#which fits well into the relatively personal nature of her will.

[wonder-worker]

"The newly widowed Elizabeth (Woodville) was exceptionally vulnerable. Several of the trustees responsible for her jointure refused to hand over the manors that were meant to sustain her in her widowhood. Moreover, her brother-in-law, Edward Grey, had seized estates that her son Thomas should have inherited from his paternal grandfather, while her mother-in-law’s new young husband, Sir John Bourchier, had prevailed on Lady Ferrers to settle her principal properties on them jointly for life, ensuring that Thomas would have to wait far longer for this inheritance too. Rivers and Scales were pardoned in July 1461 and swiftly moved into the Yorkist establishment, which perhaps explains the success of the chancery suits Elizabeth launched to regain her jointure. Her son’s inheritance proved harder to recover. By 1463, Rivers was often in (Edward IV's) company and on his council, but Elizabeth needed someone with much stronger influence over the King. She turned to a distant kinsman, William, Lord Hastings, the King’s chamberlain. Hastings drove a very hard bargain for his aid but it was probably amid these negotiations that the King’s desire for Elizabeth was kindled."

-J.L. Laynesmith, "Elizabeth Woodville: the Knight's Widow", Later Plantagenet and Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty

[deconstructthesoup]

One thing I absolutely adore about Dead Boy Detectives is the immaculate costume design. Specifically, how it perfectly encapsulates who the characters are, both as a whole and who they are in the moment.

From the very first scene of the show, we know immediately that Edwin is a bookish, somewhat stuffy guy from the Edwardian era who attended a boarding school, and Charles is a punk from the 1980's who's most likely the wildcard between the two of them, just going off of the way that they're dressed. Both of them have distinct color schemes and different styles, but the general shape of their outfits is actually relatively similar---both of them have collared shirts (Edwin's dress shirt, Charles's polo), something over those shirts (Edwin's vest, Charles's suspenders), a jacket of some kind (Edwin's suit jacket, Charles's flannel thing), a longer overcoat (Edwin's traveling coat, Charles's peacoat), something around the neck (Edwin's bowtie, Charles's necklace), slacks, and nice shoes. They're distinct, yet matching, two clearly defined separate characters yet part of a set.

Edwin's prim, proper, buttoned-up personality lends itself to the way he dresses throughout the season---in the first episode, he only dresses down when he's in the office with Charles, aka his safe place and his safe person, and he doesn't really dress down like that again for a good long while after getting stuck in Port Townsend (though, if my memory serves me correctly, he does take off the suit jacket while watching TV with Niko). But in episode six, he's changed up his usual look for a cozier, casual-looking sweater and a little bit of collarbone, and in episode seven... well, he's in his nightclothes, and he's about as open, raw, and vulnerable as you can get. Edwin's color scheme is also predominately blue, which lines up nicely with his logical and practical, yet deeply sad and closed off personality, and the only time he really wears anything other than his normal blue-and-brown outfit (willingly, that is) is when he's in that green sweater in episode six. And, uh... all I can say is that it's quite telling how blue and green---or, well, teal---are the main colors of the gay/mlm flag.

Charles, by contrast, dresses down a lot, and that makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that unlike Edwin, he feels comfortable pretty much anywhere. On any given episode, he goes from wearing his peacoat to just wearing his flannel to ditching the flannel to not even wearing the freaking polo---though, again, the latter is something that only happens when he's in the office with Edwin. Safe space, safe person. And, well, plenty of people have analyzed Charles's polo shirt going from red to burgundy to black over the course of the series, and there being a little bit of red under the collar of his coat that's only visible when Edwin fixes it, and then it goes back to burgundy, and then it's red again when Edwin's out of Hell... for good reason! It's color symbolism at its finest! Not to mention, the red and black not only perfectly contrasts Edwin's color scheme, but it also lines up with Charles's personality---he's a rebel, he's hotheaded, he's bold and brash and loud... and yes, he's angry, but he's also so, so loving.

When we first meet Crystal after she loses her memories, her outfit choices feel very deliberate. They're stylish and vaguely trendy, they're arty and a little bit witchy---pretty fitting for a psychic who's also a showbiz kid, even if she doesn't know that last part. But all of her clothes appear thrifted, or at the very least vintage, and the patterns and the general vibe all feel natural and comforting. Her makeup's always fairly simple, her hair's either down or up in a couple of cute space buns... overall, this Crystal looks like the kind of person who'd make you tea when you're in a bad mood, who'll listen when you just need to vent, and who may not always know the right thing to say but will understand what you're going through. But when we see her in the flashbacks, her clothing's flashy and prioritizes high-end trends over comfort, she's either got her hair up or has it straightened, and she not only has dramatic makeup, but acrylics. This is a girl who talks shit about you behind your back, who's bitter and cynical and wants everyone to feel the same way, who makes up for the lack of love and stability in her life via material things. It's also worth noting that Crystal's color scheme has a lot of purple, which is a color that connects to wealth and luxury, but also creativity and magic---which, yeah, fits her two conflicting sides pretty damn well.

You cannot talk about Niko Sasaki without talking about her outfits, and the meaning behind each of them has already been talked about at length. However, one thing that really stands out to me is that the reason they're so iconic isn't just because of the monochrome color schemes, but because they're out there. They're weird, they're eclectic, they're a little mismatched in style sometimes, and they're so unapologetically her. Niko wears heart-shaped sunglasses, unironically. Everything about the way she dresses speaks to how, even though she's a recovering shut-in who initially doesn't want to be perceived, she's still very sure of who she is.

Jenny's design, like Charles and Edwin's, is a design that gives you the key information you need the minute she first appears onscreen. The dark makeup, the silver jewelry, the leather apron, and the hairstyle all point to a person who's tough, doesn't take anyone's shit, and has long since given up on caring what other people think---in other words, she's a badass. But the butterfly tattoo hints at a softer side, a side that we see time and time again throughout the series as she shows that she cares about Crystal and Niko, and even the boys... eventually. Also, Jenny's design is perhaps one of the most clearly queer-coded in the series, to the point where her being a confirmed lesbian is pretty much a no-brainer.

Esther's design oozes camp, from top to bottom. The fluffy coat, the bustier, the boots and the cane and the everything, speak to a woman who's kept with the times and yet has seen it all. There's really not a lot I can fully say about her design, other than what Charles has already said: "She looks like a witch... like, kind of a sexy witch, who smokes a lot." (Or maybe I'm just tired and running out of steam at this point, idk, I love Esther's design and I can't really put it into words.) It's also pretty fitting that her color scheme has a lot of yellow in it---after all, she's always striving for more, so what better color for her than the color of gold?

Everything about the Night Nurse's design speaks to a woman who follows rules and discipline above all else, from the pantsuit to the pinned-up hairstyles to the tie to the heels. She's also the most muted out of the main cast in terms of color, dressing mostly in browns, dull greens, and duller browns---and while I don't have a lot to go into detail about there, I feel like that's kind of a symbol of her narrow-minded and bureaucratic worldview.

And the animal characters... Jesus Christ, I fully forget that they're all being played by human actors. Tragic Mick dresses like a man who's always spent his life by the sea, layered denim and all, and it's never a stretch to see this sad, bushy-bearded, baggy-clothed fisherman and imagine him as a walrus lounging on a beach. Monty, at first glance, seems to only wear black, which would be perfectly fitting for a crow, but when he's in better lighting, you see that he dresses in layers of red and blue, calling to how he envies Charles and Edwin and clearly longs for something more---and this might just be me, but I think that even though his outfits seem fairly normal at first glance, they feel kind of like a costume for Monty more than anything else, like he's trying to emulate a teenager that he's seen on TV more than someone in real life.

The Cat King fits this just as well, with all of his outfits aligning perfectly with whatever his cat form is at the time---when he's a fluffy ginger, it's always sequins and fur coats and clothing pieces that are specifically designed to take up space and call attention, and when he's a black shorthair, it's sleek styles and shiny leather and pieces that are designed to cut an intimidating yet more subtle figure. And while I could go into detail about all of those, what really stands out to me is how clearly queer everything is---more than Jenny's alt lesbian attire, more than Esther's campy coat and corset. From the very first scene he's in, he's wearing a skirt, and it looks natural. Nothing about the way the Cat King presents himself is exaggerated, nothing about the way he dresses is played for laughs---he's flamboyant and feminine and flirty, and he looks so fucking hot while he does it. It's gorgeous.

So... yeah, uh, all the awards for the Dead Boy Detectives costume designers!

[youremyheaven]

Jupiter Dominant Women & Daddy Issues

TW: mentions of rape, abuse, suicide etc

Over the years of my studies, I have noticed that its Jupiter dominant women who tend to have daddy issues more than any other planetary dominance. Solar women (Uttarashada, Uttaraphalguni & Krittika) tend to benefit from positive male influence in their early life, so they have healthy Yang qualities (they're driven, self-motivated, critical thinking) whereas women who haven't had a healthy male influence in their early lives, either develop a heightened but fragile femininity (understood in a very traditional way, this means being passive and excessively reliant on others to get by, I know this is misogynistic but i am talking strictly about a traditional notion of femininity) or they cultivate inner masculinity.

Jupiter is a masculine planet and across the naks of Punarvasu, Vishaka and Purvabhadrapada, women tend to have a very unguarded, open, almost masculine presence. I mean this in terms of what they talk about or how self-assured they seem, traditionally women were expected to be more withdrawn or to talk little. I don't mean to say Jupiterian women are brash or aggressive, they're very poised, and elegant and put across their point eloquently. They're 9/10 times very well-spoken. When one lacks the security of a male figure early in life, one tends to cultivate inner masculinity because it's understood that you cannot rely on any man.

Caroline Polachek, Punarvasu Moon, has spoken about her difficult relationship with her father on numerous occasions. Here's a link to a post where she talks about it. Her lack of a father figure in her own words caused her to be "self-sufficient". Notice how in the post, she speaks about making amends with him later in life and even ended the post with "love you dad". This is the kind of generosity that you don't see from most other nakshatra types. To forgive someone who was never there for you/abused you/hurt you/caused you immense pain, requires a great deal of strength and maturity and not everybody has it. Punarvasu's innate nature is to absorb everything into its orbit and always be the bigger person. Due to the vast, abundant nature of Jupiter, they are ABLE to, accept these people for all their contradictions and see them as flawed, which makes it easier to forgive them. Most people let their traumas define their identity (im not saying traumas don't shape you, only about the kind of perception most people have about their own traumas) and spend their whole lives blaming others for who they've become or what they've done to them. To live a peaceful life, one has to take the high road, look beyond everything and see it as a part of life. It sounds very callous when I say it like that but that's what I mean. Not everyone is capable of being the bigger person or taking the high road.

Jupiter is the guru or teacher and how would one describe an ideal teacher? Someone who forgives the mistakes of their students as having risen out of immaturity and forgives them for not knowing better or being better. A teacher is forced to operate on a higher moral plane than others simply because chaos would descend if the teacher came down to the level of others. They are figures of wisdom, knowledge and higher learning, therefore their behaviour has to reflect the same. Jupiter natives are harshly punished for behaving in ways that are not fit for a "guru" because subconsciously society/those around them subject them to a different standard. Others can do the same exact thing and not suffer any consequences but when a Jupiter native behaves that way, they're ostracized. People kind of expect them to have it all together or be better. Any lapse on their part is judged harshly.

One of the biggest mysteries is how Jupiter natives emerge from often brutally abusive and neglectful childhoods into relatively well-adjusted adults. In the case of famous parent-child situations, there is public proof of their wrongdoing but in numerous other instances many do not believe Jupiter natives to have suffered the way they have or to the extent they have simply because on the outside they seem to have it all/seem so put together. This is yet another manifestation of Jupiter's duality and this not being believed/seen for who they are/how they've lived can be a source of pain/grief for some of these natives whilst others like to pretend it never happened and present a very positive view of their life. They don't hold grudges and often simply overlook the horrible nature of their loved ones, especially their parents and try to make amends with them.

