#our king is nothing but consistent

[king-alfred]

"You're Alfred?" "I am."

bonus:

[politemagic]

happy birthday to the Alpha Wolf himself, Lochie Keogh 🖤🎂

[mooremars]

Just thinking about how absolutely wild the structure of Camelot's songs are within the context of the show. I am sure people have been saying this for 60 years but I want to talk about it now. Like I do genuinely love it but what were they thinking????

The first scene has 3 songs and a reprise. And depending on the version, different amounts of Guenevere starting us off.

Arthur in fact has two songs in the first scene. At least using 2023 as an estimate for timing, he will not sing again for over 45 minutes. After that, over an hour (including intermission). He is the main character. I know a hallmark of most versions is that he can't sing for shit but still.

The way The Simple Joys of Maidenhood barrels straight into I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight like I don't think you're supposed to stack two songs immediately on top of each other in this way.

Genny also has two songs in the same scene later. And this time no one else is getting one in between. The middle of act 1 is for her.

Really all of act 1 is for her because more than half of the songs in it at least prominently feature her. And no one can catch up in act 2.

It's not even close. She has three full songs basically to herself, another one that's probably like 80%, a reprise that's mostly her, another solo reprise in 2023, except for 2023 another song with just her or with Lance, and one song with Arthur.

Iconic

Arthur has four major songs and then the tiny slices of Camelot reprises while Lance only has two or three. Even I can do this math, Genny wins by a landslide.

Depending on the version, the main couple either doesn't have a song together or has a song but it isn't even a love song. They all just sing about each other. Sometimes in front of each other. But together... nah.

There are no songs with the three leads and in fact there are like twice or three times the number of songs with one or two people singing than songs with more than that. I don't know the normal ratio but I feel like usually there's more ensemble stuff.

And like obviously act 1 ends with a monologue and that is brilliant and the best decision ever but also extremely weird that then the last song before intermission is sad Genny.

I am no musicals expert but literally none of this seems to make sense to me and yet it all somehow works and I'm obsessed with it.

[chansaw]

i read donald sutherland’s letter to gary ross pleading for the role of president snow and was so struck by his eloquence, wit, and humor. i’m posting it in full below. what a loss </3

Dear Gary Ross:

Power. That's what this is about? Yes? Power and the forces that are manipulated by the powerful men and bureaucracies trying to maintain control and possession of that power?

Power perpetrates war and oppression to maintain itself until it finally topples over with the bureaucratic weight of itself and sinks into the pages of history (except in Texas), leaving lessons that need to be learned unlearned.

Power corrupts, and, in many cases, absolute power makes you really horny. Clinton, Chirac, Mao, Mitterrand.

Not so, I think, with Coriolanus Snow. His obsession, his passion, is his rose garden. There's a rose named Sterling Silver that's lilac in colour with the most extraordinarily powerful fragrance — incredibly beautiful — I loved it in the seventies when it first appeared. They've made a lot of offshoots of it since then.

I didn't want to write to you until I'd read the trilogy and now I have so: roses are of great importance. And Coriolanus's eyes. And his smile. Those three elements are vibrant and vital in Snow. Everything else is, by and large, perfectly still and ruthlessly contained. What delight she [Katniss] gives him. He knows her so perfectly. Nothing, absolutely nothing, surprises him. He sees and understands everything. He was, quite probably, a brilliant man who's succumbed to the siren song of power.

How will you dramatize the interior narrative running in Katniss's head that describes and consistently updates her relationship with the President who is ubiquitous in her mind? With omniscient calm he knows her perfectly. She knows he does and she knows that he will go to any necessary end to maintain his power because she knows that he believes that she's a real threat to his fragile hold on his control of that power. She's more dangerous than Joan of Arc.

Her interior dialogue/monologue defines Snow. It's that old theatrical turnip: you can't 'play' a king, you need everybody else on stage saying to each other, and therefore to the audience, stuff like "There goes the King, isn't he a piece of work, how evil, how lovely, how benevolent, how cruel, how brilliant he is!" The idea of him, the definition of him, the audience's perception of him, is primarily instilled by the observations of others and once that idea is set, the audience's view of the character is pretty much unyielding. And in Snow's case, that definition, of course, comes from Katniss.

Evil looks like our understanding of the history of the men we're looking at. It's not what we see: it's what we've been led to believe. Simple as that. Look at the face of Ted Bundy before you knew what he did and after you knew.

Snow doesn't look evil to the people in Panem's Capitol. Bundy didn't look evil to those girls. My wife and I were driving through Colorado when he escaped from jail there. The car radio's warning was constant. 'Don't pick up any young men. The escapee looks like the nicest young man imaginable'. Snow's evil shows up in the form of the complacently confident threat that's ever-present in his eyes. His resolute stillness. Have you seen a film I did years ago? 'The Eye of the Needle'. That fellow had some of what I'm looking for.

The woman who lived up the street from us in Brentwood came over to ask my wife a question when my wife was dropping the kids off at school. This woman and her husband had seen that movie the night before and what she wanted to know was how my wife could live with anyone who could play such an evil man. It made for an amusing dinner or two but part of my wife's still wondering.

I'd love to speak with you whenever you have a chance so I can be on the same page with you.

They all end up the same way. Welcome to Florida, have a nice day!

sourced from this article

[bumblequinn]

hi @sourpatchsquids! thank you for your question.

as an artist with ADHD, i know this struggle very well. unfortunately offering advice on this kind of thing can be tricky, because what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa!). nonetheless, i can try; take whatever works for you, forget the rest, or reshape any part of it as you see fit. :)

but before i offer any actual tools, i have one caveat. i want you to take a moment to reflect and consider if you should be:

changing expectations

the timing of this question seems fated, because just the other day i had a therapy session wherein i expressed my grief and frustration over struggling to work lately due to my seasonal depression. it's not fair that i'm struggling just because it got a little darker outside! i just want the spark i had in the summer! i was so much more consistent!

my therapist's response: nothing about human beings is consistent. we get sick, we get tired, we get hungry and thirsty (and thirsty) and sad and lonely and restless and stressed and overwhelmed. this all gets amplified for folks who are atypical in some way or another.

when my therapist compared our seasonal cycles to those of plants and other animals, who wilt and slow down and hibernate, i protested aloud that i wanted to be a perennial instead. at this she said: even perennials change with the seasons. rose bushes have to be pruned, sometimes down to half their height! it was a dose of perspective i didn't particularly want, but really needed.

so when you're struggling to work through executive dysfunction, burnout, or brain fog, it can help to first check in with yourself about a few things. what do you have the capacity for right now? do you need any accommodation? and if so, what changes you might make to accommodate yourself?

with practice and self reflection, i've learned a handful of specific routines that help me when i'm struggling with creative work, which i'll detail next. note that while your question is specifically about music and i am specifically a musician, i believe that all of these suggestions can apply to most any form of digital creative work.

with that in mind:

#1: work slower

when i'm at the top of my game, i can get a LOT done in a day. but when i'm depressed, fatigued, or distracted, i just can't go full steam. sometimes i'll try to convince myself that i can if i just push harder, but what actually ends up happening is that i'm just fiddling with settings and going in circles rather than moving forward.

instead of that, when i want to work a lot but can't, i try to work slow. how slow? however slow i need to. take four hours to figure out the melody for a single verse. take all day to figure out that drum groove. yeah, i take a lot of breaks in between. who says i have to be my Absolute Most Productive Every Day Or Else? that's the puritan work ethic talking. kill it. be kind to yourself.

i'm reminded of advice i once read about some super successful and prolific author (gaiman? king? pratchett?) who said they wrote only four hundred words every weekday. that's already less than the word count of this post, and i'm only—[travels into the future to check my final word count]... 22.8% of the way through writing it!

now, i don't think i could function that way, because ADHD means some days i'm hyperfocused like crazy, and other days i just have no steam at all (more on that in #4-6). but it seems to me that if even someone highly respected in their profession can achieve what they have with only a little bit of work on a regular basis, maybe i don't have to punish myself for not pumping out a finished work every single week.

doing less work per day means you're much less likely to burn out, which does a lot for working more consistently. if that consistency still doesn't look like a five-day work week, that's okay! as long as it helps you work even a little more often when you want to, it's something worth doing.

however, if you're still feeling truly stuck, all hope isn't lost. you can still try:

#2: switch projects

sometimes the reason i'm moving slow is because of a bad brain day, but sometimes the reason is that i just cannot muster the motivation to do the specific task i'm trying to do right now. ADHD is fueled by novelty and interest, and if i'm not interested in what i'm doing, or it's feeling stale, that's a sign that i need to switch gears.

this is why first it's helpful for me to have more than one project going at a time. this might mean completely unrelated works, or it might just mean related tracks as with the music for a game like SLARPG or susan taxpayer.

the idea here is not to start a dozen different projects and bounce around them like i'm playing whac-a-mole—though i have done that. (i don't recommend it.) the idea here is to have a manageable number of different projects i can be working on so that if i get bored or stuck on something, i have fallback options.

what that number of projects is depends entirely on the week. maybe right now it's two, maybe another time it's three. i would probably be getting carried away if i tried more than that, but that's just my own limit. maybe yours is different. that's something for you to think about.

but it doesn't have to stop there.

#3: switch focus

maybe there is this one project that i just HAVE to work on, but the task i'm trying to do at this stage just isn't coming to me. okay, well, why don't i try working on a different task?

let's say i can't figure out what i want to do with the melody in one part of the song:

what if i try jumping ahead to a different part of the melody? ...no, i'm stumped on melodies today. okay, how about working on the drums instead? ...hmm no, i think i'm just completely tapped out on writing parts right now. alright, what if i organized my tracks, making sure they're all grouped and named in a way that i can work with easily? what if i did a rough volume balance for the mix?

and so on. if that's not enough to shake the off stuckness, i might consider: what can i do to make this project more interesting to me?

what happens if i try using an instrument or effect that i almost never reach for? what if i try sampling something obscure? what if i bang out the drums using my midi keyboard instead of drawing it in on the piano roll?

any approach that breaks me out of my usual habits is bound to get that feeling of novelty and fun back when i need it.

or maybe i can't do any of that right now, and so i take the time to answer a question from a fellow musician instead. i consider that part of my work, too, in a broader sense. check in with yourself and figure out what you can do right now. the rest will still be there later.

but okay, let's say you try switching gears, and switching again, and again, and nothing is moving. you try new approaches, but that wall of awful is insurmountable in this moment. it happens! the next thing you might try is:

#4: learn something new

when you aren't able to make progress on your projects, you can still make progress on your knowledge and craft. i often find this stokes a flame of inspiration in me where there wasn't one before. and even when it doesn't, it still gets my brain out of that feeling of stuckness and dread and into one of thought and action. learning also benefits in the long term because it adds to the well of knowledge from which you draw for all your future works.

for all the awfulness that exists on the internet, it remains an absolute treasure trove of teaching. there's an endless ocean of videos, blog posts, and articles from which you might learn something about your craft. (and if you sail the seven seas, plenty of book PDFs as well. 🦜🏴‍☠️)

it's true that the quality and depth of information out there can vary wildly, but in my experience most resources get at least some things right. and the more you research, practice, and figure out what works for you, the better you will learn to differentiate between the advice worth keeping, and the advice to forget. (that goes for all of what i'm saying here, too!)

that said, since our shared focus is music, a few resources i would highly recommend are:

music theory and composition music matters, 12tone, charles cornell, music with myles, 8-bit music theory, and this introduction by andrew huang

mixing and production dan worrall (especially this series for fabfilter), kush after hours, red means recording, andrew huang, alice yalcin efe, in the mix

general inspiration nahre sol, ben levin, david hilowitz, game score fanfare, posy, jerobeam fenderson, open reel ensemble, and ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!

