of entanglements and decision making, you can easily make an emotional connection with the partner, especially when it comes to them expressing their needs and desires. You wish to fulfill them, and to become their right hand in being their support throughout emotional fulfillment.

---

To answer your question as to seeking out possible long term romance, and love, you have great potential because both placements are placed in the houses of care and understanding. You are aware of what it takes to understand a person, but you must also be noted that you can't allow your boundaries to fall down for anyone. Having a fixed venus ︎ ♀︎, you make the choice to be private and personal with a lover, and this can be a good thing. You are unforgettable in love, and can be the one of receive begging of a reunion romantically.

Having a fallen and cardinal Mars ♂︎ in the house of choices, you need to be more direct and stronger in the connections you make romantically. Do not let anyone step over you, but also give your partner the understanding of your intentions and what you feel. Do not be afraid to be vulnerable, and be wise in who you allow yourself to be intimate with.

You may always reach out for more questions, I also have birth chart readings open to book ! Blessings.

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 2: Private Teacher

Narrated by Chi Xiaoyu.

Narrator: A month ago, I started the preparation for this flash mob event.

Narrator: I set up a discussion group online with other girls who like to wear the improved Cloud style.

Chi Xiaoyu: So, it'll be the 10th of next month! Everyone will pretend to be passing by, and then suddenly assemble.

Participant: What's the location?

Chi Xiaoyu: Say, how about the square in front of the Cloud Museum?

Participant: The square is large, spacious, and very suitable for this project, but... will there be a problem?

Chi Xiaoyu: I don't think there will be. We're just going to be there for more people to see!

Narrator: Most importantly, Jiang Xitong will see this!

Narrator: Of course, I didn't say that out loud.

You: But why her?

Narrator: She's the one who failed me at the final oral defense two weeks ago!

Narrator: Besides, that's the sixth time she has failed me.

Narrator: Aaagh, I'm so mad! Why does the school always invite her as a guest judge?

Choose either "Didn't she like your design?" or "Did you do a poor design?"

If "like," ...

You: Is it because she doesn't like your design?

Narrator: She only likes designs copied from history textbooks. And the rest are all "plebeian and classically distorting"!

If "poor," ...

You: Is it because you didn't give a good enough design?

Narrator: It's not! Our class has a total of 24 students. 21 received a fail, all from her...

Narrator: The only person who got a high score designed a suit entirely in the ancient style.

--

Narrator: I'm not sad for how many times she failed me, after all...

Narrator: Those who walk at the forefront of the times are destined to be lonely.

Narrator: Oh, I almost forgot. It's her seventh time giving me a fail, starting from my high school...

Narrator: At that time, Jiang Xitong had not graduated from college.

Narrator: One day, my mother suddenly wanted me in the study.

Mom: Xiaoyu, Mom has specially found you a gentle, elegant, and well-learned tutor.

Mom: She's already the youngest National Museum expert consultant before graduation, and she's a great designer!

Chi Xiaoyu: Mom, I don't need remedial classes!

Mom: You don't want to do anything about your poor grades?

Chi Xiaoyu: That's... that's because everything the teacher says is so boring! It's no use learning those things!

Narrator: "Ding-dong" the doorbell rang before I could make a scene.

Mom: Must be your tutor. Don't you dilly-dally. Mind your manners before the tutor, you know that?

Narrator: The first time we met, Jiang Xitong was indeed a proper lady with classical temperament and a pretty look.

Narrator: Mom said Jiang Xitong was a great designer, so I kinda looked forward to her tutorials.

Narrator: But in just five minutes of classes...

Jiang Xitong: Year 246, Cloud calendar. What happened then?

Chi Xiaoyu: What?

Jiang Xitong: The Wardrobe Advisor system was set up, hence the Cloud design. You don't even know about that?

Chi Xiaoyu: Wh-what's the big deal? Internet will tell me that...

Jiang Xitong: Traditional culture is the basis of all design. If you don't build on the past, how do you use it in the design?

Narrator: Jiang Xitong pulled out a large pile of files from her bag and handed them to me.

Jiang Xitong: Memorize page 1 to 20 before next class.

Chi Xiaoyu: ...Huh?!

Narrator: Just as I try to recall the page number, Jiang Xitong spotted a design on my desk.

Narrator: Although I leapt over as quick as I could and put it away, she saw it.

Jiang Xitong: This is distortion of classics. It's downright plebeian.

Chi Xiaoyu: You! You don't understand!

Jiang Xitong: Next time, you may attend class in the studio. It's necessary to show you what the real design should be like.

Jiang Xitong: Now that I've been entrusted by your mother, I'll put you on the right track.

