#cassiopeia-faith

[youryurigoddess]

On love and sacrifices

There’s so much more to this scapegoating business and big sacrifices referenced in the Good Omens narrative than the literal goats. And they’re only getting bigger, louder, final.

But let’s take it slow and start with the beginning, quite literally — i.e., with the Good Omens 2 title sequence. As we follow Aziraphale and Crowley on their journey, the universe warps and their usual left and right side positioning switches during the magic show (not accidentally an act of trust and sacrifice required both from the angel and the demon). They stay so throughout the next scene, which is their little dance in the air, and after they seemingly get settled on the A. Z. Fell and Co.’s roof and back to normal, the flipped sky in the background suggests that something’s not quite right yet. In the central part of the shot looms a large, humanlike shadow of the Elephant Trunk Nebula.

The nebula is a part of a constellation called Cepheus, after an Ethiopian king from the Greek mythology who agreed to sacrifice his only daughter in order to appease the gods and end a local calamity started by her mother and his wife, Cassiopeia (talk about generational responsibility). With time and a delightfully ironic twist of fate, the name of said daughter, Andromeda, became more famous than that of her father. Although she was chained up to a rock and offered to the sea serpent Cetus, the girl was spotted by the warrior Perseus, casually flying over the sea — either on the back of the Pegasus or thanks to a pair of winged sandals — after his victory over Medusa. He fell in love on the spot, defeated the serpent (with the help of a magical sword or Medusa’s severed head, depending on the varying sources), and freed the princess. That’s not exactly where their story ends, but we won’t be getting into the rest here.

Not surprisingly, Neil has mentioned two parallel child sacrifice stories from the biblical context back in August. The first is one of the big ones — The Binding of Isaac. God's command to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, was a test of Abraham's faith. The angel of the Lord intervenes and provides a ram to be sacrificed in the boy’s place.

The second one isn’t nearly as popular, but you might have heard a variant of it in fairy tales or as the Law of Surprise invoked in The Witcher saga. In exchange for Israel’s victory over its enemies in battle, Jephthah had rashly promised God to repay the debt with the first thing seen on his return back home. The victorious warrior didn’t suspect to see his only child moving innocently "to meet him with timbrels and with dances" though. In horror, Jephthah covered his eyes with his cloak, but to no avail: ultimately, he was forced to honor his vow to God, and the girl was sacrificed. As grisly as it might look like in the Old Master’s paintings, it’s important to remember that human sacrifices weren’t limited to physical offerings only — Jephthah’s daughter might have been offered to God in the sense of officially shunning her family and dedicating her life to service instead, probably sequestered in a temple somewhere.

Interestingly, the main character of a big chunk of the Bible and the reason for the Second Coming happens to be THE most influential child sacrifice in the modern history. You know, a certain 33-year-old carpenter sent by his Heavenly Father to die on a cross for the sins of the mankind? Someone better call Aubrey Thyme ASAP.

Circling back to Aziraphale, he could be also seen as a representative of the concept of filial piety, since Eden willing to personally take a Fall not only for the humanity’s collective or individual transgressions, but the shortcomings of his Ineffable Parental Figure as well. Our favorite angel angel always fights for what is right and good, sure, but why would that be even a thing if God was truly omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent?

If Aziraphale’s medal is anything to go by, it looks like we might get an answer from the way it’s introducing another mythological narrative into the game, that is the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The most absorbing thing about this is the stark contrast to the recurring child sacrifice references for S3 mentioned in this post — Daedalus isn’t a father who wanted to sacrifice his son, it was his attempt to save him from imprisonment that ultimately drove Icarus to his death. The boy ignored his father’s explicit instructions, committing the grave and culturally universal sin of disobedience to one's parents that simply couldn’t go unpunished, one way or another.

But Icarus’s transgression could be seen both as high-flying ambition and striving for personal accomplishment as well as humanitarian sacrifice for knowledge and humanity’s advancement in general.

Similarly to a certain angel who left everything for what superficially seems like a work promotion, but is the ultimate act of love — both for his demon and the children they have been protecting and nurturing together for six thousand years. From the very Beginning, his white wings have been shielding everything he holds dear in this world.

[artbyace]

remus and cassie <3

happy new year everyone!! here’s my present to u , part of my wolfstar dads wip

this past year has been a wild ride. it was my first time ever downloading tumblr, and i took a leap of faith and started making marauders art. i have never been met with so much kindness and support , thank you all!!! this year has been one of the absolute hardest for me; i lost my house, had family members in the hospital, and so much more. but through it all, i got so much love on here and every little bit helped me through. here’s to another year of art, growth, and happiness!

credit to @industrations for the og creation of the lovely cassiopeia <3

[alexeishostakoff]

Before there’s Gideon the First, there’s a man called G--. G-- has this best friend, has had him since they were both broke brown boys trying to make it out of the deadends they were drowning in, has been had by him since the very first day. G-- has this best friend, and he loves him, and his friend asks him to take a suitcase nuke to Melbourne, and G-- doesn’t say Anything for you, John, G-- just does it.

G-- is atomized and Gideon is resurrected. John rebuilds him from memory and an arm he cut off of G-- before he left, not that Gideon knows that. This body is the only one Gideon’s ever known, so it shouldn’t feel so wrong, but it. Does. A stretched out thing of muscle mass, at times too bulky or too frail, bits soldered together in a clunky mess. Gideon’s soul is awkwardly shoved into his skin, and he hones the whole of it into the finest weapon this galaxy’s ever seen, and it hurts every time he swallows for ten thousand years.

Gideon’s lips are not his own. His cavalier - no, he’s hers, before she’s his. Her necromancer, her Gideon. They say John and Pyrrha are the only two people Gideon listens to, the only two people to get him to do something he wouldn’t do himself. Augustine and Mercymorn ascended hours before, and Pyrrha hands Gideon his spear with one untrembling motion, and tells him to kiss her before he plunges it into her chest. He does, and it leaves his mouth bloody and numb, and he sits there for hours until she is cold in him, and they call him the Saint of Duty.

The thing is that. Sometimes, Gideon forgets. He wakes in a room with no memory of walking there. Cassiopeia references a conversation he doesn’t remember having. When he blinks once, Cyrus’ funeral passes him by. He finds himself terrified to sleep lest he miss another moment, and he knows then that he is insane. He cannot trust his mind, and so he hands over every last scrap of his faith to John instead, and it is from him that he takes all direction.

This body is a horror show. It is a constant cave in. He is not invulnerable; he breaks and he mends again. Flesh knits together, bones clatter into place, neck twists one hundred and eighty degrees to right itself. It is detached. It is not himself, but he is not himself, there is something else rattling around in this husk of him, and he does not know what it is. He puts his faith in John. He puts his faith in John. Salvation, to fight and die for him. He fucks him once, bruisegrip on his hips in John’s flagship, and he does not kiss him.

This, then, is to be Gideon: a string of orders, a constant motion. A love, an utter terror. He believed in something once, he did. He’s never been a fool, though he’s always been a landmine, always waiting for the right time to detonate. Hard way to live. Good way to die.

He finds a little moon once, a solid place to farm, twist his everunbroken fingers around a plow instead of a spear. He thinks about it whenever he comes to, cold and unsure of how he got there. He wonders if this thing inside him knows about it too. Wonders if one day, he’ll just wake up there, knuckle deep in the soil, and if he’d ever walk away for anything else.

He doesn’t know that he could. He doesn’t know that he wants to. They die like this: CyrusUlyssesCassiopeiaCytherea, and he hopes John’ll forgive him if he’s next on the list.