(if any readers have their own helpful resources for creating music or any other media, feel free to share in the replies & reblogs! 💓)

of course, on an especially bad day, it might be a challenge to seek out information, let alone retain it. that can feel pretty bad, but remember: be kind to yourself. the next thing you might consider trying is:

#5: consume art you love

not just music. books. shows. movies. games. illustration. animation. whatever moves and inspires you.

but do it intentionally. don't just pull up some random thing the algorithm suggested! check in with yourself about what you want (or are able) to engage with right now. choose accordingly. if you get a little way into it and realize it's not scratching that itch, hit the bricks. check in with yourself again. wash, rinse, repeat, until you find whatever it is that speaks to you right now.

and do it actively, if you can. don't just let it go in one eye and out the other! really pay attention to the work. what do you like about it? what are its themes and motifs? what makes it work so well? what are its flaws, and how much do they matter? what might you do differently? you can write notes as you do this if it helps, but even simply noticing and thinking goes a long way.

what you don't want to do is come at this with a lens of shame or envy. you're not here just to say to yourself, "ugh, if only i could do THAT." it's okay if it happens. use that thought as a springboard for curiosity: "well okay, how DID they do that? do i have the resources for it? if so, how could i apply that to my own work? if not, how can i adapt it, or what do i need to learn?" keep your mind open and approach the work with a sense of wonder.

as a creative person, it's very easy to think, "i should be making something right now, not watching a movie!" but that thought forgets something vital: your art is a response in a conversation. of course the "language" you use is your own, and maybe if you're lucky you'll invent a new word. but most of the words you use have been around long before you were born. you're just one voice in a dialogue that spans continents and generations, and that's okay. it's even the whole point.

none of us is an island. we are profoundly social animals. just as we can't live without eating, we can't make without learning. so half of making art is consuming it. consider this part of the process as well.

and finally,

#6: rest, and live your life

let's say you're in really dire straits. you've tried working slower. you tried changing focus, you tried changing projects. you want to take in new information or actively engage with your favorite art, but you're not in the headspace for it. what now?

take a nap. take a walk. take a shower. eat a nice meal, or an okay one. talk to a friend. maybe even do that chore you've been putting off (you know the one).

it's human to always crave making, but you're not a machine—and even if you were, machines need regular maintenance, too! you wouldn't drive a car that's completely out of gas, and you won't do yourself any favors treating your body that way either.

i know that when you take a break it feels as though you're not accomplishing anything, but you are: you're taking care of your animal self. and while you do that, your creative brain doesn't stop working! much like windows, it has countless background processes running at any given moment, with inscrutable names like "cbdhsvc_692da" or "Microsoft Edge Update Service." it's true, i checked.

when you're stuck on a project and you step away to rest, your brain is still chipping away at your ideas unconsciously. i like to tell people, "it's percolating." much like waiting for a pot of water to boil, that idea is still heating up, even when you take a step away. just be sure to check in on it once in a while. the time will pass, and it'll be boiling again before long. :)

before i go, i'll leave you with one last thing to keep in mind as you try all of these strategies:

be kind to yourself.

being human is just about one of the hardest things you can do. let alone being a human trying to survive capitalism while living with disabilities! the last thing you need on top of that is to overwork yourself, talk to yourself negatively, or treat yourself harshly. there are plenty of other people in the world who do that to you—don't be one of them.

i'm not saying that you shouldn't try to challenge yourself, to test your limits and go above and beyond your ambitions, if that's what you want to do. just remember that hard work and self compassion are not mutually exclusive. so be careful not to bully yourself. take pride in the progress you make, even when it seems small. encourage yourself like you would a friend who's going through a hard time. and when you challenge yourself, be your own cheerleader.

i hope you find this advice helpful! remember, this is just what helps me, so don't feel like you have to follow any of it exactly. maybe taking time to learn new information helps break you out of your rut more than working slowly, so you reach for that tool first. maybe having multiple projects going at once is too distracting for you, so you prefer to stick to one at a time. whatever your needs are, feel free to alter and adapt these ideas to fit you.

thank you for reading, and i wish you the best of luck in your creating.

with care, bee 🐦

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

✨Dress Up, Part 2: The Ceremony✨

Well well well, looks like you guys won. You get a continuation of this fic that was meant to be a one shot lmao! I had some awesome people to bounce ideas off of and I couldn't do this without them. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's time for the wedding! But you know I can't go a chapter without writing a little smut hehe~

*** - Scene change ~~~ - Flashback

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4

Lucifer x f!sinner reader

Summary: It's wedding day! And Lucifer is more than willing to try and convince you to the leave the reception early...

Warnings: 18+, smut, hand job, oral (m receiving)

"You know, if you don't quit your pacing back and forth, you're gonna wear out the carpet..."

***

It had only been a week since the proposal and the wedding was already here. But this is what you both wanted; a nice quiet wedding with only a handful of people with everyone else in Hell being none the wiser. You had to beg Lucifer for the week you got in between, he was practically ready to say "I do" once he put that engagement ring on your hand. It may have seemed like you two were moving a little bit fast considering most weddings take months, sometimes years to plan out! But when you're marrying the King of Hell, there really was next to nothing to worry about when it came to your special day.

The new hotel was the perfect venue, complete with a beautiful ballroom that could rival any chapel on Earth. The guest list was extremely exclusive consisting of only the occupants of the hotel, minus one Radio Demon, not that he would attend even if he was invited. It was Charlie who suggested that he protect the hotel today from any threat that might make itself known. On top of that, Charlie was more than happy to be the officiant, as being the Princess of Hell granted her that authority. Money was no object to the Morningstar family, so no expense was spared.

But regardless of any of that, Lucifer couldn't help but worry. You had one other request for him after he popped the question.

~~~

"I hate to ask more of you after asking for a week to prepare," you started, putting on the last of your clothes that you had discarded during your fun little teasing display, "but..." Lucifer approached you suddenly and held your hand in both of his.

"My love, you can ask of me anything you wish. There is no limit when it comes to you. You've already given me the best gift of becoming my future bride. Anything in my power is yours for the asking, you just name it!" He leaned down and planted a small kiss on the back of your hand. You couldn't help but blush, he never failed to charm you.

"This may sound a little odd, considering what just took place a few minutes ago," you breathed out a sigh, "but...what would you say to refraining from any...intense intimacy?" Lucifer cocked his eyebrow and smirked, seemingly intrigued. "B-but only for this week, I promise! Kissing and cuddling would still be on the table, of course. And no deliberate teasing from me, that wouldn't be fair. I was just thinking that...I want our first night as a married couple to be special. And I figured holding off for the time in between would only heighten the experience. If that's not something you want, I completely understand that-MMPH," you were silenced by Lucifer's soft lips on yours.

"Oh darling, was that all?," he flashed his signature toothy grin at you. "That's hardly a request! I think that's a wonderful idea...n-not that I don't want to ravish you at any given time! But you're right, I couldn't imagine a better honeymoon than getting the chance to feel you again after being denied for a few days, even though it may feel like an eternity. I'll be on my best behavior; you have my word!"

~~~

And Lucifer was on his best behavior, for the most part, at least. There were a few instances where his hands had traveled a little too low on your body and some kisses became deeper than they should have. But both of you managed to make it through the week! But today was the day, and his anxiety was at an all-time high. You decided to sleep in separates rooms the night before, wanting the next time you saw each other to be at the altar. That was the plan, at least.

It had been a while since Lucifer had slept alone. Suffice to say he couldn't sleep. He assured you that he would be alright sleeping alone for just one night, but that ended up being easier said than done. The empty bed he laid in brought back painful memories of his first night without Lilith, something that still haunted him to this day. There would be times where Lucifer would wake up in a cold sweat, only to glance over to see you peacefully asleep, and he could breathe again. Anytime you felt him tug you closer to him in the middle of the night, you knew what had woken him up. He never hid his feelings from you when he confided in you about his ex, and you didn't mind that he would wake you when his nightmares overwhelmed him. You loved him and he loved you. You would never leave. So when you heard your door creek open in the middle of the night to see your fiancé standing ion the door frame, you only smiled and gestured him to you.

~~~

"I-I'm sorry," he sobbed quietly, "I tried...I really did...I-I had a dream, a nightmare, you were there but you started to fade away in front of me. I reached out but it was no use. I woke up and…and you weren’t there, I panicked…I’m so s-sorry…”

"Hey, hey, shh, it's alright," you soothed and brought him into a tight embrace. You felt a tear that had fallen from his face make its way down your collarbone. "Don't cry, Luci, I'm not upset, not at all." You lifted his head up to wipe away his remaining tears. "Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." You planted a kiss on his forehead, and from the dim red light that shown through your windows, you could see a small smile appear on his face. He laid down, his back facing you as you wrapped your arms around him and brought him flush to your chest. You could hear his breathing start to even about again.

"I don't deserve you," he murmured.

"You know I think the same thing every day," you respond.

He interlaced his fingers with yours at your words, squeezing you hand softly. "Promise me you'll never think that again. Please. You deserve everything and more."

"Alright," you conceded, kissing the back of his head, "as long as you promise me the same thing. You're my everything, and I'll spend the rest of my afterlife showing you that."

"Okay," he spoke weakly. You intertwined your legs with his, bringing yourself as close to him as possible. "I still intend to keep my other promise. I'll be gone before you wake up."

"You can stay as long as you need to," you whispered before drifting off to sleep once more.

~~~

True to his word, Lucifer had managed to sneak away before you woke. After adorning his typical attire, he found himself wandering the halls of the hotel, finally stopping when he reached the lobby. Thinking he was alone, Lucifer started talking to himself and paced back and forth like a madman.

"Was this a mistake? Are we moving too fast? No, no, no it's alright, it's fine! We're fine! Get a fucking GRIP, Lucifer! You're panicking for nothing! She loves you...right? Yes, yes of course she does! Why would she say yes to you?! Unless...NO! No, none of that! Relax! Need to relax..."

"You know, if you don't quit your pacing back and forth, you're gonna wear out the carpet," Husk remarked, attempting to get Lucifer's attention in his anxious state.

"WHAT THE-" Lucifer shrieked hearing the bartender's voice. After seeing Husk standing behind the bar, he breathed out a sigh of relief and clutched his hand to his rapidly beating heart. "Geez, warn a guy next time!" Husk huffed and returned to cleaning the whiskey glass he held in his hand. "How, uhh, how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you're a fucking mess right now," the cat demon replied, setting down his now clean glass. "Perhaps you need a bartender to talk to."

"Uhh, alright?" Lucifer made his way over to the bar and took a tentative seat on one of the stools.

"This is about your girl, ain't it?" Husk correctly guessed, "about the wedding?" Lucifer sighed and nodded. "Mhmm. You love this gal, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do!" Lucifer answered almost defensively. "She's...my everything!"

Husk picked up another dirty glass to clean. "And has she given you any reason to doubt that she feels the same way?"

Lucifer huffed. "Well, I...no, no she hasn't. She's always been there for me. Listening to my ramblings, making me laugh, consoling me during the worst times, like last night...she's...she's just perfect!"

"So what's the holdup?" Husk asked after setting the other glass down.

"It's not as simple as you're making it out to be, Husker," Lucifer retorted, pushing his way back from the bar. "I loved Lilith with all of my heart and soul. And she said...that she loved me too. But then one day, she was just gone. Vanished. We fell together. We built a life here TOGETHER! And she just leaves? It's like the last 10,000 years together meant absolutely NOTHING!" Lucifer ran his hands through his hair, trying to keep his composure. "I-I can't lose her like like I lost Lilith. I just can't! I just want to be enough for her. I don't know what I would do if she...", he couldn't finish his sentence. He sat back down at the bar, resting his head in his arms. "The pain would break me..."

The sound of a glass sliding across the counter top caught Lucifer's attention. When he lifted his head, he noticed a full glass of scotch sitting next to him. "Calms the nerves," Husk spoke. Lucifer let out a deep breath and took a swig, choking slightly in the process not realizing how strong it was.

"Not much of a drinker," Lucifer admitted, setting the glass down.

"Sir, if I may..." Husk began.

"You can call me Lucifer," the angel smiled slightly.

Husk smirked. "Lucifer, all I can tell you that love is a vulnerable emotion. I understand that you're afraid. Afraid that history will repeat itself, that your love is not meant to be, and that you're going to end up alone all over again." Lucifer's face sunk, lowering his head against his arms once more. "But," Husk continued, "I know one thing for sure. That girl up there ain't Lilith."

Lucifer raised his head, now hanging onto every word from the bartender.

"If anybody thinks you aren't enough, that's their own fucking problem. And I can tell you that your girl ain't like that at all. She adores ya, can't get her to shut up about ya! Hell, I couldn't even tell you why she ended up down here in the first place! Another one of Heaven's fuck ups, for sure. But for your sake, I'm glad she did." Husk reached over and gulped down Lucifer's unfinished glass of scotch. "Be a shame if it went to waste."

Lucifer let out the smallest of laughs. "Thank you, Husker. And you're right, even in this God forsaken pit, she manages to make it just a little bit brighter. She saved me. And I'm going to devote every moment of my immortal life to her."

"Good to hear. Now..." Husk slammed his hand down on the counter, "get your shit together and go get ready! You got a wedding to attend."

*** You startled awake with the sound of knocking at your door. Your mind was still foggy, brief memories of last night flooded through your head. "Lucifer?" you sat up and looked around your room, but he was already gone, leaving you alone in an empty bed. He had kept his promise after all. There was another set of knocks at the door. "Coming!" you shouted as you ran to grab the robe you had left on the armchair. You opened the door to see Charlie bouncing giddily.

“Good moooorrrrnnniiiinnnngggggg~” she practically sang. “Did you sleep well? Are you ready for your big day?? Are we forgetting anything???” She rapid fired questions at you while you were still rubbing the crust from your eyes.

“Charlie, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re more excited than I am,” you joked, gesturing her to come in. “In order: Yes, I slept…well. Yes, I’m ready...mentally speaking. And no, we’re definitely not forgetting anything. You’re the most meticulous and thoughtful person I know, you definitely have everything planned to a tee! You practically leapt out of your skin when we asked if you would officiate.”

"Aww, thank you!" Charlie smiled as she skipped into your room. "And of course! I would never turn down such an opportunity! Being the princess of Hell does have its perks! You can never be too prepared, ya know? Especially for a day that's so wonderful and magical and full of love!" You saw tears welling up in her eyes out of pure joy.

"Hey now, I thought I was the one that was supposed to be crying today!" you joked.

"Right, right! Sorry!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and grabbed your hands excitedly. "Let's get your hair and make up done!"

Charlie dragged you over to the vanity and sat you down in the chair. You weren't one to wear much makeup typically, but Charlie insisted. And when Charlie asks for something, it's pretty much impossible to tell her no. So you obliged. But you made her promise that she would not go overboard, only the basics. Thankfully you showered the night before, so your hair just needed a good brush through. Charlie grabbed the hairbrush and began to comb through your hair, gently pulling out the knots out of the nasty case of bed head you were sporting. She truly was the kindest soul you've ever met. But that didn't stop you from feeling a little awkward.

"Charlie," you mumbled, "can I-oww...can I ask you something?"

"Yes, absolutely!" She grabbed the the already plugged-in curler and started working on adding some volume to your hair.