Drew Barrymore, Punarvasu Moon, comes from a very famous family of actors but her father John Barrymore was a violent alcoholic and a drug addict who abandoned her & her mother when she was a child. She did not have any relationship with him and seldom spoke to him until he was diagnosed with cancer. She took care of him and even paid his medical bills until he passed away in 2004. Here's an IG post where she talks about her dad. It's so touching to see the compassion with which Punarvasu natives talk about people who've hurt them so much (in her memoir, Drew recalls how one time her father picked her up as a three-year-old and threw her against the wall). Truly, I don't see this level of kindness in any other nakshatra if I'm being honest. This is a photograph of her with Steven Spielberg who directed her in E.T when she was 7 years old, he's kind of a godfather figure to her and she apparently asked him to be her dad when she was a kid 🥺🥺

I also think Jupiter natives have a complicated relationship with their mothers as well, sometimes they're extremely close but other times, I think Jupiter natives feel the need to be their mother's saviour because they know how much she's gone through in her life. This manifests itself in a very complicated relationship. There is love but there is also a lot of bitterness.

Drew Barrymore has a very complicated relationship with her mother, who used to date the men Drew dated, pushed her into acting and exploited her as a child and admitted her to a psych ward when she was 12 among other things. Drew still takes care of her financially and has mentioned that her mother has even tried to steal money from her.

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Punarvasu Moon is the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. Her parents separated when she was a child and she lived with her father. In 1984, she did a duet with her father and starred in the music video for a song called Lemon Incest which describes an incestuous relationship between father & daughter. She was 12 years old at the time.

The music video is creepy, to say the least and features both of them half-naked in bed together. In 1986 when she was 14, she starred with her father in a movie called Charlotte For Ever which is about an alcoholic man whose only link to life is his daughter (Serge was an alcoholic). She has spoken about how difficult the filming experience was for her as he would push her to her extremes.

Here's a very uncomfortable clip of him kissing her on the mouth when she wins a Cesar. She is 16 years old.

Jane Birkin commented on the song saying "It never came as a shock or a surprise or even a worry [to her], knowing Serge's great love for Charlotte". Many believe that Birkin enabled Serge's abuse of their daughter since she left him due to his alcoholism and violence but left Charlotte in his care. She has also stated that her mother would always dress her up as a little boy when she was a child and that this complicated her relationship with her femininity.

Charlotte has only ever said good things about both her parents and denied any abuse.

She's also starred in multiple films directed by Lars Von Trier where she plays gruesome sexually depraved characters and Lars is well known for being difficult to work with. She has said that she sought fatherly approval from him ._. and again has only said good things about him.

Kali Uchis, Punarvasu Sun, Vishaka Moon & Rising has spoken about being abused as a child and that she no longer maintains contact with her family. She was kicked out of the house when she was 17 and slept in her car and worked at a supermarket for years to support herself.

Halsey, Punarvasu Moon. She grew up poor and has spoken about her difficult childhood, both she & her mother suffer from bipolar disorder and in her song Whispers she sings “Why do you need love so badly?/ Bet it's bеcause of her daddy." In the Armchair Expert podcast, she said that she has both "mommy and daddy issues".

Mariah Carey, Punarvasu Moon, has published a very revealing memoir about her life where she chronicles the abuse she experienced from her family. She had a moderately good relationship with her dad but was estranged from him as an adult. Her mother however continually exploited her for money.

Miley Cyrus, Vishaka Moon has a complicated relationship with both her parents. Currently, she's not on speaking terms with her father after he married a woman around Miley's age.

Beyonce, Vishaka Moon has been performing since she was a child and was in a girl group Destiny's Child which was managed by her father. She dropped him as her manager in 2011 and in the same year, his divorce from her mother was also finalized. He had apparently fathered a love child with another woman in 2009 and this was the reason for their divorce. Some speculate that they are now estranged but in typical Jupiter fashion, she has never bad-mouthed him in public. Jupiter natives do not air their dirty laundry in public ever. Their grace and dignity even in the face of extreme humiliation/shame/pressure is commendable.

Jennie, Vishaka Moon is very close to her mother but she's never mentioned her father in the 8 years since her debut. In the Blackpink documentary, she said that growing up it was just her and her mom. In this interview she spoke about living with her mother and how she never got a chance to spend much time at home as she was sent to boarding school at 8 years old. She remarks that she and her mom are like sisters but she's never said anything about her relationship with her dad, ever. I am not going to assume that they have a bad relationship but I thought it would be interesting to mention.

Demi Moore, Vishaka Sun

Moore was born to a 19-year-old mother and her biological father left before she was born. The actress' mom remarried a man who worsened her problems with alcohol, which led to violence and instability. The family moved many times throughout Moore's childhood and when she was 17, her stepfather committed suicide. In the early '80s, she embarked on her acting career and helped her mother stay in rehab throughout the years. In 1997, her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and she reunited with her in the final months before her death.

Lily Collins, Purvabhadrapada Sun

Lily had a strained relationship with her dad growing up“Because my dad was often gone, I never wanted to do anything that would make him stay away even longer,” she wrote. “I became extra careful about what I said and how I said it, afraid he'd think I was angry or didn't love him"

She penned an open letter that said: "I forgive you for not being the dad I expected. But it's not too late”.

Alia Bhatt, Purvabhadrapada Sun has said that growing up she saw very little of her filmmaker father Mahesh Bhatt who is known in the media for being a very problematic figure. He once posed for a magazine cover in the 90s with his daughter Pooja Bhatt where they're kissing on the lips (Pooja is Alia's half-sister) and said that he would have married her if she weren't his daughter 🤮🤮Mahesh is known for being a very temperamental man (you'll be hard pressed to find a video of him not screaming) and it's quite well known that he and Alia's mother had a pretty rocky marriage that her mother could not leave as she was financially dependent on him. Her sister, Shaheen Bhatt has talked about struggling with depression and suicidal tendencies since she was a child.

Rekha, Purvabhadrapada Moon is the illegitimate child of actors Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli. Her father was already married to another woman when she was born. He refused to accept the paternity of Rekha and her sister Radha and she grew up in the same city that her father and his "legitimate" family lived in and attended the same school as her half-siblings where she occasionally saw glimpses of him dropping his other kids to school. She has stated that growing up she was called a "bastard" and that the only male figure in her life was "God". She made her debut as an actress when she was 13 against her wishes because her family had fallen on bad times and she had to work to support her 6 siblings and ill mother.

This interview of hers offers a glimpse into her early life. Regardless of what she's been through, Rekha has always been stoic and conducted herself with immense grace and dignity even when she received an award from her father who was never a part of her life. She said this in response:

“Why should I grieve for him when he’s so much part of me? Why should I grieve when I’m so grateful for his genes, his teachings, his rich life and his sheer existence? Grieve for what??!! I’m happy I didn’t have to share unpleasant moments with him. He existed for me in my imagination. And that’s so much more beautiful than reality. Everything I love is unqualified by worldly time constraints. I’m just a small link in the larger scheme of things. I’m not the first one to go through death, nor am I the first one to receive an award. I’m enjoying everything that comes my way…good bad or ugly. I try to make good use of what life’s experiences offer. I think I’ve done a good job of my life, whatever others may think.” 

The Jupiterean ability to always look at the bright side and forgive people who don't deserve your forgiveness is heart-breaking but enlightening at the same time.

Rita Hayworth, Purvabhadrapada Moon confided in her husband Orson Welles that she was sexually abused by her father as a child and had been repeatedly raped by him.

Elexus Jionde aka Intelexual Media, Punarvasu Moon has mentioned that she's estranged from her father.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Punarvasu Rising & stellium has spoken about being emotionally and physically abused by his parents especially his father who would beat him up. They also abused him because they thought he was gay due to his preoccupation with the male physique (he wanted to be a bodybuilder and would later become Mr World).

Keanu Reeves, Punarvasu Moon has been estranged from his father for the majority of his life. Charles Reeves abandoned the family when Keanu was 3 yrs old.

Kaia Gerber, Purvabhadrapada Moon has like most other Jupiter natives kept a low profile and seldom spoken about her personal life and has only ever said nice things about her parents. Her father Rande Gerber has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women and there have been blind items about Cindy putting Kaia on a calorie deficit diet since she was a child to prepare her for a modelling career (this is awfully common among celebrities so I don't even think this is a stretch). When Kaia was 7 years old, her parents were threatened with a picture of her, barely clothed being gagged and bound. It was said that the picture was taken by a female babysitter during a game of cops and robbers because she wanted to prank the Gerbers by pretending to kidnap Kaia (sincerely, wtf) but there have been conspiracy theories that perhaps Kaia was abused by her parents and this picture was leaked from their collection. Anyway the matter has been settled and it feels wrong for me to speculate too much but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Asia Argento, Purvabhadrapa Moon, is the daughter of filmmaker Dario Argento and has said that she never saw her father as a child and had no kind of relationship with him until she started acting in his movies when she was 16. She said "I never acted out of ambition; I acted to gain my father's attention. It took a long time for him to notice me. … And he only became my father when he was my director."

Her characters in his movies were undressed, raped and generally psychologically traumatised on screen. She once said:

"But I always had this feeling of never being a part of anything, not even of my family. My parents forgot about me. I did everything I could to get their attention."

Chyler Leigh, Vishaka Moon. Her parents divorced when she was 12, following which she was estranged from her father for many years. Her mother moved her to LA when she was a teenager so that she could pursue an acting career. At 15 years old she starred in a movie called Kickboxing Academy as her biological brother's love interest (he was 19). She is said to have been manipulated into doing so by her mother. She has said in a recent interview that she's been estranged from her mother for over 20 years and that like her mother, she too suffers from bipolar disorder. She said, "Because I was put in a position to support my mother, I didn't get the opportunity to speak about my own feelings when I was in my teens." She moved out of her mother's house to live with her then-boyfriend and now husband Nathan West.

Han So Hee, Vishaka Sun was in the news when her mother using her name to borrow bank loans and her debt became public news. Its very rare to hear about the private life of a celebrity in Korea but Sohee came forward to clear things and said her parents divorced when she was 5 following which she was raised by her maternal grandmother with whom she lived until she was in highschool. She's estranged from both her parents and only realized that her mother had been in debt after she turned 18. She found out that her mother had been borrowing money under her name illegally ever since she was a minor. She paid off this debt and apologized to everybody concerned.

IU, Purvabhadrapada Moon grew up in poverty. Her family fell into debt and she was raised by her grandmother who could barely take care of her and her brother. She saw little of her parents growing up. Its unclear how close they are now.

I realize just how many of them are nepo babies lol but I'm kinda glad because it means so much of their life is on public record. Its really unfortunate to see that so many of these natives had absent fathers or fathers who were present in their lives and very abusive.

[annonymouslyannoying]

My personal take on Irken heights and designs! More insight into my process under the cut.

I exagerrated the heights of most Irkens to further pronounce Zim's lackingness- As well as make it make more sense in universe for the Almighty Tallest to single out Zim and Skoodge specifically for being short.

Larb in particular regularly recieves favoritism due to his height, so I made him taller to make it more fitting.

I also gave Spleen hideous veins because I hate you all personally. (There is definitely something wrong with him)

As for Tak I kept her height relatively the same in comparison to Zim which would make her pretty short by typical Irken standards.

I also removed her cross hatched mouth because it just confuses me and I don't really like it.

Tenn is popular amongst the fandom for some reason so I included her since I needed more female Irkens.

Although I took more inspiration from her first appearance than her more prominent role in Megadoomer because she looked too similar to Zim.

And of course there's Zim himself. I made sure he was the shortest- Even moreso than Skoodge because that's hilarious.

Pint isn't a real Invader moreso just an extra Irken I added to showcase traits that other potential candidates weren't able to- Such as the brownish eyes and chubbier build on a female Irken.

I refrained from drawing Sizz-Lorr's hat because I wanted to show off his antennae.

I also changed the logo on his metal sleeve things to have two eyes instead of one- Since the one eye symbol is supposed to be for Invaders only.

As for the Tallest without the suit, I took inspiration from this concept art from The Trial- Which depicts the young Tallest as Irken Elite.

I do think it looks pretty cursed with that awful huge head on that tiny stick body. I made Red TALL, tall enough to be the tallest living Irken (tied with purple) but the height is greatly exagerrated by the suit.

Since I buffed the Irken race so hard size wise JUST to screw over Zim, naturally Dib (who is even smaller) got screwed over even harder

[theaceace]

Another old fic idea that stalled somewhere between my brain and my docs, in which Hob puts centuries of life experience to use by writing an anonymous advice column (it's probably Jo's fault somehow) and recently he's been getting some... Odd submissions

My brother has recently left a very stifling living situation and is drowning himself in work. I know his pride won't let him come to me for help, but I want to let him know I'm still there for him, what do you suggest? - Endless Family Drama

It can be difficult to watch the people we love most refuse to accept our help, especially when we can see that they're hurting. The best advice I can offer you is don't push him too hard – the last thing you want to do is scare him away! Spend time with him doing something you both enjoy or rediscovering common ground, and let him come to you when he's ready. Encourage him to find the person he was before all of this, and start learning how that fits with who he is now; reconnect with old friends or pick up a hobby he hasn't tried for a while. Clearly you love your brother a great deal, and whether he's ready to admit it or not, he's lucky to have you in his corner.

