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blindrapture · 3 months

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SUNDAY JULY 3RD, 2011 (Rael's Exodus V: The Anatomy of Everything)

8:34 AM “Gooood morning, passengers. This is your captain speaking. Hope you had a good sleep. We’ve got about a day and a half left of this. Try to stick with us for a little longer, will you? Stay alive. Fitzgerald out.”

8:36 AM So tired. Why am I so tired. I dreamt of buying a home by the sea. Donnie was my wife. Except we weren’t called Donnie and Jordan; she called me “Rael” and I called her “Victoria.” In the home, there was a collection of paintings, most of which were variations on album art. They were changed to feature water. Systematic Chaos had all the ants in the city drowning. Hemispheres had Dionysus and Apollo standing over a large ocean. Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV Volume II: No World for Tomorrow had the sky cloudy and rain pouring down. The only odd one was Wind & Wuthering. It looked normal, except for.. for tentacles in the tree. Moving tentacles. I’m going back to sleep.

10:02 AM Dreamt of a long corridor. One single door at the other end of it. Except this wasn’t just any door. It was a Door. I knew. Because it was my dream! I walked down towards the Door. I heard someone walking behind me. I heard multiple people walking behind me. The first person was Donnie, I know that much. We reached the Door, and I reached for the doorknob. Then I woke up. I’m getting up now.

10:08 AM I can hear loud banging somewhere. I’m not sure where I’m going. Donnie’s coming too; she’s not sure where we’re going, either.

10:10 AM I can definitely hear someone walking nearby. I’m not keeping Tiger Stripes close. It might just be me being tired, but I don’t feel like I need to. I’ll probably die thinking like this. Oh well.

10:14 AM We’re going to the bridge. We’re going to talk to Captain Fitzgerald. I’ve been thinking. There really aren’t many of us left, especially not considering a lot of the people on this boat aren’t actually.. people anymore. They’re just Campers. Part of it. Part of EAT.

10:18 AM We’re at the bridge.

10:23 AM Captain Fitzgerald says he’s had to force himself to stay awake all last night because Doctor Jackson never showed up for his night shift. He says he’s a little shaky now, but he thinks he can make it. I asked if he wanted one of us to take over for a bit. He laughed and said we’re much too young. Donnie made him promise he’d get us through this voyage. He looked her in the eye and said “I indirectly made that promise by choosing to be your captain for this mission, young lady. And I intend on following through. Just make sure you guys stay alive. Fitzgerald out.” Then he turned back to his job.

10:27 AM We’re not entirely sure where we can go now.

10:31 AM The banging’s getting louder. Captain Fitzgerald asked if we could find out what was causing that.

10:43 AM It sounds like it’s coming from the deck.

10:46 AM I don’t see anything out here. ..TEFAJI) THAT’S A LOT OF CAMPER. There’s tons of people down there in the water, people and fucking fish, they’re down in the sea, banging on the ship. Looking up at us. Some are reaching up their hands. I’m.. well, at least we found out what was causing the banging. o_e

10:54 AM Almost back to the bridge. God, that banging.

10:57 AM ..o__o; Captain Fitzgerald didn’t even notice us come in. He’s sitting perfectly still at the wheel. Is he okay?

10:58 AM “Hello.” He said that. So he’s okay. “Did you find out what was causing the banging?” I said it was people and fish. I accidentally used the word “Campers.” >.>; “Oh. Camper. That explains it. Thank you.” Donnie asked if he was okay. “Never better. By the way, do you happen to have any more of that music Yates was listening to? I’d like to hear more of it.” I said we have plenty of it. I offered to go get my folder of CDs. “That would be perfect.” Donnie’s coming with me. I don’t blame her.

11:00 AM I saw someone going ‘round the corner up ahead. Goddamn, this place is starting to give me the creeps.

11:02 AM ..I hear someone again. I’m gonna take a small detour to find out who.

11:03 AM It’s Richard Burgandy. o.o God, I hope he’s not a Camper, too.

11:07 AM He went into his room. Left his door open.

11:08 AM He’s feeding his wife water. She’s lying on their bed. Looks… well, not “sick.” …o_o She looks comatose. Oh god. She’s a Camper. >_< And he’s feeding her water! That’s jus

11:10 AM He spotted us. I tried to tell him his wife’s gone, but he just denied it and told us to leave. ..bah. ._.;

11:15 AM We’re back at our room now.

11:16 AM Donnie closed the door and locked it. She doesn’t want to go back to the captain. Or to anyone. She says this place is pretty much a ticking time bomb. I agree. >_<;

12:03 PM We can’t just stay here, though! D: That’s not gonna get anything done, and things clearly have to be done. Besides, most of what we’ve been seeing lately have been the Campers, and EAT’s already told us it’s not hunting us. For all we know, it could be lying, but it won’t do us good to doubt every single thing we find. I just have a hunch. I dunno.

12:05 PM Donnie’s putting her foot down. She doesn’t want either of us leaving this room, not now. I’ll obey. ._.;

12:48 PM The banging’s intensifying. Donnie’s holding me tight.

1:23 PM ..it’s stopped completely. I have a badrefek9fgsadgj HELLOOOO

1:24 PM Out the window, out the window. Flying zombies. Rising up from the water, flying past our window.

1:30 PM I hear voices. A lot of voices. “COME OUT, INDISEN!” It’s the voice of the Camper.

1:38 PM A lot of footsteps outside the door. >____<;;

1:39 PM DOOR HELLO HI YES? NO INDISEN HERE. THANK YOU, BYE. ohgod

1:40 PM They kicked down the door there were so many of them, one walked in and looked around, it saw nothing so then they all moved on to the next room. They’re doing an Indisen hunt.

1:41 PM They’re still walking past our door; there are a lot of them. Most of them, I don’t even recognize. Folks with eyes missing, leeches on every limb, some even with what looks like what used to be wooden legs, and a lot of torn clothing. Every single poor soul lost at sea participating in an eldritch witch hunt. Tiger Stripes, give me strength.

1:45 PM I hear screaming coming from down the hall. Sounds like Richard.

1:46 PM “Give me my wife back,” I heard. ._.;;

2:02 PM They’re still going. There are a lot of Campers, all marching systematically past our door. They move as one, for they are one. Every other head is turned to look inside whatever door they pass, while the other set of heads face forwards. I imagine that’s the perfect way to cover all directions. It’s hard for me to picture, but I can take a guess as to how they work. EAT used the analogy of my arm gaining individualistic sentience, as the Campers are basically EAT’s arms. So they’re all just.. parts of its huge self. EAT can move them individually, just as I can move all my fingers individually, or EAT can move them all at once in a system of eldritch order, much like operating my legs separately but still at once in order to walk, using my arms to balance my weight, and shifting my body forwards to get myself going. To a being considerably different, an alien or I guess a cockroach, I would look just like an eldritch horror. And that’s basically what this is. Keyword being “basically.” I mean, not even I can make my arms grow wings. o_e

2:10 PM Some of them have longer arms. o___o

2:14 PM I’m sure I saw one using its arms to help it walk. Its arms were that long.

2:40 PM ..all of them have long arms now. And wings. Gotta admit. I don’t wanna know what’s gonna happen to the Indisen when they find it. I wonder what drove them to stop observing it and start hunting it. I wonder how the hell it’s managed to avoid them for so long.

3:32 PM “COME WITH ME, INDISEN.” All of them. o_e It’s hard to get used to that. I hear struggling. The Campers are going in the other direction now.

3:44 PM …O___O Okay. Right. Indisen, Ms. Desmond, being dragged. Didn’t quite want to see that. Oh god hug me Donnie

3:59 PM Oh god, so many splashes. I take it they took her down with them. Oh god, I don’t want to think about that.

4:13 PM …something’s wrong. The boat’s not moving. We’re going to the bridge.

4:20 PM Passed by Richard’s room. He’s sobbing. ._.;

4:27 PM ..Captain Fitzgerald is gone. This is trouble.

4:39 PM Richard doesn’t want to be bothered, but we really need to talk to him. Oh god, how can we do this? We don’t know how to drive a ship.

4:41 PM Donnie’s got an idea. She’s running off. Be careful, ma’am. D: Please.

4:52 PM …oh god, why do I still hear people walking nearby? o_o;; Please be Donnie.

4:56 PM ..Donnie’s back. u_u; Okay. Hi. She’s got Rogers’ papers. I fucking love that awesome girl.

4:59 PM Richard wants some time alone. He wants to read Rogers’ papers. We’ll let him.

5:04 PM Donnie wants to talk to me about something.