"Are...are you sure you're alright with this?" you asked timidly. "I mean...me and your father. I just don't want you to think I'm trying to, you know...replace your mother. I know I don't know much about her or your relationship but..."

Charlie put down the curler and kneeled down next to you, gently grabbing your hand. "You don't need to worry about that! I promise, it's alright with me. It's more than alright, actually! I haven't seen my dad this happy in a long, long time. He loves you so much! You wanna know how I know that? Because he tells me. Every single day. His eyes light up when anybody mentions your name! And I know you would never do anything to hurt him, or me. You're too kind and good hearted for that. I know it may feel like you're inserting yourself into the picture, but I'm more than happy to have you as part of our family! I know the love you have for my dad is genuine, and I wouldn't change a thing!"

A smile formed on your face. "Thank you, Charlie."

"Now," Charlie hopped up from the floor and grabbed the large make up bag sitting on the counter, “time to make magic happen! I have the perfect idea! Close your eyes and no peaking until I say so!”

*** You could feel your heart beating out of your chest as you stood in front of the closed ballroom doors. You knew just on the other side of that door was the love of your life, and he was waiting for you. Husk linked your arm with his, flashing you a warm smile. "You ready?"

You let out a few shaky breaths before you could answer him. "Y-yes."

"Don't worry, I gotcha," he comforted, "one step at a time, alright? Trust me, whatever you're feeling now, he was in much worse shape this morning. Nearly had to kick his ass to the altar myself. But I straightened him out for ya."

You could help but laugh. "Thanks, Husk. And thank you for walking me down. I know this isn't really a traditional wedding, but I appreciate everything you and everyone else have done for us."

"No thanks is necessary," Husk replied, "for what you do for Charlie and the hotel, it's the least I can do. You're a good one to be sure. And the King is damn lucky to have ya." You smiled and tightened your grip on Husk's arm as you heard the faint sound of music start to play on the other side. "It's time."

Without another word, the large wooden doors opened in front of you, and the music could be heard much more clearly now. The Bridal Chorus. Husk waited on your command as you took the first step. You scanned the room. You saw Vaggie and Cherri standing to one side, Angel off to the other, while Niffty skipped in front of you throwing a mix of flower petals and roaches. You noticed Charlie straight ahead of you in a lovely blue suit, a color you've never seen her wear before. You also took notice to the fact there didn't seem to be any organ in the room, despite the music that continued to play as you walked. You guessed it was some of Lucifer's magic. He really knew how to set the scene for the occasion.

Finally, your eyes found Lucifer. He looked at you as if you were the most angelic being he's ever laid his eyes on. You couldn't quite make out the details of his face yet, but you could tell that tears had begun rolling down his face. You saw his suit for the first time. A beautiful black velvet suit with embroidered gold detailing on the jacket. He looked like royalty.

Lucifer stared back at you, fighting every urge in his body to run to you and scoop you up in his arms. Your dress was immaculate. A stunning flowing sleeveless white dress adorned with fluffy scarlet feathers that were scattered across the skirt and completely covered the bodice. An homage to your future husband. You were only a few feet from him now. His smile could have lit the darkest of rooms. The tears continued to flow from his eyes, and you could feel tears threatening to leave yours as well.

"Deep breaths," Husk murmured to you before stepping to the side to join Angel. You inhaled deeply, holding your breath until you stood directly in front of Lucifer, only exhaling when he reached out and held your hands in his.

The music stopped. Your heartbeat was the only thing you could hear now.

Charlie cleared her throat. "Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to join these two souls before us in holy matrimony. I understand that the couple have written their own vows." Charlie glanced your way and beamed. "Ladies first!" You smiled back at her then turned your full attention to Lucifer, staring lovingly and longingly into his eyes. You had spent the entire week practicing and memorizing your words for this very moment. You breathed in, and you breathed out.

"Lucifer, words cannot begin to describe how you make me feel. You have shown me so much compassion, understanding, care, and adoration that I had never experienced on Earth. My promise to you is that I will always stay by your side, I will never abandon you, and I will love you for the rest of my after life. You've changed my life for the better, and I will make sure that I do the same for you. You are my one true love, forever and always. I love you, my angel."

Lucifer pulled one of his hands away to wipe away the tears the refused to stop flowing. Angel pulled out a handkerchief and brought it over to him and began patting it across his cheeks. You looked at Charlie who had also started to cry. She quickly composed herself and turned towards her father. "D-Dad?" she squeaked out.

Once Lucifer was able to compose himself, he took hold of your hands once more. "My love, I have existed since before the dawn of creation. And in my thousands of years of existence, no one has brought me as much joy as you have. You came into my life suddenly, like a thief in the night, and stole my most precious possession. My heart. It is yours now, for eternity and even beyond. I promise that you will never know another day of sadness, of heartbreak, or of loneliness. My devotion to you is boundless and unfathomable and never ending. I am yours. I love you, my queen."

Razzle appeared in front of the two of you, displaying the silver wedding rings for each of you. You and Lucifer took your respective ring to to place on the other's hand.

"Lucifer," Charlie spoke through her sniffles "will you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife; will you love, honor, and cherish her, hold her up in the good times and the bad, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do, forever," he answered, sliding the ring onto your finger.

Charlie turned and repeated the question to you.

"Yes, I do," you proclaimed, sliding the ring onto his hand in the same manner.

"By the power vested in me, as princess of Hell, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

You and Lucifer smiled at each other, no longer able to hold back any of your tears. Lucifer cupped your face and brought your lips to his for a tender kiss. You heard the cheers from the others in the room, and you definitely heard Angel whistle as your lips connected. When you pulled apart, something had caught your eye. Your rings were glowing. Magic in the form of golden dust surrounded each of them, swirling around the metal bands.

"What's this?" You asked Lucifer, who didn't seem alarmed at all.

He chuckled. "You're the new Queen of Hell, my darling. This magic is a symbol. It signifies that you are no longer bound by the rules that govern the sinners; you are bound to me. You have free reign to travel anywhere you wish, including the other rings of Hell. You're now one of the most powerful beings in the realm! But we can get into the finer details later; for now," Lucifer pecked your lips once again, "let's celebrate!"

After wiping away her excessive tears, Charlie cleared her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Morningstar!" The crowd cheered as you walked hand in hand with your husband back down the aisle.

"Who's ready to fucking PARTY?!" Cherri yelled behind you as you all made your way towards the bar in the lobby.

Drinks poured at the reception, everyone was cutting lose and having fun! You two had decided to partake in as many traditional reception activities as you could! Neither of you knew how you ended up with so much cake all over yourselves, but it was alright considering Lucifer easily snapped his fingers and both of you ended up back in pristine condition. You invited everyone to participate in the bouquet toss, but it was Vaggie who ended up with the flowers in the end. She absolutely failed to hide her blush from Charlie who was jumping for joy! But this next tradition was something Lucifer had really been looking forward to; the garter belt toss.

Ever the showman, Lucifer hiked up your dress to your thigh and rather than using his hands, he decided to use his teeth to pull the garment down. His head lingered near your thigh way longer than necessary, and you could Angel snickering as Lucifer dragged it down the length of your leg.

"Oh, you're gonna get it," you leaned down to whisper to him, hoping no one else could hear.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Lucifer retorted with the garter belt still between his teeth.

To no one's surprise, Angel was the one to catch the belt once Lucifer finally tossed it.

The reception was going off without a hitch. Everyone was having the time of their lives getting plastered and gorging themselves on the enormous buffet Lucifer hand conjured up. You had changed out of your wedding dress into a new purple dress; the lavender one that you really liked that you had tried on a week ago before you got yanked out of the dressing room by a certain horny angel. Thankfully, you two were able to go back to the store the next day to properly purchase it. You and Lucifer were given your own large round table so you wouldn't have to sit at the crowded bar. Luckily for Lucifer, this gave him easy access to you. As the reception went on and with no one being the wiser, Lucifer's hand found your thigh once more, gliding it up ever so slowly before you shot him a knowing glance.

"What do you say we leave early," he proposed innocently, "I have a wonderful surprise for my new bride once we're on our honeymoon."

You playfully grabbed Lucifer's wandering hand and pushed it down towards your knee. "Luci, it's only been an hour! You can't tell me you can't wait just a little longer, can you?"

Lucifer stuck out his lip and pouted sweetly. "Oh, but my love, have you forgotten? It's been an entire week! And you know how well behaved I've been, I am nothing if not a man of my word." You felt his hand begin its ascent on your leg once more. You didn't stop him. "But I can only be a gentleman for so long..."

You didn't want to admit it, but you were in the same boat as well. That week apart had been almost tortuous. But you were more than willing to wait until the party was over. Your husband, however, appeared to have a different idea.

Alright then.

Before his hand could climb any higher, your hand shot down immediately to his crotch. Lucifer bit back a yelp as he felt you palm him through his pants. His hand stopped all motion, but instead started digging into your thigh, ultimately trying to remain calm. But that task seemed nearly impossible with the way your hand continued its ministrations, his pants feeling tighter and tighter with every passing second.

"D-Darling, please..." he begged through his clenched teeth.

You grinned wickedly. "You want me to take care of you, Luci?" He nodded his head vigorously. "We're not leaving early. But, I'll help you out as a good wife should, yeah?" Lucifer panted, his nails now dangerously close to breaking through your skin. "Head to the restroom just down the hall. Give me a minute and I'll follow you. I'll knock three times to let you know it's me. I have a plan. No touching yourself, understand?"

"Y-Yes," he breathed. When he was sure no one was looking, he stood up from his chair as fast as possible before making his way down the hall. Once you saw him disappear around the corner, it was time to give yourself some cover.

"Angel!" you yelled across the room, waving your hands to flag him down. The spider demon turned his head and smiled. He said something inaudible to Cherri before making his way over to you.

"Hey there, pretty lady!" Angel bent over and folded is first pair arms on the table, "Congratulations on the new gig! Being Queen of Hell sure is a status boost!"

"Yeah, I still need time to process that," you admitted. "So Angel, can you umm, do me a favor?"

Angel stood up and slicked his hair back. "Oh, anything for the new member of the royal family! What can I do ya for, doll face?"

You let out a shaky breath. "Can you...how do I say this...cause some sort of distraction?" Angel raised an eyebrow. "I just need to take care of something real quick."

"Uh huh," Angel chuckled, "you need to take care of something? Or someone?~" You pursed your lips, a light blush dashed across your cheeks. You really should have known better than to try and tiptoe around your means of leaving with Angel. "That's what I thought. Don't think I didn't notice the King almost sprint out of here just now. Man is absolutely smitten with ya! But you'll get no judgement from me, baby, I know how it is! Consider this your wedding gift, I typically end up being the most distracting person wherever I go! How much time do you need?"

"Five minutes?"

"Oh honey, I think you're giving him way too much credit, especially considering the state he's in." Angel laughed, "I can give you three."

"Four."

"Deal," Angel stuck a hand out for you to shake. He was ready to turn away when he flashed you a wink. "Get ready!"

As soon as you heard Angel shout loud enough to grab everyone's attention, you got up from the table and followed Lucifer's path down the hall. Once you stood in front of the restroom door, you knocked on it three times just as you said you would. It took less than a second for the door to swing open and for Lucifer to pull you inside. He locked the door behind you and crashed his lips into yours. You pushed him up against the door as you slipped your tongue further into his mouth. He was devouring you as his hands gripped your hips.

"We don't have a lot of time," you said breathlessly, "we have four minutes."

"How did-HHNG," Lucifer wanted to question until you began to palm at his now very apparent erection through his pants again.

"Let's just say I owe Angel big time." You started to fumble with Lucifer's belt, pulling it off of his pants with a quick flick of your arm. Your hands worked at the button and zipper of his pants next, going almost too fast for you to properly hold anything. You gripped the hem of his pants and boxers and were about to pull them down together until Lucifer grabbed your wrists.

"Wait, wait! What about you?" he asked. Even in such a lust filled state, he still only ever thought about you. God, you really hit the jackpot.

You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I appreciate it hon, but we really don't have the time to argue about this. Four minutes, remember? Probably closer to three now." You pulled your hands away from Lucifer's grip and went back to the hem of his pants, pulling down his boxers in the process, finally freeing his hardened cock that was already leaking precum. You placed your hands on either side of his hips, his back flush against the door. "You better tell me what you want quickly, Luci."

Lucifer gulped hard, staring at you through half-lidded eyes. "T-touch me...please...n-need you..."

Without another word, you moved to stand at Lucifer's side as your one hand gripped his shaft while the other cupped his mouth to keep him from making too much noise. "Shh, gotta be quiet, my love. You don't want the others to hear how your queen makes you feel." He nodded his head silently as you began to stroke him. You watched as precum dripped onto the floor below; it was obvious how pent up he was. You quickly picked you the pace as your hand moved up and down his cock, thumbing over the tip only for Lucifer to mewl into your hand and buck up into your touch. His breathing became more and more staggered by the second, he wasn't going to last much longer at this rate. But you knew you were running out of time and your hands alone were not going to be enough to finish the job. "Not a sound," you commanded as you released your hand from his mouth, dropping to your knees in an instant. Before Lucifer could protest, your mouth had already full engulfed his length. He threw his own hand over his mouth to muffle his screams as best he could. Your head bobbed up and down rapidly on his cock while stopping every few seconds to lap circles around his tip. He was close.