[ad-caelestia]

Constellation Correspondences

A

Andromeda - power, removing barriers, release, letting go

Aquarius - new beginnings, luck, wishes

Aquila - guidance, psychic work, astral travel

Ara - hearth, home, devotion, refuge, protection 

Aries - fertility, abundance, protection, banishing 

Auriga - wisdom, knowledge, storm warding 

B

Boötes - inspiration, nature, storm warding 

C

Cancer - astral travel, dreamwork, psychic abilities, imagination, creativity, subconscious desire 

Canes Venatici - companionship, faithfulness, protection, healing 

Canis Major & Canis Minor - death, renewal, new beginnings, protection, purification

Capricornus - harvest, energy, abundance

Cassiopeia & Cepheus - balance, relationships, love, union, healing, maternal conflict (Cassiopeia), and familial/home conflict (Cepheus) 

Centaurus - balance, duality, healing, wisdom

Cetus - power, intelligence, communication, change, growth, happiness

Columba - peace, relaxation, fidelity, devotion, marriage, union

Corona Australis - emotions, love, spirituality, success, manifestation of goals 

Corona Borealis - guidance, protection, knowledge, divination, success, manifestation of goals

Corvus - wisdom, secrets, duality, prophecy, divination

Crater - life, emotions, abundance

Crux - elemental energy, crossroads, decision-making 

Cygnus - light, death, transformation, prophecy, self-esteem 

D

Delphinus - intelligence, wisdom, truth, releasing negativity, fertility, safe travels 

Draco - wisdom, power, knowledge, prosperity, luck, protection 

E

Eridanus - life, health, abundance, power, wisdom, transformation, meditation 

G

Gemini - balance, change, transition, increased power, banishing

Grus - death, rebirth, mysticism, truth, divination  

H

Hercules - wisdom, creativity, strength, energy

Hydra/Hydrus - life, reproduction, forces of nature, power, healing, transformation

L

Leo - power, protection, courage, strength 

Lepus - abundance, swiftness, wisdom, divination, hidden knowledge, transformation, lunar magic 

Libra - balance, healing, legal matters 

Lupus - power, purpose, loyalty, protection

Lynx - isolation, purification, cleansing, illumination, insight, hidden knowledge, swiftness

Lyra - underworld, enchantment, immortality of the soul, music 

M

Monoceros - beauty, freedom, love, luck, spirituality, transformation, wisdom, creativity 

O

Ophiuchus & Serpens - healing, balance, the flow of energy 

Orion - self-confidence, strength, victory, winter storms 

P

Pegasus & Equuleus - travel between realms, contacting the dead, astral travel, divination, psychic abilities 

Perseus - hope, desire, wishes, manifestation, power 

Phoenix - change, cycles, transformation, rebirth, renewal, personal growth 

Pisces - creation, fertility, union, creativity 

Piscis Austrinus - prophecy, divination, inspiration, astral travel, wisdom, otherworldly knowledge 

Pleiades, the - mysticism, power, higher consciousness, wisdom, awareness

S

Sagittarius - mental stimulation, virility, sexuality, physical energy, power, skill, manifestation of goals

Scorpius - protection, the underworld, creativity, transformation, psychic abilities 

T

Taurus - abundance, regeneration, power, strength, potency 

Triangulum - balance, change, transformation

U

Ursa Major - healing, protection, survival

Ursa Minor - renewal, rebirth, awakening

V

Virgo - rebirth, harvest, regeneration, prosperity 

source

© 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝙰𝙳-𝙲𝙰𝙴𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙰

[lockedtombtheories]

Second question, kinda related to the first (in terms of "what's with everyone betraying god?") is: What did Blood of Eden say to so easily cut through years of propaganda and convince Pyrrha, Cam, SexPal, and Coronabeth to join them?

Cam and Pal - they state it pretty clearly in NtN. "We left for a lyctor" (ch. 23). It definitely wasn't easy, for them, but Cam says "if the Sixth House saw fit to discuss something with insurgents, even in its infancy, then she wanted to know what". (also, "well, the Warden would want to find out" - both AYU.) Plus, the Sixth is “the Emperor’s Reason". Unlike all? most? other houses, they don't have a noble line. It's not exactly a democracy, but a merit system - to the fittest - with the Oversight Body to vote on all important decisions. 

So why wouldn't they look at God, say "your math is off" and go looking for someone who does pass their criteria? In their case they picked Cassiopeia and the devil they don't know. 

Coronabeth - I think she’s a bit of that, a dash of rejection, and possibly a sprinkle of scheming. I'll be honest, I'm never sure where we're standing with these twins! But originally, she was convinced by BoE through the maths of it all. 

“I asked her why she listened to these people, why she was throwing off her contentment along with her faith. The princess told me that she had felt for a long time that the Cohort movements didn’t make sense to her. She said what would be most economically productive was intermingling with these people, allowing immigration and absorption into the Nine Houses; that shepherd planets got more costly the further the Houses extended themselves, and that instead of creating long-lasting industry we were doing little more than slash-and-burn trading. Scattershot, she said. Notwithstanding the moral issue." (AYU) 

We don't know how much of her original plans with Ianthe, whatever those are, but it does sound like Coronabeth moved on from them - “we can do good work, Ianthe. I know people who need us” (NtN, ch. 23). Nevertheless, I suspect that Coronabeth was never going to be satisfied in a subordinate position. She's a princess, a king - she might have become the next Wake, given enough time. 

But yeah, part of her conversion was definitely also the lure of recognition. She was rejected by her sister, while BoE recognizes her for the exact talents she tried to dedicate to Ianthe. (Allow me to also point you towards this very short post of mine about Coronabeth, Tennyson's Princess, and the #gender of it all.)p

Pyrrha - What did they say to her?  Absolutely nothing. They didn't have to. She’s the one who convinced BoE not to kill her, and all she really seems to want is to retire and take care of Nona. Don't get me wrong, Pyrrha's done her own share of war crimes, but I do think that she never worshipped John the way the Lyctors did.  Her loyalties were always more personal, and they belonged to G1deon more than to John. And, well -  "Gideon’s dead, and I don’t give a fuck either. Not if I can save our skins.” (NtN, ch. 1)

[lex-jots]

The Florist's Almanac: Popping Sparks and Lighting Cherries (Finn/Reader)

Finn heard them set down the knife, step closer until they were at his side. When he met their gaze, their eyes were darkly, sinuously playful. He kept his expression doelike, mutely offering them a cherry. His partner was excellent at making plans.

AO3

Note: Attempt #1 at writing Finn! Inspired by the birthday stream! This was the effort of several days of frustration, talking to myself, and a concept map that looks more like a conspiracy board. I will be taking criticism regarding his characterization for this fic because God DAMN he is a DOOZY of a character to write holy hell. Enjoy!

Finn’s partner was good at making plans. Just today, they came home with an idea: a picnic on a nearby hill, where they could watch the sunset and then stargaze when night crested upon them. He loved it when they got that determined spark in their eye, he thought while he washed fresh cherries at the sink.

Sunflower was stationed behind him at a counter, slicing strawberries on a cutting board. The afternoon sun was dipping close to the treeline, though it still had a ways to go before it hit the horizon. The sun cast everything in the kitchen in a honeyed light: the cool water rushing over his hands, the candy-red fruit, and, of course, his Sunflower, when he could find opportunities to throw them glances. It made his heart swell. Between the stresses of the shop and the secret years of wondering as to whether he would even find anyone who would like him for him and the sheer shock of having landed someone so charismatic and lovely and beautiful, there was little he wouldn’t give for more afternoons like this.

“I’ve got the blanket packed already,” Sunflower said. He could hear each delicious slice of their knife. “Do you think we’ll need much else besides the fruit?”

“I could get the kettle going,” Finn suggested. “Brew some tea and take it in the thermos, in case either of us needs a drink. After the sun goes down and it starts cooling off a bit, it could be nice.” The weather was a bit warm still, but Finn liked tea in all environments, and Sunflower never complained. Still, maybe he should pack some water, just in case…

They oo’ed. “Good idea. Oh—and bug spray. Lots of bug spray.” Slice, slice.

“I think I already put it in the bag, but I can double check when I’m done, if you’d like.”

“Please do.” Slice, slice. “I’d wear deet as perfume if I could.”

Finn laughed, glancing up at the sun over the treeline. It wouldn’t be long and they’d be watching the sun set on a blanket together, waiting for the stars to come out. Finn was no astronomer, but he had a few constellations under his belt: the Big Dipper, of course, was his good old faithful; he could point out the North Star easily enough; Cygnus was a fun one, if he could see the haze of the Milky Way; Cassiopeia, Taurus, the Pleiades…

And, call him a hopeless romantic, he thought there was something sweet about the idea of huddling close, one arm wrapped around them while they took turns pointing up and inching even closer, like a poetic exercise in seeing from the other’s perspective. And being in the dark, existing for no one but each other. And—okay, keep calling him a hopeless romantic, but he enjoyed any excuse to just be close.

Speaking of which…

Finn glanced surreptitiously back at them, then back at the sun hovering over the treeline. “The sun’s starting to get low,” he said casually. “Did you know twilight lasts roughly the same amount of time it takes for human eyes to adjust to the dark?”

Sunflower hummed. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yep,” Finn said brightly. “About twenty minutes.” He plucked a cherry out of the bowl and shifted it around his mouth, sucking on it for a moment.

“Huh.”

Finn dared a glance at them again. Their expression was warm but focused, fully engrossed in the strawberries. The mood was still mild and warm. The slicing continued without stopping.

They mused, “I wonder if that’s, like, an evolutionary thing, or something.” Slice, slice.

“You’re probably right.” He bit down on the cherry, salivating at the burst of sweet. “Soo, we’ll have about twenty minutes to kill before the stars come out.” Finn waited.

Silence. He wondered if he overdid it by lingering on the so for too long, or by specifying twenty minutes. But the longer Sunflower paused, the more Finn struggled to hide the grin twisting his mouth.