5:09 PM …she says, when in the room, she couldn’t find Rogers’ papers. Then she heard footsteps nearby. She left the room and saw a man. She said it was the same man from before, the one who handed her the receipt in Blackpool. Fedora, slendercoat, sunglasses, mustache, dark hair. He gave her the papers, then he tipped his hat, turned and left. It was Bones. o:

5:15 PM I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what the hell Bones is up to. How the hell he’s been following us, how he’s known exactly what to do and where to be. How he’s possibly been on this ship all this time without anyone knowing. First thing I’m gonna do in the States is look for him.

5:29 PM The boat’s moving again!

5:31 PM “Boy and girl, uh.. Jordan and Donnivan, I believe. It’s Richard. I.. I’ll get us to America. I have to. It’s what Meredith would have wanted, what Bill would have wanted, and.. it’s what Rogers would have wanted, too. “Besides. We can’t stay here in titan's country, out in the deep blue sea, under the same red sky as I hear they have in Asia, in America, in.. see, we’re all in the same Earth, and everyone’s suffering! We can’t sit around, it’s no good, we’re…” He’s crying. ”..I’ll get us there. If we work together, I promise we can do as the captain would have wanted. We can stay alive. Richard out.”

5:33 PM Good work, Richard. ..good work.

5:40 PM We’re back in our room. All is quiet. The ship is moving at a faster pace than before. There’s not much left before we arrive. It’s been quite a journey, journal. u_u;; In the end, there’s only three of us left. Too many unsuspecting people fall victim to the sea. Throughout history, the ocean has offered some of the world’s greatest mysteries and unexplainable disappearances. I guess we’re starting to find out what gods have been responsible for it all.

9:45 PM We’re going to bed. We’ll be touching down in America tomorrow. Then our big-ass journey will resume.

11:00 PM three

(Attached: “To conclude my writings on Salmacis, I’d may as well discuss the physical contortions. The transformations. Her Camper– both singular and plural are ‘Camper,’ that’s generally agreed as the term for her individual bodies– start off as regular people on the outside, but all their blood is now water. Her water. The water is her. Once it gets into your mind, it can start to mess with your anatomy, make your body grow entire evolutionary marvels in the blink of an eye. EAT is evolution supreme, evolution itself gone sentient and now at last awake,EAT has studied the anatomy of Everything in All Time. EAT knows exactly how far your skin can stretch– and regularly tests that to its extremes– EAT knows exactly what organs it can deem unnecessary and how to turn them into wings of water and cartilage and organ tissue- EAT knows how much digestive fluid your brain can take before it melts, and EAT knows how to hotwire your brain to be ready for more. EAT means no harm. It’s only curious. You can tell by the look in her eyes, in the eyes of every Camper: Always blue like the Earth, always glazed over, always taking in everything on the inside and utterly comatose, dead on the outside. EAT does not care. If it wanted, it could snap her fingers and have a band of a hundred Camper performing the most complicated symphony using the wrong instruments, transposing every part on the spot, and it’d still only be as much effort as a blink to her.”) (Attached, flipped: “Ask yourself this, how many songs have you heard that were written by a human? How many books have you read that were written by someone who possessed their own mind, singularly and without caveat? EAT could have written OH GOD THE RAPTURE IS BURNING. Who’s to say it didn't? Salmacis knows. We don't. And we must trust her, because there are still secrets left to tell.”)

[PREV LOG] [TABLE OF CONTENTS] [NEXT LOG]

#ogtrib #oh god the rapture is burning #ogtrib act 1

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lascapigliata · 8 months

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am now well over halfway through my oscars challenge based on my own secret formula (aka guesstimating) so here is my ongoing microreviews post, for those curious

for some reason when i started writing i did this in order of # of nominees. don’t ask ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

oppenheimer: way too long. even cillian murphy, who was great, cannot sustain 3 hours of biopic. i felt his character development was unearned and rushed. the acting was good all around (though it was so man heavy that i sort of forgot emily blunt was there, surprising that she got that nomination when may december is RIGHT there) and it was gorgeously shot but it just needed a solid edit both in writing and runtime. one of those movies that made me feel stupid bc everyone else liked it. to the tune of 13 noms :/ (i have been told by many that you need to see it in a theater. well then don't release it for home viewing i guess, sorry!) (edit - having watched maestro rustin and napoleon 👎 three mid to bad biopics - this has warmed in my memory)

poor things: mixed feelings. overhyped doesn’t cover it. beautiful to look at. great acting from everyone including emma stone and mark ruffalo who is having simply the time of his life. it’s very funny which i wasn’t expecting! but it felt all a little too affected, a little too Intentionally Weird. idk i really wanted to love it but it was just sort of like okay! watched that! ✅

killers of the flower moon: enjoyed it a lot. i thought lily gladstone was amaaaaazing - their role had potential to just be like melodrama and one-note but they brought so much depth to it. leonardo was fine but of the white people deniro was the standout. too long of course. i alternately remember it as better or worse than it felt in the moment, but even though i wasn't in a theater it was still a good time

barbie: my brother loved this and i thought it was okay. the first half in barbieland and her first fish out of water scenes in the real world were a ton of fun, and it sort of got boring-er from there. visually very clever and fun. but the politics were hollow. relationship between america ferrera’s character and her daughter was unconvincing. the last scene pissed me off so much bc it was just totally unnecessary- should have (spoiler) ended with her putting her heels down and the audience can infer the rest be saved 5 minutes of runtime. (you’ll be shocked to hear i thought this was too long)

maestro: awful. manages to flatten felicia bernstein and somehow doesn’t replace that missing character with anything of substance. neglects to focus on what made bernstein actually interesting by putting basic stock biopic oscar bait scenes together and forgetting about his actual life and accomplishments. i went in knowing i wouldn’t like it but hoping there’d be redeeming qualities and found nearly none. even the best scene - his conducting the mahler resurrection symphony - pales in comparison to just finding the real video of bernstein conducting which is available for free on youtube.

american fiction: great. in theaters so no concept of length but it didn’t drag too much. jeffrey wright did an AMAZING job - so funny and also so grounded. made me cry early on too which i was Not expecting lol. definitely some 😬 moments for me as a white woman but i think that’s healthy for us once in a while. as a side note it was oddly preceded by 15 min of horror movie trailers which was bizarre

anatomy of a fall: LOOVED IT. broadchurch vibes. watched it with a friend who’s a lawyer so we kept pausing to theorize bc it is a great movie for that and she also provided commentary on the courtroom techniques of the lawyers lol. was also thinking about it hours and hours later. such a good film. even understood some of the french lol. big warning for pet illness though - the dog survives but it was not fun

the holdovers: nothing revolutionary but such a sweet little movie. not a huge amount to say about it - watched it on a plane and that was kind of the perfect vibe. i did think that da’vine joy randolph did a fantastic job. a good time. idk that it’s Best Picture worthy but who even knows what that award means

the zone of interest: technically impressive on every level (yes, including sound, which it should win) but i didn’t love it. i guess it’s just that i feel like “look! the mundanity of evil!” was not enough to carry this - it is SO mundane and SO jarring that halfway through i kept just being like “yeah yeah i get it” which itself is ironically kind of normalization but not the way the film intended. but i do think this is more a personal preference issue than actual issues with the movie.

napoleon: quite bad. boring, unfocused. couldn’t decide if it was about the marriage or his ambition and yet didn’t give josephine a character nor made thrilling battle sequences. unfortunately all i will remember is how they randomly used pride and prejudice’s soundtrack out of the blue (indicative of its equally unfocused score), and how joaquin phoenix had an american accent while everyone around him didn’t. also… too long!

the creator: pretty good! not a particularly innovative story but honestly it’s nice to see a good movie done right. hans zimmer rare W these days. john david washington still isn’t the greatest actor but it’s no big when ken watanabe is right there. the vfx are indeed very good. it even tackled western imperialism ok i thought though i obviously welcome discussion here!

past lives: beautiful touching etc. not an easy watch but i loved it. sort of found a great melancholy middle ground that didn’t feel maudlin but certainly wasn’t very happy. unbelievably that greta lee received no nomination for her phenomenal work (or teo yoo or john magaro for that matter). great length too - a perfect 1h45. just well done all around

society of the snow: great little disaster movie if slightly uneven. gorgeously shot for one thing. the tension is well done though i think it ended too… tidily. the fundamental problem i have tho is that if i was in their situation i’d have no qualms about eating people but that’s not the movie’s fault. the music reminded me of giacchino so i couldn’t help but make lost comparisons but that's also not the movie's fault lol. (edit: the music is literally BY giacchino and i thought i'd looked it up. it's a good score! he knows what he's doing!)

may december: LOVED IT!!! fantastic length, fantastic acting. as the great harry styles said it’s nice to see a movie that’s a real movie. i can’t wait to watch this again, i thought the writing was fantastic and it’ll gain a lot on rewatch too. would have loved more focus on the relationship with the kids, but that’s just because i personally found it fascinating. annoying it was only nommed for best screenplay when the acting was so good - yes especially charles melton!!