Jiang Xitong: Now, class time!

Chi Xiaoyu: ...

Narrator: After going through Jiang Xitong's class, I regretted wasting my time in school.

Choose either "Realized how wide the gap is?" or "Were you encouraged?"

If "realized," ...

You: You felt the gap between you and her?

If "encouraged," ...

You: Because you are inspired to study harder?

--

Narrator: Because her lesson was more boring than the lessons in school! Her catchphrase is "memorize"!

Narrator: A week later, my mother sent me to Jiang Xitong's design studio on time.

Jiang Xitong: You wait for me in the studio. I'll get the materials for class.

Narrator: Jiang Xitong's design studio was, as I imagined, filled with exhibition boards of paintings and costumes.

Narrator: The clothes she designed were the same as those worn by the ancients, lavish in patterns.

Narrator: Do you like her design?

Choose either "Looks good" or "Not good."

If "yes," ...

You: I think I fancy that.

Narrator: Anyway, I don't like the orthodox style, which is neither convenient nor comfortable to wear. Cloud has to change.

If "no," ...

You: I don't think I fancy that.

Narrator: And it's neither convenient nor comfortable to wear. Cloud needs to change because of its long history.

--

Narrator: While Jiang Xitong was away, an idea occurred to me...

Narrator: I quickly opened Xitong's design drawing, and made a great deal of changes.

Chi Xiaoyu: Well... Make the dress shorter, lest it touches the ground and renders running impossible.

Chi Xiaoyu: The patterns here are too lavish. Gonna remove a few...

Chi Xiaoyu: The cuffs are so tight and certainly inconvenient...

Jiang Xitong: ...What are you doing?

Narrator: I was so invested, I didn't know that Jiang Xitong had come back.

Chi Xiaoyu: Uh... I've changed your design a little bit. Tee-hee. How do you like it?

Narrator: Jiang Xitong seemed very pissed off.

Narrator: Acting cute seemed not to work...

Jiang Xitong: ...Please get out of here, immediately.

Chi Xiaoyu: Would you like to take another look?

Jiang Xitong: Get out!

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

hi rachel, ive been inconsistently writing since i was 12 and during the pandemic i started writing again and loved it, niow im geting a BA in creative writing and since ive been in college i dont want to write. im scared it isnt something i truly enjoy anymore. I like what i'm learning but trying to apply it makes me very overwhelmed. its like its too much for me :( any advice? have you experienced this before?

Hi friend! My first and largest piece of advice (super emphasized) is to talk to a trusted adult in your life and ALSO an academic advisor. I want to make that abundantly clear because I don't personally know you and don't want anything I say to steer you in a certain direction!

I completely get this and I'm so sorry you're feeling this way! This happened to me a bit and I know it's happened to a LOTTTT of people. The best things I did to help: bring pre-written work into class (ask before you do this to make sure it's okay), prep work for class (also ask before doing this), work on my own perfectionism/fear of failure, and write a personal side project where I could let loose and have fun (that was Moth Work & Feeding Habits for years 1-2 & Seventh Virtue for the last 1.5 years of my degree).

I don't think I would've survived my degree if I didn't have most of my work pre-written before workshop (I ALWAYS asked before doing this--some schools might have policies etc so I asked to be on the safe side). I think I only drafted 5 brand new stories for my degree (out of the 12). 1 was an adaptation from a Seventh Virtue chapter, so I had to write a LOT of new stuff but had a direction, 1 I had written 6 months in advance specifically for that workshop, 1 was written on a whim, and the last 2 I had to draft for the class since we weren't allowed to use pre-established material. Everything else I had written on my own personal time. This helped ease my own anxiety, so if it's possible, check in with your prof to see if you can do this!

A final note: you absolutely don't need to apply everything you learn into a story for class. Just write the best story you can write in that moment! If you can, try to set aside what you've been taught to be "the correct way" especially in a first draft. Getting wrapped up in how people would perceive my craft made workshopping so anxiety inducing. It's okay to be imperfect! Everyone is there to learn!

As for your fear of enjoyment: I know this too well. :( In Nov 2021 I considered quitting writing altogether, I just didn't care anymore (that was after SEVEN years of consistently writing!). Seventh Virtue is what yanked me out of that! Having a story I could just mess around with after class (sometimes... during class... many... times...) REALLY helped. I may or may not have written a good chunk of Moth Work in a sociology class (I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THIS). What I'm saying is make time for your OWN writing (outside of school).

Sometimes it takes a little time and adjustment--it's absolutely normal! Many of my classmates felt like this too! You're not alone!