"F-Fuu-uuccckk," he whimpered, "I-I'm g-mmph...gonna c-cum...shitshitSHIT!" And almost on cue, you felt him empty himself inside you. Strings of hot cum hit that back of your throat while you continued to suck him off, helping him ride out his orgasm. Once he was finished, you let his now softened dick fall from your lips, not letting a single drop leave your mouth. You gracefully stood up and grabbed his belt that you had flung earlier and handed it to him.

"Feel better?" you whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

He turned his head to meet your lips once more. He always loved the taste of him on your mouth. "Immeasurably," Lucifer moaned into you.

"And only with a few seconds to spare!" Lucifer buckled his pants once more while you walked over to the sink and began soaking one of the wash cloths in cool water. You dabbed the towel on his forehead, attempting to cool him down. "Can't have you looking so disheveled, my king."

"I promise to make this up to you," Lucifer swore. "You should never be left unsatisfied."

You smiled and kissed him on the forehead sweetly. "My satisfaction is knowing I'm the only one who can pull those beautiful sounds out of you." Lucifer could help but look away from you in embarrassment. "Now, if you promise to behave for the rest of the party, let's just say I have a...proposition for you later tonight. I know exactly how you can pay me back." You unlocked the bathroom door and held it open for him. "Let's not keep our guests waiting!"

~~~

IT'S SO FUCKING LATE RIGHT NOW HOLY GOD I WAS ON A ROLL I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP! I hope you guys are ready for the honeymoon ;)

Taglist: @ask-theradio-demon @kermitdafroggy @thonethatflies620 @luc1fersducky @a-okay-rj @bat-boness @myhornybrainonlyknowsthis @misfitgirlwrites @animationmovieshipps @orbitinglumps @ramenkitten @blaackbiird @bigfatbimbo @lucisaspen @bvnnyangel @seulace9 @fluffypinkpillows @starlightdreaming @k-n0-x @rosen-und-mondlicht @raindropsfromheaven @slutforlucifermorningstar (I'm sorry if I missed anyone!)

[blackknight-kai]

Wukong and Cat

I just think it would be funny to see Wukong dealing with a house pet. Specially a cat. (Maybe a dog but that’s not the point today) - In this Wukong can travel to the modern day to stay with you (before you fully commit to staying in the past with him Edit: yes taking the cat with you).

See, cats are…cats. Yes they can be skittish or friendly, mean or weird as hell. They come in all shapes and sizes both in body and personality. They consistently push boundaries - keeping them off counters am I right? And sometimes as the slightest change they do awful shit to tell you it displeased them - pissing outside the litter box because you moved it a few feet from where it normally is or got rid of their favorite chair.

Cats are entitled and they run the house. You ever been hounded by a cat that woke up from its nap and thinks it’s dinner time but they don’t eat for another 3 hours? Yeah it’s annoying. (We love them)

They are our mini gods basically.

Wukong would NOT do well with one at first.

It doesn’t listen to him, it gives him dirty looks 24/7, he doesn’t know what the hell it’s up to or thinking but he knows it’s plotting harm to him, he knows it’s mocking him as it watches him form its perch across the room. The damn thing even had you on a feeding schedule!!! It OWNS you!

But it will not own him. No. He is a free monkey. A KING! The Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Earth! No house pet will have dominion over him.

You even buy it toys it seems to play with 1 time before and never again. You spoil the ungrateful shit. It also sleeps with you, but not since he came along much to his pleasure. Yes furry asshole, that’s HIS spot now.

He finds it ridiculous that you even scoop up its fucking shit that it leaves for you. At the very least it covers it up but why are you its designated poop scraper? He doesn’t understand why it doesn’t shit and piss outside like every other animal. He may be a king but he’s never had anyone shovel his shit!

So when you ask him to help with the house chores one day, specifically handling the litter box and trash, he is taken aback. Him? Use the tiny shovel to scrape out its excrement? Oh absolute not. Hell no. Not on your life.

He is a KING. He does NOT shovel SHIT. No. He doesn’t budge until you glare at him. He can tell you’re getting annoyed and he doesn’t like it when you’re mad at him.

Wukong, thinking he’s being a genius summons a clone and decides the clone can handle the shitty sand. But then the clone also refuses. Starts arguing with him! The audacity! This goes on for several minutes, neither clone or original giving in until you come into the room having heard the heated conversation.

You tell him with a tone of finality to stop being a monkey cub and grow up, that if he doesn’t sift the litter by the time you come back he’s sleeping on the couch - one night for every turd and pee clump you find in that box. You stomp off to finish the laundry and Wukong & Clone look at the doorway with slight surprise. Clone snickers and gives Wukong a smirk, saying “Looks like our Queen has spoken, the King is on turd duty.” Before offing himself and disappearing with a cackle as Wukong curses his own cheekiness.

After several minutes of staring at the box with disgust he hears you walking through the house and his heart races. Quickly he grabs the weird little shovel and starts sifting, as you step into the room he smiles at you as if to say “See I’m a good boy” and you give him a look before going back to your own chores.

Wukong doesn’t DARE push you enough to ruin his nightly cuddles with you. No. Nothing is worth losing that. So he scoops the damn cats box and as he does so he hears tiny footsteps. Looking over he sees your cat watching him, as though supervising him. It pisses him off to no end that the house pet is looking at him so smugly. “Who’s the king now.”

Grumbling under his breath Wukong finishes his task and finally stands up straight. As he does so he looks at the furry animal. “Is it clean enough your highness?” He asks sarcastically but then his eyes widen as the cat steps towards the box.

To his utter annoyance and anger it takes a shit! RIGHT AFTER HED JUST CLEANED IT OUT? HOW DARE!!!!

He throws a tantrum he will deny to this day about it to you and you laugh saying that yeah, that happens almost every time. It infuriates him to no end. But he loves you and you love the cat. So he can’t do anything that would bring the little asshole harm or he’d risk losing you which is NOT an option.

He hates the damn thing so much.

But one day, while he’s napping on your couch, he wakes to a weird rumbling on his chest. Groggily he opens his eyes and lifts his head a little and is met with the sight of your cat curled up on his chest, eyes half lidded and watching him, its purring. He lays his head back down and tries to be annoyed by it. But the damn purr is soothing….it’s genuinely kinda nice. And his chest is warm. If he ends up stroking your cats fur making it purr louder until the two of them fall back asleep? That’s between him and cat.

[thecoiledserpent]

↻ VARNA, GUNA, PURUSHARTH, NATURE, GANA & YONI IN VEDIC ASTROLOGY

basics of vedic astrology. ask box. masterlist.

important: this master post will consist of three major posts wherein i will be elaborating each of these six mentioned factors. understanding them is key to understanding the deeper nature of the nakshatras, and how compatibility works in vedic astrology. it is not possible to work on all of them in a single post. also, order is irrelevant here. although i usually let it slide, i would recommend reading even the theory and background part in these three posts because they are relevant to further understanding. without it, things may not make sense. i have touched on sensitive topics like varna with care so as to not hurt religious sentiments. but i would appreciate being called out if i have said anything that may spread hatred. it is never my intent to create discord. i would request others to be polite and respectful as well. these are all topics deeply entwined with ancient hindu culture. any disrespect, misinformation and hateful behaviour will have you kicked out of this space. long post ahead, i wish the readers best of luck.

��� VARNA + GANA

i would like to start off by mentioning that varna and guna are used majorly for checking compatibility between two people or for suggesting appropriate career paths.

varna is for relating the native's attitude towards the world and their work / responsibilities. gana is for analysing the native's nature. so don't use these things in an all encompassing way, and it is better if these tools are used only on the things they are intended for.

VARNA

INTRODUCTION: varna, literally translates to 'caste'. it is noteworthy to mention that vedic astrology, one of the vedangas, was written by sages in antiquity. the caste system that came to ostracize the poor in the name of religion in the indian subcontinent by the 1900s is nothing like what the sages intended for varna to mean, due to which it has come to gain an inherently bad reputation. firstly, the caste system started out with a basic concept—how people brought money into their home. it had nothing to do with one's birth. this is not to be confused with gotra, which refers to bloodline. our bloodline remains the same, but based on what people did to gain money we classify society into 5 major categories, which will be elaborated below. secondly, the varna allotted to each nakshatra is based off the nakshatra's nature. i won't be delving too deep into this, but careful consideration leads one to realize that certain traits indicate saintly personas and others indicate an outlaw. of course, the interpretations aren't so extreme, and i will expand on them further.

brahmin—the caste that studied vedas, tended to the statues of hindu gods, assisted day-to-day prayers, rituals, festivals and rites. they were gurus, translating roughly to 'teacher'. nakshatras—krittika, purva phalguni, purva ashada, purva bhadrapada

kshatriyas—the caste that ruled lands, that is, kings and queens. nakshatras—pushya, uttara phalguni, uttara ashada, uttara bhadrapada

vaishyas—the caste that did trade and business. they brought money by selling their services. they are majorly divided into two parts; farmers and traders. artisans, dancers, musicians etc. were considered to be traders. nakshatras— merchants—ashwini, punarvasu, hasta farmers—mrigashira, chitra, jyeshtha, dhanishtha

shudras—the sweeper caste. these were the people who carried out menial tasks such as maids, sweepers, butchers, servants, constructions workers etc. again, they can be classified into two major parts; butchers and the servants. nakshatras— workers—rohini, magha, anuradha, revati butchers—ardra, swati, moola, shatabhisha

mleccha—the outcastes. these were people who committed heinous crimes and were a threat to society. even a brahmin who comitted the sin of raping another woman could become a mleccha. mleccha were not any 'caste', they were no caste at all and condemned until they died. we only include people here who committed wrongdoings under situations under their own control. a woman who aborted a child due to her own health issues, trans people etc are not to be included here, unless they commit another crime. nakshatras—ashlesha, bharani, vishakha, shravana.

now, let's come down to business. following are general guidelines required to use the varna system—

we only use the caste / varna of our moon sign. having a certain varna in many of your planets is not indicative of anything, only consider the varna of your moon sign.

varna is used for analysing many things, for starters. we use varna for figuring out the most appropriate life path for oneself, and also which kind of career the native would thrive in. one's moon sign's varna is indicative of how we interact with the world and what things we're good with.

note that we employ flexibility here. having a nakshtra in a brahmin varna does not make you 'superior', you simply have other strengths, is all. similarly, having a mleccha varna does not make you a bad person, or that you will commit crimes.

in friendships, marriages, and other unions varna represents how well the ideals of two people match. for eg, a brahmin will never get along with a shudra. nor will a kshatriya. vaishya will get along with shudra, and with brahmin, but not with kshatriya and so on.

tbh the complexity with mleccha is that it belongs nowhere so compatibility matching becomes tricky. an outcaste is not accepted by society, so discussing them becomes difficult. personally, i believe that mleccha varna people can only get along well with each other.

GENERAL VARNA OBSERVATIONS

kshatriya naks are usually stubborn and self-righteous. once they make up their mind about something, it's very hard to convince them otherwise, even if you're right. pushya people even end up losing their trust in those who question their judgement. they can be impulsive and have difficulty keeping their silence when they are hurt. genuinely flamboyant people smh you tell them to wear something casual and they'll bring out a met gala ass outfit. very beautiful people though, they entrance others easily with their charm and beauty, so they get away with it. kinda dramatic too lmao these people often have the jester's privilege 🤷‍♀️ i said what i said. there's a regal aura about them and they easily get away with things. it repeatedly reminds me of achilles, for some reason. bold, bright and attractive; and most of all, worthy of praise. their fame is well deserved, but restraint on the smug attitude is important to avoid making enemies. these people are prone to getting back stabbed. also likely to challenge the system. but not like a revolutionary radical way like mleccha naks do, but rather 'fy bitch, i'm gonna wear what i wanna and look how i naturally am. y'all ain't got shit on me.' if i'm being honest, it's actually pretty respectable.

mleccha nak people are most likely to question the working of things. and they are the type of people who research everything before they fight about it, to make sure they can't be proven wrong. bharani is pretty much the face of this aspect. they easily feel victimised and are sensitive to criticism. sensitive does not mean cry baby though, like bharani could probably punch your face in if it has had enough, sensitive is used in the context of reactive here. they are the people who are most likely to be abused or ignored. usually have trauma related to certain aspects of life. ashlesha have childhood trauma, bharani have trauma related to being restrained (emotional manipulation and being misguided by people they trusted) and so on... mleccha naks have a tendency of being air-headed when it comes to whoever is hurt by their words when they are certain they are speaking the truth. or when they decide they had enough shit and want to voice their feelings. they stop caring about societal restraints and could even spit at a king's face if it comes down to it. usually lonely people. if i'm being honest ashlesha manages to become an odd one out here too, since they don't really fit in much anywhere. they crave company but they are repeatedly betrayed. so it's like push and pull with them, and others don't want to be with such a person. ashlesha's biggest lesson is to see the truth for what it is.

brahmin nak people.. enjoy life, so to say. they can be kinda lazy or have tendencies to order people around. can be self-righteous and massive snobs when they are not self-conscious. other than that, they are pretty chill people. they go with the flow and hold on to the seaweeds when they sense the waters are getting too fast. they know to, and when not to exert themselves. morally good people though, usually have good childhoods. kind of reminds me of gryffindors, they want the best for everyone, but they are a bit rough around the edges and unintentionally hurt others. ngl most of them were very proud people, and others were sadistic. ig brahmin naks have an air of authority which they are more than aware of and it adds to their already inflated egos. it is necessary to remain humble, otherwise people will easily hate on these people. they are very talented, and so most people desire to bring them down as soon as they can. acting foolishly or with vanity is like their one-way ticket to downfall.

vaishya nak people are incredibly clever and quick witted. of course, since it's a wide range of naks i won't generalise, but remember that wit exists in various forms. such as ashwini is prodigal type of intelligence, whereas chitra is 'sell combs to a bald man' type of wit. the farmer category & the worker shudras are hard working naks. they are devoted to what they do and remain grounded, even after massive success. it is difficult for them to see past excessive fonts and twisted words. tbh it doesn't make much sense to them, they are the type to say stuff as it is. no buttering, no boot licking. they believe that if you want something, then you work for it; no excuses. revati is a bit of a nepo baby, but they definitely believe in hard work, as well. often worth their salt. can be delusional though, at least it keeps them happy. the merchant vaishyas are the clever ones. these are the type of people you want to associate with smart work. the farmers category was hard work, but here wit is a major theme. they also don't mind buttering as long as it gets work done. clever people. probably would use others for their own benefit. their usefulness gains them many friends and accomplishments in life. the butcher shudras are just as hardworking as the worker shudras, but they are classified as having a more 'it is what it is' type of mindset. they can hurt people at times, and have a harsh nature. they are the type of people who accept life for what it is and silently suck it up. not ones to complain, usually. when they they set their mind to completing something, they don't rest until they achieve it. they usually don't demand praise for their work, but definitely deserve it.

general compatibility—

✓ brahmins—brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya ✓ kshatriyas—brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, mleccha ✓ vaishyas—brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra ✓ shudras—vaishya, shudra, mleccha ✓ mlecchas—kshatriya, shudra, mleccha

extreme incompatibility—

✗ brahmin—mleccha ✗ kshatriya—shudra ✗ vaishya— none ✗ shudra—kshatriya ✗ mleccha—brahmin

extreme compatibility—

✓ brahmins—brahmin ✓ kshatriyas—kshatriya ✓ mlecchas—mleccha

GANA

INTRODUCTION: there is no english equivalent for this word, the closest it can be translated to is 'behaviour'. gana is used to compare a native's energy and overall traits in a rough manner with the energies associated with 'swarga' / heaven, 'naraka' / hell and 'mrityu loka' / 'prithvi' / earth. hence, there are three ganas: 'deva' / godly, 'rakshasa' / demonly, 'manushya' / 'nara' / human, respectively. (ironic and funny sounding, but don't think of it from your, i.e a human's perspective. think of it from the view of the universe and you'll understand what it's supposed to mean.)