“I’m sure we’ll find a way to pass the time,” they said, a hint of that sharklike deviousness was underlacing their tone. They were playing it cool, but the slicing had stopped; he could practically hear all the planning going on in that mischievous, brilliant head of theirs. It made his heart speed up. They sure would.

“You sure?” Finn asked with casual, innocent concern. “I don’t want to bore you.”

He heard them set down the knife, step closer until they were at his side. When he met their gaze, their eyes were darkly, sinuously playful.

He kept his expression doelike, mutely offering them a cherry.

A lazy smile grew on their lips, wolflike and sugar-sweet. “I’m sure I can find something to do to occupy my time.” They popped the cherry in their mouth.

The way they emphasized it, Finn knew it was now set in stone: he was that something.

“Oh. That’s good. I’m glad,” was all he could think to say, fighting a stupid smile with all his might. If they touched him on the neck, the wrist, the chest—anywhere his pulse was—it would have all been over. The jig would have been up. And how thrilling it would have been.

But they stepped away, back to work on their strawberries. Slice, slice. Finn let himself grin from ear to ear, eat another cherry, and indulge in daydreams of the twilight to come.

Yes, Sunflower was excellent at making plans, especially when their imagination was sparked. Finn loved their fuselike determination, almost as much as he loved lighting it.

[karatekels]

Solar Flare – Prologue

Hey y’all – welcome to the Valek fic that I’ve been wanting to write since all the way back in August of last year! I’ve been polishing up the ideas and developing some new characters (this is my first time writing an OC as a love interest!) as well as looking forward to some returning characters (*eyes Cassandra*), and I’m hoping this will be the fic that gets me back into the writing frame of mind. With that, I hope you enjoy!

Summary: As vampires become a growing problem and the number of Slayers dwindles, the Catholic Church decides to perform another ‘miracle’, attempting to create a weapon that will be able to find the despicable creatures in any and all shadows that they may hide. Similarly to the botched exorcism of Jan Valek, the experimental ceremony that Rose Hanlon undergoes doesn’t go exactly as intended, and she escapes the city with a set of abilities she doesn’t even understand.

TW: [this chapter] relatively vague descriptions of violence and abuse

TW: [for the fic; may change as I write] blood-drinking and other vampirism fun, graphic violence, graphic sex, abduction, abuse, threats

---

Solar Flare

Prologue: Syzygy

---

From the journal of Father Killian…

July 27th, 1998

We’ve received news that yet another team of Slayers has been decimated, torn apart and massacred just north of Sicily. Our numbers are dwindling like never before, and the clergy have become desperate for a solution. The Diaconate of Monteriggioni has spent countless hours researching, trying to determine a solution that will allow us to hold them off while our numbers return; we need more soldiers to wield God’s Light. The Archbishop has granted permission to use any means necessary to fend off these attacks, and their leading suggestion certainly pushes that permission to the limits of His clemency.

It began with research into the Old Rites. After all, the Primogen of their monstrous ilk, Jan Valek, was a result of a misbegotten exorcism – why not pursue a similar avenue to try to atone for the sins of our past? This train of thought led our scholars to a series of old Germanic texts, the eldest of which preceded vampirism by several decades, and to a binding ritual intended for relics. Such a blessing would allow for relics to be traceable should they be stolen, so that we need not live in fear of losing these precious symbols of our faith. It was one of the youngest parishioners that suggested the ritual be performed on a human, allowing them to seek out evil like a beacon and lead our Slayers right to their nests.

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower in two weeks’ time will be the ideal time to perform the necessary rites according to Father Lorenzo. The Tears of Saint Lawrence returning to Earth every summer is already a celestial blessing, and with the shower’s radiant approaching Cassiopeia more than it has in centuries, this will only strengthen the binding of this blessing to its vessel.

All that remains now is to find one.

---

August 10th, 1998

The past days have had Monteriggioni in a frenzy. Staving off attacks, finalizing the plans for the ritual, and finding a vessel… This last step proved by far the most difficult, as they needed to be descended from the Crusaders, grown but not an active Slayer, someone useful for the role but not expendable should things go… awry.

Jeremy Hanlon came to me a week ago with an option, just when we were starting to think that all hope may be lost. Hanlon, a fifth-generation Slayer with both family lines tracing back to the Crusaders, suggested his daughter as the vessel. The young woman, Rose, has long posed a problem within the city’s walls and to her family, rejecting the tenets of our community and refusing to train as a Slayer or to marry a man of similar lineage to continue the bloodline. Hanlon has spent the better part of her lifetime trying to atone for the sins of his daughter, and believes that this opportunity is the road to her salvation as well as our own. Despite the woman’s violent reluctance, we have run out of time to pursue other avenues, and as an unmarried woman, her father has retained custodial rights as is customary with our laws, and has agreed on her behalf.

Fortunately the ceremony is to take place tonight, during the peak of the Perseid shower. The sunset can’t come soon enough; the intensity of her ire rattles the very stones of the vestry in which she is being kept.

---

August 16th, 1998

The ceremony was performed, and we have spent a week with the vessel in relative isolation as Rose continues to be… resistant. At the very least, it has allowed us to gradually determine the success of the ritual and the limitations of her new abilities.

On the second day, we were able to use a captured thrall to conduct an experiment, moving the vile creature into the rooms surrounding her own. Without fail, she was able to detect what room the vampling was located in through a feeling she described as an itch that needed scratching. This bodes well for her intended purpose, and it is expected that a more aged or powerful vampire will elicit a stronger sensation, thereby enabling the Slayers to identify the most imminent threat during a pursuit.

A more serious issue arose yesterday. Rose is compelled to obey a direct command from a member of the clergy, as enforced by the use of certain runes during the ceremony, and this has held true for the most part. She will perform simple tasks and answer questions asked of her as instructed, but it would appear that there was a mistranslation with the runes that has led to her obeying vampires as well. The same thrall used for her previous days’ training was brought into her cell to test Rose’s capacity to destroy the foul creatures. Initially she attempted to fight off the compulsion to serve her purpose and exterminate the abomination, but looked to be conceding until the thrall asked her for help.

We lost three good priests last night; she tore into them like they were made of paper. Her strength and speed have definitely been elevated beyond a normal human’s capacity, though not to the level of the vampiric. There is some concern amongst the Scholars that a vampire would be able to supersede our own commands if they knew it would be effective, but if we can make her amenable to our pursuits, it should not pose a legitimate threat in practice.

In the name of the Father, let her soul settle into this new role, so that she may guide us to our Salvation.

---

August 19th, 1998

She’s gone. Rose has escaped.

The security tapes showed her clearly trying to commit suicide to no avail – she has been made to endure, after all. Furious, she tore a leg off of the bedframe and pounded her way through the hinges on the door. Further cameras had shown her tearing through the halls and disappearing into the catacombs without a trace.

We have sent for one of the strongest remaining regiments of Slayers from their base in New Mexico; they are our only hope of retrieving Rose so that we may make the necessary adjustments to her blessing and stand a chance against the ever-growing threat of the vampiric race.

Not only do I fear for the vessel and what she represents, but for the girl as well. We cannot be certain that we have seen all of her abilities at work, or identified any newly created weaknesses, and she could be in greater danger than she knows. Should a lesser man of the cloth – or, God forbid, a vampire – stumble upon her and learn of their powers of persuasion over her, I shudder to think of what fate might befall her.

Our Lord works in mysterious ways; let this turn of events be a blessing in disguise.

---

Syzygy refers to three celestial bodies appearing in a straight line – In this case, we’ve got Valek, Rose, and Jack!

[mastomysowner]

Artist: cblart

Artist's comment: A big and difficult job is finished!

"A. from Kazan's Rat Bestiary - 13 years of rat owning"

The work presents creatures who were lucky enough to fall into the hands of the honorary rat owner A. The creatures found a home, love and care. And although not all of them managed to live a long life, each one left memories and amazing stories about themselves.

This rat bestiary contains:

1. Chris. Large, playful black male. He smelled like honey. He loved to sit on a shoulder and play with a candy wrapper.

2. Beatrice. The fur is fluffy. Intellectual abilities are high. Goals: take over the world. Achieved goals: made her way into Pashka’s house (none of the creatures were harmed).

3. Hasya. She was delivered in a bottle (a feature of the old, wild times). Her distinctive feature was a narrow muzzle, which allowed her to escape through bars or successfully play music.

4. Mira. Active, tame and noble in character. High quality fur.

5. Jeanette. Initially she was nasty and bloodthirsty, but in experienced hands she was tamed.

6. Constance. Miniature size, beige color. She lived through early motherhood (“matryoshka”). She is calm and pleasant by nature.