rustin: not as good as i wanted it to be. all the acting is fantastic especially (unsurprising) colman domingo, but i agree with reviews that said it avoided some of his more radical politics and that the love triangle was not super well executed, and i personally thought the end felt super rushed. it was just too biopic-y. but there was a lot to recommend it anyway just on acting alone though honestly

the color purple: enjoyed it a lot! never saw the original movie but it def smoothed away some stuff from the book in a way that doesn’t surprise me at all but was still too bad. there were clearly songs cut from the show bc there was a huge chunk in the middle with no singing lol. the acting was universally good but i cannot lie danielle brooks stole the show every second she was on screen. the music itself was great too and i think the director really dug into the musicalness of it which is so necessary in something like this. (end credits were particularly good!)

across the spiderverse: what is there to say about this that hasn’t been said. the first movie was much tighter in terms of plot / writing. the politics of this one were sort of a mess. but the animation was so spectacular that it sort of sanded over the flaws i saw in it in my memory and i'd be happy if it won

the boy and the heron: a lovely movie. miyazaki hasn’t lost it. i’d love for this to win best animated as i suspect it will. beautiful visually, very like pan’s labyrinth vibe plot wise. hard to say a lot here bc it was just very good, very solid. + miyazaki simply loves an old wrinkly lady and you know what i think that’s great. deserved a nom for score over fuckin indiana jones for sure

robot dreams: i wanted to adore this but instead i just liked it. it was beautiful and sweet and a nice love letter to new york and everything but i hated the ending lol. it’s a huge swing though with no dialogue and only one real song and you gotta give them points for that! plus it is genuinely sweet and everything. i just was pissed at the literal last scene lol

elemental: better than i expected it to be but still basically eh. some of the technical work is SO impressive - like the non-anthropomorphic water - that it actually highlights how Animated the characters are. but i don’t regret watching. highly recommend doing so stoned if that’s your jam because the animation really is the cool part - pixar’s stories have rly become very templated and boring

nimona: iirc a fun movie, but nothing like jaw dropping. can't evaluate it objectively though bc it wasn't the book and the book was better, unsurprisingly. i watched it a long time ago, it didn't leave a huge impression; i remember it was a cute adaptation. mainly i don't think nimona surpassed suzume (and pixar was always going to get that nomination no matter what), so mostly i'm bitter that suzume wasn't nominated sorry

dial of destiny: fell asleep the first time i watched it, got distracted the second time. it was... fine? the deaging was AWFUL, i'm glad it did not get a makeup or vfx nom, it literally just looked like a videogame and it still SOUNDED like 70yo harrison ford. the score was fine but the same thing john williams has been doing for this franchise since 1981. just like… an unnecessary movie idk

#oscars 2024 #lots of positive reviews in here considering i’m a certified hater but i haven’t watched maestro yet so who knows #hey! maybe i’ll love it!#also just being honest… not expecting i’ll go gaga for zone of interest

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midasinc · 3 years

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modern era enjoltaire hcs:

-it takes them a really long time to actually start going out because grantaire has the LOWEST self-esteem you've ever seen in a person and enjolras is too prideful to admit that he has it bad. it takes six years of knowing each other to start dating, but the fact that they get together when they're in their mid to late twenties honestly is a lot healthier for their relationship because they've grown a lot more as people

-grantaire is an animator and enjolras is an attorney and together they both work absurd hours and it doesnt occur that it might not be healthy until joly talks about how he balances hospital work with his domestic life and they kind of look at each other like ("is that a problem?" "i have no idea, do you think it's a problem?") and it takes a while to balance their priorities and schedules and now they're both a lot happier both in their relationship and their lives in general (and they both went to a massage place because oh my GOD the tension in their shoulders-)

-grantaire is usually their date coordinator because he knows every possible activity to do in paris. they have a bucket list of ideas he came up with that they tore out onto little slips of paper that now sit in a jar in their kitchen. enjolras adds a slip every now and again too when he comes up with an idea but is too shy to tell grantaire to write it. whenever they're bored, one of them will close their eyes and fish for a slip in the jar. whatever is written on the paper has to be done unless it's closed, not the right season, etc. they've done a lot of stuff together- bouldering at the gym, ice skating at a christmas market, going on a wine-tasting trip, and even people watching at a hookah bar. they have fun together no matter what the slip says

-enjolras is really big on reading. he's been a reader ever since he was a kid and it's a portion of the reason why he needs glasses so bad. it takes them a year or two to start doing this, but enjolras always reads in bed and grantaire gets kind of curious of what he's reading and after a while he asks enjolras to read out loud. enjolras has a really good reading voice and he's always been good at reading out loud, so he'll play with grantaire's hair and read until he notices that grantaire's fallen asleep. then he marks the page and turns out the lights- they can finish the chapter tomorrow night

-they're a judgy couple. the funny thing with them is that they're both judgemental in different ways, but it's perfect to have the other around because if somebody does or says something stupid, they are absolutely turning to give each other The Look and cross their arms over their chests at the same time

-enjolras finds himself being anatomy practice for grantaire a lot. if he's working on animating a certain action and it just looks wrong, he'll ask enj to do the action in real life. most of the time, he'll take a video so he can replay it a ton see frame-by-frame what this should look like, but other times enjolras will willingly do it over and over again to give him different examples, or just because he's bored

-they both have very similar very curly hair types and mooch off of each other's hair products. grantaire has a really good hair diffuser that enjolras absolutely uses every morning before work because it feels so good on his scalp and enjolras has a really good hair mask that grantaire likes to use because it smells like coconut and His Man and it makes his hair shiny and soft

-they're both also just fuckin grumpy old men before they even hit middle age. grantaire gets the worst heart burn ever and he has carpal tunnel and enjolras has old man eyes and a bad back from his posture and sitting at a desk all day and everyone compares them to the old guys from the muppets that sit in the booth and heckle everyone (but never to their faces. bossuet is so tempted to say it but everyone tells him not to)

-they mellow out a lot with each other. grantaire learns to be more open minded and less pessimistic and enjolras loses his saviour complex and they both kind of help each other realize the good and the bad things about each other. grantaire helps enjolras with his service projects now and goes to meetings and when he disagrees he doesnt sit there and call them losers under his breath and drink, he speaks up and brings a new perspective to the table. at the same time, grantaire helps enjolras calm things down when he's working too much for one person. he can help him take the time to sleep and eat and relax because yes enjolras wants to fix the world, but he's a person and not a robot. they help each other

-grantaire watches lotr with enjolras and lets him talk about how cool middle earth is without calling him a lame nerd

-enjolras watches animated movies with grantaire and lets him talk about different animation styles and techniques without getting bored

-being on opposite ends of the spectrum works more than everyone expected. at first they're intense and fight and don't know what they're doing, but they also balance each other out. both of them go to therapy separately and it's helped them both as people and as a pair

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arent-you-scared-lil-human · 4 years

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Bølger (1)

Merman!Kae x Reader.

Words: 2,245

bølger means waves.

The first time you saw a mermaid, it was a merman, his name was Eros and he was huge, his tail longer than your entire body but he was only 15, eight years maturer than you. Since your aunt always spoke greatly about the magical creatures you supposed that all of them were kind -minus goblins, they are never kind- each took you to the beach's sand nearing the waves.

Eros had light blonde hair, eyes bluer than the water surrounding him, and his sharp teeth alarmed you. He looked at you up and down and wondered why a human so small was reaching him.

But he wasn't one of the nice mermen your aunt mentioned, the brave creatures that protect the oceans, he was a spoiled boy, that didn't like any other species than his own. Humans being the most he dispised.

"Why do you stare at me?"

"You pretty." Your seven-year-old speech not being very sharp to contain all the right diction.

"Yes. I'm Eros, who are you?"

"Y/N."

As the waves were almost minimal you walked further in the water to reach him, to touch his gills, or attempt to catch his hair. Eros discerned your steps and with malice in his eyes, he reached you, his stature nearly the same as yours since he had to be lowered so his tail would remain in the ocean.

"You are not afraid of me?"

"Merfolk are good creatures, they protect the oceans."

"We do, and do you know who we protect the oceans from? I mean who we fight to maintain very far away?"

Remembering the time your aunt said of some species of birds that sink in the ocean to find fishes made you thoughtful, after all in summer it was more than twenty million birds catching fishes. "Birdies."

"No, humans. Your species."

"But we protect too, I and aunty Betty clean the beaches and never toss trash in water."

"Uhu, tell me, little human, would you like to see the ocean? To see the fishes that grace it and even dolphins?"

Dolphins didn't go to the land side you lived in, and you only ever saw dolphins on movies or documentaries.

"Dolphins?!"

He nodded so you jumped excited, ready to see the fishes and luckily the dolphins.