Chin up, and best of luck to you both!

And what do you know, that afternoon Death happens to go find her brother feeding the pigeons.

Matthew (with Rose's help, typing is really hard when you're a bird, turns out) after a conversation with Lucienne and later a complain-and-smoke-sesh with Constantine, writes in (not knowing he's writing to the boss's friend) like

I've just started a new job, and my boss is literally a nightmare when he's in a bad mood, he drags me to hell and back, spends all his time moping and fighting with my other boss, and won't listen to any of my advice, how do I let him know I think he's being unreasonable - struggling to keep my beak shut

Eventually Dream - who is both spending much more time in the waking world and also much more inclined to listen to Matthew's advice recently, for some reason - decides to write in to ask the opinion of a human on how to. Well. How one might go about courting one of their oldest friends having just reconnected after a huge fight and period of separation.

So naturally, Hob's reply is somewhat wistful and based entirely on the way he would love to court/be courted by his old stranger (Dream! Morpheus! He's been given so many names and titles to use now, he's practically spoilt!)

Neither of them figure out what's going on for an embarrassingly long time

(Desire writes to ask how you get your brother to stop ignoring you after you've tricked him into prison ('captivity' is the word used, but Hob can read between the lines) and almost made him kill one of their relatives. Hob starts to question if this side career is a good idea)

Also, the tagline for his column would absolutely be something like I keep making the same mistakes so you don't have to! Somehow this does not clue Dream in in the slightest

[greynvms]

Colour theory with the main cast

Basically, there are two main trios in Assassination Classroom, atleast that’s what I believe :

• Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano

• Nagisa, Karma, and Korosensei

And I just find it so ironic that they also have the most popular colours as their hair colour, but like, why not go into depth about it?

 

Nagisa, Karma, and Korosensei are obviously more well known; literally, most official art is based on them (excluding manga fanart in this).

Also, their main colours are the primary colours (red, yellow, and blue); it’s almost as if they were designed to be remembered like that. Most people learn the primary colours at a young age, and it’s a very easy concept, kind of like it’s easy to understand that these three are the main focus. Plus, Karma and Nagisa naturally have their hair coloured (wow, what a shocker). and Korosensei made himself that for reasons I genuinely forgot, but I think... it was so he could be more presentable looking to the class. Yeah, I really don’t know.

They have quite a bit of stuff focusing on the three of them (when they went to the cinema in Hawaii and how the whole class civil arc was focused on Nagisa and Karma fighting to get their opinion on how they should deal with Korosensei in the future). In addition to that, they’re the three characters with the most screen time and are ranked the most popular in the fandom:

Going back to the colors, they have almost the exact same traits as their main colour.

• Korosensei: inspires, optimistic, energetic, creative, kind of egotistical (?) and the list really goes on.

• Nagisa: loyal, relatively calm, reliable, pretty responsible, passive, etc. (also, the idiom "out of the blue" really does suit him).

• Karma: strength, attention (shown clearly in the class civil war), courage, confidence, and aggression (again, the idiom "seeing red" fits him when the class starts to argue about killing or saving Korosensei).

Now, in comparison to Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano, they're a completely different story. Although the three are known, Nagisa and Karma are obviously more popular (as shown before in the old ranking chart), and their scenes together as a trio isn't a lot, as well as official art (since Korosensei is in quite a lot of them), most I've seen is promotional material, like merch or the Blu-ray CD covers.

Clearly, they're not the primary colours—at least not for paint, that is. They are the main additive colours, which are basically the colours that produce white light and are used for laptop, phone, or iPad screens, so it's a bit trickier for people to get their heads around compared to red, blue, and yellow for paint. It's as if they're right there, but you can't see them; they're not obvious, but they are indeed there.

Now here's where the true comparison comes in: Kayano and Korosensei are not naturally their “colour”. Kayano dyed her hair from black to green, and Korosensei personally decided to become yellow when he could've very well picked any other color. With that, Korosensei is genuine about the traits he has that are shared with the colour yellow, while Kayano is not genuine and it's all an act (except negative traits like inexperience and possibly envy), but slowly she gains those green color traits throughout the show, especially after her whole arc (growth especially, encouragement, generosity, etc).

Overall, even though Nagisa, Karma and Korosensei are the main focus of the animanga, Nagisa, Karma and Kayano truly do drive the narrative forward and do play key roles (not saying Korosensei doesn’t he definitely does).

I just found this really interesting, and I live for colour analysis in characters, so yeah 😯

[gavalaa]

Sketches of all my redone designs for my Phantom Thieves from my AU, Icarus! Lots of info down below on the cut, so if you want to know more about the details and inspiration, feel free to keep reading!

This includes Akechi’s design for his Princely/Robin Hood attire, BEFORE his Icarus attire you might have seen from my other posts! Check out the Icarus AU tag for more info! Icarus has a main focus on Akechi and his relationship to the thieves, but the AU is actually an entire rewrite with new designs, 3rd semester and epilogue/strikers/tactica stories, hence Zenkichi and Sophia’s inclusion.

Read below for individual info:

I decided to include more motifs towards their persona’s and general vibes; and also just my own personal touches haha.

AKIRA - Not much has changed, I really like his design overall. I raised his boots to be like Arsene’s and changed his neck area.

MORGANA - I hate the OG pill shaped head, his new design is based heavily on the shape of Palico’s from Monster Hunter. Added a little more nod to Zorro/His persona motifs and also just made him cuter! Little hamburger headed cat.

RYUJI - I made him a little bulkier and gave some more weight to his outfit overall. I gave him heavier boots and a slightly buffer build to relate back more to his sporty style.

ANN - honestly was never too big on her latex outfit, I wanted to call back to a personal favorite female lead; Christine Daae, and used one of the versions of her Don Juan costume as inspiration. I remember seeing Phantom live and in many stage versions of her character, the Don Juan scene was a pure moment of female control, and she was truly working the Phantom and controlling every movement on the stage. Her presence is commanding, and I thought it was a very fitting tribute to Ann’s character as feminine strength. (I’m absolutely not referring to the movie iteration of Daae btw.)

YUSUKE - I referred to some historical art and legend of Goemon to add more elements of design to his outfit. When I color them, I want to add some really strong pops of color to his clothing to really drive the aesthetics and artistry home.

MAKOTO - Another totally redid outfit, I opted to give her a design which relates back to Popess Joan, and also Anat. I gave her a clawed hand on her right side and an uncovered hand on her left as both a nod to Anat’s hand raised in iconography of her from art history, but also to show the duality of Anat’s title as both a goddess of war, and of love. It also relates to the mythology of Joan and her nature as both a leader and a martyr. I changed her mask to a Venetian Commedia mask as well.

FUTABA - ok. I’ll be honest. I never liked her skin-tight outfit, it just doesn’t match her personality at all. Also, the high tech Egyptian feel never really sold me. I totally understand the tomb thing, but I truthfully think a dungeon/palace which was more like… tech/nerd themed would have been much more “futaba” the inspiration for this new outfit relates back to her persona, the Necromomicon, as well as her nerdy personality, and her affiliation as Alibaba (Ali Baba.) I wanted to go more lovecraftian, long sleeves and patterning designed to look more like lovecraftian tendrils, and big baggy pants and her classic shoes to match. The patterning on her undershirt will resemble a rib cage, both as a reference to her deathly “tomb” iconography, but also to Lovecraftian and Necronomicon lore. I think she matches the description of a nerdy, techie DND dungeon master more than the initial outfit, so that’s the route I took personally.

HARU - relating back to some fashions from 17th c France, where Milady’s story (the three musketeers) takes place, I kept her design relatively similar. I just gave her a little more iconography relating to the three musketeers and that general timeframe.

AKECHI - in his pre-Icarus outfit, I’ve given him a princely sort of outfit befitting of his two faced nature, and edited it to relate to Robin Hood a little more. I tried to keep it sleek and just generally very concealing and layered.

SUMIRE - i gave her some iconography relating back to one of her personas, who is an inference to Freya. I also included some more nods to classic Cinderella, with fantasy gown elements. Overall, relatively similar.

ZENKICHI - again, relatively similar, I really like his outfit. I just opened up the face some to show more personality and spiced up the outfit generally to keep it matching. honestly, les mis/Valjean was a hard one, but I also think his character could be heavily related back to Edmond Dante (Monte Cristo.) so I gave some nods to that as well.

SOPHIA - I turned her into a FINGIE!!!! I made her whole dress as a nod to her persona/to pandora’s tiles around her/the pillars. I wanted to make her small and almost unnatural since she’s an AI, and I thought having a little guy on the team would add some more variation.

[kxizoku-ou]

Have you had any thoughts on hybrid versions of the one piece characters? I love seeing what animals people associate with the characters 😅. Also ears and tails are cute

Hybrid Au, my beloved!!! owo I tend to go heavier with the animal research/xeno than just "ears and tails", but yes, I absolutely have thoughts— here's a handful of my favorites/who comes to mind!

. . .

Kaidou — Auroch bull: The now-extinct relative of modern cattle, closely related to Spanish fighting bulls. Bull feels fitting for Kaidou, I think— they're huge, potentially dangerous animals that get screwed over in blood sports or as slaughterhouse bait, and near-universally seen as aggressive because of instincts that are based in self-preservation or protecting a herd. And of course, ending up as a bull hybrid is just what happens to my favs, by now... (@senjuushi)

Judge — Tawny eagle: His "Garuda" theme implies a bird of prey from the start, so it's an easy pick! Described as "opportunistic", with a habit of feeding on carrion (and stealing other animals' prey), yet still "a bold and active predator", tawny eagles fit well with Judge's vibe of regal, pompous, and trying way too hard. They also tend to mate for life... and male birds are known for flashy courtship habits. Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji would be the same species for this Au.

Sanji — Mourning dove: Keeping with the bird theme of his family, but a far less bloodthirsty species. Mourning doves are fluffy, vocal birds that are known for being "prolific breeders". They can be territorial between males, but are also social pair-bonders. Sora would have been a dove too, and Sanji sharing her species is just one more sign that the modifications failed. There's also something very fitting about a "caged bird" theme for his experiences with Germa.

Spandam — Giant panda: Useless animal that would be extinct by now without human intervention. Clumsy, pathetic, and admittedly pretty cute, but not good for much other than existing under careful supervision in a zoo. Of course, Spandam's terrible personality ruins most of the cuteness effect his hybrid species might have— ultimately, he's a needy, spoiled idiot who's eternally dependent on the care of others. And personally, I think he should have a cute, sensitive little stubby tail, perfect to yank on when he's being a brat.

Katakuri — Grizzly bear: Linlin is a grizzly hybrid as well, and the shared species adds to Katakuri's reputation as her "perfect" son. He's huge, powerful, and highly threatening... but would be just as content to gorge himself on snacks and all but hibernate afterward. If it wasn't for his self-imposed standard of perfection, that is. His fucked-up mouth seems even worse on a large predator species, too, which definitely adds to his complex/self-consciousness over it.

Perospero — Red fox: I saw a fanart of him as a fox hybrid on Pixiv, and it convinced me. A smug, sneaky bastard who takes after his mother's carnivore tendencies, but with far less of an intimidation factor to back it up. Annoyingly talkative and far more socially oriented than he wants to admit, as well as capable of being an absolute nuisance when he wants to— all of that sounds very fitting for Peros, I think. And fox whining noises fit his crybaby side.

Cracker — Bushy-tailed woodrat: Prey animals that are described as "vocal and boisterous", and nuisances for "creating general noisy havoc"— seems appropriate for Cracker, an overconfident brat who's far less tough than he acts. Packrats (the overall category) are nest-builders, too, which fits with how he spends so much time hiding in his biscuit soldiers to avoid direct combat. Woodrats also apparently have a foot-thumping tendency; a good match for his clapping!

Pudding — British longhair cat: Babygirl-looking murder machine seems highly appropriate. British longhairs have the sweetest little faces and soft coats, but cats are nature's finest serial killers at their core. Pudding would be perfect as a needy, jealousy-prone kitty who's way too good at playing up the cutesy kitten act to get on people's good sides— right up until a tsundere moment kicks in. Then, she's all puffed-up, twitching tail and poorly stifled purring.