7. Bertha. Daughter of Constance. A brave and adventurous animal. Traveler, scout, jumper, steeplejack.

8. Baby Doll. The color is a heavily faded husky. The size is large. She was abandoned. A faithful assistant in working on coursework.

9. Melissa. Despite the fiery color, she is decent and gentle. Known for her love of nesting in socks.

10. Mark, aka Markovka (Carrot). An albino abandoned near a pet store. This man showed himself to be tame and well-mannered.

11. Cassiopeia. Agouti color. A distinctive feature is very large eyes. Restless by nature.

12. Perseus. Large Siamese female. Patient and kind.

13. Vasilisa, nicknamed "Rat General". As the nickname suggests, she has a dominant character.

14. Sophia. Refined disposition, Siamese color. A respectable lady with good taste and manners. She had a “mask” as a child.

15. Tiramisu. Large, kind agouti. This beast resembles a soft, plump bear.

16. Sage. Neutered wild rat with leadership traits. Nicknamed "King".

The Rat Bestiary is presented in the form of a painting measuring 40 x 50 cm. Materials: watercolor, liners, whitewash, pencil, fine-grained watercolor paper 300 g/m. Based on the stories of the bestiary owner 😊

[near-dareis-mai]

"You live in a darkened house, and in your darkened house are infinite rooms. By the light of a dying candle you cross the room - knowing that when you reach the threshold of the next room you'll be gone - the candle passed to someone whose face you can't see clearly." She urged, "Is God the flame? The light? The candle?" "The love of God is the trust that you won't have to illumine that darkness alone," he said.

I know this passage in Nona is referring to what it means for a child of the Ninth to love God, but when I read this all I could think was, this is literally what the Sixth House has been doing this whole time! - Nigella writing a love letter to Cassiopeia, a letter that will eventually seed the sixth house's rebellion, knowing she'll be dead before that letter reaches Cassy, but having faith that Cassy will read it one day.

- Cassiopeia hiding away that letter in a puzzle and then walking into the river to be torn apart by spirits, so that even John can't bring her soul back and interrogate it, having faith that one day her descendants will decode the puzzle, and read the letter, and know what they have to do.

- That letter being handed down numerous Sixth house generations until Donald S ex finally receives it and spends his life trying to unlock it, and dying before he fully does.

- Doctor S ex's soul literally coming back from death to unlock the puzzle, except he lets one final part undone, so that the contents inside may be preserved until someone finds it. Giving up the glory of getting to be the one who solves the greatest puzzle of the Sixth House, so that the knowledge can be passed on to the next generation instead.

- Palamedes and Camilla unlocking the puzzle and finding the letter and realizing what it means, and finally putting Cassiopeia's plan into motion thousands and thousands of years after she planted the seed of rebellion into their house.

- The fact that the Sixth House's skull, a symbol that has existed for thousands of years, literally has a letter caught up in its mouth!!! Both rebellion and faith written into its very symbology for thousands of years, right under the emperor's nose, a rebellion built on each generation passing on what they know to the next generation, having faith that the torch they put down at their death will be taken back up one day, and having that faith answered

- The fact that the house that fled from God first is also that one that has exemplified what he himself has described as what it means to love him

(Also, the fact that Cassiopeia's love for Nigella, a love that literally outlaste the end of the world, is what kickstarted the sixth house's rebellion... love really is too long.)

[goddessrisen]

         though   the   divine   phoenix   could   never   wholly   forget   the   celestial   palace,   forever   homesick   for   a   place   she'd   never   return   to,   the   night   court   offered   a   much-needed   reprieve.   more   specifically,   the   court   of   dreams.   velaris   was   so   similar   to   her   abandoned   palace   that   she'd   oft   spend   hours   exploring   the   sprawling   city   hidden   from   the   world.   even   now,   some   millennia   later,   the   quiet   awe   it   first   inspired   when   first   created   never   fully   left.   this   little   piece   of   home,   a   gift,   softened   the   ancient   fae's   heart,   forever   aligning   her   with   the   court. 

         hyeon's   gaze   turned   from   the   sky,   slowly   blinking   as   she   came   back   to   herself.   the   soft   glow   of   ever-faithful   moon   cast   her   ethereal   visage   in   divine   light,   softening   harsh   edges.   a   gentle   reminder   that   though   she'd   fallen     &&     been   made   again,   she   was   never   truly   alone.   a   quiet,   self-deprecating   scoff   fell   past   parted   lips   at   her   own   melancholy.   a   slender   hand   swiped   over   her   face,   fingers   massaging   the   bridge   of   her   nose.

         slippered   feet   whispered   against   marble   stone,   delicately   side-stepping   any   who   crossed   into   her   path.   though   brilliant   wings   lay   flat   against   her   slender   body,   they   were   still   a   beacon   of   who   she   was.   molten   amber   casually   roamed   over   passing   faces,   silken   flesh   quirked   into   a   soft   smile   as   she   greeted   known   fae,   though   her   pace   never   faltered.   a   self-appointed   task   she   would   not   stray   from. 

         subtle,   muffled   music   alerted   hyeon   that   she'd   arrived   far   sooner   than   she'd   expected.   a   small,   genuine   smile   pulled   at   lush   flesh,   the   faint   glow   of   cassiopeia's   sign   a   sight   for   sore   eyes.   the   celestial   being   slipped   through   the   front   door,   long   legs   automatically   headed   toward   the   bar.   it   had   been   far   too   long   since   she'd   been   allowed   to   relax     &&     indulge.

             ❝     &&       how   fares   thee,   darling     ??       ‘tis   been   a   while   since   i’ve   the   chance   to   visit.       ❞     hyeon's   predatory,   ever-watchful   gaze   turned   toward   the   other,   lips   quirked   into   a   teasing   smile   as   her   head   tilted   to   the   side.

@casiopiea / x

[fortjester]

Actually, a concept I've been chewing on for a while is the Saint’s titles. G1deon as the Saint of Duty (for Pyrrha), Augustine as the Saint of Patience (for Alfred), and Mercymorn as the Saint of Joy (for Cristabel). Now, we’re all well aware of how in deep to the whole Catholicism theme Jod is, and I recently saw someone offering Cytherea’s title up as the Saint of Sacrifice (cannot remember where I saw this and Tumblr won’t give me damn thing, so if you know please hmu about it or tag them because I don't wanna claim that as my own idea), which triggered something in my brain. Apart from Augustine, their titles all seem to be synonyms for the seven cardinal virtues. Duty/Diligence, Joy/Kindness, Sacrifice/Charity. yeah, it’s a bit of a reach, but it’s a reach I deeply wanted to explore. So, with that in mind, I experimentally (tentatively) assigned the other (deceased) lyctor’s with titles based on the seven cardinal virtues, and did a bit of analysis on each Saint based on this idea.

Cassiopeia I assigned Temperance (because, like, hello?? the break clause???), Cyrus I assigned Humility (ironic, no?), and Ulysses Chastity. I haven’t gone ahead and synonym-ed them because 1. that’s an exercise in confusing myself, and 2. Temperance/Diligence/Chastity sorta loop back around on each other, so why bother, lol. In any case, you’re probably thinking “hey, pump the breaks, Ulysses “sexy parties” the First as the Saint of Chastity? I’m out” and that’s totally fair, but it does also bring me to my next point:

Could the necromancer halves of each of the lyctoral pairs feed into the title designation? (you probably saw this coming from a mile away) could John be subtly roasting them? (probably not, but he’d definitely find it funny) let’s look at the corresponding deadly sin for each cardinal virtue.

Duty/Diligence is the virtue of being a resilient and persistent force, with emphasis put on its practice in study and as a professional credence– but it is also, most importantly, the virtue associated with unshaking and undeniable faith. Over and over in Harrow the Ninth it is alluded to that G1deon, while being the third Saint to ascend, is also the most loyal to the Emperor and the most steadfast in his goal to protect him from harm. When John asks for “G1deon’s” loyalty in Act Five of HtN (unknowingly asking Pyrrha), he receives it without hesitation, as he expects to. Even G– in Nona the Ninth’s pre-Res chapters, showcases a dazzling amount of faith in John: supporting his causes, fighting the good fight on his behalf, letting John cut off his fucking arm, carrying an armed nuke for him– all without much question, all without doubt or hesitancy. Which is all well and good, but now remember that Pyrrha was the reason his Saintly title was Duty/Diligence – Pyrrha, who commits to protecting and defending her little New Rho family as much as she possibly can; Pyrrha who fulfills Wake’s death wish in Act Five of HtN the minute she sees Wake has been caught by John; Pyrrha, whose love of those who were “put into the universe to rig it to explode” (pg. 120, NtN) often morphs into her self-imposed duty to make sure the explosion follows through, without interference – how can we reconcile that Diligence is often juxtaposed with Sloth? No one could say that G1deon was an inactive guy, nor can we say that his evidence backing up the Diligence aspect is unsubstantial, but Sloth as a sin doesn’t just refer to just hanging out doin nothin; it also implies that through a lack of purpose or task you’re inviting sin into your life (re: “satan makes work/mischief for idle hands”). And we know for a fact that unknowingly compartmentalising Pyrrha during his ascension meant he frequently lost time due to her surfacing, that he doubted that John could help him, or would help him without destroying him in the process, (doubt in the lord doth not diligence make!), and so kept silent about it, withdrawing into himself, becoming unsociable, single minded, solitary, and most of all cut off from those he served and swore he loved. Final point: who do we know who also, quite famously, fucked around and found out on the job? I rest my case.