But Eros' idea was contrary, humans were nothing else than a virus slaughtering everything they reached, he knew by how much his grandfather said, that in a distant time ago the ocean was astonishing. It didn't have fallen boats, trash, sewers, nor industries discharging electronic garbage, much less the pharmaceutical ones pouring tons of medications in the water. So getting freed of a stupid human would maybe avoid a little bit more of destruction.

Extending his hand you held it and he pulled you with him a bit further in the water, your feet missed the sand's ground and you moved your little legs to manage to have air. Eros chortled before taking your body and pulling you down in the water, startled by the agile gesture you cracked your lips to gasp and lamented it when water began to fill your mouth.

He swam into the ocean making the beach farther from your, impossible, reach. Your small lungs were on fire when Eros approached a few of his friends, there stood Melin, Jaxi, and Kae. They were puzzled to see a human cub and swam up to the surface to reach the rocks near the mountains.

Eros rolled his eyes but accompanied them to reveal them his... toy.

"What do you think you are doing?" Kae was the first to speak up.

"This was stupid enough to swim alone in the beach over Walrey Coast, it even came to me telling tales." The mermen stared at your unconscious body.

"You cannot kill humans, you know that." Jaxi pointed and Eros rolled his eyes.

"What difference does it make? Our parents are always complaining about them!"

Melin was quiet but shot Eros a look, it was forbidden to hurt humans unless they hurt you.

And what a human cub would have done alone to hurt Eros? Since all of them were reaching puberty and were becoming stronger and faster? "Eros, you can't."

"Why is everyone bothering me with this? You know what. Done." He unfolded his arms and your body started to float backward in the water, Jaxi pulled you delicately to his chest and touched your neck before looking at Kae and giving a small nod signally that, even if weak, you still had a pulse. "You guys aren't considering of-"

"Killing an innocent cub is wrong, you know that, doesn't matter the species." Kae pointed.

Melin nodded and faced the rocks before glancing at Jaxi and Kae. "We can try to put the water out. It might not be different from saving a sea bear, we only have to press the stomach for them to spit the water."

Eros swam to Jaxi's side and pulled your moveless arm. "It is mine and will be killed and exhibited to our community." He closed his fist around your arm which made his nails pierce through your cold skin.

"She won't!" Kae affirmed and even Melin could spot a protective tone on his voice. "You'll go back and tell Ecthelion what happened, and that me, Jaxi and Melin are trying to save a cub that you tried to hurt."

Biting his tongue Eros looked at his three cousins before diving in the water and going to tell the colony elder. Kae gazed at the injuries and leaned to suck the blood of your wounds before it could touch the water and call any shark.

Kae retrieved his lips and placed his hand over -the less bleeding- wounds and told Jaxi to swim so they would follow.

Under the moonlight, Kae jumped in the rocks and made sure to only touch the polished parts so it wouldn't hurt his tail. Jaxi lifted you so Kae pulled you to his chest, and since you were smaller it was easier for him to fit you on his lap. Jaxi accompanied Kae by jumping in the rocks and touched your face trying to decipher if your color was a light purple or not. Melin dive in the sea to find some seaweed to place on your nails' cuts. It helped them with wounds so maybe it would help you too.

"Don't die now, human cub." Kae spoke and Jaxi touched your shirt taking it off to expose your belly, he ran his hand over the skin and looked at Kae. Human anatomy was different than polar bears.

Jaxi pressed and it only seemed to hurt you. "Here, hold her."

"Her?"

"It looks like a female right?" Kae asked.

"All of them seem the same when they are cubs."

Jaxi held your head on his lap while Kae extended your legs. He leaned and placed his hands over your chest and started to pump.

He looked at Jaxi and they analyzed the lack of gills. "They breath only through the nose." Taking a deep breath and letting an annoying sigh Jaxi cursed Ers under is breath.

Kae paid attention in the way the air left Jaxi's mouth and had an idea. "The mouth."

"What?"

Kae leaned to touch your lips with his and moved his hand carefully to open your lower lip. Realizing it was useless he reached your nose pressing it together and tried to suck the water out of you. Jaxi was surprised by the gesture but didn't understand how that would possibly work.

Getting his hands back at your chest he started to press and kept doing the gesture. "That won't take the water out. They won't-"

Spilling water out of your mouth you coughed with the burning feeling in your throat. Opening your eyes you gazed at the creatures touching you and you yelled completely scared. Kae moved his head by the loud sound but Jaxi shushed you. "We will not hurt."

Crying you started to try to get up. "You will. He did."

Kae sighed seeing that you remembered Eros, you winced and Kae looked up to see you were gazing at the arm's wounds caused by Eros' nails.

Kae placed his hand on your forehead and almost whimpered when you cried completely scared of him. "Sleep." He whispered and you dozed off.

Some merfolk were blessed with gifts, Kae happened to be one of them.

Melin appeared in the water surface by Jaxi's side and lifted some seaweed in his hands so Jaxi could place it on the cuts.

"They didn't wake up?" Melin asked and Kae stole two seaweeds and rolled it around your arm.

"She did but its too scared to hear us." Kae explained, doing his best to prevent his nails to hurt you, again.

Melin gave Jaxi a look and shared a thought when they realized Kae was too worried about your wounds and cold body.

"Kae, we should take them back-"

"Her." Kae corrected.

"Right, take her back. She is too cold and will die here."

Kae looked at them and back at you a couple of times before nodding, but before he could move your body to Melin's arms so he and Jaxi could get into the water and take you to your land, someone broke in the surface.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ecthelion spoke and the young mermen looked at the eldest from their village.

"Eros explained to you?"

"Yes, and i want to know why this human cub is still here."

"Eros hurt her, pierced her skin with his nails and we tried to prevent the blood to call the sharks."

The wise creature understood their point and moved his hand so Kae could place you in Melin's arms and reach him.

They did so and while Melin swam to Ecthelion's reach, Kae and Jaxi jumped in the water.

Ecthelion tasked as he felt your body temperature. He touched your forehead and mumbled ancient words.

Feeling protective of you and afraid that Ecthelion was sacrificing you, Kae reached your body and touched your forehead, prevent that the magic could reach your skin before touching his own. Melin and Jaxi felt anxious about the gest, Kae was the more peaceful of the cousins and the way he was intervening in something that the Ecthelion was doing was unusual.

"You will kill her?"

Gazing at Kae's hand and protective stance, he retrieved his hand and checked your body temperature again. "No, i am making her forget."

"Why? There are thousands of humans that know about us. She isn't like those thieves that tried to sell us."

Kae was decided, all of them could see that. "I know, but she was hurt by us. What do you think it'll happen when she tells her family about it? Or what her people will do if she tells them that merfolk are getting young children and killing them for fun?"

Jaxi cursed Eros under his breath. "They won't think this, it was only Eros that hurt her, we helped." Jaxi explained.

"She is a cub, she won't be able to recognize the difference. For our sake and hers, give me space." Melin touched Kae's shoulder and the young merman swam away allowing Ecthelion to work in your memories.

Seeing a light blue smoke touched your forehead, the old merman retrieved his hand and called the boys to hold you. "Take her home, I'll tell in the docks across there what happened, so Tony can find her and take her to their healers. Go, she doesn't have much time." Kae pulled your body to his and watched as Ecthelion dive in to warn his human friend that lived in the docks about you.

Jaxi touched your arm, which got Kae's attention. "Come on, she doesn't have much time."

Accepting the departure Kae dive in and they swam fastly till they reached Walrey Coast.

There Kae went further he could reach, trying to place you in the dry sand, but his tail would get hurt if he pressed it to harshly so he extended his hand and neared you in the wet sand, the waves still touched it but your nose was safe from water and by the car lights in the distance, he knew your kind was coming to reach you.

He looked behind his shoulders and saw Melin and Jaxi farther and since their eyes weren't focused on him, he took that advantage to kiss your forehead. "Bye, little human. I hope Neptune will keep you safe, and if I'm lucky enough, we will see each other again."

A car stopped and a man with a uniform came running, Kae turned back and swam before they could see him.

In a distance, he reached the surface and watched as they pulled you out of the water, a small golden ring falling from your finger, Kae felt sad that you lost such pretty thing, a cloth was placed around you and the humans ran away to save your life.

Finally, when the car left Kae had to swim in his previous spot where he have left you to search for the ring, duo his better vision it didn't take too long for him to find it.

Kae held the small thing that only served in his pinky. He held the golden bijou and went home.

Sad that you forgot about him, he hopes Neptune will hear his prayers and that he will find you again.

One day.

🧜🏻‍♂️

#monster x reader #male monster x female reader #merman x reader #kae

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flickityfics · 4 years

Text

Chapter 11 Attacked

A/N:Trigger warning: sexual assault, violence

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Sokka woke up feeling relaxed and ready for the day. He'd like to just enjoy the day and sleep in but also wanted to visit Zuko before work. Since it was still early he sat down with his breakfast and got out his letters to read.