BASIC INFO: again, it is important to mention that flexibility is exercised in this matter. rakshasa gana naks are not actually demons, it's supposed to describe an energy. only the gana of the moon nak is to be taken in reference. although, yes, most planets' naks being in the same gana makes it the dominant one.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE GANAS

deva gana naks are of positive and bright energy. we associate them with the morning, and these people usually function best in the day. they are splendorous and usually strict about their principles or whatever their codes of conduct are. they are impatient, vain, and even selfish at times. intelligence, wit, fierceness, beauty (beauty is used in the context of abundance, not looks) and fine speech is associated with them. they are clean and usually enjoy fresh or healthy food. they can be immense people pleasers, and care a lot about their reputation. they prefer company over solitude.

rakshasa gana naks are abundant in energy and patience. they are deliberate and know where and how to invest their energy. they are associated with the night and have tendencies towards being night-owls. they are learnt in the sciences. they can be messy and unhygienic. they handle intensity, anger and violence from others well, because they know how to handle their own darkness. they can be harsh by nature and hurt others. they are familiar with solitude, and are at comfort with it. company can make them anxious.

manushya gana naks are in the middle of both extremes, embodying balance in their traits. they are usually humanitarian and adore animals. their traits are indefinite most of the times because they are flexible and get along with both deva gana and rakshasa gana people.

✗ deva and rakshasa gana people do not get along, especially if the charts are extremely polar about their nature as well.

✓ manushya gana people get along with all three ganas.

✓ deva and rakshasa gana are compatible with others of their own gana.

✓ two deva gana people are extremely compatible.

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय नमः

[kacievvbbbb]

I’m not someone that particularly cares about a ship being canon or not, in fact I would rather the media I consume have no romance at all (giving my blog confusing yes I know)

But there is something about the canon ties between Shanks and Mihawk that drives me feral with need to see what their whole deal is.

Because like there are so many little inconsequential details that when taking separately seem pathetic and weak. But then put together it feels like it paints the picture of a larger undeniable connection and understanding between two wildly different men.

The fact that their main color is both red (Mihawk’s is a more wine dark red than Shanks’ bright red and a little more “subtle” given that Shanks is literally called red hair) but even then their main symbols, their identifying features, are red! Mihawk’s eyes and Shanks hair (yes while I love the gold and think that’s better I cannot ignore the fact that Oda consistently colors in Mihawk’s eyes red even though the gold is infinitely more popular)

They have the same birthday, are practically the same height, both with the promises to our two main protagonists to meet them at the top with a parting “gift”, both serve as a mentor to the protagonist (mihawk literally thought zoro how to kill him 😭), both with the bird(ish) iconography.

The fact that Mihawk, Mihawk! A man whose introduction was that he didn’t care much about anything and caused destruction on a whim, cares enough about what Shanks thinks to mentally apologize before trying to kill luffy (what the fuck).

The fact that whitebeard felt the need to reference his duel with Mihawk in his conversation with Shanks, despite not really being very relevant to the conversation and the fact that this is the first we’ve seen shanks in years and it is brought up in the same context as his relationship with Buggy (an already established relationship) reveals his relationship to Roger seems to point to the fact that this duel between Mihawk and Shanks is an important relationship to shanks. It couldn’t just be to show strength because he was about to clash with whitebeard the strongest man. It’s also hard to notice that those two relationships didn’t end particularly well for shanks.

Also the fact that it was Mihawk out of every character , Mihawk that brought luffy’s bounty to Shanks. Something he obviously knew would mean a lot to him. I used to think the scene was just there to show us how big a deal Shanks actually is like look at that fun childish alcoholic gang inspired our main hero? He’s actually a super big deal and he used to spar with the strongest character by far we had seen at that point (it wasn’t even close) and they fought on equal footing. It added a new layer of mystery to Shanks.

But it’s also the fact that even now with Mihawk’s bounty Shanks was mentioned and he’s the only one who this was mentioned for. Crocodile is just for his df and intelligence and they don’t mention that he literally tried and almost succeeded in subjugating a country and he was beat by luffy “or smoker given how many marines actually know the truth” even buggy who was literally Shanks’ sworn brother under the pirate king doesn’t get a mention like that. But Shanks and this duel is so integral to Mihawk’s character that it’s mentioned along with the only other long lasting fact we know about him and that is that he is the World’s Strongest Swordsman. Isn’t that fucking insane.

And like I feel insane scrapping all these details together as proof of something because they are all (besides the duel) the barest bones of a connection but god it is actually driving me insane.

And I’m not saying Mishanks is going to become canon or that it should or that I even particularly want it too. What I do want is to see how deeply these two are connected. What are these red strings of fate tying them to each other. Why can’t apparently ten years of little contact sever it? I swear to god if it’s actually nothing much I will lose my fucking mind. If nothing ever comes of all of this I will actually go insane. How can some people look at this and not see foreshadowing!?!?!!

[hornyroyale]

pillow talk

Art the Clown x Reader

(SMUT)

5.7k words

Also posted on AO3

———————

Halloween.

One year ago, there was a massacre in Miles County. The now dead suspect was a tall, scrawny clown. The outfit contained half black, half white jumpsuit, with fluffy black pom poms. A white, painted face, with black details on his face. Bald white head with a little black top hat finished his look. When the police arrived at the scene, the clown shot himself through the mouth, admitting him as deceased.

Maybe.

Who knows.

Little kids flooded the streets with their parents, going door to door, filling their baskets with sweet, teeth rotting treats. One of the funniest holidays in the world. For kids, it’s the free candy and dressing up as their favorite things. For teens, it’s the amount of alcohol they consume at parties. For adults, it’s nothing, because they already hit their mid life crisis and can’t be happy anymore.

Doorbell rings, and a bowl of candy is swiftly picked up by the insider and she opens the door to meet with a group of kids. A smile reaches her face, adoring the cute excitement they have at the sight of the king sized bars in a plastic bowl, and she could tell that her house might get populated quick if the word gets around.

The kids leave and she waves to them goodbye, smiling as the door shuts, and soon the bowl is placed on a nearby table. Heading to the kitchen, she opens up the freezer to pull out a bag of frozen tator tots. Her airfryer opens up as she dumps a serving of the mini potatoes. The airfryer shuts and she turns it on, waiting for her snack to heat up. Her house rings with the doorbell once again, and she picks up the bowl of candy to meet with a little girl with her mom in the cutest tinkerbell costume.

With a cute giggle, she holds up a plastic pumpkin that had goodies in it. A king sized kitkat meets with the others and the face of the little girl lights up. The insider smiles at the young girl, saying her goodbyes so that she can go back to cooking her snack. Shortly after she shut the door, another ring echoed and she opened the door with the bowl again just to be met with a man.

Not sure if it’s a man, but it sure is a clown.

His outfit consisted of a jumpsuit that had a half black, half white scheme going on, as long with black puffy buttons and a white collar. He had stained, fingerless gloves wrapped around his hands. His face was painted white, his whole head was white. With his white face, he had black paint around his eyes, mouth, a dot on his nose, and expressive eyebrows, all completed with a cute little black top hat. A creepy grin was met on his face as he held out a black trash bag, implying he wanted candy.

The insider is frightened by his “costume” but she will admit, it’s really creative and well done. Best one she’s seen all day, even though the ones before were all kids, and this is an adult.

“Well hi there!”, she greets with a smile, even though she’s secretly terrified of this terrifier. “Your costume is very well done!”. She did figure that if he worked hard on it, it would mean a lot if she would compliment it.

The clown still has a grin on face while holding his big bag out in hopes to get candy. Even though he might be too old. The insider picks up her bowl of candy and the clown eyes sparkle. She grins at his reaction and chuckles, but he still doesn’t peep a word.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”.

A nod comes out of the clown.

There’s silence between the two and she can tell he’s getting impatient.

“You know, clown guy. Keep a secret for me?”.

The clown nods eagerly, and soon his bag opens wider when she grabs a handful of the candy bars and drops them in his bag.

“Don’t tell anyone I gave you a bunch of king sized bars, I don’t want anyone getting jealous”, she teased. “It’ll be our little secret”.

A wink appeared on her face, and the clown shut his bag that contained his candy, also returning the wink. The bag flew over his shoulder like he was Santa carrying a sack, and his hand gave a friendly wave to her as he bounced away. She shut the door, also waving goodbye. The noise from her airfryer went off, telling her that her tater tots are done.

.

.

.

“Dude are you on your way?”.

“I’m hurrying as fast as I can Sienna. My fucking shirt has a stain on it so I have to improvise”.

Her phone was mounted up against her desk’s mirror and she scavenged through her closet for a shirt that was close to her original design. All she had on was a black lace bra, green miniskirt, fishnets, and black boots that went up her shins. Her hair was down in curls with green hair spray shining through. She was supposed to be a seductive, sexy joker, but with her shirt dirty, her outfit isn’t complete.

“I might not be able to show up for a while. I’m gonna quickly wash my shirt and see if the stain will come out. If not, I’ll just be a boring Joker I guess”.

“Well I wish you could hurry. Allie hasn’t answered any of my calls or texts at all or Brooke’s as well. Has she messaged you?”.

“Not that I know of. Her phone’s probably dead anyways”.

She picks up her phone from her desk.

“I’ll let you know when I’m on my way. Love you lots!”.

“Love you too Y/N”.

She hung up, then grabbed her stained shirt and headed over to her laundry room. Luckily her parents are out of town, because there’s no way they would let her leave the house in a slutty costume, but Halloween is the one time a year a girl can dress like a total slut. Regina George would be proud of her.

Her washer was opened wide, and she tossed her shirt, as well as some other white clothes that were in the dirty clothes basket just so she could be a little helpful around the house. The washer was then shut, and bleach was poured in where the detergent goes. Apparently if bleach gets on your skin, it could make it soggy and slimey because of the pH level. Hopefully nobody has to go through that. I bet it would hurt.

Just thinking about that made her shiver, and she was extra careful when pouring the bleach, but it ran out before she could even fill to the brim. She shook the jug over it to get extra drops before she just gave up and did with what she had. She closed the detergent drawer, then started the washing machine, the empty bottle was placed on the shelf above, and she made a mental note to go shopping to buy more so that her parents don’t get upset.

She picks up her phone and shoots a text to Sienna.

Y/N: how’s the party?

Sienna: I’m fucked up right now

Sienna: My mom is pissed at my brother too because he brought a dead animal to school apparently and he’s blaming it on the clown that massacred a ton of people last year

Y/N: didn’t you see that clown the other day lol?

Sienna: It was probably some loser dressed up as him, but apparently that worker was found dead after I left

Y/N: crazyyy. maybe it was him

Sienna: I’m starting to think it was

Y/N: a clown came to my door early. adult man, in a black and white clown costume, bald. isn’t that your guy you saw too?

There was no response from Sienna.

Bubbles would pop up.

But no response.

Y/N: Sienna?

Still nothing

Her phone might’ve died as well.

The doorbell rung, but with her being shirtless, she quickly grabbed a hoodie that was hanging up on a hook and put it on so that way she wouldn’t expose herself to a potential little kid. Grabbing the bowl of candy, she opened the door expecting a group of kids waiting for candy.

It’s the clown again.

Something’s different with his costume.

There’s blood all over.

She’s frightened because of the conversation she just had, but she needs to keep her cool that way she won’t be his next target, even though she’s saying silent prayers in her head so that she stays alive. She puts a smile on her face and greets him once again.

“Hello there! I see you added some color to your costume!”. She giggles awkwardly. The clown nods with a big grin on his face. There’s no telling if it’s fake blood, and with the slight scent of iron, there’s no way that it is.

That’s real blood.

“Look at the both of us, we’re both dressed up as clowns, except yours is way better than mine!”. Trying to keep the conversation as positive as she can, she hopes that he’ll go to someone else instead. The silence starts between them, and she knows that’s not good, but she can’t think of what to say. The clown takes a small step towards her and she blurts out something without even thinking.

“Do you want to come inside for a bit? I’m waiting for something to get out of the washer”.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Why did she say that?

Without thinking twice, the clown welcomes himself in like he owns the place, and sits down comedic like on a chair in the living room. Not much she can do now, she just dug her own grave. But, in most horror movies that she watches, a lot of victims die from being rude to the killer, so maybe he’s like them.

She sits across from him, managing distance, but not too obvious.

Should she offer a drink, a snack, ask him why he came back?

Thumbs twiddle on her lap so that she can think of something, but this clown makes himself feel at home. She wishes she could get a word out of him, but he doesn’t make a noise at all. Not a single peep.

“Do you want a beverage? Or any snacks? You are my guest, I hope I can make you feel welcomed”. He nods his head aggressively but again, with him being silent, it’s hard to understand him.

“Can I get you something to write on so that I can know what you want?”.

The clown just stands up and walks over to her, and now her life is at risk, she at least thinks, but he holds his hand out, implying that he wants her to stand up. Hesitating, she grabs it and he pulls her up, then walks her to her kitchen. She stands there as the stranger goes through her cabinets, looking for goodies.

“Can I get a name at least?”.

He stops, and fear runs through her body again. A knife shines on her counter and he picks it up.

This is it.

She’s gone now.

Her parents will come back from vacation and see their dead daughter dead in the kitchen.

Eyes are slammed shut, but nothing happens. Instead, various fruits and vegetables are cut up to look like letters. A banana peel is cut in half to create an upside down “V”, and the banana goes through the center to make it an “A”. A carrot in a straight line, and chopped up cucumbers to connect to the carrot to make a “R”, and finally, two pieces of celery together in the shape of a “T”.

Art.

“Art?”.

‘Art’ nods his head up and down with a fat smile, happy that she discovered who she was.

Art the clown.

The same name of the clown in the Miles County massacre.

This was the clown.

Standing in her house.

He could kill her any second.

Silence fills the room again, for a long period of time, and she can tell that he’s starting to get impatient, but she doesn’t know what to think.

“I’m Y/N. Nice to get to know you Art”. She extends her hand for a handshake and he takes it, not breaking eye contact with her.

Oh why her.

Why is it that she has to be the one in danger?

Finally he lets go of her hand and he has a bigger smile on his face.

This might just be her fate.

Her washer goes off, cutting the silence and she turns her head towards the laundry room. Excusing herself, she walks inside and opens the washer, pulling out her wet shirt. The stain did disappear, but no use anyways. It’s not like she could go to the party now. She’ll be dead. She turns around and almost jumps at the sight of Art leaning against her door frame, huge smile, and raising his eyebrows up and down.

Well, he is a clown, gotta stick to the part. Coming toward her again, he grabs her wet shirt and shakes it like crazy to get some water out, then hands it back to her, pointing at her hoodie.

“You want me to put on my shirt? I need to put it in the dryer first”. Still with his arms crossed, he doesn’t move. This freaks her out more.

Well she is a slutty joker. Might as well have a wet shirt to add more to the character.

“Okay, I will. Look away though”. She teased. His hands covered his eyes in a clown-like manner and he would open his fingers to reveal his eye, but Y/N would roll hers with a smile and shoo him away. Turning around this time, she was able to slip her hoodie off and put on her shirt. The water stuck to her body, and it was cold. Her bra was showing through the material and she clenched from the feeling. Wet clothes are really uncomfortable. She pats the clown on the shoulder and he takes his hands off his face and makes an “O” shape with his mouth.

Subtle claps are made and he jumps up and down.

“Does it fit with the slut aesthetic?”.

Rapid nods come from him, and he comes closer to her quickly and holds her face like he was a grandmother with her grandchild. Guess he likes seeing another clown. Her hands go on top of his and she smiles up at him, removing his off her face.