Patience is paired with Wrath, and that checks out for Mr Augustine “she was a bloody monster...and you went and made her worse! [five seconds later] raised my voice. Apologies.” (- pg. 478, HtN) Quinque doesn’t it? No further evidence required! [bangs gavel] (Just kidding, let’s get into it.) Patience as a virtue is defined as the ability to persevere, tolerate, and endure without doubt or resorting to irritation and anger. It’s the virtue of taking the moral high ground (or, at least, not visibly or audibly throwing your lot in with the moral low ground), and remaining steadfast in your convictions. Of the two Lyctors we see most in HtN, it's widely agreed that Augustine appears to be the more composed of the two, but when it comes down to it, it’s clear he’s masking his own fury and general erraticism. Now, Patience is the Saintly title awarded to Alfred, whose most notable action was forcing his brother to ascend by taking his own life in a suicide pact with Mercy’s cavalier, Cristabel, which one might not associate so much with Patience. Alfred (or, rather, his pre-Resurrection counterpart in NtN, “A–’s little brother”) is also referred to as the “mediator”, and isn’t deemed particularly useful by John, but he softens this comment by saying he understood, that A– was pulling his loved ones close, that they all were. A–’s little brother is one of the first to die in John 1:20; “A—’s little brother was there … dead in the middle … shot from both sides. Nobody likes a peacemaker.” (- pg. 358, NtN), which I think speaks levels towards his Saintly title of Patience. Augustine on the other hand is the kind of man who plots his brother-Lyctor’s murder for no discernible reason; the kind of man who calls Mercy ‘unloveable’ and ‘unnecessary’ to her face with only bored sincerity in his tone; drops a space station into the River in order to kill John, uncaring of who else is on board when he does so. Augustine harbours a lot of anger very close to his chest and lets it out in short, controlled moments of destruction until the end. He lives in sin by refusing to let go of his anger, which is fine, I see why he does it, but it does mean I can safely brand him as Wrath.

Joy/Kindness butts up against Envy (the resentful desire for another’s successes or possessions) and doesn’t that just take the cake? Mercy, who fully snaps the second she realises John “hid” perfect lyctorhood not just from her, but from all the Saints, being the embodiment of Envy– directly juxtaposed with Cristabel (named “Joy” by John, and referred to by Augustine as “a total delight. effervescent. kind to children and animals.” - pg. 177, HtN) labelled as the virtue of Joy/Kindness? I mean, yeah, Augustine was also pissed, as was Cyth, as any of them would fightfully be – but Mercy specifically having that be the straw that breaks her back? Weirdly fitting. And there can be arguments made that Cristabel’s Saintly title is very surface level, but if we think about it, I can see a very real foundation in it. In the Nona the Ninth pre-Resurrection chapters, M–’s Nun is the first person John actually listens to about getting him to practice some semblance of self care again, and also his foremost support in sussing out the third aspect of the “trinity” of necromancy. She notably teams up with A–’s little brother to mediate the cryo team’s argument during John 1:20, and when John locks himself in his room to escape the arguing, she’s there with M–, who is yelling through the door, but she’s only kind to him. She prays for him, and she asks how he’s feeling. Given the everything about John 1:20, we’re not all as kind and forgiving of John as she was, but that’s her virtue – looking beyond it. And she comes back and tells him it's okay that he doesn't feel like a hero, and that she thinks he can save them anyway. And no one’s gonna argue that her suicide immediately following was a kindness, but it did allow John to do everything that came next, and as much as we know he regrets it, I can also see him perceiving that as a kindness.

And now it will all be on theorised titles, so bear with me.

Cytherea as the Saint of Sacrifice/Charity blows me away, bc Loveday of course knew she was either walking away with no Necromancer, when they came to Canaan House, or Cyth would ascend and she’d likely go back to Rhodes and never see her again. In the end, though, Cyth’s ascension hinged on Loveday’s devotion to her, and with the hope that Lyctorhood might ease the suffering of her illness, she made the ultimate sacrifice of giving Cyth her life. And Cyth then had to live the next myriad in agony, knowing Loveday’s sacrifice was all but worthless, along with mourning her and guiltripping herself, and getting told she’s the loveliest, the kindest, best of us all. “The most loyal, the most humane, the most resilient…I made her live ten thousand years in pain and she let me…” (- pg. 442, Gideon the Ninth). So, of course, I support this as her Saintly title. Sacrifice/Charity is paired off with Greed, which popularly is defined as the sin of “condemning things eternal for the sake of temporal things,” (- St Thomas Aquinas). What do we know that Cyth wanted? Revenge (seeking retribution/vengeance for a wrong or injury done to oneself or another, a temporary fix to gain satisfaction). Justice (the principle that people receive that which they are deserving of, fairness, harmony). She wanted to be taken seriously (“When you grow up awfully ill, you’re used to everyone making those decisions for you, and hating it…so you do tend to want to take everyone’s feelings as seriously as yours aren’t.” - pg. 365, GtN), she wanted to mean something important (re: labelling herself the vengeance of the 10 billion in her proper introduction to Gideon in chapter 35 of GtN). And most of all, she wanted to die (“There was no fear in her now. There was only anticipation verging on panicked excitement, like a girl waiting for her birthday party.” - pg. 401, GtN). She wanted things that last mere moments, as a person already doomed to immortality, and she wanted them to spite but also to use against John, someone we can safely call eternal.

So! Next up, we have Nigella gaining the title Saint of Temperance from Jod, versus the juxtaposing Gluttony. How is Cassiopeia gluttonous? Admittedly, I don't have a lot of basis on this one, but I'll vaguely wave my hand at Teacher’s whole deal and also sorta in the direction of Cassiopeia being mentioned as the only one of the Lyctor’s who could be relied upon to make a well cooked meal (despite the occasional severed fingers in food). Gluttony is classified as the overindulgence of something – initially they were talking solely about food, but in more modern interpretations this can also be interpreted to include material possessions as well – and even more specifically, the overindulgence of something, without care or guilt. St Thomas Aquinas asserted that Gluttony hinged on the sinner’s innate longing for that which they overindulge, therefore connecting the synonymous relationship between Temperance and Gluttony - Gluttony is a lack of restraint, where Temperance is moderation. I’ll now vaguely wave a hand at the break clause again, (“Cassiopeia the First left us instructions years ago,” said Camilla. “We left for a Lyctor.” … Pyrrha said, “Cassy played long games.” - pg. 293, NtN); C– going AWOL from the stakeholders and doing all the legal bullshittery for the cryo team as freelance early on, Cassiopeia’s ceramics collection, and so on.