"We're glad to hear you're getting along with everyone and staying busy. We miss you Sokka, it sucks that you'll be working longer but we can't wait to see you when we can. Toph says she'd like to know about how your training is going while Aang misses goofing off and making jokes with you. And I miss my big brother as hard as that is for you to believe. I love that you're finally understanding women more, that's a big step for you to acknowledge and you better keep that up, hah. I hope you're taking care of yourself to. Love from all us."

-thegaang

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"Hiya Sokka! You better be careful, sometimes they're dangerous people who go to far messing with women. I know first hand how mean girls can be but hey can't make everyone like you so you minding your own business is just fine. I'm doing good on my side just bit of the same old same old maybe a trip to see you is just what I need to cure my bit of boredom. Definitely look into spirits, I really think that's the answer to your mess. Oh, the second letter I enclosed along with this one is of the anatomy diagram you asked for. I hope it helps! Let me know in your next letter. Best of luck to ya."

-Suki

Sokka gave the diagram a quick scan, he's definitely gonna take a better look and write down notes maybe even take up Zuko's advice and write a book to start educating people.

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Sokka was glad to have kidnapped Zuko on his day off. They were both at the library together with each their own books, he liked watching how serious the fire prince looked reading.

"Pssst, Lee. Could you teach me more about the fire nation?" Sokka knew they had to be quiet since Zuko was quite paranoid but he genuinely wanted to get to know the other teen better, it probably wasn't the most ideal place for this conversation but there isn't really ever a right time or place when he wanted to talk seriously.

"Why do you wanna know?" Zuko furrowed his brows not getting why Miyuki brought up the fire nation out of the blue.

"We'll, I've never been to the fire nation so I'm curious but we don't have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable just.. tell me about food places you like or the festivals you celebrate from back home."

"Okay, let me just find a book real quickly." Sokka watched as Zuko scanned the library until he found a book and walked back towards their table. Zuko was turning pages when he turned the book around and pushed it towards him. He then went on tell him about the fire nations story, how the school system was setup, the locations of various markets to try out, what festivals they had and represent and what foods they served at said festivals. Sokka took in all the information enthusiastically, he also likes seeing a happy Zuko explain all the things he loved about his home and when his uncle would sneak a young Zuko out to have fun.

"It was my favorite sport that uncle got me in- hey are you listening?" Zuko asked nervously not sure if he lost Miyuki at some point and didn't notice.

Sokka loved the blush that crept on zuko's cheeks, "heh no, I just liked seeing you talking about something that puts a smile on your face." And he wasn't lying, this was a whole new part of Zuko expressing himself and there was so much to him that he wanted to know them all.

"Oh, I was worried I bored you there. Maybe I'll tell you more another time since you gotta head to work now."

"Would like that a lot, hey you wanna walk me to work?" Questioned Sokka.

"Sure." Zuko agreed.

"Let me just grab a book then we can head out." He scanned the rows until he found one called, 'Spirits and their Legends' it seemed pretty helpful.

The two walked out the library passing the lively streets of the city. They watched on as kids played around, an older couple fighting, and shoppers haggling with vendors. The silence was comfortable between them and Sokka had a strange urge to get even closer to Zuko's side.

"So, tell me more about yourself to." Zuko likes that Miyuki asks about himself be he'd also like to know more about her to.

"Mmm, well I learned how to fish at a young age. I sadly grew up to fast, hah in some ways anyway. I mean I had to grow up fast when my mom had died and my father left for the war so I just had my grandma whose quite fragile so I kinda had to teach myself things early on and I never asked anyone for help so it was especially harder." Sokka felt bad to omit quite a bit but he knew his current situation was tough to work around. "I did have fun though, goofed around and lazed about often. I had so many adventures traveling here even if it was by sad means, being driven from my home but I guess you gotta keep strong and find the happy moments or even create them." He looked to Zuko, he never talked like this, not to anyone.

"How were your adventures?" Zuko asked curiously.

"Fun, crazy, dangerous, beautiful and new, it was full of so many things. I want to keep traveling and just pack everything I can learn and see into my head. I got to meet so many people, I keep a journal of everything and everyone I came across, there's so many creatures I wrote about even. Sorry, rambling again. " He apologized.

"I like when you talk like that, it's nice seeing you get so excited and going on tangents or rambles." Zuko grinned down at Miyuki genuinely enjoying everything she had to say.

Sokka slowed down nearing his job and turned to Zuko, "Thanks for walking me and letting me talk your ear off."

"I like our talks especially when you do most of it since I don't talk much. I never really know what to talk about." He admitted.

"That's okay, I get it. Also did you want to try watching the play that starts in two weeks? I forgot what it's about but I heard it's got lots of action."

"Yeah, I heard it's going to be in town for a week, I'll even let uncle know if he doesn't already."

"Great. Alright, I'll get going now. See you tomorrow for training?"

"Come by around one and I'll also teach you more about maps." Zuko waved Miyuki off as he waited until she got through the door into her job safely before heading home himself.

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Sokka couldn't believe how rude the parents were when they finally got back home. They could have at least told him earlier that they'd be so late, he would've charged them more while at it. Watching five kids on his own was miserable, he had to react to each one differently he swore he had an identity crisis. And now he was miserably walking in the dead of night and it was so quiet, it was the creepy kind of quiet where it was to dark and to silent. He was walking when he heard fast footsteps, he didn't have time to react when a figure passed him and snatched his bag running off with it.

He quickly found the guy turning into an alley and caught up enough to push him down grabbing his bag back. Before he could yell at the person on the ground he was grabbed from behind and arms trapped tightly into his sides.

"What a nice catch you got us Kota. The boss will definitely be pleased with us and give us tons of yuan for her."

Sokka did not have a good feeling about this situation. He noticed there was only three guys, the one in front that had already gotten up, one on his right and the other who had a hold of him. The one holding him seemed like the guy running things and guessing by his words he had to get out this fast. He hadn't been trained on fighting multiple fighters so this was gonna be tricky. Being limited on time he hoped his planned work fast enough for him to get away.

He stepped on the bigger one holding him and took advantage of being released to push the one on his left into the brick wall and running up the wall himself gripping the corner edge. Before he could pull himself over he felt his ankle being grabbed and the pain of his cheek hitting the concrete edge then falling hard to the floor knocking the air out of him. Before he recovered he felt a punch to his face and one of the men holding him down as he felt another pair of hands holding his legs. All he could do was shake violently and before he could scream he felt hands pressing over his mouth painfully.

"I love when they struggle. I don't think the people we'll be selling you to will mind if I try the goods first, they'll be getting plenty of use from you anyways. At least this way I won't have to pay myself." The disgusting man above him said.

Sokka could only scream in his head for anyone to save him. He felt tears leaking from his eyes as he felt a hand grope his chest and the other sliding up the dress he wore pulling on his underwear. He tried to struggle hard out the men's hold but it was proving fruitless, he was going to be violated. He strained his voice to spill from the man's hands but they were only muffled, all he could hear was their breathing and the rustling of clothes. No one was gonna come by this late or head into a suspicious alley with only a few conspicuous sounds. All he could do was stare up into the night sky as he tried to will his mind away from what was going on when a fast shadow came down fast towards him. It all happened so fast, seeing the butt of a sword hit the temple of the man on top of him and a spray of blood hitting his face and neck when he took notice of the masked man slashing a cut across the one who held his mouth shut. The one at his legs reacted slowly getting flames to the face and screaming his head off before being punched and knocked out. Sokka watched in stunned silence as the masked figure tied up his attackers.

He felt no danger from the man offering his hand, he was going to take it when he noticed his underwear around his ankles. He shut his eyes shamefully pulling them up before looking at the figure above him. He slowly took the hand noting no ill intent.

"Let me take you home." The blue masked figure offered.

Sokka shook his head vigorously in, "no, no please t-take me to the Jasmine Dragon's tea shop, i-its closer anyways."

Zuko who was behind the mask knew that wasn't true but would follow Miyuki's wishes. Zuko wanted to do nothing more than to kill these men now but he needed to keep them for information so he could go after the trafficking ring he discovered few months back.

The two made their walk silently before stopping in front of the tea shops door.

Sokka faced the other man and thanked him, he watched as the other nodded in return and waited until the masked man jumped onto the roof before furiously knocking on the door, he didn't noticed how his knuckles had bled from his frantic knocking.

Iroh opened the door shocked at what he saw and saddened when he took in the appearance of Zuko's friend.

"Can I come in?" Sokka asked in a small cracked voice, his composure breaking.

"Yes." Iroh moved to the side as he watched Miyuki head upstairs, "his room is the first door to the left." He saw her nod hearing him. All he could do was worry until he got answers from Zuko later.