“Glad that you like it. I am supposed to be at a party tonight and I really hate to cut this short, but I’m sure if I don’t show up, my friends will be really disappointed in me. I promise that we’ll get to talk more later”.

He didn’t like that.

Smile slowly fades and this is when she knew she fucked up.

His head was shaking and he grabbed her hand so that she couldn't leave. Looking pissed, he yanked her hard closer to him, and he had a sinister glare to his face.

“Okay, fine. I won’t go. I’ll spend the night with you. I’m sorry. Can I atleast tell her that something came up?”.

The grip on her hand was released harshly, and she grabbed her phone that was sitting on the dryer. Sienna still never responded to her from earlier, but whatever, she already figured out who he was anyways.

Y/N: something came up, i can’t make it tonight i’m sorry

She set her phone back down, and began to take her wet shirt off, but Art stopped her.

“C’mon can I atleast change into comfier clothes. The tightness doesn’t feel good”.

A finger met with her face, and he booped her nose, then he ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Her eyes widened as he came closer to her and she stepped back towards the wall, and he came closer.

And closer.

She shut her eyes tight preparing for the pain, but instead the knife slipped under her shirt, and it got torn off, along with a part of her bra, making it fall, and she quickly covered her chest so that he couldn’t see anything.

“I could’ve taken it off nicely, but all up to you I guess”.

His shoulders shrug, and he goes for her pants next but she stops him.

“I’ll just change out of them. Much easier. I’ll be right back”.

Heading to her room, she kicks off her boots and finds a pair of sweats and a shirt she can wear to cover herself up. Shorts were quickly removed, along with her fishnets. She tosses them into her hamper by her door, just to be met with, again, Art. This time making her jump and finding anything to cover her body up with. He opens his mouth to indicate a silent laugh.

He walks towards her again, ripping the blanket away to reveal herself to him, and like the clown he is, he grabbed one and squeezed it like it was a horn. Then again, and again, and again, until Art pushed her back on the bed and ripped her underwear right off.

Like an actual rip.

Now she’s butt ass naked in front of a total stranger, and not just any stranger, but a fucking murderer.

Whatever it takes her to survive.

Art admires the exposed body, and with his half gloved hand, he traces from her collarbone, down to her pelvis with his finger. The light sensation makes her jump, and he stops the movement. Little breaths made her chest go up and down, and in between her thighs, wetness started pouring out of her pussy. A hand went up to his mouth, and his glove reached his mouth. His teeth gripped onto the cloth and he slowly removed it off of his hand, then spat it out onto the floor. The same thing happened with the other, and soon his hands were completely bare. Fingers crawled north of her body, up to her mouth, when she was met with his index and ring finger. They poked at her mouth, in which she opened slightly, and he put them in her mouth. Her tongue traced his fingers which tasted like metal, probably from the blood. Not very hygienic, but she didn’t even care. Saliva coated his fingers, and he took them out of her mouth, and went down to her soaking pussy.

He would lower them closer, then pull back, look up and smile, and repeat his actions, completely torturing her with a stupid smile on his face. She would feel his wet fingers tap her pussy so slightly, but not any friction to please her.

Whines started to pour out of her mouth.

Art the clown likes that.

A lot.

He likes hearing victims cry and make noises while he’s torturing them.

Makes him want to do more.

His slender fingers finally connect with her core, coating her wetness all over herself. He plays with her some more, walking his fingers around her hole, but prevents himself from actually entering.

This irritates her.

“Damn it! Stop with the teasing you fucking clown!”.

He stops, and pulls his hand away from her.

Bad mistake, Y/N.

He pulled a small scalpel out from his sleeve and presented it like he was a magician, and held it to her neck. Sweat beads started streaming from her forehead, and Art wagged his finger. Her face is still needy, and the scalpel to her neck turned her on even more. Hips buck up into the air, her dripping pussy throbbing, begging for touch.

“…please”.

Art the clown likes that.

How he loves torturing her.

A hand went back down to her core, and a single finger applied pressure to her clit. Her body jumps slightly at the feeling, biting her bottom lip. Art finally slips two fingers inside of her, the tight warmth makes his cock harden. The clown suit is baggy, so it hides his bulge, so poor Y/N won’t see his massive “head”.

Fingers dance inside of her, curling, feeling, pumping. With his free hand, that’s where his scalpel is, and he traces the cold metal along her bare body.

The blade goes around her nipples.

It goes around her belly button.

It goes back up near her neck.

Until.

He makes a small cut on the side of her neck, cold blood trickling down her neck, onto her bed. She clenches her jaw, and her gash throbs in pain. Art lowers his head into the crook of her neck, his fingers still moving inside her. A wet feeling against her neck. It’s his tongue. He catches the blood that’s falling, then he presumes to suck on her slash. He was a cannibal. He likes to taste people, and taste what’s inside. For some of his unlucky victims, he’d eat them alive, and no meat gets fresher than that. Other times, he’d wait until he already killed them, then rip them open and eat their insides.

Not the only part that he likes eating.

Her gash stops bleeding, and not a trace of blood is found on her neck, only a little on her bed. His iron efficiency is going to be really crazy.

Soon, he pulls his fingers out of her, and wipes it on his pant leg, just for him to lower himself to meet with her inner thighs.

Getting eaten out by a man in a clown costume was not on her bucket list for tonight.

Getting eaten out by a serial killer, who came over covered in someone else’s blood, and who might kill her next, was not even in her thought process for her future.

Here we are.

Kisses are planted on her thighs, his hands rubbing up and down her leg as he gets closer to her cunt. Small specks of black paint are left from where he kissed her.

He’s hungry.

Scooping her body up, and pulling her closer to his face, his tongue darts onto her pussy, gathering her wetness up, then smearing it all over. His hands rest on her outer thighs, and under her ass, squeezing the fat in his hands. For a psychopathic clown, he sure knows how to eat pussy.

Usually when she gets eaten out, she’ll grab at the person’s hair, but unfortunately, Art is bald. Such a shame, she can’t grab his “hair”, then yanking him up so she can see his mouth covered in hers and his wetness. Her hands instead just grab at her sheets, and occasionally rubbing the top of his head, and when she did, he’d grip her harder, his nails digging into her flesh. The pain does make her shriek, but the overwhelming pleasure overrides it.

He pulls her cunt closer to his face, his nose poking at her region, eating her pussy like he hasn’t eaten anything in years. Her thighs squish around his head more when her nerves start building up. A man’s dream really, getting his skull crushed by a woman.

His face is removed from her pussy, and his face paint is smeared all over the place. White paint on her upper-inner thighs, while black paint is smeared around her pussy, where his mouth was just at. On his face, the paint dripped down to his chin, unevening out his makeup. A hand grazes her thigh,and he turns his back to her, reaching his arm behind to a zipper that’s on his back.

He wants her to unzip him.

Legs shaking from the amazing tongue work that just went on, she kneels behind him, and reaches up to his zipper, guiding it down. A thin, light muscular body comes out of the suit, and he’s not wearing anything underneath.

Not even underwear.

He turns around, and does jazz hands with a stained grin. He did surprise her.

With a big cock.

A light giggle comes from her lips, and she looks down and makes eye contact with his second head. It’s about above average in length and girth, circumsized, and a throbbing pink tip with leaking precum. He moves it around a little by shaking his hips, and also just moving it on his own.

(I literally found out dudes can move their dicks on their own without touching it a few days ago)

His mouth mimics a silent laugh, and he stands proud on the side of her bed, flexing his cock. Since he is standing in front of her, she crawls on her hands and knees to the edge, then sits down. Face to face with his dick.

Her gaze fixates on his rod, then she looks up at him with big, innocent eyes. The clown looks down at her, no longer smiling.

He wants her bad

He needs her bad.

She can see this.

A light kiss on his tip makes his body shiver, and her mouth performs small licks around his tip, testing the waters. His hand falls on her head, pushing her closer to his cock. Better act soon before he kills her for teasing him.

Just the thought of that gets her even more wet.

Death is scary.

But imagining him fucking her, and as soon as they orgasm together, he kills her with his cum inside, which seeps out on her bed. He’d leave a note with her blood on the walls, and her parents come home to see their daughter’s corpse, exposed on her bed with her killer's seed dripping out of her, and the killer’s name all over her room.

She wraps her lips around his head of his dick, and twirls her tongue around. Art bites his bottom lip, and pushes her head down again, craving more of her wet mouth. Her hands rest on his lower abdomen, giving herself a base to control her bobs.

Her throat feels fucking amazing.

It’s hard for him to control himself, even though he’s craving to pound her throat so hard that she chokes on his massive cock, and dies, just for him to fuck her dead body. But an alive body is way better than a dead one.

One hand moves to his cock, pumping him as she slides her mouth all over him, then she moves down to sucking on his balls.

She maintains to look up at him.

His face is totally different from his usual smile, and it’s not a frowny face. His eyes are half open, and mouth gasping for air. His grip in her hair tightens, his hips moving slowly, craving more friction.

Her mouth pulls off.

“You want to throat fuck me? Don’t you?”.

A small nod comes from the clown.

“You’re the one in control here. Do it. Fuck my throat til i can’t breathe anymore”.

Another nod comes from him, and he makes sure that he’s positioned right for her. Hands grab at both sides of her head, and he thrusts in and out of her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. He wishes it was her pussy, he wants to fuck her pussy bad. Her mouth is amazing, don’t get him wrong, but her tight pussy throbbing on the bed is what he’s craving the most.

A tap is felt on his pelvis, and he stops pounding her throat. Her mouth gets removed from his cock, and she leans back on the bed, not breaking eye contact with him. After she gets in his full view, she looks up at him needy, spreading her legs open wide for him to enter.

Not even a hesitation before he gripped onto her hip with one hand, and the other guiding his cock inside her. He immediately shivers and rests his head in the crook of her neck. A pillow comes under her back and behind, and immediately, Art begins to fucking pound her.

Sadly, he doesn’t make noises at all. Y/N wishes she could hear his moans when entering her tight hole. His actions tell enough, eyes rolled back, mouth gaping open, and he barely entered her. Her body falls back more on the bed, and her arms go around him, hands on his back.

One hand of his slams against her bed, right aside her bed to give himself support, while the other is still on her hip, stabilizing her body for him as she gets fucked by a wild animal.

She pulls him tighter to her, their sweaty bodies connecting and making funny noises. His back begins to sweat, making her lose her grip, but her nails dig into his back to keep herself close.

The noises of skin slapping skin and her loud moans fill the house, and luckily, she is home alone. Her parents wouldn’t appreciate her getting fucked under their roof, especially with a murderous clown being the one that’s fucking her.

Her leg gets scooped up, and it rests on his shoulder, and he leans forward, pushing more of himself inside of her warmth.

Until he stops.

He pulls out, and taps on her chest. She looks up at him, confused, mostly at the lack of communication and also why he would stop. He swirls his finger in a circle, indicating for her to turn over, so that her ass faces him.

She swaps positions and as soon as she puts her ass up in the air for him to adore, he slams himself back inside, hands on her ass as he pounds so deep that his cock is hitting her cervix.

It really isn’t wise to put a dick that reeks of blood inside of her, especially a stranger’s. He probably doesn’t have any STDs, but it’s still a little unhygienic. Who cares though.

Her moans are muffled into a pillow, drool coating her mouth and the cushion. He gets amusement out of her, watching her ass jiggle on his dick, her hands clawing at her bed sheet. All because of him.

She arches her back more, and an upcoming orgasm is coming her way. Her core feels like it’s burning with pleasure, and her wetness seeps out. His cock is hitting her in all of the right places, and he connects their bodies together. He’s close to her ear, and she can almost hear him gasping for air. A hand cups her tit, and he goes as deep as he can, his mouth nibbling on her ear lobe.

Tension builds in her lower half, and she’s about to snap. Strings of curses and moans fall out of her mouth. A gentle slap on her ass makes her jump, and that is what makes her about to snap. Her breathing speeds up.

The knot in his stomach bursts, and a huge wave of pleasure goes through her. Eyes roll back into her head, her legs shake, and she collapses on her bed, Art pulling out of her.

He takes his cock in his hand, and strokes it so he can cum as well. Anywhere is a target. He could cum on her ass, her tits, her face, in her mouth, even inside of her. She turns around onto her back, leaving an open area for his semen to fly onto. Right there, on her perky tits.

More strokes go on, and his twitching cock is ready to burst. He points it at her chest and a white load shoots out from his dick, landing, mostly, on her tits. The rest flew off either in her hair or on the bed sheets.

The both of them try to catch their breaths, and Y/N is trying to comprehend what just happened.

A murderer went to her house, wanted candy for trick or treating, came back to her house later at night covered in blood, someone else’s blood, he messes around in her house, and fucks her.

Art leans down, and gives her one last kiss on her inner thighs, before supposedly leaving.

She just sits on her bed.

Her pussy is too sore to even move.

Her legs are shaking from the mind blowing orgasm she just got.

Cum is dripping off her chest.

What now?

She grabs a random shirt that’s on the floor to wipe off the semen, then tosses it in her hamper. She tries to get up off the bed, but her balance is very uncoordinated, and she collapses. Her comfy clothes that she had lying out fell on the ground while she was getting fucked, and she reaches out to grab them. She lazily slipped them on, and tried to stand up again, using a bookshelf as her balance.

Something falls on the other side of the house.

He’s still here.

She limps towards her doorway and looks around.

“Art?”.

Obviously no response, the fucker doesn’t even talk.

She comes out of her room, hand on the wall as she glides down the hallway, and sees a shadow in her living room.

And a bag.

A trash bag.

She goes towards the bag, and as soon as she gets too close, the clown jumps up behind her, and throws her on the couch, her head hitting against the back hard. He smiles at her rubbing the back of her head in pain, and he wiggles his fingers like he was a magician. The bag got opened, and he stuck a hand in there and pulled out an item.

It looked to be a saw.

Fear was obviously present in her eyes.

Art jumped at her, but not too close to actually get her, and she flinched. This is amusing to him. And he jumped again, and again, and again.

He slaps his knee and lets out a silent laugh, pointing at her like she’s a fool.

He drops the saw back in the bag, and pats the top of her head, then blows her a kiss as he picks up the bag, throwing it over his shoulder, then proceeding to comically walk away. He turned around when he got to the door, and he lifted his little top hat to her. She waved a small goodbye, and soon vanished. When he stuck his fingers in her mouth, they almost tasted like salt.

Wonder who’s blood he’s covered in?

Weird.

Dude must like salty foods

[comicaurora]

Following off of, but moving away slightly from all the Fate talk: If you were to write a ‘King Arthur but female’ story, how would you go about it? What would you look for in such a story?

I can think of a couple ways I'd do it!

First, the easy part. Sword in the anvil/stone, whosoever draws it forth is the rightful king of England. Well shit, that little peasant girl just pulled it out like it was nothing. Hail to the king, any objections can be directed to The Indomitable Soul Of Albion Herself.

Or, if ancient England accepting a lady king is too much of a stretch, Merlin has a habit of helping people out with magical disguises. If necessary - and if it would be fun from a story standpoint - our peasant girl of Secret Noble Heritage could get a magical disguise that lets her appear male. Could even go full fairy tale and do something like having her appear as her true self at night, and King Arthur during the day. If we really wanted to blend it, we could let her female identity be Morgan le Fay, Merlin's student with an affinity for dark times. However, doing that would spoil the potential gay drama of letting Morgan be a powerful villainess who learns Arthur's true identity early on, and that might be too good to pass up. And since Arthur's eventual destiny is to be taken to Avalon by Morgan to sleep until England's greatest hour of need, that gets Cool Layers if we let them have a whole enemies-to-lovers thing going throughout.

Arthuriana is extremely loose in the canon department anyway, so while there are touchpoints I'd want to hit, we'd have a lot of freedom of movement in how we'd hit them. This would basically just add layers of characterization to how Arthur would handle the various adventures she gets into - especially if she feels the need to obscure her identity from some or all of her knights. There's a surplus of damsels in various folktales that could be Arthur stuck in her secret identity due to Magical Hijinks.