Next up is Titania as the Saint of Chastity, versus Ulysses embodying the sin of Lust. Because we know very little about them post-Resurrection, and what we know of them pre-Resurrection is…inconclusive, this is probably my most weakly argued point, but bear with me, alright? Chastity as a virtue is a pretty close-minded concept nowadays (which lines up pretty well with Lust being the least serious of the seven sins) – Chastity is almost synonymous with celibacy, as it refers almost exclusively to refraining from any and all sexual activity, in Catholicism specifically prior to marriage. The broadest and least damning-of-sexual-exploration-and-freedom quote I could find on the matter is this: “By attaining mastery over one's passions, reason, will, and desire can harmoniously work together to do what is good,” which is paraphrasing a passage from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church”. As far as Chastity being a good Saintly title goes (so, kinda not; hope if this was John’s basis he picked a better synonym), it should hopefully fall under that kind of definition, rather than “celibacy is good for the soul” but that’s a whole other argument. In terms of the counterpoint, Lust, I want to touch on the concept of this sin often being perceived as the least serious of the seven sins. Lust is classified as the sin of desire— which is often translated to fornication, impure thoughts and actions, sexual misconduct, etc. but what is lost in this translation is that the desire is not for material possessions or of successes like Envy, Greed, and Gluttony are, but moreso (as per Dante Alighieri) the desire or “disordered” love for individuals. Therefore, Titania and Ulysses – who in NtN are literally John’s first constructs; lacking souls, consciousnesses, and motivations of their own; named for a Shakespearean Fae queen and a beloved old dog; loved as not just the proof of concept but the only ones of John’s friends who never questioned him – would of course succumb to the sin of desiring individuals (and, furthermore, individuality). There’s a distinction made in the religious definition of Lust, specifically that there’s a difference between Lust and passion – with passion being more morally acceptable, especially in terms of how it pertains to how one might practice their religion and the depth and weight of one's faith in their religion, meaning that Lust is not just the lack of restraint in ones passions, but the lack of restraint and perhaps lack of true emotion in the desire. In comparison, post-Resurrection, we really don’t have much information on their stories or characteristics, what they looked like, their relationship to one another, or even their personalities besides Ulysses’ tendency to engage the other Lyctor’s in spontaneous orgies. We know they were obviously alive this time around, since the other Saints would have noticed if they were constructs, but what does this mean for their souls? Did John pick them at random, or did he somehow recall the real souls of Titania and Ulysses’ bodies? Would it matter either way, which one it was? If he did recall the souls originally belonging to the bodies of Titania and Ulysses, would he tell them the truth the way he told Augustine and Mercy what happened before the Resurrection? Would they be able to recall some of it either way, the way Pyrrha seems to recall her life pre-Resurrection, and would this impact how they interact with John and the rest of the pre-Resurrection gang? And, most importantly, would this fuel Ulysses, after ascending, to seek out Lust in order to assert individuality? With all that in mind, I’m of the opinion that Lust and the corresponding virtue of Chastity work for them.

Lastly, Valancy as the Saint of Humility versus Cyrus embodying the sin of Pride. Humility, in specifically a religious context, is the recognition of one's relation to a deity (God, in Cyrus and Valancy’s case) and the subsequent submission to that deity. The idea is that through a lack of interest or preoccupation in yourself, you can come closer to and understand God better. In comparison to Pride, a sin which C.S. Lewis once referred to as the “anti-God” state, Humility is very like Charity, because it is selfless and it is modest. I find this interesting when put parallel with Cyrus and Valancy, as they’re one of the three pairs to be called to Canaan House that John didn’t know prior to the Resurrection. They wouldn’t even have the vague notion of familiarity the others would, and that must have felt a little isolating, to see John as a God, where the pre-res gang at least saw him as a friend as well. This is why I argue that Valancy could be given the Saintly title of Humility – if she projected that sense of reverence and a significantly more subservient outlook into interactions around or with John, that might have been how he perceived her. In terms of Pride, though, we can easily refer back to the nude portraits they apparently painted fo each other; Valancy’s elaborate wardrobe that Cyrus had transported in its entirety to the Mithraeum following his ascension; and the note in HtN’s pronunciation guide that reads, “...what set Valancy and her necromancer, Cyrus, apart was their sweet mutual shoring up of each other’s belief that they were the most attractive people ever to have been born, which is not a classical cavalier-adept virtue.” Interestingly, Pride is considered the father of the deadly sins, feeding into each, which might make it seem like too important a sin to be given to Cyrus, of whom we know very little about. For this theory/thinkpiece, I’ll let them have it, but it would be interesting to explore the idea of perhaps John and Alecto in terms of the religious definition of Pride and the way they both seem to view the Resurrection.

Now, you might be thinking, sure okay, I see where you’re coming from, fun theory, but what about Anastasia? Oh, you mean the one person who came the closest to achieving “perfect” Lyctorhood, falling short because of John’s intervention, sent to guard the Tomb until her death, living on as a revenant within the Tomb? Coming so close to perceived success, only to then lose someone you trust implicitly and who trusts you the same, not to mention all of this happening in front of your God? In HtN John even says of Anastasia, “After we—cleaned up—she asked me if I might end her life. Of course I said no. She had so much more to give. Later I would ask of her a greater and more terrible thing.” (- pg. 182, HtN), which states quite loudly what level of regard she held herself in following her failed ascension and Samael’s death. With that in mind, I now present to you the oft forgotten, long discarded, eighth capital sin: Despair (also referred to as “sorrow” and “dejection”). Anastasia, whose life became a mausoleum, whose home became a niche; whose life was reduced to that of an honoured name with no honoured memory, haunting the narrative in her absence, much like Gideon. Anastasia, who had a vow sworn to her by Alecto, one that seemingly put her into Anastasia’s service to succeed her deceased cavalier; whose bloodline then produced Harrowhark, the Tombkeeper that rolled the rock away at ten years-old, intending to die. Tell me more of sorrow! Tell me more of woe! Anastasia as the Saint of Despair just makes sense to me.

(“Okay but what about Ianthe? The Saint of Awe!” To that I say, “idk, Jod was drunk and depressed and not interested in being clever abt catholicism.” If anyone has any better answer feel free to give them, I’d love to hear them.)

[boltupbitches]

Sliding in the DMs Part XIV

18+ content ahead

“We are so fucked when we get home,” Arty mumbled into Joey’s shoulder.

It was quiet sans for the sounds of the waves hitting the beach. The two of them were laid out next to the pool of their tiny rental, basking in the evening warmth after another round of lovemaking. Thankfully, the villa Joey rented was pretty secluded and obviously cost a fortune to rent. He didn’t care about the amount of money spent on this trip. He knew his accountant for sure would be calling him as soon as he checked his account and saw the exuberant charges. 

“Artemis.. we’ll deal with it then. I honestly don’t care what others think right now.” He grumbled, reaching his arm out to pull her closer to him. “I love you.”

They lay quietly once more, mulling over the last 24 hours and their life-changing decision. 

It was so surreal to Arty that she was no longer Artemis Thermopoli, but Artemis Bosa. 

She gazed at the glint of her wedding band on her finger as it shined beneath her engagement ring.

A year ago, she would have never imagined being engaged and married before 30 years old. 21-year-old Arty would have cackled madly at that very thought. Yet, here she was, just shy of her 28th birthday, married to the love of her life.

Joey brought so much joy and happiness to her life - she couldn’t imagine life without him. As someone who hadn’t been active in her faith in years, she actually visited a small church on the island earlier in the morning and said a prayer, silently pleading for their relationship to always remain this strong.

She didn’t want to be like her parents, in a loveless marriage. She also knew Joey didn’t want to replicate his own parents' doomed marriage that led to divorce.

As she lay there with him, warm and safe in his arms, she truly believed at that moment that they wouldn’t follow the same path as their loved ones.

They communicated regularly and respected each other a great deal. Even in his sometimes brash and awkward delivery, Joey was loving and affectionate to her. He wasn’t afraid of being silly with her or sharing hobbies. For him, Arty brought the extroversion into his life. She was funny, lively, friendly, and the life of the party. Yet, in all of her moments of loud and fun, she was intuitive. She knew when Joey was upset or going through something. She knew when to prod or when to wait for him to share. He had never felt that kind of love and support before. They just meshed well together. He shared his fears with her and she with him. 

While they both had opinions of what their wedding was going to be, Joey’s impromptu suggestion of a marriage at the magistrate somehow won out anything else.

In their rush of euphoric joy and worry of losing their nerve, they did exactly that. Joey’s long-time neighbor, an elderly woman who was super sweet and kind to him all the years he lived in Costa Mesa, agreed in shock and delight to not only watch Cassiopeia for them but also to be their witness at the courthouse. California only needed one witness for it to happen. 

Arty smiled softly as she recalled the events.

—-

The officiant fumbled slightly with the officiant book in his hands. He was an older gentleman who had clearly done this hundreds of times given how quickly he had Arty and Joey fill out the necessary paperwork in a more private setting with the help of the court clerk.

Arty had on a dark blue dress that ended just slightly above her knees and was complimented by the lovely strappy heels she was wearing. She wore minimal jewelry, except for the engagement ring and her favorite earrings. She looked beautiful as she smiled nervously at an equally nervous Joey.

He smiled back, fiddling slightly with the cuff of his sleeve. He was wearing a black suit outfit, similar to the one he wore at the NFL Honors when Nick won DPOY. 

Arty had teased him about it being one of his best looks. He couldn’t NOT recreate it just for her. 

Melissa, his kind neighbor from Costa Mesa, smiled proudly at the two loved birds. She didn’t know the full circumstances for why the two of them went about it this way, but she knew that in the end, it didn’t matter. Joey was obviously in love deeply with his fiance and vice versa. She had only met Arty a handful of times, but she could see how much the younger woman cared for him.

The service began as the officiant cleared his throat before nodding to the two.

“Welcome. We are gathered here today to join Artemis Renee Thermopoli and Joseph Anthony Bosa in holy matrimony.” He looks up to Joey before continuing on, “Do you Joseph, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Joey said with a smile as he stared into Arty’s tearful eyes.