Sokka found himself opening Zuko's door and once inside with his back against the door did he finally break down. He was shaking and breathing so hard to keep from screaming, he couldn't scream like this not when neighbors were nearby or Zuko's uncle next door but it's all he wanted to do right at this moment. Next thing he knew he was wrapped up in arms, he knew this scent. He gripped onto Zuko tight and muffled his cries into Zuko's neck, he couldn't even think straight that he bit between the fire prince's neck and shoulder as he screamed and cried hard digging his nails into Zuko's back.

Zuko rocked Miyuki in his arms, he didn't care about the little pain she dealt him he knew her pain was a lot worse and he'd rather her hurt him than herself. When he heard Miyuki's cries stop did he move her to get a better look. She looked so out of it, he noticed the blood and torn clothes.

"Let me get you a cloth and some clothes." He went to get up when he felt her hand holding his arm, he sensed that she didn't want him to leave. "Let's go to the bathroom and I'll clean you up there." They went into the bathroom where he cleaned her face, neck and knuckles from the blood that splattered when he slashed one of the men. He wished he could take away the violent scene he caused her and just her whole experience entirely.

Going back to his room, he rummaged through his shelves for clothes and passing them to her as he turned around giving her privacy.

"Can you burn these later?" Zuko turned as she spoke and could only clench his fists in anger not knowing what more he could do for her.

"Of course." But whatever it is he could offer he will.

"I'm tired Zuko, I'd like to go to bed." He reached Zuko's hand and Zuko followed her lead. Zuko could only cry silently himself as he heard Miyuki's own cries and shaking body as he held her. He never felt so powerless as this. He held her until they both fell asleep.

#atla #zukka #zuko x sokka #boylove #temporarygenderbend

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evolutionsvoid · 4 years

Photo

When one ventures away from civilization and into the wilderness, there is a ton of important things you must bring with you. I know many immediately think about what equipment you take and what tools you have at your disposal, but there are important things that you cannot stuff into a backpack. Yes, a sturdy hatchet or a trusty blade can do wonders, but they will be useless if you do not know when to draw them. For me, knowledge is one of the best tools to have at your side, especially when it comes to the lands you walk through and the flora and fauna you deal with. This is the kind of stuff that helps you find edible plants or figure out what beast has patrolled this area. It also is crucial for understanding your surroundings, and spotting the signs of a trap before you blunder straight into it. There are many ambush predators out there, and each have their own way of hiding and attacking. If you don't know what hunters dwell in the territories you are exploring, then you will be blind to their machinations until it is too late. Even then, it is not just the predators you must be wary of! Creatures of any diet can be territorial, the only difference between the meat eaters and plant munchers is what they do with your corpse afterwards. Being able to identify markings and tracks will help you avoid these conflicts, as the best battle is the one that never happens. I say this because I am thinking of the serene ponds and tempting water holes within the tropics. Peaceful looking places where travelers and explorers often choose to rest. Do not fall for these looks! Know what creatures call these waters home, and be sure to check for their presence before you go for a dip! I have heard quite a few tales about those who decided to rest in these cool waters, only to be later found floating dead within them. The Berberoka may not have the fearsome teeth and claws of crocodilians or basilisks, but they can be just as deadly to those who incite their wrath. The Berberoka are amphibious fish that are found in the freshwater pools and ponds of the tropics. Though they can dwell in any water source, they prefer to make their homes in places where it is still and has some depth. Swamps and bogs are acceptable, but nothing beats a nice weedy pond! They like a good amount of vegetation both in and out of the water, as those are the perfect places to hide or rest. Amphibious in nature, they spend most of their time in the water, but will venture onto dry land for certain things. Their myriad of fins are great for swimming, though they rarely need to move fast. They prefer a slow and steady drift through the water, propelled by the movements of their smaller fins. This lets them drift along while the rest of their body stays perfectly still, turning them into a floating piece of vegetation. Outside of the water, they use their serpentine tail to slither along, which is helped with their arms and lower fins. Able to breathe both air and water, they can hide in the shallows or within the tangles of weeds that line the shores. This makes it difficult to locate a Berberoka, as they could be in or out of the water, and there is no telling where they are lurking. Though I may have hyped them up as dangerous creatures, they are not vicious carnivores. Berberoka are omnivores that feed on algae and tiny critters that dwell in the water. Their long thin mouth is good for sucking up water, and internal structures sieve out any food pieces that are pulled in. This tiny orifice makes it difficult to eat anything bigger than a grape, but they do not let such limitations rob them of a meal. Sharp protrusions around their mouth can cut and slice, and they use them to core out plugs of fruit or flesh. However, these food stuffs must be soft for this to work, as they don't have the sharpest "teeth" nor a biting mouth. To help soften up their food, they will often drag it into the water and store it in one of their hiding holes. Every Berberoka has small food caches under the water, usually sticking them in flooded burrows or hiding them under rocks and logs. Letting their meal soak in the water will allow it to break down and soften, just enough that they can carve out squishy chunks or suck up the remaining slurry. This method goes for both plants and meat, which is why finding a corpse floating in their pond is no rare occurrence. Despite the appearance, they do not really hunt for food. A lot of carcasses they obtain either came from an inhabitant of the pond that died for other reasons, or from outsiders who walk straight into their territory. While they are not active predators, Berberoka are quite aggressive and territorial. They are quite protective of their ponds or water bodies, and will lash out at those they perceive as a threat. They seem to target larger creatures, those that may rob them of their food or may try to claim their territory for themselves. It doesn't matter if this is the intruder's intention or not, as the Berberoka tend to interpret anything as a challenge to their claim. Approach their waters? Then you must be after their food caches! Drop your pack by a tree? Clearly marking the territory as theirs! Falling asleep in the shade? They are already building a nest! The gall! With this short fuse, Berberoka attacks are quite common, especially in wild territories where no one has placed warning signs. Sources of water are crucial for any beast or explorer, so many tend to head straight for one once it is sighted. If you are not observant, you may walk right into a Berberoka nest and incite an attack. Though they possess a few pointy bits, that is not the weapons they use to defend their homes.