Caesar — Axolotl: Like his pet poison slime thing! Axolotls are apparently "used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills, and parts of their eyes and brains", which feels fitting for Caesar, as does the fact that they're tricky to take care of as pets (and keep getting put in cages by people who don't treat them well, at that). Also, those feathery external gills are cute!!

Queen — American alligator: Lethal fat fuck of a reptile, exactly how Queen should be! Alligators can be lazy and kind of goofy-looking, but they're still dangerous and very strong. The huge, thick tail is also an obvious plus (the "Brachio-Snakeus" trick haunts me). And really, can't you see him sprawled out all lazy, for gator-style sunbathing?

Drake — Rottweiler/Border Collie mix: A strong, intelligent, capable, and work-oriented animal, that would (as a dog-experienced friend put it), "tear a house down to the foundation" if left without enough to occupy it. Drake gives me "beaten dog" vibes, in general, and it feels fitting that his hybrid species could easily have been sweet, if not for the trauma and DEEP psychological issues.

Law — Shorthaired silver tabby: Law is so very catboy-coded. He's a grumpy, fussy kitty who will both claw your arm open if you try to touch him, and could just as easily be reduced to a purring puddle if his guard gets torn down enough to allow it. Cats are highly effective agents of violence (and can be total bastards, when they want to), but also absolute babies. And imagine tiny, angry catboy Law getting scruffed by Rocinante to prevent the aforementioned clawing.

[armythings-love]

I’m gonna cry… I had an entire analysis for this typed out but my wifi is shit so it refused to post😭😭 anyways, this is based off of the @ladybugout-au permanent superhero team. I decided against doing Luka’s Cadmeancio suit because I 1. Didn’t want to draw him in orange and 2. I was already pushing it with making a purple/red Neurofoxin. Only reason I made her purple is because natural coloring obviously doesn’t mean shit to the character designers if Juleka gets to be a purple red tiger. Anyways, here’s my take on their suits!

Hecattack: I wanted to diverge from the furry/bdsm influences Chat’s suit got, so I gave him looser fit pants, a hood and combat boots. His suit was lowkey inspired by Red Hood’s design because, dammit, DC may be super dark, but they know how to design characters well (something MLB could stand to learn from ಠ_ಠ) anyways, along with the hood and paneled top+cargo pants+combat boots, I gave him cat-shaped knee pads, similar to Ivan’s turtle shell knee pads. You will also notice a trend with a lot of my hero suit designs, which is fingerless gloves. Yes, this’ll take away from the cat claw thing Chat had going on, but I’m ok with that. To go with his punk/rock band aesthetic, he got combat boots with the signature cat paw steel toes. His tail is pretty much the same along with the ears. His mask is also different, covering the bottom half of his face. This also takes away from the cat sclera thing the original Chat had, but Luka isn’t a furry so… also, the mask covering his mouth alludes to his calm nature and quiet personality, not feeling the need to play around, especially during a battle,which was where the original Chat erred most often. Luka also has very expressive eyes, so I wanted to push that, like, even if he doesn’t talk much, he’s still a good communicator. Plus, when cats are hunting, they’re quiet! Which the original Chat cannot relate to!

Ladybug: ok, so her suit is still pretty basic, since I wanted to stick with he AU’s canon description of her suit. The main bodice/legs are similar to the season 4 suit after she calls on the lucky charm, but the sleeves are slightly different. I also got rid of the “reverse” polka dots cuz they just look ugly imo. Her gloves are also fingerless, since I feel like that would 1. Lend better to doing yo-yo tricks and 2. They just look better (u_u) anyways, her hair is still the same, as well as her mask. It’s pretty basic but eh…

Neurofoxin: her design is also super simple, but I also wanted to veer away from the gaudy orange normally associated with the fox miraculous. If she can make her tiger suit purple and red, I can make her fox costume reddish purple!! She’s goth, she’s not gonna walk around in *o r a n g e*. And I stand by that. Anyways, like I said her suit is relatively simple, the panels of the suit modeled after Volpina’s actually, because despite how I hate Lila and her stupid sausage link hair, her volpina suit was pretty cute. Instead of giving her a jacket w/coattails or a belt/sash to be her tail, I decided to make it her hair, cuz even in civilian form it’s pretty long. I also decided that instead of a dark grey/black to purple, I’d make the tips the same cream as her “underbelly” panel, as I wanted to incorporate the cream in more than just that singular spot. I also pulled her bang back because even if she’s goth, she still needs to be able to see properly as a superhero. Plus, I like Juleka’s eyes, and I feel like Trixx would like her to show off more. Anyways, besides the morph suit and her hair being a bit longer than normal+a different color, she has a cropped leather jacket,same color as her suit. There’s also paneling on the side/back of her thighs/back that’s a darker red/purple color. Again, to go with her rockstar/alt aesthetic, I gave her combat boots as well, though hers are knee high, plus I forgot to draw the laces, but eh. Fun fact: I headcanon the Couffaine twins as being super tall for their age, but Juleka is taller than her twin for now+her boots are heeled.

Fukiya: for Kagami’s suit, I pulled inspo from someone else’s LBO AU fanart, although I can’t remember who’s it was. Originally, I was gonna go for a suit similar to Kagami’s fencing gear, but decided to go w the suit she has now so it’d be more reminiscent of a bee. I gave her a sleeveless, cropped kimono, the bottom of which has a honeycomb pattern and an ombré going from dark yellow to black. Her obi has two layers, the bottom layer being a bright yellow and the outside layer being black. Her sleeves are similar to Queen Bee’s, but with an added black line. Her legs are completely black with the exception of her knee pads, which are a bright yellow and octogon shaped. I wanted her to look more bee-esque than Queen Bee or Vesperia (her character design is 🤢) so I gave her the yellow torso with black limbs, than made the kimono collar thick to look like a neck ruff or smth. I honestly struggled with her design a bit but it looks ok in the end so I’m happy with it :) also, Kagami is the shortest because I said so!

Heavy Matal: oh, Ivan, you absolute teddy bear of a guy. I adore the Iván of this AU, he’s so sweet, a gentle giant, so I wanted to focus on making him look slightly softer than the rest of the heroes, despite being the turtle holder. I gave him his signature cargoes, although they’re pants instead of shorts when he’s transformed, a sleeveless hoodie, and “turtle”-neck compression-esque undershirt, the sleeves long enough to be, you guessed it, fingerless gloves! The only reason Kagami is the only one with full gloves is because I wanted to giver a more serious/conservative look. Mari’s been ladybug so long she deserves to have cute, fingerless gloves! Anyways, back to Ivan! His hoodie is two toned, like a turtle’s shell, with the front being a light green. It’s patterned to look like a turtle shell underbelly, with a nice big pocket to hold whatever. He wears elbow- and knee-pads, which are shaped like little turtle shells. He wears regular Vans-style tennies, and his mask is similar to Carapace’s, except it cover the majority of the front of his face (think Kid Flash), and is colored/patterned similarly to a box turtle, with red accents along his cheekbones and his little tuft of hair is his usual blond with an ombré to that same red. (Ignore the ear I forgot to color in plz, I don’t feel like editing anymore T-T)

Ok, so that’s it for today’s character designs! I’m working on redesigning pretty much everyone’s civilian and hero costumes. I haven’t mentioned on this blog, but on pretty much every Gabe!Salt fic I’ve read, I will tell you, whoever the hell designed most of the characters in MLB, you deserve to be fired and then arrested. I’m so sorry, but there’s no way ur gonna convince me Fashion Designer™️ Marinette Dupain-Cheng walks out of her house every day, wearing ugly ass ballet flats+”denim” jeggings in that shade of pink. No way. And don’t even get me started on Gabriel’s candy-cane, red pants and duck hair headass, because omg… that man is supposed to be a world renowned Fashion Designer™️, one of the best in Paris. IN. PARIS!! No fucking way. No way. I get, you want ur characters to be simple and easily recognizable, but that doesn’t mean they have to be ugly!! And I get it, Adrien’s supposed to have a model-off-duty look, but wth are those shoes? Plus, why does he never change for his photo shoots? He’s a MODEL! I get it, you can’t even spend money to change the transformation animation to whatever the characters are actually wearing but wtf??? If you were gonna have any kid’s show where we get to see a lot of different clothes/outfits, this would be the show!! Two of the main characters are fashion designers, one of the minor antagonists is the daughter of a fashion magazine owner and your other main character is a model. IN PARIS!! A city known for its fashion and “romance”. And ur telling me you can’t add a few more outfits to the show??? That’s called lazy writing/animation.

Ugh, sorry abt that rant, but the character designs genuinely piss me off. It’s bullshit.

I digress.

I’ll be releasing the main 4 kids’ redesigns probably on the 15th!!

[barrenclan]

I think overarching plot is relatively easy to come up with, but how do you come up with smaller more filler-like events for your stories, like the plum-bee spats and corm training with egret? I’m having some trouble filling in the flesh of my own story, and was wondering if you had any insight.

Oh boy, real softball questions! Haha, but I can try to give you an answer for these.

I think the best way I can explain the first question is how I wrote PATFW, since it was much more heavily structured than my other comic (and more recent).

So, I started with the premise, the characters, and the general arcs I wanted each of them to go through. The premise helped me to establish the guidelines of this world, what kind of tone I would have for the story - moody and mysterious, so I knew that comedy would not be as frequent and characters might often take a turn towards more realistic drama.

The arcs of each character came with understanding what I wanted to do with them - do I want this person to get better, or get worse? Will they be a force of antagonism, or a side character, will they live or die? What point am I trying to get across with this character? Those kind of questions helped me know how they would interact with each other as well, so for instance a character like Daffodilpaw being friendly and cheerful, with her arc, would interact a specific way with dramatic and egotistical Beeface, for her arc. (Sorry I can't be more specific, but the comic's not done yet.)

Once you have a strong understanding these things - tone and characters - it's not too hard to let the story percolate in your mind. There's nothing wrong with just letting ideas float around in the back of your brain, instead of trying to force them all out right away. I actually wrote the ending of PATFW a couple months after I had started the comic, because the characters naturally led me to that conclusion. Here's an example of what I'm talking about with tone and characters leading to a small interaction that I hadn't previously planned like you asked about:

I have Rainhaze, and Ranger. Rainhaze is kind and brave, but currently very lost. Ranger is sadistic and enjoys feeling in control. So, I need a plot reason for Ranger to have not found BarrenClan. Well, Rainhaze being self-sacrificial, told him that BarrenClan all died and he's the last survivor. When Ranger finds out, it makes him feel tricked - he doesn't like that, so he threatens to kill Rainhaze. Rainhaze is self-sacrificial, as previously mentioned, and is now showing some suicidal tendencies, so he doesn't care if Ranger kills him. But Ranger then refuses to do so, having regained control, and twists the knife by letting him live while feeling suicidal. That's a pretty grim scene, which fits with the tone of the story well.

There you go - that's an interaction I hadn't plotted out the story with, but I was able to come to naturally by understanding the characters, the way their arcs are moving, and the tone of the story.

For this question, it's a little more tricky. The sad, honest answer is that there is no reliable way to do this. That's kind of how the Internet works. Unless you pay money to advertise, I suppose, you can't push a button that says "popularity points" and have it spit out readers. And sadly, sometimes movement only comes after you grind away, day after day, and don't give up. Here's a few things that might help, though.

Use multiple platforms. It's simple, but the more places you post, the more eyes you'll catch. Different websites/apps have different readerbases, too - Webtoons, ComicFury, Instagram, DeviantArt, Tumblr, Hiveworks, and others all have varying levels of attention and algorithims, and work that you have to do to keep up with an audience. Find whatever feels right for you and focus on one or two, but keep the others in your periphery.

Be consistent. People are more likely to actually keep up with a comic that updates every single week, rather than that posts a page or two and then ghosts for a month. Cough, cough, maybe you'll say - but I always set out with this comic to be a side project, and posting asks like this helps me continue to engage with an audience even when I'm not completing issues.

DON'T CARE! I know that seems like counterproductive advice, but seriously; you have to be okay with the fact that you might not get any attention. If you make a comic with the set goal of being popular, or even just worry about having readers, you're going to make yourself miserable. Obviously having attention is more fun, and more motivating, I won't deny that. But you need to be just as happy making a comic for 3 people than 3000 to make something you're proud of and not burn out in the process. If you're making something earnest, fun, interesting, passionate - people will come eventually.