Unfortunately, Guinevere's foundational role in the story almost always involves her sleeping with dudes who are not Arthur, and since the overall story of Camelot is a tragedy whose downfall is brought on by a schism in the royal family, we might need to keep that for thematic consistency. And it takes on layers if we stick with the "Arthur's public identity, at least at first, is a Dude" thing, because - shocking as this may be - some people actually aren't even a little bit gay, and if Guinevere ended up politically wedded to Arthur only to learn that her husband is in fact not her preferred gender of lover, she might not be jazzed about that.

Other than that, let the cool swordfights and quests remain unchanged and I think you've got a good recipe for episodic character drama.

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 791: Replacing the lead!!

Pag 1

1: In the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, located at the border with Ooita Prefecture, there's Mt. Hiko, consisting of three peaks, that reaches the altitude of 1200m

2: It has a long history and it's long been worshipped as a training ground for monks

3: Currently, a slope car leading to Mt. Hiko's shrines has been constructed, and a lot of tourists go there to see the autumn leaves' color, the winter's silver frost, and for mountain climbing

4: The main shrine is built on top of Mt. Hiko's sacred mountain, Nakadake

5: Halfway up, passing through the west side, as the altitude increases, there's the winding highway number 500

Pag 2

1: The stage for the mountain stage of the Inter High's first day

Pag 3

1: Kumamoto Daichi is still at the top!! The local team from Kyushu!!

Goo!!

2: He passed the 3km left to the finish line point!!

I see figures following Kumadai's Fujiwara....

4: It's two people!!

Two people!?

Pag 4

1: It's Manami and Mountain King!!

Pag 5

1: I see his back!! One person

Is he the lead!?

2: So it seems!!

3: Two people!! Dammit, they really did catch up!!

So the voices in the audience I heard saying that Onoda and Manami were approaching were true!!

4: Kumadai!! Bad news coming from behind!! Raise your pace!!

5: But I won't lose!! I'm very calm!!

My condition has never been this good!!

Pag 6

1: Alright, once we pass that guy it'll become”the winner will get the mountain prize”!!

3: The one who wins will get the “mountain prize”!! In a race it's better to have some kind of prize

Suddenly...

Pag 7

1: I'm getting fired up!!

3: Okay!! Good!!

Pag 8

1: Woah!!

He's accelerating again!!

2: His concentration is rising again!!

4: His legs are turning more than before!!

5: I can see it from behind, so I get it well

6: You probably don't understand it yourself, but right now you're pedaling with an amazing efficiency of power transmission

Amazing

7: It's like he's 100% synchronized with his bike!!

Really... you

Pag 9

1: He has the power of turning his joy into concentration!!

2: They're already approaching!!

Pag 10

1: I'm sorry but I'll surpass you!!

2: No doubt!!

3: Really... this guy is so strange

4: Last year, on the second day's mountain, after we were passed by Kyofuhi, he chased after them

5: Since we're both running in the same Inter High, this year, before the start I called out to him

I wanted to greet you

I'm Kumadai's Fujiwara. This will be our last Inter High together

Pag 11

1: Wh-wh-wh- what is it!?

He's super nervous!!

2: Are you okay!? Take a deep breath

If you have any problems, you can call anyone from Kumadai, our numbers are in the 60s

Th- ye-

3: Th- thank you so much. Ah... you ran last year with Kumadai's Isa-san – Masa-san...?

That's right, you remember!! I'm Fujiwara Masayuki!!

4: I became captain, too

5: Ahh, is that so? Congratulations!!

No wait, you don't have to bow your head like that

We should do that to each other

6: Such an extremely small and humble guy...

7: That's always the first impression of Onoda...

Thank you for coming here

8: But every year, once he gets on his bike and climbs a mountain, this guy...

Pag 12

1: he feels overwhelmingly big when he approaches!!

Pag 13

1: I don't understand him

And also, he's always...

2: Thank you very much for this morning

Thanks to you, I calmed down a little!!

3: He's so polite...!!

4: I can't help but support him

Do your best Onoda

5: Yes!!

Pag 14

2: Any time now, huh?

3: I guess so

4: Onoda-kun will be reaching the race's climax

5: It's about time they passed the other climbers and started their race

Pag 15

1: I wonder if he's having fun

Hm, yeah, since he was looking forward to it

2: Even though I guess those two are probably thinking of the “mountain prize”as nothing more than a “juice” to buy the other as a treat if they lose

3: Kakaka

That sounds super fun!!

4: Those two

5: In the past two Inter Highs they were both times burdened with heavy races

8: If they can run with a smile, then that's enough

… yeah

Pag 16

1: We're excited too!!

2: Manami-kun moved ahead!!

3: Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 17

1: 2km left until the mountain stage finish line!!

3: The wind... is blowing from the west

Just ahead of here

4: the trees become lower

5: and it turns back in a U-shape

Pag 18

1: That'll be the decisive moment!!

2: I'll fly!! Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 19

3: It seems like we'll see them appear here at the mountain gate anytime now

There are currently two people in the lead, and they're passing the 2km point!!

So 2km left, huh

They'll come soon

I can't wait

Pag 20

1: I said it before already, but

2: “History” needs “someone who witnesses it”!!

[l-in-the-light]

Does Law hide himself and his emotions under his hat? 🤠

Yes, he does indeed. And he hides much more under his hat than just his emotions! Let's take a look:

Here, he pulls the brim of his hat lower to hide more of his face, especially eyes. It's widely speculated he was crying here or at least tearing up. I agree with that, mostly because this other scene seems to literally spell it out for us:

Look at his shirt :) Seems when Law is crying he wants to cover it up or hide somewhow, for no one to see. He's clearly not alright with being openly vulnerable, especially when it comes to showing his emotions.

If I would take a guess as to why, it's probably because crying makes him feel helpless and like there's nothing he can do (the whole Flevance wipeout and Law being unable to save anyone, not even his sister; being locked up in a chest and silenced by a spell during Cora-san's sacrifice; during both situations he cried a lot) that's why he tries to hide his face at least, to take a semblance of control, even if just to make sure the world doesn't see him crying. That being said, it's not a perfect explanation, because in his defeat on Winner Island he does not cry. So either he already accepted at that point that this will be the place where he dies (but why would he accept that, right? ;)), or my guess is wrong, welp.

It's not surprising that as the result of this habit of his we never see adult Law openly crying. Not when Mingo or Blackbeard beat up his ass, not when Luffy died in his fight with Kaido. The closest to crying is the scene with Sengoku up there, and also this one:

You can see tears forming in his eyes if you look closely.

But like I said, crying isn't the only thing Law hides. He actually doesn't express emotions much at all. Sadness, crying, honest smiles (Law's smiles is a curious subject deserving it's own study honestly lol), no expressions showing he's pleased, content etc. The only emotions he starts showing more openly is anger and worry, ever since he made that alliance with Luffy. It's not really uncommon for people with PTSD to mostly feel anger, it's kinda psychologically accurate.

He also hides his eyes under his hat when he's bluffing. Here, in raid on Onigashima, he claims he will do one of his surgery-type attacks, but two pages later he actually used Takt instead to throw huge boulders on Kaido :) part of the strategy.

His face is often obscured by his hat when he's hiding something or lying about something. "After sucking up the to the government you wouldn't screw it all up by making a mess now"... well, except that is exactly what Law was planning to do, he became a warlord just so he can waltz into the SAD room and destroy it and the story tells us this was literally the only reason why he wanted to be a warlord in the first place, lol.

Here, when he says everything is conducted "in secret to avoid naval attention", he's kinda selling Strawhats a half-lie. We know already that Doflamingo, the king of the underground, was supplying the Government with weapons. In other words, World Government knows about the underground deals, allows it and participates in them, when it suits their interests. That's also why Stussy, a CP0 agent, is also part of the underground. Morgans, our economic newspaper publisher, is also involved with underground and at the same time is cooperating with Government as well. So yeah, Government does know about those deals.

His eyes are hidden also when he takes the blame for what Luffy and Zoro did (yes, it's true he got exposed as well, but that's just the consequence of what Luffy and Zoro first did and only because he tried to cover up their tracks!).

And this "hiding eyes with his hat" trend is consistent ever since Law first appeared in the manga. In fact, already in Sabaody when he thanks Luffy for "showing him something interesting", his eyes are hidden by the shadow of his hat. We know that this is not what he's actually thanking Luffy for, he's thanking him for defending Hachi, the fishman, when people were basically saying he spreads diseases and is disgusting, and moved away from him etc. Because this reminded Law of all the hospital trips Cora-san forced him to go through as a child, and people's reactions to amber lead syndrome's symptoms.

This consistency in Law's portrayal (especially with the little trick in hiding his emotions - Oda already must have had reason for obscuring Law's eyes in this moment above, but not in any other one! And this connects to Law's backstory) is the reason why I believe Oda had planned a lot about Law ever since he introduced him, despite the fact he claims he invented Supernovas on the spot. It's just way too consistent for me to believe he had no plan for him yet.

Anyway, if you followed what I have been saying, you can already guess that in this shot, when Law declares that "he wishes he could let Luffy do whatever he wants", he's bullshitting everyone. He does not wish for that in the slightest, lol.

There are much more examples of that in the manga and even if I wished I wouldn't be able to cover them all, haha. But if any of you feel like checking it out, do it and pay attention to Law's eyes - are they hidden by the shadow of his hat? If so, you can guess he's not completely honest, is withholding information, has a secret plan set in motion, or is hiding his emotions.

At the end of Punk Hazard and at end of Wano, Law's eyes are hidden as well, which is why I know he's hiding something, I just don't know what exactly. People were suspcious already when this Wano chapter first came out and I would say for a good reason! There's really no point in hiding Law's eyes when he's talking about "North East being the most direct route" unless he had a completely different reason for choosing that direction. What could it be? Your guess is as good as mine. And of course we all know he hides his knowledge level about "man marked by flames".

Now that he lost his hat, he will be left really vulnerable. But at least his lovely ruffled hair will be unleashed to the world in it's full glory ✨

[yuurei20]

do we know what caters dad does for work? its mentioned that they move around a lot for his job but what exactly /is/ his job

Hello hello! ^^ Thank you for this question!

Cater’s dad works at a bank!

It is not specified what it is that he does for the bank, only that he is transferred to a new office about once every two years.

We have a surprising amount of information about the employment situations of the parents of the various characters!

Riddle’s Parents: Medical mages (also called “magical healers” on EN, but the job title of “魔法医術士" is consistent in the original game. There is a theory that EN is being localized by multiple teams separated by vignettes/main story/events, which would explain inconsistencies like this, certain things in Glorious Masquerade, etc.)

Trey’s Parents: Professional bakers that run their own cake business / patisserie.

Cater’s Father: Works for a bank Cater’s Mother: No information

Ace’s Father: No information (confirmed magicless) Ace’s Mother: No information

Deuce’s Father: No information Deuce’s Mother: Delivery truck driver

Leona’s Father: King of Sunset Savanna Leona’s Mother: No information

*I have seen conflicting interpretations of Leona’s family situation on EN, with some saying that Falena is already king, but he is not: it was confirmed in Tamashina-Mina that Falena is still the crown prince.

It is not said anywhere in the game that Falena is king, though he is performing certain duties due to their father being bedridden.

Ruggie’s Parents: No information

Jack’s Parents: No information

Azul’s Mother: Restaurant owner (confirmed mage*) Azul’s Father: No information (confirmed mage*) Azul’s Step-Father: Lawyer (confirmed mage*)

*Azul says, “everyone in my family is a mage," without distinguishing between the different members.

Jade and Floyd’s Parents: “They simply run an independent business that dabbles in a bit of everything. Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you.”

Kalim’s Father: “Does business in a lot of different places,” but what kind of business may never be specified.

Kalim says they come from a long line of merchants and he wants to emulate his grandpa and great-grandpa, but I have not been able to find a specific line that says Kalim’s father himself is also a merchant. Jamil describes Kalim’s father as “a key player in our government and economy.” (confirmed magicless)

Kalim’s Mother: No Information (confirmed mage)

Jamil’s Parents: Servants to Kalim’s family

Vil’s Father: Actor (confirmed magicless) Vil’s Mother: No Information

Rook’s Parents: No Information

Epel’s Parents: Apple farmers (confirmed magicless)

Idia and Ortho's Father: Director of STYX Idia and Ortho's Mother: (redacted for Book 7 spoilers)

Malleus’ Parents: (redacted for Book 7 spoilers)

Lilia’s Parents: No Information

Silver's Father: Retired General and Royal Guard (confirmed mage) Silver's Birth Parents: No Information

Sebek’s Father: Dentist (confirmed magicless) Sebek’s Mother: Assistant to her husband's dental practice (nocturnal fae, confirmed mage)

[bdxpelik]

Chapter 18 of the 8th LN of the Apothecary Diaries is hilarious simply because Jinshi was pissed.

For context, a Go tournament was held because of this interesting trend that started after Lakan published and distributed a book on Go. The goal was to advance through the tournament and compete against the master strategist himself. If one were to win, Lakan would grant them one favor. So Jinshi decided it was worth a shot and very nearly almost won a game against Lakan by playing dirty tricks, subtly drugging Lakan with tiny doses of alcohol and exploiting his heavenly good looks - this is important otherwise he'd never even have a chance.

Lakan and Jinshi's game was interrupted (again, Jinshi was winning) by an angry buffoon who demanded Loumen to find his missing son (related to a case Maomao and Luomen handled earlier in the novel). So the chapter consists of our gang trying to solve this mystery. And Jinshi fuming in the background because he lost his chance to beat Lakan thanks to some Karen of an old man.

And it is HILARIOUS to me cuz this is one of those rare times where I ACTUALLY feel like he's a bona fide Imperial prince with real authority, barking orders at people and making them cower in fear. It's also really rare for him to openly display his anger in public sans his celestial maiden mask.

I was so entertained. It was hard to focus on what was happening in the chapter cuz at every line I can still feel Jinshi's disgust. Mind you, he had nothing to do with that case but he sat there listening because he was curious (very typical of him) and he needed some compensation for his frustration. So, watching a drama unfold is good enough.

This got me so good: Jinshi was quiet and fiddling with Go stones the majority of the time. But when the discussion was going off the rails, he used his princely authority to redirect the situation, making sure to take extra care to remind the old baffoon that "You interrupted my game". I bet there was a good dose of poison in his voice. Jinshi ordered that old man to shut up a total of 3 times in the chapter, btw lol.

The chapter ended with the mystery solved and Maomao (who at this point thinks about him wayyy too much *wink*) feeling sorry for Jinshi who she believed was the least fortunate person there. NOT the old dude who lost his son, we didn't care about him.

Anyhow, I just really loved this chapter because Jinshi didn't use a fake mask to interact with his subjects nor did he let them walk all over him and I'm like, yasss king. You da boss, make it clear. Also, he validated Maomao's skills and intelligence in front of everyone. That's your dose of Jinmao.

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

APRIL FOOLS, I HAVE A PREVIEW FOR YA!

This is no joke! I have a preview of Part 2 of "Dress Up" for y'all. The prank was that I said previously that I was taking a small break from writing but GET PRANKED cuz here's a sneak peak!

The ~~~ indicate flashbacks!

No active warnings for this part, only slight inferences of sexual things! But don't worry, there will be smut later in the chapter hehe~

"You know, if you don't quit pacing back and forth, you're gonna wear out the carpet," Husk remarked, attempting to get Lucifer's attention in his anxious state.

It had only been a week since the proposal and the wedding was already here. But this is what you both wanted; a nice quiet wedding with only a handful of people with everyone else in Hell being none the wiser. You had to beg Lucifer for the week you got in between, he was practically ready to say "I do" once he put that engagement ring on your hand. It may have seemed like you two were moving a little bit fast considering most weddings take months, sometimes years to plan out! But when you're marrying the King of Hell, there really was next to nothing to worry about when it came to your special day.

The new hotel was the perfect venue, complete with a beautiful ballroom that could rival any chapel on Earth. The guest list was extremely exclusive consisting of only the occupants of the hotel, minus one Radio Demon, not that he would attend even if he was invited. It was Charlie who suggested that he protect the hotel today from any threat that might make itself known. On top of that, Charlie was more than happy to be the officiant, as being the Princess of Hell granted her that authority. Money was no object to the Morningstar family, so no expense was spared.

But regardless of any of that, Lucifer couldn't help but worry. You had one other request for him after he popped the question.