When aggravated, a Berberoka will slink into the shallows. They will quietly hide themselves in the reeds and algae, watching the offender with a constant glare. They will carefully watch their movements, keeping track of their infractions and assessing if they are a threat. Unless the victim is aware that this pond belongs to a Berberoka and undertakes the proper precautions, they will most likely be seen as a threat. When they deem the intruder guilty, they will start to fill their body with water. With powerful muscles and flexible sacs, the Berberoka can swallow an insane amount of water in no time! Their bodies will be filled to bursting with fluid in seconds, and all that water will be unleashed upon the invader. When their target has come to rest or is near the water, the Berberoka will launch out of its hiding place and blast them with a torrent. Their thin mouths make for a tight beam of water, creating a powerful force that can bruise and even cut through exposed flesh! It doesn't help that this spray is aimed towards the face, where it can damage your eyes and blind you! These blasts of water quickly disorient the victim, causing them to stumble and fall. Even if the intruder is trying to escape, they will not let up on their assault. They will keep spraying their target until they scamper off into the wilderness or fall into the water. Those that wind up in the pond will be grabbed by the Berberoka and pulled under. Using their arms and tail, they will bind their victim and seek to drown them. Those that have enough strength to keep their heads up will have their faces blasted with more water until they succumb. Even those pinned on dry land are not safe, as they will continue to hose you down until your lungs are filled. In Berberoka territory, a drowned man on dry land is not an impossibility. After they successfully take down their intruder, they shall store their body in the water so it may get soggy enough for them to eat. No point letting food go to waste! These attacks make the Berberoka seem extremely violent and angry, but that is not always the case. We have this image because that is what the creature is doing when we are around. When left alone, the Berberoka seem much more serene and calm. They lazily drift through the water, and actually take pride in maintaining their pond! If one is stealthy and silent enough, you may be able to witness a Berberoka tend to their territory. They will fuss with the weeds and shoreline plants, often bending and wrapping them to create tangles and makeshift shelter. Rocks along the shore may be moved about and organized, though we don't know what their system is. Sunken stumps and branches will be put in different spots, like someone rearranging furniture. Some suggest that they do this to attract potential mates, or perhaps these actions help their ponds flourish. Since they mainly eat algae and tiny bits in the water, the Berberoka may shape their pond to better suit these food sources. I can believe this, as Berberoka territory is so rich with algae and the such that they tend to attract Lily Dryads! When I first heard this, I feared the worst! Those poor little things hardly think about danger and tend to be oblivious to their surroundings. Surely one of them slithering into Berberoka territory is doomed! Well, it turns out that the Berberoka don't mind Lily Dryads. For whatever reason, they are perfectly fine with a swarm of them hanging out in their ponds. They hardly even seem to notice them, to be honest! During my observations of one pond, I found that the resident Berberoka treated them like every other piece of vegetation, even when they moved or started talking! No one is really sure why the Lilies are spared of such extreme aggression, but some theories have popped up. One idea is that the Lily Dryads are small enough that the Berberoka doesn't see them as a threat. They tolerate smaller creatures, so perhaps a Lily Dryad fits the bill. Another theory is that the anatomy of a Lily Dryad has enough similarities to the Berberoka that it has some familiarity to them and thinks they are one of its own. The problem with that one is the fact that these creatures hardly interact with the Lilies, so I can't imagine that it thinks they are its young. Whatever the reason, Lily Dryads are allowed into their ponds and they find quite the haven there! Anything that would dare try to harm the Lilies would have to get through the angry home owner first! Speaking of the Lily Dryad mystery, I know some folk are wondering the obvious thing. "If you want to know why the Berberoka tolerates them, why don't you just ask them?" These are the questions of people who have never had to talk to a Lily Dryad before. Due to their laid back nature, they really don't pay attention to things and they aren't exactly the sharpest thorn on the branch. Conversations with them is like trying to have a scholarly debate with a sapling or child. They don't follow what you are saying and they would rather talk about whatever comes to their mind at that moment. I foolishly tried this questioning once, and the results were useless despite the aggravating amount of time it took to get them. I was able to convince a few Lilies to leave the pond and meet me a safe distance away from the territorial Berberoka. I asked them what they knew about the creature and they said "they seem nice!" I asked what else they knew, and it was "they are pretty nice!" I pointed out the fact that their "kind" neighbor was responsible for drowning at least four people in the past few months, which garnered a "they're quite nice once you get to know them!" To save my readers the misery and repetition, I will just say things didn't get much deeper than that. Due to their aggression and violent attacks, Berberoka are feared and reviled. Any person that lives within their range has heard the cautionary tales a hundred times. Those who disappear in the swamps are often believed to have been killed by one of these beasts, and many local children are wary of these still waters. Warning signs are quite common around these water bodies, especially those close to town. If a Berberoka gets too close to a local water source, the townsfolk will be forced to slay it. Using spears and shields decorated to look like large faces, a group will surround the pond and slowly approach. Eventually the Berberoka will come out spitting, and everyone will hide behind their shields. Seeing the false faces, it will direct its stream towards these instead of the actual warriors. While it is focused on one target, the others will slowly creep closer. It change its attack to those who are closest, but eventually someone will get into range and stab it. They aim for the inflated water sacs, looking to rupture them and take out the watery cannon. Once this happens, the rest can charge in and finish it off. While there are some sad instances where slaying a Berberoka is necessary, a lot of suffering can be avoided if people know how to identify Berberoka territory. One should pause and take a minute to study a water body before rushing in, checking to see if it is inhabited. One sign can be found in the reeds. The Berberoka wrap them together and shape them into a swirled den. Look for unnatural piles of rocks, which these creatures may build while they are tending to their pond. If you see a bunch of lily pads, they may actually be Lily Dryads. If you have the patience, you may be able to get their attention and ask them if one of these creatures is around. Just don't call it a "Berberoka" when you ask, as they have no clue what that is. If you find any muddy patches away from the shores, look to see the trail of a serpentine tail and the furrows of their lower fins. If you see a bunch of these signs, don't approach. Find somewhere else to rest or refresh. If you desperately need water, then try to find an access point that is protected. Trees, rocks, anything that can stop a beam of water long enough for you to grab what you need and run. Cover your face and wear as much protection as you can. If you approach, do so with a hunched posture and keep yourself low to the ground. A submissive stance can buy you some time, but don't stick around for too long! Another trick you can use to locate a Berberoka was one I learned from the locals. They make these wadded up balls of dried mud and crushed up crab shells. When they want to check if a pond is safe, they will chuck one of these things in and wait. The water melts away the dried dirt and releases these powdered crab bits. Apparently the Berberoka absolutely hates this and is whipped into an agitated state when it catches the scent. They thrash and splash in the water, churning up the area where the ball was thrown. In a few moments, it will settle down and return to its stealthy state, but this outburst is enough for locals to spot them and head the other way. Looking into it, I found that the scent of certain freshwater crustaceans agitate the Berberoka, as these species are known to feed on their eggs. Lobbing in this scent bomb sets them off and they immediately look to eliminate this fake threat. It is a fascinating solution and one that I have used a couple of times during my expeditions there. However, do be sure to keep these crab balls in a sealed container when you are at camp. While the Berberoka hates the smell of these critters, other beasts are quite fond of it and you may wake up to find a hungry customer in your tent! Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ------------------------------------------------------------ I don't recall how I came to learn of this mythical creature, but I liked the concept once I did! These guys weren't intended for Mermay, but I found they fit the theme, so here they are!

#berberoka #monster #creature #mythical creatures #mythical beasts #leafy sea dragon #seahorse #mermay #mermay 2020 #art #drawing

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royalreef · 4 years

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(( I think it’s been long enough to where I’m starting to feel the need to re-explain why I gave my merfolk the body plan that I have, why they have a tail and why I went with a crocodile-adjacent design instead of a more typical mermaid design.

Mainly it started as me just trying to figure out how Miranda was supposed to swim. She’s a mermaid and it’s a pretty big part of who she is as a character, so I couldn’t just... not know how she swam. That’s a major part of any lifeform, and to neglect how locomotion happens would just break any other worldbuilding or development I could create.

This is a pretty big distinction! Mammals and their vertebral column are extremely constrained, almost entirely limiting aquatic mammals to an up/down motion like whales, while both fish and nearly every other aquatic tetrapod went with a side-to-side motion. And I know canon went with a very clearly mammalian design, being so specifically humanoid that there’s nothing else her skeletal structure could be, but... Almost nothing else about her was mammalian. The gills, particularly, were what threw me off, along with the mention of scales here and there. Nothing else besides the bland humanoid elements said mammal to me, so she had to be something else. Definitely still a tetrapod, so a lobe-finned fish, so that gives me at least a general idea of what I’m working with.

I ultimately decided to keep her legs. Having cases where she didn’t have legs just felt bulky to me, something I’d have to tinker around with to make her switch from legs to something else, be it a case like seals or an extension of the spine like whales or marine reptiles, and that still has major implications for the rest of her body plan, beyond just the “tail”. Such as where the spine would attach, since in humans and in her sprite, it attaches at the bottom of the skull, when in animals with that kind of body plan, it attaches to the back of the skull.

So that was about when I decided to do with a more crocodilian body plan, with shorter, but still present, limbs, and a large tail used for locomotion. You know the crab meme that’s popped up recently, about how everything becomes crabs? Well, the same thing happens to tetrapods and crocodiles. It’s honestly just another case of convergent evolution, where aquatic ambush predators will evolve very similar body plans to deal with very similar niches and very similar physics at play no matter what. Here’s just a few examples, most before crocodiles themselves even evolved, and none of them in the picture are actual crocodiles. So saying that merfolk took a croc-similar body plan wasn’t too out there, and would allow me to play with Miranda walking around on land, while still knowing how she got around underwater and how she managed!

The shape of her tail, then, was similarly decided by these factors. She needed a tall paddle, not a flat one like what whales have, and a LOT of animals have also convergently evolved tail flukes very reminiscent to the vertical paddles of sharks and fish. Combine this with how crocodiles and that body plan would naturally mean Miranda swims with her legs at her sides, not using them at all, you can easily imagine how someone might mistake her from afar as just not having legs at all, and having a fish tail instead.

If you’ve been around long enough, you may know that I didn’t immediately give Miranda her tail either. It was a big, fun, slappy tail, and it made me happy to know this, but... Earlier on, I was much more hesitant about diving into the same type of canon divergence I now have. Until I just... Eventually bit the bullet and gave Miranda her tail!

Before that, too, I tinkered around with her fins. I really don’t like how canon made them so dinky, and her having ray-fins on her face just... Never settled right with me? They were dinky and looked entirely useless, a needless addition. I’ve also long since been a fan of the way amphibian gills looked, their feathery fronds, and it’s been a pre-existing bias, so... Eventually I just swapped her fins out for the gills she has now. Their existence also did mean her more piscine-appearing gills migrated further towards her earfins/gills, as functionally they’re the same thing, doing the same job. Their frilliness was justified easily by them assisting in extracting more oxygen from the water around her, which is something a lot of animals make use of when in low-oxygen environments.