[mechazushi]

Calm Before The Storm {A Kn8 short story} [Directly inspired by Ch. 117] soooooo...spoilers

Kneeling on a pillow before a low peach wood desk, settled a man. A powerful man with a powerful presence, having long hair and dressed in dark purple robes with woven black silk and kaiju armor, fitting for a high ranking kaiju killer. He continued to write, unbothered by the audience before him. Standing at attention beside the official was a soldier in full regalia, his face obscured into anonymity.

"If that is everything, then everyone is dismised." Soshiro Hoshina, leader of the Hoshina clan, commanded to the squad leaders he had summoned to his personal office.

While the rest had bowed graciously and filed out in-sync, one had decidedly stayed behind against orders. Konomi Okonogi, an lower ranked advisor to the clan had stood unshaken before the forth son of the Hoshinas. She was waiting quietly for him to acknowledge her on his own. A small moment passed, filled with the quiet swishing and slicing of a stiff brush gliding over paper. The soldier, noticing that the advisor hadn't left had also noticed his commander refusing to acknowledge the wayward interloper. The soldier let out a muffled cough as a cover for him to disguise a nudge to his higher officer with his foot. Being jarred from his concentration on official paperwork, Soshiro finally decided to address the nosy advisor in the room.

"Is there something to be left said, Miss Okonogi? As you can see, everyone else had left."

"Yes, there is." The locally stationed advisor stated, "It's about your continued decision to employ someone with... lackluster talents as your personal guard. Your family remains ever concern about such choices."

"And they will continue to worry as they are prone to do so as blood relatives." Hoshina finally looked up from his work and looked at the advisor fully, "They may question it all they like, but it will not change the fact that I have made it." He looked back down dismissively to begin again on his paperwork.

"Since the fourth son of a somewhat prominent family is not in that high of demand, my guard's skills are sufficient enough for his task which, need I remind you, is escorting me across town to my family's manor and back. Nothing more." He resumed the meditative writing as a way of making his point clear and matter resolved.

Okonogi sniffed stiffly as she took the transgression silently. She bowed nonetheless and shuffled herself out the office door. After closing it behind her, the soldier let out a low sigh of relief. Hoshina chuckled to himself, somehow finding all of it funny.

"Ya know, for a group of people ya hardly see, they sure like to press on personal matters." The soldier finally spoke when he felt the sudden tension leave his shoulders.

"They're not pressing the matter, she is." Soshiro sighed as he started the process of cleaning up his brush, "She's being paid to question any decision I make that doesn't sound like any my family would make themselves." Hanging the brush on a rack and shuffling some items on his desk around for cleanliness sake, the commander eventually lifted himself from his kneeling position and let out a long and low groan as he stretched, satisfied.

"Come along, darling. After leading training and all of that paperwork, I feel a deep need for a cleansing." Soshiro said as he slid his hands into his oversized sleeves.

"I've told you not to call me that." The soldier's warning was muffled through the clay face mask he wore.

"Oh please, we're the only people on his side of the manor now. And in a few minutes, I get to call you whatever I want." Hoshina retaliated with a hint of joy undercutting the mocking statement.

The two of them filed out of the small office, the commander in front and his loyal body guard never far behind. It was well past sunset and the sky made it clear it was reaching late dusk. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the paper doors that lined the long hallway to the natural hot spring located on premises. Once they entered the outdoor bath and had closed the door, making sure it couldn't be opened easily, only then did the energy in the air begin to waver. It changed from official and stale, to feeling charged, almost teetering on playful or mischievous.

Soshiro found a lit candle on a nearby stool and followed his guard as they walked the stone path that lined the edge of the spring. Kafka did his part of unhooking metal lanterns that hung from tall wooden post high in the air and brought them down to chest level for Soshiro to light them. After making certain that any night breeze wouldn't extinguish the little flame easily, did Kafka hang the lantern back up and move on. They made a full lap around the spring and walked back to the front of the bath. Soshiro tugged on one end of a strip of leather that held back most of the glossy locks that draped from his regal head and sighed as its weight shifted.

"Well, are you going to help me or not?" The commander tittered playfully as he stoked his hair over his shoulder. He watched his soldier tug at the strings holding his face mask in place. A hand came up to rub away the thin sheen of sweat that had built up under it as the other placed the mask on a table.

"One of these days' we're gonna get caught because of your impatience" The soldier said as he made himself see clearly again.

Dropping the mask revealed the man underneath to be Kafka Hibino, once a lowly foot soldier in the Monkey squad, now currently having the coveted position of being Soshiro Hoshina's personal escort and body guard. A position he wasn't aiming for, but with how his relationship with the fourth son of the Hoshina's was going, it wasn't one he minded terribly. While it was blatant favoritism that earned him the position, it was clear to the both of them that it could never be trusted to anyone else. He began to walk over to where Soshiro was waiting patiently to have help removing the heavy Kaiju-leather plates that make up a hunter's armor.

"If you keep talking about it, eventually you'll make it so. I almost wonder if you want it to happen." Soshiro sang with a honeyed tone.

"It will happen if you don't fix the problem of not being able to keep your hands to yourself." Kafka stated as he began to mess with the ties holding the pauldrons to his shoulders. He smirked as he chuckled in his mind, thinking about all the times he had to stop his commander from launching himself across tables at people, from starting duels in the street, or making sure he didn't get caught with his hand snaking their way onto his body guard's... person.

"I haven't ever heard you complain about it before." His commander said with mock admonishment. He held onto the discarded pauldrons as Kafka began to work on the belts holding the chest piece in place. "Maybe it just means we're both rotten to the core." Hoshina continued to tease as he leaned back closer to Kafka's chest.

"It's not hard to be influenced by you when you make yourself so inviting." Kafka hummed as he leaned in closer to Soshiro's ear, "I just consider myself lucky that I'm the only one my commander had decided to make himself a completely vulnerable fool in front of." He whispered as his hands traveled southward, past the belt that held up the lower portion of armor and unexpectedly squeezed his partner's upper thigh.

Soshiro jabbed him with his elbow in retaliation, causing the two of them to giggle and make Kafka lose his grip on the belt. He finished with his task and helped remove the chest plate afterward. Once he gathered all the removed armor and set them on the table, did he offer himself up to his commander for the same courtesy. Kafka let him pull at the strings holding his helmet in place, the both of them knowing full well that he could do it himself. They knew as well that Soshiro liked the opportunity to hold his lover's face in his hands.

After taking off the helmet, Kafka took it out of Soshiro's hands so his could be free to caress his. A face marked with long healed scars and patchy scruff, it was a face he found only his commander seemed to truly love. Fingertips traced the edges of its rough details while eyes drank in its softer ones. The small maze of wrinkles that lined his lips and brow, those gem-like blue-green eyes that could melt snow capped mountains or freeze them solid, and that warmth of a good soul that seemed to seep from every piece of contact his lover's hands could make on his face. These details were expressed to him, time and time again, but he never believed them until he heard it straight from his commander's honest lips.

One hand removed itself from the helmet it was holding so it could trap Hoshina's and bring it closer to his lips, allowing a moment where Kafka could drink in the other's essence as well. Savoring the cool skin on his and smelling the ink and leather oil sunk deep into Soshiro's natural perfume, permanently etching his presence onto the ridges of Kafka's mind. He sniffed and sighed and kissed it lightly before he let it go. Kafka liked to watch intently as those same hands roamed his body, giving him the same care and attention to his armor that he gave to his commander. It wasn't long before he was stripped of his armor as well. He took it from Soshiro as laid it to rest next to the other pile on the table.

Hoshina began to busy himself with removing the cloth robes that remained, not giving them any loving courtesy like the armor was given. They were quickly shed onto the stones before Soshiro stepped foot into the searing warmth of the spring water. Dunking his head in, he resurfaced swiftly and smoothed away some errant strands of hair from his vision. He began to tug on the last of the leather strip that held the rest of his hair back as he watched Kafka from the borders of the spring. As it all fell down heavily, Soshiro busied his hands with sweeping it behind his shoulders while he continued to rudely gawk at his partner undressing.

He had seen that man naked more times than he had seen himself, and he never tired from the view. Strong muscle wrapped and coiled around the soldier's arms while his torso held a softer image. Hoshina knew better than to doubt that rounded appearance, having seen and certainly felt what that upper body was capable of. His tongue darted out and swiped across his lips in reaction to seeing the top shirt being removed fully and folded onto the table. He moved closer to the rounded stone skirting of the small pool and saddled up to the edge in quiet anticipation. As Kafka's hands reached to waist of his pants, they stilled as he developed the familiar sensation of being watched.

"Do you really have to stare at me every time I undress?" Kafka called back, not bothering to turn around to confirm his suspicions.

"Do you have to act like a bashful maiden every time I do?" Soshiro teased as he stayed rooted to his spot.

Hoshina found himself biting his lip as Kafka just sighed and removed the rest of his clothing. He moved out of the way as Kafka strode over and began to act as if he was about to enter the pool, only to sweep the discarded robes off the floor and smirked coyly at Soshiro as he walked away with them

"I don't know why it bothers you so much. It's not like I haven't had you under me or anything." Soshiro teased back as he watched Kafka continue to put away the discarded attire.

"You start up that kind of attitude this early and I'm leaving." Kafka grumbled as his cheeks flushed bright red.

"If you're not in the mood, just say so." His commander pouted as he turned away from him in slacking scorn.

"Only because I'd like a chance to actually relax first." Kafka said with easy-going indignance. He returned to the pool holding the jade comb they used whenever they came to the spring together. Soshiro scoffed, but shifted himself into position anyway as his partner carefully splashed his way in.

"It would work that way as well. Hell's, I'd like to think that you would end up more relaxed by the time I was done." he joked as he leaned back into Kafka's awaiting lap, propping himself up between his knees.

"You're incorrigible." Kafka sighed as he shook his head.

He spent the passing time slowly raking the comb through the long silken strands of Soshiro's hair, taking care to brush slowly and chip away at any knots going from bottom to top. After making sure it was free of tangles, did he take more of their time combing through it all in long passes, just to savor the feeling. Soshiro reveled in the attention, never not once hating the feeling of being attended to like this. Sure, he had servants help him dress in the morning and even do his hair, but none of it felt the same as when it was done by someone he loved. Every few passes of the comb, he would feel short nails caress and scritch as his scalp, removing an itch that he didn't realize was even there. On windless nights, Soshiro could hear a deep, reverberating hum from the depths of Kafka's chest, usually a marching chant or a drinking hymn. The repeated, loving motions, the all-encompassing blanket of warmth, paired with the harmony of the wind and leaves matching the water and waves lapping at the stone beat for beat. Hoshina would willingly go penny-less and destitute, sick and infirm, if it meant he got to keep these moments forever.

Deep in the cavern of his blissfully silent mind, it took a while for Soshiro to notice that Kafka had stopped brushing and took up plaiting the infinite length. To be honest, he wasn't a fan of it. Leaving in the braid too long usually bent it into weak crimps and he could already hear the judging murmurs of his servants who had to deal with it in the morning. He was aware that Kafka was just the type of person who always felt the need to keep his hands busy. A trait that benefited him when it came to squad relations. Rarely was there ever an idle task when Kafka was released from his body guard duties. It was just how he spent his time relaxing, but did Kafka really have to take it out on his hair?

"You're doing it again." Soshiro muttered lazily, not bothering to stop his lover.

"I know." Kafka responded simply, the smile unmistakable in his soft voice.

"You know everyone hates it when you do that." The commander sighed. He heard a puffy chuckle before Kafka responded.

"Do you know why I do it anyway?" he said as he held his hand out for the leather hair tie.

"Mmm... Humor me." Soshiro softly moaned and he began to feel those gentle hands move again.

"Because no one knows it's me." He whispered, "Because it makes your hair do a fun little dance for me as I follow you around. It's something I do to you that lets me remember that I'm yours." He finished curling the long braid around itself into a snug bun and cinched it up with the leather cord

"And you're mine." Kafka tacked on tenderly, along with a quick peck to an unsuspecting commander's forehead.

"Well then... I guess I can't bring myself to hate it as well." Soshiro declared as he lifted himself to a higher sitting position.

"Especially after hearing something so sweet." He scooted himself more fully into Kafka's lap and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

Their lips touched and moved languidly against each other. No need to rush or to stop was felt when they started, and there wouldn't be for the rest of all their night together. Such was the case when two lovers fell into a wanting dance. Kafka softly sighed as his partner's hand tugged at the hairs of his nape and soothingly massaged the back of his neck. Soshiro beamed as he felt his soldier's sharp teeth and pointed canines pull teasingly at his lower lip, causing a breathy giggle. Hibino broke away from the dance first, deciding to slowly lavish a trail of wet kissed down the taut plains of Hoshina's neck. He tasted the sulfur of the water and the salt of the sweat as he savored the journey to the hard edges of his bath-mate's bare shoulder.