She smiled back sweetly, reaching up to wipe her eye slightly as she gripped the bouquet in her hands.

“Do you Artemis, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Arty declared confidently.

“Joseph and Artemis have chosen rings to exchange with each other as a symbol of their unending love. As you place this ring on Aretmis’s finger, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.” The officiant instructed Joey.

Joey pulled the wedding band from his pocket and gently grabbed Arty’s left hand. “Artemis,” he breathed shakily. “With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.” He slid the ring on gently before lifting it to press a kiss to it.

Arty’s choked up slightly in tears at the gesture and grinned happily back at him.

Joey dropped her hand gently and stepped back slightly to allow the officiant to continue.

“Now, Artemis, as you place this ring on Joseph’s finger, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.”

Melissa, who was holding Arty’s bag and the box with the ring set, handed Joey’s wedding band to her.

Arty nodded in thanks, exchanging the bouquet for it and then lifted Joey’s left hand to align the ring with his ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.” She followed suit in lifting his hand to press a kiss against the ring on his finger.

Joey grinned back at her, his eyes teary-eyed as he made eye contact with her stunning green eyes. ‘God, I love her so much.’ He thought happily.

“By the authority vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife!” The officiant announced with a smile, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Joey needed no further prompting than that as he swooped in and pressed his lips passionately to Arty’s, gently gripping her to him as her arms reached up to cup his face. He broke the kiss leaning back just enough to grin down at his blushing bride.

The courthouse staff present, as well as his neighbor Melissa, clapped for the newly weds.

The officiant shook hands with the couple, congratulating them and then assisting them in signing the license that would be processed with the state.

The rest from then on passed in a blur as Joey and Arty would soon after on a private jet to St. Barts for a week-long honeymoon.

—-

Back to the present, Joey gently nudged Arty and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Hmm?” She said absent-mindedly.

“I can practically hear the gears turning in your head from here. What are you thinking about?” He asked again as he shifted to stare down at her in curiosity.

“Just still in absolute disbelief that this actually happened. We’re actually married, Joey.” She looked up at him in shock. “I just… wow. It’s still so surreal.”

“Is that a good thing?” He asked, a hint of worry in his tone. 

“Absolutely it is!” Arty rushed to reassure him. “I am so beyond thankful that we have each other. And maybe... Maybe by the standards of others and society, it is not a viable path that we took to get here... But I wouldn’t change that for the world” She cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to her husband’s lips.

Joey pulled back with a lazy grin on his face. “Artemis Bosa.. what would I do without you?”

“Hmmm.. Be miserable and fighting online with people who beat your ass at COD.” She teased him while moving to sit up and stretch.

“See.. I don’t remember it being quite like that.” He protested in return, trying to fight the smile starting to spread over his face. “Sounds very revisionist, to be frank.”

“Oh? Revisionist? It’s the truth! You liked fighting with me online and couldn’t handle having your ass kicked by a woman!” Arty saw him start to protest and she pressed her finger to his lips. “Nope! It’s the truth! It doesn’t help that you also realized you were into me. So, I get it. I really do. I wanted you too.” She smiled down at him in a coy manner. “Especially when I realized what you look like.”

Joey couldn’t stop the cheesy grin from taking over, his cheeks flushing redder under the slight sunburn already there. “Yeah if I remember correctly you said you wanted to sit on my face..”

“I still do. All day and every day.” Was her blunt response to that.

Joey chuckled at that, reaching up to pull his wife into his chest once more. “I love you.”

They lay there a little longer before Joey’s hand trailed down the backside of Arty’s bikini bottoms. His hands fiddled with the strings, tugging them languidly until they came undone and dropped to the sides.

Arty’s breath hitched as she waited with anticipation for where he was going to put his hands next.

Joey’s hand pulled her bottoms down, exposing her ass to the cool breeze rolling in from the ocean nearby. Her skin was smooth, as his fingers teased shivers and goosebumps out of her. He caressed her ass a few times, pretending to dip low enough towards between her legs but then moving away moments later.

His hand danced up her bare lower back, making its way to the middle of her back where he undid the strings of her bikini top, similar to what he did to her bikini bottoms. Those too dropped away, exposing the tanned lines underneath.

“Hmmmm…” Arty hummed dreamily, pushing to sit up so she could pull away her untied swimsuit set. 

Dropping it to the side without looking where it landed, she kept her eyes glued on Joey, a Cheshire grin on her face as she bit her lip and sat up. She stretched her arms high, knowing her chest would catch Joey’s eyes as he watched like a predator hunting its prey.

She stood up suddenly and reached her hand out for Joey, coaxing him silently to get up and follow her.

He did so, eagerly getting up and gripping her hand tightly as she guided them to the other side of the beach house rental, a spot where an outdoor jacuzzi was located. Arty fussed with the temperature controls a few times before getting it right.

“I’ve been thinking about what I wanted as a wedding gift since last night.” She said thoughtfully, eyeing up Joey’s bulge in his swim trunks. “And I’ve decided that I want to suck your dick.”

Joey’s eyes got huge as he halted his step into the jacuzzi. “Like.. like in here?”

“Yep.” She popped the ‘p’ at the end, running her tongue over her lower lip as she continued to stare at the one thing she wanted that was between his legs. “You sitting on the edge of the tub, me kneeling in the tub. Can we, please?” She pleaded with doe eyes to him.

Joey gulped heavily, feeling his breathing pick up as he imagined it right at that moment. He could never say no to her - not that he even wanted to try. “I - yeah - I mean sure.” He finished awkwardly, fiddling with his bottoms to get them undone and down his legs. His cock slapped against his stomach as it came free, hardened with a glistening head. Arty couldn’t help but fixate on the swollen red head of it, tracing the veins that ran down the underside of it. 

“You want me to sit here?” He asked as he adjusted himself on the edge of the tub which was thankfully an inground design, meaning that where the tub ended, there was wood behind him to lean against for support. 

Arty nodded and stepped into the water, reaching up to tie her hair into a bun as she moved between his parted legs to get comfortable on her knees. She was face to face now with his cock, her hands resting on his inner thighs as she leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to the head of it.

Joey let out a shaky exhale as his eyes remained glued and focused on his wife’s every move.

Her right hand wrapped around the base of his cock as she made eye contact with him, a devilish look in her eyes as she made sure he was watching. Her eyes promised him wicked, wicked things. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” He grunted out, biting his lip in anticipation.

She stuck her tongue out, pressing it to the underside of his cock as she work her way upwards with languid licks. Her hand pumped his base as she worked at his tip now, engulfing it into her mouth and hollowing her cheeks as she worked her sucking into a steady pace, using just the right amount of suction to make him whimper above her.

She glanced up and could see him, head tilted back as his eyes squeezed shut from the sensation.

His chest was starting to flush from the sensations he was experiencing and he knew his face was no better. He couldn’t help it though. Arty and her mouth could drag him to hell and he’d go willingly without a second thought. She was a succubus in human form. There was no doubt to him about that.

Arty continued, slurping loudly as she made sure he was lubricated just enough for what she wanted to do next. She leaned back and shot him a teasing grin as she continued to stroke his cock with firm movements, gently tugging when she got to his tip.

She loved seeing him this way, worked up and breathing heavily as he basked in the pleasure she was giving him. “You love that, daddy?” She teased him. 

Joey had sweat trickling down his temple from the mix of the humid tropical air, the warm jets of water surrounding his legs, and Arty’s fellatio. He was warm all over, but the intense pleasure between his legs burned the hottest in his core.

“Fuck, Arty.. please.” He pleaded, his deep voice coming out hoarse as he stared at her with pleading eyes. 

She grinned once more before taking him in her mouth once more. This time, however, she took him as deep in her mouth as she possibly could. She relaxed her mouth, trying her best to fit as much as she could of him in her mouth. A few inches short of his pubic bone, she had to stop.

Joey was groaning loudly and cussing at the sensation, especially when he felt her tongue flex on the underside of his cock, the one place he was most sensitive. 

She began to bob her head slowly at first before picking up speed, gagging slightly at the size of him.

Joey never gripped her head when she deep-throated. She had asked him about it once while they were coming down from their post-coital bliss. Joey explained that he didn’t want to force her head and hurt her. Arty understood, given the size and strength of him, but a part of her wished he’d pull her hair just a bit.

Finally, after a few more bobs of her head, she pulled back, releasing him from her throat and breathing deeply to catch her breath.

She stared at the trail of saliva connecting from her lips to his weeping cock. His cock, wet with her saliva, was visibly pulsing as Joey’s hips slightly jerked upwards. He was close and she could tell. She’d give him the release he so desperately wanted.

After a few moments, Arty sat up and guided Joey into the water more as she adjusted herself to sit reverse cowgirl on him, reaching down into the water to grip his cock. 