~~~

"I hate to ask more of you after asking for a week to prepare," you started, putting on the last of your clothes that you had discarded during your fun little teasing display, "but..." Lucifer approached you suddenly and held your hand in both of his.

"My love, you can ask of me anything you wish. There is no limit when it comes to you. You've already given me the best gift of becoming my future bride. Anything in my power is yours for the asking, you just name it!" He leaned down and planted a small kiss on the back of your hand. You couldn't help but blush, he never failed to charm you.

"This may sound a little odd, considering what just took place a few minutes ago," you breathed out a sigh, "but...what would you say to refraining from any...intense intimacy?" Lucifer cocked his eyebrow and smirked, seemingly intrigued. "B-but only for this week, I promise! Kissing and cuddling would still be on the table, of course. And no deliberate teasing from me, that wouldn't be fair. I was just thinking that...I want our first night as a married couple to be special. And I figured holding off for the time in between would only heighten the experience. If that's not something you want, I completely understand that-MMPH," you were silenced by Lucifer's soft lips on yours.

"Oh darling, was that all?," he flashed his signature toothy grin at you. "That's hardly a request! I think that's a wonderful idea...n-not that I don't want to ravish you at any given time! But you're right, I couldn't imagine a better honeymoon than getting the chance to feel you again after being denied for a few days, even though it may feel like an eternity. I'll be on my best behavior; you have my word!"

~~~

And Lucifer was on his best behavior, for the most part, at least. There were a few instances where his hands had traveled a little too low on your body and some kisses became deeper than they should have. But both of you managed to make it through the week! But today was the day, and his anxiety was at an all-time high. You decided to sleep in separates rooms the night before, wanting the next time you saw each other to be at the altar. That was the plan, at least.

It had been a while since Lucifer had slept alone. Suffice to say he couldn't sleep. He assured you that he would be alright sleeping alone for just one night, but that ended up being easier said than done. The empty bed he laid in brought back painful memories of his first night without Lilith, something that still haunted him to this day. There would be times where Lucifer would wake up in a cold sweat, only to glance over to see you peacefully asleep, and he could breathe again. Anytime you felt him tug you closer to him in the middle of the night, you knew what had woken him up. He never hid his feelings from you when he confided in you about his ex, and you didn't mind that he would wake you when his nightmares overwhelmed him. You loved him and he loved you. You would never leave. So when you heard your door creek open in the middle of the night to see your fiancé standing in the door frame, you only smiled and gestured him to you.

~~~

"I-I'm sorry," he sobbed quietly, "I tried...I really did...I-"

"Hey, hey, shh, it's alright," you soothed and brought him into a tight embrace. You felt a tear that had fallen from his face make its way down your collarbone. "Don't cry, Luci, I'm not upset, not at all." You lifted his head up to wipe away his remaining tears. "Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." You planted a kiss on his forehead, and from the dim red light that shown through your windows, you could see a small smile appear on his face. He laid down, his back facing you as you wrapped your arms around him and brought him flush to your chest. You could hear his breathing start to even about again.

"I don't deserve you," he murmured.

"You know I think the same thing every day," you responded.

He interlaced his fingers with yours at your words, squeezing you hand softly. "Promise me you'll never think that again. Please. You deserve everything and more."

"Alright," you conceded, kissing the back of his head, "as long as you promise me the same thing. You're my everything, and I'll spend the rest of my afterlife showing you that."

"Okay," he spoke weakly. You intertwined your legs with his, bringing yourself as close to him as possible. "I still intend to keep my other promise. I'll be gone before you wake up."

"You can stay as long as you need to," you whispered before drifting off to sleep once more.

~~~