It was there that Kafka decided to stop his conquest and inhale his lover's scent once again. Breathing deep and slow, he made his mind expand and bask in all that he could feel, all he could sense. His arms unconsciously tightened around Soshiro's waist as a wisp of melancholy seeped into his heart. His nose nuzzling its way back up the path he made on the neck felt very much different from the moments they were making before. Hoshina dug deep into his will to separate their chests from each other so he could look his love in the eyes. He felt his smile carry a hint of the melancholy that had seemed to enter Kafka's heart as well as invaded the sanctity of his expressive face. A hand traveled from Kafka's broad chest to tease the corner of his lips into a happier expression.

"Your mind is very loud again. It's practically coming out of your eyes." Soshiro huffed quietly as he continued to watch the other's face shift through different shades of the same emotion.

"It's just... this... the world... something's been feeling off lately. Like this isn't going to last forever." Kafka's voice rumbled with the weight that he had been feeling on his shoulders.

"You're manifesting again." Soshiro called back, thinking a joke would help lighten the mood.

"It doesn't feel like that. More so like a... premonition. A gut feeling that's arrived and hasn't left." Kafka brought his face closer, rubbing his nose against Soshiro's and sought comfort and warmth in their closeness, "I keep waking up in the morning, thinking that it's going to be the last time I get to see you. It scares me."

"I would rather be stabbed through the heart before I let things stay that way between us." His lover affirmed solidly as he brought both of his hands to cage Kafka's face, "This isn't coming from what Miss Okonogi said earlier about my family, is it?"

"I wish its origins were that simple. I've had this feeling for a while now." Kafka's gaze softened even more as he basked in their continued embrace.

"If that feeling gets worse, I want you to remind yourself of one thing." Soshiro spoke softly, treating each word like a fragile feather.

"And what's that?" Kafka whispered back, a flicker of hope sparkling in the shape of his lips twitching into a smile.

"No matter what comes, no matter what happens, may it be something trivial, or the ending of the world, I will be yours." Soshiro placed a gentle kiss on the bridge of Kafka's nose as he continued to promise, "And I will find you no matter where, no matter when, and tell you that, over and over again. In as many different ways as needed until you never feel like this again."

They continued to indulge in each other's comforting presence until their tired minds couldn't take being awake anymore. Even as Kafka felt his mind be overtaken with the inescapable need for sleep, his mind echoed his partner's sentiment over and over again. He knew those words were true, and knew better than to doubt a promise from his commander and lover, but it affected little to the growing fear that leeched onto the fibers of his emotions. One thing he said did seep in however. He knew, really and truly knew, that they would find each other. Again and again.

No matter what.

[wazzappp]

ADA TIME

Given her very fun grapple mechanic and nature of weaving webs of plans to best benefit her, I thought a spider would be the obvious creepy crawly to base her off of!

The most obvious mutation is her secondary set of arms. These are extensions of the plagas limbs, similar to Ashley’s wings. UNLIKE Ashley’s wings though, these arms have bones (a loss for the crabs unfortunately). This is because they are VERY STRONG and capable of holding Ada (as well as others) body weight and this muscle needs a rigid structure to pull on. The keratin layers of her armor will help defend her from attacks but they aren’t a strong enough structure to constitute a real exoskeleton. They have 3 fingers and 1 thumb, and are less dextrous than Ada’s primary hands.

The claws and grooves in her fingers on both her primary and secondary hands are to help her keep hold of and manage her web. Her silk comes from spinnerets located on her mid back on either side of her spine. They house her silk glands, spinnerets, and muscular valve which allows her to control when web comes out. Spider silk at this thickness would be stronger than steel, and around 1/5th the weight! It clumps at the end to allow for easier throwing to other areas so she essentially has a natural grappling hook. She could also use it as a weapon, like a whip.

MOAR MANDIBLES. MOAR EYES. RAAAAAGHHHHHH.

Ada's primary eyes are the only ones with eyelids. Her secondary eyes located on her cheekbones and brow-bone always remain open. They greatly increase her awareness of her surroundings by widening her peripheral vision. Cant get snuck up on if you can see real far around you.

Her mandibles tuck into her mouth, just behind her teeth. They fit through a hole made in her teeth that was made by removing her top canine. To keep the appearance of a normal smile, she has a false tooth on the front of her first mandibular joint that fits where the original would be. These mandibles have venomous fangs at the ends that allow her to bite as self defense. There are flexible sections that allow for the mandibles to easily extend and retract in and out of her mouth comfortably (well. relatively comfortably).

Her general proportions are slightly elongated. Being stretched slightly at the joints. This applies to her primary arms and legs, which also have an armor plating to allow for more impactful kicks.

NOW. BEHAVIORAL CHANGES. Ada will feel most comfortable when resting on a web that she has woven. The high concentration of nerves on her fingertips allow her to sense any vibrations that may travel through her web, so she is always aware of any threat at any time. This also encourages her to become a more tactile person. Understanding the texture, shape, and temperature of something through touch will become very important to her understanding of the world.

[badlydrawnmanic]

baldur’s gate 3 has once again taken over my life and i low key wanna draw the playable characters as mobians because i have crossover / furry brain disease + edits

to no one’s surprise astarion is a bat because, well. vampires, and his secret isn’t exactly hard to figure out before the reveal cutscene. he himself may not be associated with bats but you get it

gale is kinda tough for me to pin down because he’s both plain but not at all at the same time. his personality doesn’t fit cat despite his light association with them through tara, but hedgehog is seemingly considered a default even to the sonic series itself much like human is in dnd, so that might work. his hair is also kinda makes me think of a lion and that has a bit more character to it

karlach is undoubtedly my favorite. outside of fire one of her bigger unique design bits is her broken horn which i’d wanna keep fairly the same. sheep would fit the curled shape but she doesn’t really have a soft vibe that comes along with sheep. maybe some sort of cow-like animal. big and powerful. friend suggested she be a boar instead of minsc which i could roll with. confused for a hellsboar by wyll

lae’zel is supposed to be markedly different from the other characters, so i’m thinking either some kind of reptile / amphibian or something entirely alien in that it’s a beast from the dnd universe. while they aren’t associated with the githyanki there’s gremishka in the creche and that might be just interesting enough to work. big ears. friend also suggested a skink specifically and people seem to think she's very frog even if i don't see it lol

shadowheart is also relatively normal. was thinking wolf for a time but honestly she had cat vibes + that would sort of play into her and lae’zel being kinda similar despite being from fundamentally different places / backgrounds. friend suggested a squirrel? will consider

wyll feels like he’d be some kind of dog given the general good boy-ness of him, loyalty, etc, plus it kinda plays into how mizora talks about him. naturally his “you didn’t kill karlach” form would be a hellhound. friend mentioned fox but i think dog is more fitting

halsin is a bear and there is nothing difficult about this whatsoever

i haven’t done an evil run yet where i recruit minthara but i know she’s a lolth sworn drow and they’re associated with spiders and that would be kinda cool. friend suggested wolf for her also

minsc would probably also be a dog. even though repeats are a bit lame, he was a protagonist in another group of characters from another baldur’s gate so it’s fine. one of those stupidly huge breeds that look more like lions than dogs. if not a dog than maybe a boar. friend suggested a ferret but i think he needs beef to him. wolverine maybe?

jaheira also being from the other baldur’s gate game could probably be a repeat too. slightly cranky old cat but she loves you in her own way. would also contrast with minsc. if not a cat then i could see her as a deer i think. i somehow forgot that the game's ai defaults her wildshape to a panther when you're battling alongside her in moonrise towers so panther it is

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Kara gets roped into the RenFaire scene one summer as a face painter because a) she's an art major, and b) she's an art major who needs money. Her friend Nia has worked concessions there since she was old enough to get her workers permit, and swears to Kara that its a great place to work if she doesn't mind the occasional heat wave.

Which, to Nia's credit, is true. Except what Nia forgets to mention is that the resident RenFaire fiddler will make Kara feel like she's living in a permanent heat wave.

The fiddler's name is Lena, and she's gorgeous. Long raven locks and skin like ivory, wearing frocks of green leaves and shimmering wings, she looks like something out of a fairytale.

There's an invisible threshold between the summerbounders and those who have made the Faire their home, marked only by how naturally they fit in their medieval, fantastical roles. Summerbounders, like Kara, throw themselves into it with all the good-hearted cheesey pomp they can muster. The others, well-- they simply are their roles.

Lena is of the latter group. She was raised in the Faire, after all, spending her summers flitting between booths while her mother sold charms to enchanted patrons. But even when her mother passed, Lena didn't want for love. The Faire is her family too.

For her part, Lena immediately takes a shine to Kara, quickly noting her kindness towards children while she paints whimsical designs on cheeks and foreheads. But when Kara seems to clam up and shut down any time Lena comes anywhere close, Lena learns to keep a relative distance. Kara isn't about to approach Lena herself, so they fall into a pattern of mutual admiration from afar.

Until Nia asks Kara how she likes Lena (bc Nia lowkey shipped them when she suggested the job to Kara), and is surprised to learn they have yet to have a single meaningful conversation.

All right. That's it.

Nia invites Kara to a sleepover at the faire grounds overnight, for those who camp there-- among which is Lena. Surely, with the glitter wiped away and the lack of wings Kara will be less blinded and more... personable.

Except that after getting some mead in her system, Kara is even more entranced by Lena. How could she not be, with a speck of overlooked glitter on Lena's neck, glinting merrily in the firelight, and her long dark hair let loose around her shoulders.

But now, mellowed by said mead, Kara can't bring herself to look away when Lena catches her staring. Their eyes lock, and Lena's surprise soon gives way to a blush, then a smile as warm as the fire between them.

Lena doesn't play her fiddle this night-- everyone is pleasantly tired, and content to lounge on their logs and stumps. But someone does pull out a lyre, and Kara does notice that Lena softly sings along to the tune most everyone seems to know.

When Nia and another of the folks seated next to Kara rises to fetch a refill of their tankards, Kara blinks to find a new figure filling their empty seats.

"Hi," Lena greets, her voice low in her throat. The sound is heady, buzzing deep in Kara's core.

"Hey," Kara returns. Thankfully, the drink has smoothed her tongue, eliminating the stammer that previously caught in her throat had Lena approached her at the face painting station.

"You've been avoiding me," she's told.

Kara grimaces. "Kinda... I'm sorry."

"Well, so long as it's not because I smell bad...."

Though of course now Kara breathes in, and her lungs fill with the scent of woodsmoke and pine, and something floral. The floral, she surmises, is Lena.

To be sure, Kara leans in and inhales once again, this time with her nose just brushing the side of Lena's neck. The floral is in fact Lena. Kara notes the jumping pulse point in before her eyes and the catch in Lena's breath.

"Nope," she pulls back languidly, letting a goofy grin spread across her features. "You don't stink."

They're still perilously close, and Kara watches how Lena's gaze jumps from her eyes to her lips and back again. How has she missed this, Kara marvels at herself. To have missed Lena's interest in her is... a travesty.

Lena's head is turned towards her like the rest of the group has fallen away, and perhaps they have-- Kara takes little note of them.

"You're very smooth for someone who's been scared to be within ten feet of me."

"What can I say?" Kara shrugs. "I know to be wary of the fair folk."

"Fair or faire?" Lena teases.

Kara smirks. "I'm sure both are equally dangerous."

"Then you're doomed, considering I already have your name."

Suddenly Kara's brain shortcircuits as Lena leans in, eyes slipping shut as their lips come near enough to brush as Lena speaks.

"Kara."

[chaoticpuff17]

Amygdala

Masterlist

Hey ya'll, sorry it's been a minute. School and kiddos have been crazy and I just haven't had time to write!--- chaotic puff

Chapter 13

Margot woke up the next morning back in bed with no recollection of how she’d gotten there. She had to assume it was Yoongi who as far as she could tell was not in the bed with her, much to her relief. 

With a groan, Margot sat up willing herself to start the day despite the voice in her head nagging at her to stay under the covers and hope that this was all a terrible dream, but she knew it wasn’t and hiding wouldn’t do her any good. She’d be much better off exploring her new enclosure and figuring out exactly what she was dealing with. But first she needed a shower. She found a good hot shower fixed a lot of things. It wouldn’t change her circumstances, but it would make her feel a little better. 