He cursed at the new rush of sensations he was experiencing. As soon as he felt his cock enter her, he moaned loudly, reaching to grip Arty’s hips tightly as she arched her ass backward and started bouncing rigorously on him, her tempo rough and fast as she clenched her walls around him to get him to his climax quicker. Times like this made her thankful she did kegel exercises in the past.

She reached down to start rubbing her clit, overly aroused herself from all of this one Joey suddenly gripped her hips tightly, yanking her down until she was sitting at the hilt as he cummed.

It was erotic to her as she felt him shoot his load into her while he panted heavily behind her, his hands holding her in place.

She continued to rub herself, chasing the building orgasm that was about to wash over her any minute.

Within moments she was cumming as well, collapsing back against Joey’s chest as the waves of intense pleasure washed over her. She could feel her hips buck instinctively a few times as Joey’s grip on her hips relaxed.

Finally, after a few more moments passed, both were sitting still, trying to catch their breath and process what just happened.

Joey reached his hands down to smooth over Arty’s hips, knowing his grip would leave bruises tomorrow with how tightly he was holding her. He pressed a series of kisses to her shoulder and neck from behind before wrapping his arms around her in a hug and leaning his chin on her shoulder. “Fuck.. I love you, babe.” 

Arty giggled, slightly dazed from their lovemaking. “I love you too.”

They sat another few moments in silence before Joey gently moved Arty forward a bit so he could slip his cock out of her, careful due to the sensitivity they were both facing. 

“Let’s go inside and take a nap.” Joey suggested, “We can get dinner in a bit and take a swim in the ocean. Maybe go on a boat ride.” He had been eyeing up the waterfront, his eyes taking in the beauty before him.

Arty nodded and allowed him to scoop her up and carry her inside. She rested against his chest as he carried her bridal style into the restroom.

Joey placed her carefully on the toilet so she could do her business and stepped out for a moment to check his phone.

As Arty was finishing up in the restroom and starting the shower for them, she heard Joey cursing from the master bedroom.

Stepping into the room, she looked at him in concern when she spotted him leaning forward, his head in his hands.

Beside him was his cellphone, the screen lit up with various types of notifications from social media, text messages, emails, and missed phone calls. The most recent was from his mother from what she could tell and a text message in all caps said, “JOSEPH ANTHONY BOSA. WHAT THE FUCK IS TMZ TALKING ABOUT YOU BEING MARRIED?” 

Arty’s mind went blank. Someone had gotten a hold of their filing at the courthouse in Orange County… and now the gig was up.

Everyone now knew they were married.

She couldn’t even begin to consider looking at her own phone.

They were fucked.

[estrangedaframian]

@pasiphaedemetriadevil // cont'd [ x ]

Arlen was stunned. Never in his life did he see (or even imagine) a person lit up like the forth of July! Firstly, it just didn't make a damn lick of common sense; secondly, this display made Beau wonder whether he'd ever really known the slightest thing about Cassiopeia—

If that was her name.

The county sheriff tried to speak, but his throat clenched up on him.

"Psh. I don't even wanna tell anybody. 'side, even if I did feel like snitchin', nobody'd believe me anyway... I mean, if I lay the Texas in me on thick, I c'n pretty much get people to believe anything I say, but this goes way beyond any old thing..."

Beau raised a finger as he took a short burst of air into his tremulous lungs. "I'm not gonna go runnin' off, but I do need a minute to process... I'm scared, I'm not going to lie about that, but I put my faith in you once, Moonstone, and this ain't a reason for me to collect... I just want you... to know that..."

[dongbangskies]

Re: INKODE, Jaejoong, DBSK, and all of the Cassies who still hold AKTF.

Before we start: I just want to point everyone to the "bio" and handle and be very clear that DBSK was the thing that caused this blog to exist in the first place. Back in the late 2000s. DongBangSkies? DongBangShinKi.

I was there when the announcement of the JYJ lawsuit and the end of DBSK hit Allkpop.com. I remember running home from school ready to watch another live performance on YouTube and seeing that article instead. And I remember hoping and praying they just settle it normally, knowing full well it was the end. Because thats just the nature of boybands rights? They make it big and split. And either they all fizzle out or only one person gets really famous.

Even back then, the DB5K Cassies all said the only way they would come back is if someone needs to have their own label, buy back everything they ever released and come back in 10 years after they all establish solo careers.

And even in 2009, I said Jaejoong was going to be the only one that could do it. Make enough money as a solo to make a company or be able to buy back what he spent 9 years working on.

Its been well over 10 years. and he has fought and clawed his way back despite getting blacklisted at the height of his career and spending his remaining hot-topic youth years without broadcasts. And he fucking did it. He has his own label.

Is it still a pipeline dream that Yunho and Changmin will leave SM or do a partnership with Jaejoong after all these years estranged? Is it kind of impossible for a DB5K comeback with Yoochun cancelled for drugs? Yes. 100% yes.

But I've kept the faith for this long. And I won't be stopping any time soon.

To my Cassiopeia community, regardless of where you are now: Hi. I miss you. I want you to know how important you were to my teenage self and hope to meet you under the Red Sea again someday.

[viktorkondrakis]

Greek myths: POC in the Legends

It's typical to find some ethnocentric Hellenic pagans insistent on the general lack of colour in their religion. The stories take place across the Greek islands and Italy, so obviously there can only be white heroes and gods in the myths, right? Perhaps it's time for these folks to have a history lesson.

The vague boundaries of Ancient Greece stretched, at the very least, from Macedonia to Rhodes, and housed hundreds of states, towns, cities and villages. Many of these settlements were close to continents such as Africa, where the Egyptians and Carthaginians (a Punic nation) lived. Apart from them, the Greeks and Romans also knew of and traded with the "Ethiopians" (Αἰθίοπες), which was a general term referring to Black people (from Αἴθω + Ὤψ, "Dark Face"). This closeness of different ethnicities meant that there would be some diversity of religious figures by virtue of cultural exchange.

Memnon (Μέμνων) was the demigod son of Tithonus and the goddess Eos, and was the king of Ethiopia. There was also his brother Emathion (Ἠμαθίων) who fought Heracles. Eurybates (Εὐρυβάτης) was Odysseus' "dark-skinned" (μελανόχροος) companion, and was honoured by him above his other comrades (Odyssey 19, Lines 246-249).

And to use a more well-known example: Andromeda (Ἀνδρομέδα), wife of Perseus, was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, king and queen of Ethiopia. The legendary woman more beautiful than Aphrodite was Black. She and Perseus may also be one of the earliest examples of an interracial union in the Greek stories.

And to those who would object and say these figures are represented as white in sculptures and wall paintings, the divergence from the original textual sources is a simple result of interpretatio graeca. People will often render foreign persons or deities through the appearance and mannerisms of their own nation (e.g. old paintings of Jesus in Ethiopia and China showing him to be Ethiopian or Chinese), and in this case Black characters were filtered through a Greek and Roman lens.

The ancient Greeks and Romans saw skin colour as a designation of one's national origin, but not as a racial identifier. If you approached a Roman and told him the vikings were of the same "race" as him, he would be deeply offended. "Race" was formulated by European pseudoscientists in the 15th to 16th centuries to justify the barbaric things that were done to enslaved Africans, Indigenous peoples in the Americas, and later South Asians.

I as a white person am wholly comfortable, and also appreciative, of the presence of people of colour in my religion. They serve as a reminder of the universality of attributes such as heroism, strength, kindness, courage and valour. Virtue is not bound to one skin colour, and we are all fundamentally one race: the Human Race.

So don't let these pseudadelphoi (false siblings) stir discord and disunity in our communities. All are welcome in the Faith and to the graces of the gods, regardless of colour, sexuality, or gender identity.

[magikahair]

Sadly the PBR release created some problems due to how differently alpha textures are rendered now. This was particularly apparent on the hairbases of many of our styles, so we've been busy correcting this issue on the following listed hairstyles. You can claim free updates for these via the Redelivery at the store:

Abigail, Adelaide, Addison, Alexandra, Alice, Alvilde, Amanda, Amy, Artisan, Ash, Aurora, Cassie, Cassiopeia, Celeste, Cordelia, Cure, Darla, Dawn, December, Delilah, Delulu, Dolly, Eleanor, Eliza, Erin, Esme, Faith, Fiend, Gemma, Hazel, Helena, Holly, Isabelle, Jennifer, Joy, Kat, Kayla, Lilian, Lydia, Lyric, Maia, Marigold, Melody, Michelle, Midnight, Mira, Monarch, Mood, Morgana, Morticia, Natalie, Oats, Pia, Sadie, Salem, Sienna, Sunrise, Unravel, Vanessa, Violet.