As much as she didn’t like the situation, Margot had to admit that she was completely in love with Yoongi’s bathroom. The shower was spacious with a little bench indented into one wall that would be a godsend for shaving her legs, and there were two different shower heads, one on each side of the shower. Clearly this shower had been made with multiple people in mind which sent a wave of anxiety through her. 

Margot brushed the feeling off, knowing there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Dwelling on what features Yoongi had picked for his home would only cause her more worry, and after the events of the previous night, she was fairly convinced that Yoongi had lost his mind, becoming fixated on delusions of what their relationship could have been. 

Washed, dried, and wrapped in a deliciously warm and fluffy towel, Margot wandered out of the bathroom in search of something to wear, finding the closet fairly easily. 

Half of the space was filled with Yoongi’s clothes, an assortment of jeans and tshirts, sweatshirts and joggers, and flannels. These were things that she expected. There was also an assortment of other things, things that didn’t fit with the image of Yoongi that still lingered in her brain from their college days: dress shirts, suits, expensive watches, jewelry, shiny dress shoes. Even if she wasn’t personally used to seeing him in suits and shiny shoes, she supposed that he needed to curate a certain image as the head of his own enterprise, even if it was a criminal one.

The other half of the closet was bare, and she swiftly came to the conclusion that that was her side of the closet and that the boxes piled there were meant for her. Upon further examination, the boxes were filled with her things: her clothes, her shoes, her jewelry. 

Another spike of anxiety shot through her. 

He hadn’t asked for permission or her opinion. He’d simply acted. Within a matter of hours he’d managed to have her life packed up and brought to him as if it was the most simple thing in the world. As grateful as she was to have her own things, Margot was also sick at the idea of her entire life being so easily transmuted, seamlessly stitched together with Yoongi’s as though this was all natural. 

Shaking off her quickly darkening thoughts as best she could, Margot began the process of digging through the boxes in search of something to wear. Eventually, she would need to unpack, but for now she was going to search for her comfy clothes and leave the boxes for another time in the vain hope that Yoongi would snap out of his delusions and allow her to go home. 

Eventually Margot was able to find a comfortable sleeveless mock neck shirt and a stretchy pair of palazzo pants that would work well enough. She’d even managed to dig out one of her many cardigans to keep herself warm in the chill of the air conditioning. She tried not to think about who had packed her clothes or the box of her intimates which had been one of the first boxes she’d stumbled across. 

With her cardigan pulled tightly around her, Margot left the relative safety of the bedroom to explore the rest of the house. Yoongi had been the one to take her to and from every room she’d been in so far except for the brief walk from the kitchen to the open living area. She had no idea how big the house actually was or if she had any limits on where she could and could not go within it. Yoongi had said that this was her home too, a horrifying thought in of itself, but he hadn’t established if there were any boundaries within the house. She knew well enough that she couldn’t leave the house unsupervised, but there had been no mention of any part of the house being off limits. But before she could do any real exploration of the house, she desperately needed some caffeine.

The house might have been strange to her, but at the very least she remembered where the kitchen was. 

Slowly, Margot made her way down the hallway to the staircase that would bring her to the lower level of the apartment where the kitchen was situated. 

She found that the penthouse looked much different in the daylight. The night had cast long shadows over everything that combined with the low lighting had made everything seem dark and dismal, the perfect hideout for a criminal mastermind. It was different with light streaming through the floor to ceiling windows that made up several walls of the apartment. The space was actually much more light and airy than she had previously thought. 

The walls were painted either in shades of light gray or in white with a cheery wood floor beneath her bare toes as she explored. The sofa was a soft white color with a multitude of throw pillows decorating it in muted shades of blue, off white, and what seemed to her to be a terracotta orange. Artwork covered several of the walls, and as she looked around she couldn’t find a single piece of furniture or decor that she would have objected to having in her own home. Of course everything here cost far more than she would have been willing to spend on furnishing an apartment, and it lacked the random knick-knacks she had collected over the years. Everything else was designed to her taste. The color palette especially would have suited her college aged self who had favored those soft autumnal shades of blues and reds that she saw on the sofa. 

As she looked at it all, she was struck quite clearly with the thought that this didn’t just suit her design preferences, even if the color palette was a little outdated, it had been designed for her. Yoongi had built a home with her in mind and had simply waited for the day that he could bring her back to it. 

“Min buin.” A voice called, bringing her attention to the young man who was standing in the entrance to the kitchen watching her with a warily, almost as though he was sizing her up. 

Margot didn’t recognize him, but she had to assume that he was a part of the security team that Yoongi had assigned to her. 

“You one of my babysitters?” She asked, folding her arms under her chest as she pulled her cardigan a little tighter around herself, one foot shifting to be perched on top of the other as she watched the unknown man.

“Kant Chul, ma’am.” He introduced himself with a respectful bow. 

“Buin.” Another voice called, as Yeong stepped out of the kitchen to greet her. “The boss had to step out to take care of some things.” He explained answering a question she hadn’t even thought to ask yet. “He asked us to get you anything you need until he returns later.” 

She sighed, shifting her weight so that both feet were once more on the ground. “You don’t need to call me ‘buin’. I’m not his wife.” 

“It’s a sign of respect, ma’am. As the boss’ woman you’re to be treated with great care and deference.” 

She chuckled a little at that partially because of the situation itself and partly because she hadn’t expected someone working for a gang to be so eloquent. 

“Did he say when he’d be back?” 

“No, ma’am.” Yeong shook his head, the other man keeping silent as Yeong spoke to her. “There was an…” he paused searching for the right word to use for the situation. “Emergency at work that required the boss’ continued attention.” 

“Ah.” She nodded. “Same thing that dragged him away yesterday?” She didn’t particularly care what it was that was keeping Yoongi away. She was just happy she didn’t have to wake up in the same bed as him, but it was polite to continue the conversation. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Right. Well, could either of you show me where he keeps his stash of tea and where the mugs are?” She asked, moving towards the kitchen. “I desperately need some caffeine.” 

Chul piped up, speaking for the first time since Yeong had made his appearance. “I can get you a cup of coffee, buin.” 

Yeong scoffed, whacking the other man upside the head lightly. “Yah. Don’t you know she doesn't drink coffee? How long have you been on her detail?” He scolded. 

“I‘ll be just fine with a cup of tea.” She told them both, amused by how relaxed they both seemed despite the situation and despite the fact they were meant to be keeping her prisoner in the house. “Have either of you had breakfast yet?” She asked as Yeong moved to get her a mug and find her a selection of teas to choose from. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Yeong answered, giving her a soft smile. “We ate before our shift started.” 

“Don’t you think it’s a little weird to be taking shifts to guard one woman?” She asked, staring at Yoongi’s bland white mugs in distaste. There was no pizazz to them, no personality. 

“The boss is very concerned with your safety, ma’am.” Yeong answered. It was the same party line she’d been given the day before. 

“Of course.” She scoffed. “This has nothing to do with the fact that your boss is delusional and paranoid. It’s totally normal for someone to need at least two people with them at all times to go places.” 

“The boss just wants to keep you safe, buin.” Chul piped up, placing a selection of tea down in front of her. 

She picked a nice looking green tea, but before she could move to start making it herself, Chul had already taken her selection and started the motions himself. 

“I can make my own tea.” She moved to try to stop him, feeling odd having the two strangers waiting on her, but Yeong stopped her, gently directing her to sit at one of the stools at the island. 

“It’s our job to look after you, ma’am.” He told her gently. “Last night must have been… difficult for you. Let Chul make you a cup of tea.” 

“I feel kinda useless if I’m not doing anything.” She admitted, fighting with her fingers, eyes fixated not the dark red polish on her nails. 

Yeong nodded understandingly. “Have you had breakfast yet, buin?” She shook her head no. “Then you can help me get something started. The boss wouldn’t be very happy if we let you starve.”

“Is he ever really happy?” 

Yeong paused for a moment as he opened the fridge in search of ingredients. “Since I got the order to look after you, buin, he’s been happier than I’ve ever seen him.” Margot stared at him blankly. “I’ve never seen the boss like this about anyone.” Yeong explained. 

“He’s threatened everyone within an inch of their lives if anything happens to you.” Chul added on. “He’s damn scary when he wants to be.” 

Margot couldn’t disagree with that. Yoongi terrified her to the very core of her being, and yet there were times she couldn’t help but to still see him as the boy she’d known in college. If he terrified her when he was trying in his own twisted way to woo her, she could only imagine what he was like with people he was actually trying to scare. 

“He’s not a bad boss though!” Chul hurried to add as though he was frightened his comment would get back to Yoongi. “And watching you isn’t a bad gig! It’s been pretty easy so far!” 

“Glad I could make your lives less difficult.” She commented dryly. 

“It’s an honor to be trusted with something the boss considers so precious.” Yeong explained, a little more eloquently than his partner. “What would you like to eat, buin?” 

She shook her head, leaning against the island as Chul placed a cup of tea in front of her. “Nothing. I’m not really hungry this morning. Bit nauseous actually.” 

Chul nodded understandingly before turning to rummage through the cupboards as Yeong looked at her worriedly. 

“The boss won’t like you not eating.” 

“Well as the cause of my nausea he can fuck off.” 

A bowl was set down in front of her with a clink. Margot looked up to see Chul grinning at her. 

“A little rice might help settle your stomach. Empty stomachs don’t help nausea.” 

She wanted to argue, but she knew he was right, and it was sweet of him to try to help. 

“Thank you.” 

Slowly, she dipped her spoon into the rice, taking a small bite.

“So what would you like to do today, buin?” 

Margot stared at him blankly, unsure if he actually wanted her to answer that or not. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was allowed to do within the bounds of the Yoongi’s control. “The boss never said you couldn’t go out.” Yeong explained just as gently as he had been explaining everything else, allowing her to keep some of her dignity. “You just have to have your security with you, and the boss needs to know where you’ll be.”

“It’s a safety issue.” Chul chimed in. 

Margot cast her gaze down to her mug sitting beside the half eaten bowl of rice. She couldn’t pin down why, but the plain white dishware grated at her nerves. There wasn’t even a pattern or a design to break up the stark white on either of the pieces of dishware. There wasn’t a chip or scratch to suggest that it had been well loved. It was just white, plain undiluted white.

Margot sighed, turning away from the dishes and her irrational dislike of them, a headache beginning to take form just behind her eyes, and a deep exhaustion settling in her bones despite the fact she’d only just woken up. 

“I think I just want to lie down.” she admitted, missing the comfort of her own bed. 

“Are you alright, buin?” Yeon asked, eyeing her with concern. 

“I’m just a little tired.” she said, sending him a brittle smile. Every bit of her felt brittle these days. “I didn’t sleep very well last night.” 

—————

Yoongi arrived back home more than a little pissed off. He’d had to spend the entire day away because his men were too incompetent to deal with problems without him, and as a result he hadn’t gotten to be with Margot on her first day in their home. 

Overall, he was tired and upset and a little more than ready to see the love of his life, but when he entered the apartment, everything was silent and still as it normally was. There was no immediate sign of Margot or any other living person in the space setting his already rankled nerves even further on edge. 

“Margot?” he called, stepping further into the apartment. 

There were a few lights on, but they were dimmed, a barely there glow over the space. 

“Boss.” Seongnam, a member of Margot’s security team, appeared out of the kitchen bowing respectfully.

“Where is Margot?” Yoongi demanded, eyes scanning over the apartment in search of her even as he asked, and a wave of relief sweeping through him as he spotted a lump on the couch covered in a throw blanket. 

“She had a migraine today, sir.” Seongnam stated. “She’s sleeping on the sofa right now.” 

“A migraine?” Yoongi asked, head tilted slightly to the side. 

It was a problem he wasn’t unfamiliar with. She had gotten them from time to time when they were in college, usually when she was under a significant amount of stress. 

“Yes, sir.” Seongnam nodded. “She took some pain medication and has been asleep for a few hours now.” 

Yoongi hummed in understanding, his eyes still fixed on Margot where she laid dead to the world on the sofa. 

“If I could say, sir…” Seongnam began again, hesitant as though he was unsure how the mob boss would react to what he was about to say. “I think the move has been hard on her.” 

“Did she go out at all today?” Yoongi asked, making his way over to her and taking a seat beside her, eyes scanning to make sure that she was alright.

“No, sir. She wasn’t feeling well and spent the majority of the day on the couch.” 

“Thank you,Seongnam.” Yoongi sighed, smoothing a hand over her sleep rumbled hair. “I’ll take care of her from here.” 

The other man bowed, leaving the couple alone. 

Yoongi looked down at Margot, a frown marring his features. 

Logically he’d known that there was no way she was gone. He knew that, but arriving home to a still house without any obvious signs of her presence had sent a bolt of panic through him. He didn’t like the idea that being here with him caused her stress, but he liked the idea of her being gone even less. Not knowing where she was even for a moment, had caused his mind to jump to the worst case scenario. 

He knew it wasn’t healthy. He knew it bordered a little on the obsessive, but he’d only just gotten her back, and being unable to be with her on her first day in their home especially given the circumstances in which the move had happened had already put him on edge. 

His fingers curled into the strands of her hair, playing with it as he calmed down. She’d very rarely let him play with her hair back in college. She’d always said that it tickled uncomfortable or that people tugged too hard, but when she didn’t feel well, she would let him play with her hair, curled into his side like a contented cat as he mindlessly twirled the strands and let them run through his fingers. He did that now almost subconsciously, a natural response to the knowledge that she didn’t feel well. 

Part of him felt a twinge of guilt at the state she was in. He knew that stress caused her to get migraines, and here she was after a stressful transition with a migraine, her foot peeking out from beneath the blanket still bandaged from the broken glass the night before. He’d wanted nothing more than to keep her safe, and yet she was in worse shape than when he’d brought her home. 

Despite knowing that, there was no part of him that had even considered the possibility of letting her go. He couldn’t even if he’d wanted to, but he also couldn’t let her wither and fade in his care. He wanted her happy and healthy. A faded and diminished version of her was not his goal, and he wouldn’t let that happen to her. 

“I’m sorry, jagi.” He whispered, brushing a stray piece of hair away from her face. “I’ll do better. I promise.” 

part 14

[elminx]

Energy Update: August 2024

August is a “7” Universal Month [8 (August) + 8 (2024) = 16 – 1+6 = 7] in an “8” Universal Year. “7” is the number of the mystic or the Other-Traveller, and 7 months also tend to carry this energy. This is very in line with a month where the major astrological transits are Mercury’s third retrograde of the year.

The Set Up

We begin the month of August with the Sun and Venus in Leo, Mercury in Virgo, Mars and Jupiter in Gemini, retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, Uranus in Taurus, and retrograde Pluto in Capricorn. By month’s end, the Sun will have entered Virgo, Venus will have moved all the way through Virgo and onto Libra, and Mercury will have retrograded back into the sign of Leo.

The Nitty Gritty

All eyes are on Mercury who is deep in their pre-retrograde shadow by the beginning of August. Mercury will retrograde from 04° Virgo on 8/4 to 21° Leo on 8/28, so most of the month will be pre-occupied by this transit. This is THE big transit of the month; I have written in detail about Mercury retrograde here. Otherwise, we are in for a pretty standard month. We’re moving through the late summer signs, and things are heating up and slowing down. We need to keep an eye on our full moon in Aquarius with its multiple t-squares and the Venus-Mars square we will experience this month.

Our Sun is well placed in its home sign this month, but all of our other personal planets are out of whack in some way or another: Mercury is retrograde, Venus is in her fall, and Mars can’t make heads or tails of Gemini. This is going to show up in our world as all of us will be a little bit off track all month long. Step away from the grind, if you can, because you can’t get there from here right now, no matter what you do.

I’m trying something a little bit different this month and looking at our personal planet individually here – please refer to The Details section for specific dates and transits.

The Sun and Moon

As the Sun moves through Leo, it makes relatively positive aspects (sextiles) with the North Node and Chiron in Aries and a harsh square with Uranus in Taurus. Leo is our fixed fire sign and represents the true nature of the summer season—life gets slow and hot while the Sun transits the sign of the lion. We might as well make like cats and enjoy it. Leo can sometimes be known for laziness, but it is better viewed as a conservation of energy. Move when you have to this month, surely, but don’t be afraid to take a long nap in the heat of things. Things will not move quickly this month – you will not miss out if you step away from the fire for a bit of well-earned rest.

Both of our lunar events involve our Leo Sun and carry a lot of heat and pride. Beware of your ego, and remember to share the space in your life with those you care about. Our month begins with the Sun in exact aspects with our lunar nodes on the Aries/Libra axis – this is a check-in with the greater theme we’ve been experiencing around individuality versus dependency. Leo – especially in its more immature forms is so egoic that they may immediately side with Aries and their independent streak, but there’s a deeper stream at work here. Leos are pack animals; they function best when they have found their pride. Part of that is putting yourself aside and understanding how you fit into the bigger picture. This theme will run through both our Leo new moon and our Aquarius full moon.

Our new moon on 8/5 at 12° Leo is a good day to have a good day. It is not heavily aspected – the Sun and Moon will be in a wide sextile to Jupiter in Gemini, which certainly is encouraging, and that’s really it. It carries with it the energy of 1 and 8.

5 (Leo moon) + 5 (Leo Sun) = 10 = 1+0 = 1. 1 (Leo new moon) + 7 (August 2024) = 8.

Note here that “1” is the number inherent in ALL Leo new moons – they are always a good day to be yourself and to start over. (See above how Leo loves Aries, sign #1) “8” is the number for the Leo new moon in August 2024. “8” is also our number for the year; “8” years take us on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. But what goes down must come up, and what goes up must come down. This is yet ANOTHER indication that 8/4 is a great day to change where you are in that equation. This is a new moon that you can use to rebalance your life – note here that “8” is also the number of Leo, and the Strength card (traditionally shown with a lion) is the card associated with the sign. Any work done with the number 8, the ouroboros, or the Strength card will be augmented by this energy.

On the other hand, our full moon on 8/19 at 27° Aquarius is our glaring warning sign for the month. The Sun and Moon will form a harsh fixed t-square with Uranus in Taurus that will be further aggravated by retrograde Mercury closely conjunct with the Sun and a secondary mutable t-square between Jupiter in Gemini, Venus in Virgo, and retrograde Saturn in Pisces. T-squares are always worth noting because they create a lot of tension on the “hinge” planet (in this case, Uranus for our fixed t-square and Jupiter for our mutable). Something is bound to give. And when it does, it’s likely to be explosive.

Uranus isn’t known for its stability (it erodes/corrodes everything it touches, much like its namesake), and slow-moving Taurus becomes a ticking time bomb with bull.exe on the back end.

Sometimes, Uranian fuses are duds. That’s how unpredictable Uranus is. I want you to understand that I am not trying to incite fear or panic—we are talking about astrological weather reports here. Uranus puts explosivity in play. Whether the card gets drawn is not up to us—not really, not when Uranus is involved.

This is to say that if you have control over it, avoid things that have the potential for explosions on and around the full moon in August. Let’s be real here – we all get a little bit loony around the full moons, and tempers get high. We all know somebody who worked in healthcare or retail and has horror stories about how the public acts around a full moon. This one is likely to turn the dial up to 11. I would avoid the interstates and political protests and stay out of the way of any wall clouds – you know, if you can. Sometimes, you don’t get a choice. If you have to do it, bring protection and have a backup plan.

The full moon carries 4/2 energy.

11 (Aquarius Moon) + 11 (Aquarius Sun) = 22 = 2+2 = 4. 4 (Aquarius full moon) + 7 (August 2024) = 11 = 1+1 = 2.

All Aquarius full moons carry “4” energy, which may stabilize things slightly. One can hope. This one also has “2” energy – it’s a good day for movement magic of all kinds. Use the energy of the number 4 to stabilize something in your life – perhaps charge a pyramid-shaped crystal with energy or put something within a box to be contained and built upon. The energy will be high and chaotic, so be prepared to ground it out if you draw in too much. There’s a lot to use with this lunar energy, but it could easily overwhelm you. Watch out, especially if you are prone to mania, and practice your care routines early and often.

The Sun’s entrance into Virgo will be uneventful, as always. This will ultimately help – I think – but we’re going to have to get there in September.

Mercury

Retrograde. Read my report.

Mercury is retracing its steps back from the beginning of Virgo through the last decan of Leo for most of the month. Expect your life to go in a different direction as well. This echoes the energy of Mars in Gemini and can be applied liberally to some wild side project that you never have time for. The entire three-week period of Mercury’s retrograde is highly liminal. This is our third cosmic do-over of the year—you might as well use it.

Venus

She’s moving fast and will pass all the way through the sign of Virgo this month and enter her home sign of Libra. Virgo is the sign of her fall so expect to have to mellow the harsh in yourself and ignore it in your Others. I know – this is the hardest work we ever need to do. It’s not personal when Venus is in Virgo; she just…doesn’t quite know how to be nice. This isn’t a super pleasant addition to our month, but it is business as usual and happens once a year – often during Leo season. It’s hot. We are all going to grump a lump about it.

Venus in Virgo will square Mars in Gemini on 8/22, so watch yourself and how you interact with your loved ones around this date. Do you need to be that critical? Can you just show up and support them instead of telling them what to do….again?!? This is breakup weather because both people involved in the conflict will need to bend to truly make amends. Both Gemini and Virgo – ruled by Mercury – can learn and grow from these types of conflict. The question is: can you?

It is LEO season (mostly), so the way out is through your heart. If you can get out of the collective flow and back into your own heart, you will likely be kinder, and that kindness will (almost always) ripple out into the world around you. You can experiment with carrying rose quartz with you to counter the harshness of Venus in Virgo or practice breath work involving the heart center. A technique that I find helpful is to breathe love from the universe into my heart on my in-breath and then breathe love to the universe out of my heart on my out-breath.

This will lighten the minute Venus enters her home sign of Libra on 8/29.

Mars

Mars is chugging away in Gemini, a sign that he is poorly placed. Mars wants to keep moving toward its current target, and Gemini is full of side quests and back roads. This indicates that no matter how hard we work, we’re not getting places this month. You might as well just accept that now and turn your attention towards things that aren’t so focused. Mars in Gemini can focus right now, but not for a long time.

Hold until you need to do it, and then get it done.

Mars in Gemini has a tiny bit of the feeling of Mercury retrograde (especially Mercury retrograde in Virgo), so if you do need to put in the work, do it in a roundabout fashion. Get really creative. Points for thinking so far outside the box that nobody can follow your path but still get it done. Mars in Gemini strongly supports deep exploration of topics – this is the special interest zone for sure. This energy also supports writing a completely reckless first draft (like not of the manuscript you are supposed to be working on).

Mars will conjunct Jupiter at 16° Gemini on 8/14 and then square retrograde Saturn in Pisces two days later on 8/16. Don’t expect the roads to be clear. Things are not what they appear during this time. If you get a break on 8/14 – take it right then. By 8/16, it either won’t be there, or it won’t be what it seemed to be. Luck may swing wildly during this time.

Watch out for anger when Mars squares Venus on 8/22 – it won’t last long, but it is likely to be biting.

The Nitty Gritty

8/1 – Sun in Leo trine North Node in Aries/sextile South Node in Libra 8/2 – Venus in Leo square retrograde Uranus in Taurus 8/3 – Mars in Gemini sextile North Node in Aries/trine South Node in Libra 8/4 – New Moon 12° Leo, Venus enters Virgo 8/5 – Mercury retrogrades 04° Virgo 8/7 – Sun in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini 8/8 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 03° Virgo 8/14 – Retrograde Mercury enters Leo, Mars conjunct Jupiter 16° Gemini 8/15 – Sun in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 8/16 – Mars in Gemini square retrograde Saturn in Pisces 8/18 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 26° Leo, Retrograde Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus 8/19 – Full Moon 27° Aquarius, Sun and Moon square Uranus in Taurus, Venus in Virgo square Jupiter in Gemini, Venus in Virgo opposed retrograde Saturn in Pisces, Jupiter in Gemini square retrograde Saturn in Pisces 8/22 – Sun enters Virgo, Venus in Virgo square Mars in Gemini 8/23 – Retrograde Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 8/24 – Retrograde Mercury in Leo sextile Mars in Gemini, Mars in Gemini sextile Chiron in Aries 8/27 – Venus in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus 8/28 – Mercury stations direct 21° Leo, Venus in Virgo opposed retrograde Neptune in Pisces 8/29 – Venus enters Libra, Venus in Libra trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius

As always, how you perceive astrology will be unique to YOU. If you'd like to know more about how you fit into this puzzle, you can purchase a natal birth chart from me here. I also offer personalized transit reports, Synastry/Relationship reports, and Planetary Election consults. I also sell cemetery art and love tips.