( The shape of them came about when I realized that I had an extremely social creature on hand, meaning that she would need a way of reaching out to others of her kind, and I had to think about what her most powerful senses would be. And the thing is... Sound travels WONDERFULLY over and through water. Whales sing for a reason, and they’re very social animals already, so it wasn’t hard to imagine merfolk taking a similar route to communicate with each other. Them being semi-mobile and already fairly large also meant that they began to fit a role a lot like the facial feathers of owls - as a kind of biological radar dish, to direct sounds into their ears, and their mobility allowed them to immediately adjust to pick up on what type of sounds were being heard and allowing them to fine-tune their own hearing for any situation. )

Which brought me to what type of merfolk Miranda was. Funnily... I never really considered her as anything other than an abyssal? Like, sure, some reef fish are indeed pink, and pink as coloration shows up everywhere in the ocean! It’s a VERY popular color choice. But... I never thought about her in a reef. Because pink as natural coloration in the ocean seems to be most popular in the deep sea. This is just due to how light works - red light has the shortest wavelength and blue has the longest, so a lot of species in the deep sea just can’t see red light, so it becomes natural camouflage to become red, without devoting a ton of pigment to being pure black. It’s also why a lot of creatures really deep down are just pale and colorless. Nothing can really see well down there, so you don’t have to worry a lot about that kinda thing. Path of least resistance and all. That also satisfied what color her eventual bioluminescence would be, as blue light does travel well, and a lot of creatures can still see blue light, making it a popular choice for signaling or hunting. That, and I suppose I have a bias against coral reef merfolk, being as they’re hopelessly overdone.

This began to clue me in on the rest of her biology. Something like 75% of the ecosystem at such depths are just scavengers, and merfolk being the size they are means they probably take the role of an opportunistic scavenger/predator. Aka, anything that they can eat, they have to be able to eat. There’s literally no way for them to afford to be picky at those depths. And, as it is, this niche both already exists, and is occupied by greenland and sleeper sharks, and both are already around the same lengths as merfolk already! Hence, it was easy enough to see what kind of adaptations they might need to cope and what that niche might favor, and thus, shape their anatomy by it.

So, hopefully this gives some newer people some ideas as to how I got all of these different ideas for Miranda’s biology!

#Most secret royal advisor || OOC #Given by Divine Right || Headcanons #long post #(( i am #(( v sorry this is just a wild special interest induced ramble #(( ive been sketching merfolk skulls again #(( and just #(( THINKING abt their biology #(( its a whole fucking lot!!!!!#(( and im proud of it!!!

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lavenderarts · 4 years

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Do you have any advice? I want to make a sona similar to yours but I’m not good with art. Is there a generator or piccrew you know of? PS I love the blue wolf sona you posted for the icons

Oh thanks so much!! The blue and white one is actually a hyena hehe :> I’m so glad to hear you enjoy them!

Before I say anything more, as a quick disclaimer to put my mind at ease since I’m not sure exactly what you mean by “similar to mine,” please do try to draw inspiration from more places than just me! I caught somebody who had stolen and was trying to sell that specific sona recently and it was really disheartening; inspiration is good and fine, but use your best judgment and please don’t be afraid to come and ask me if you’re not sure about something, I’m always glad to help.

Unfortunately I’m not aware of a Picrew for sona making; there are probably some dollmaker type things out there, but I wouldn’t know! Googling it might help, or if you have the cash there are a huge ton of artists you can commission to create a sona just for you, myself included! If anybody following me knows of a dollmaker or Picrew, etc., please link it in the replies to help this person out!

As far as advice goes, I suggest googling “x animal fursona” and taking a look at the work of others to get a feel for how artists stylize certain features, especially if you aren’t already familiar with the anatomy of the animal(s) you want your sona to be (but again, while it’s great to take inspiration from the work of others, put yourself in there too! Nothing good comes from outright copying). Check out the real animal(s) you want your sona to look like as well and take note of the general anatomy and what features stick out most to you — with Cherry, the blue hyena, the most prominent features of hyenas to me are their large ears, their mohawk-ish manes, and the shape of their snouts, so I tried to emphasize those features with Cherry! Since they’re also part whale shark, I looked at them too and tried to include some minor aquatic features along with their big fish tail. You say you’re not good at art, but nobody was born good! We all had to learn from others and practice to hone our skillset, and with time, patience, and practice, you can too. Take pride in your efforts so far and keep going! 💖

If you have a design theme you really like or a particular aspect of your personality you want this sona to express or showcase, that can help you make decisions about design details. Some themes are really popular, like space or plants, but use your creativity and you can create your own unique expression using them! Have confidence in yourself and create something that makes you happy. (Though please do be careful to avoid offensive “native/tribal” themes.) It’s your sona, it should be something you enjoy! They can have natural colors, bright colors, be a mix of 10 different animals or just 1, whatever you want!! The sky’s the limit, be as creative or common as you want.

For what it’s worth, I’m always happy to look at people’s work if they DM me from the messenger function, and I can give some casual feedback/opinions if you’d like to know my thoughts on a design or piece of artwork — though my word isn’t god, of course! (And if you’ll excuse a quick plug, if you hit up my Patreon or perhaps toss me a few bucks on Ko-fi I can do a more in-depth review and give critique/suggestions! I always try to do such things in a kind way, nothing harsh.)

Good luck making your sona, and thanks for coming to ask me! I’d love to see them when you’re finished, if you feel up to it.

#lavies asks #anonymous

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innuendostudios · 6 years

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Research Masterpost

This is my research list for The Alt-Right Playbook. It is a living document - I am typically adding sources faster than I am finishing the ones already on it. Notes and links below the list. Also, please note this does not include the hundreds of articles and essays I’ve read that also inform the videos - this is books, reports, and a few documentaries.

Legend: Titles in bold -> finished Titles in italics -> partially finished *** -> livetweeted as part of #IanLivetweetsHisResearch (asterisks will be a link) The book I am currently reading will be marked as such.

Media Manipulation & Disinformation Online, by Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis Alternative Influence, by Rebecca Lewis The Authoritarians, by Bob Altemeyer*** Eclipse of Reason, by Max Horkheimer Civility in the Digital Age, by Andrea Weckerle The Origins of Totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt On Revolution, by Hannah Arendt Don’t Think of an Elephant, by George Lakoff The Shock Doctrine, by Naomi Klein How Propaganda Works, by Jason Stanley*** This is an Uprising, by Mark and Paul Engler Neoreaction a Basilisk, by Elizabeth Sandifer This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed, by Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson Healing from Hate, by Michael Kimmel The Brainwashing of my Dad, doc by Jen Senko On Bullshit, by Harry Frankfurt The Reactionary Mind, by Corey Robin*** Stamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. Kendi Fascism Today, by Shane Burley Indoctrination over Objectivity?, by Marrissa S. Ballard Ur-Fascism, by Umberto Eco Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, by Lindsay C. Gibson Anti-Semite and Jew, by Jean-Paul Sartre Alt-America, by David Neiwert*** The Dictator’s Handbook, by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Alastair Smith Terror, Love, and Brainwashing, by Alexandra Stein Kaputt, by Curzio Malaparte The Anatomy of Fascism, by Robert O. Paxton Neoliberalism and the Far Right, by Neil Davidson and Richard Saull Trolls Just Want to Have Fun, by Erin E. Buckels, et al The Entrepreneurial State, by Mariana Mazzucato

Media Manipulation & Disinformation Online, by Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis (free: link) A monstrously useful report from Data & Society which- coupled with Samuel R. Delany’s memoir The Motion of Light in Water - formed the backbone of the Mainstreaming video. I barely scratched the surface of how many techniques the Far Right uses to inflate their power and influence. If you feel lost in a sea of Al-Right bullshit, this will at least help you understand how things got the way they are, and maybe help you discern truth from twaddle.

The Authoritarians, by Bob Altemeyer (free: link) (livetweets) A free book full of research from Bob Altemeyer’s decades of study into authoritarianism. Altemeyer writes conversationally, even jovially, peppering what could have been a dense and dry work with dad jokes. I wouldn’t say he’s funny (most dads aren’t), but it makes the book blessedly accessible. If you ever wanted a ton of data demonstrating that authoritarianism is deeply correlated with conservatism, this is the book. One of the most useful resources I’ve consumed so far, heavily influencing the entire series but most directly the video on White Fascism. Even has some suggestions for how to actually change the mind of a reactionary, which is kind of the Holy Grail of LeftTube.

(caveats: there is a point in the book where Altemeyer throws a little shade on George Lakoff, and I feel he slightly - though not egregiously - misrepresents Lakoff’s arguments)

Don’t Think of an Elephant, by George Lakoff An extremely useful book about framing. Delves into the differences between the American Right and Left when it comes to messaging, how liberal politicians tend to have degrees in things like Political Science and Rhetoric, where conservatives far more often have degrees in Marketing. This leads to two different cultures, where liberals have Enlightenment-style beliefs that all you need is good ideas and conservatives know an idea will only be popular if you know how to sell it. He gets into the nuts and bolts of how to keep control of a narrative, because the truth is only effective if the audience recognizes it as such. Kind of staggering how many Democrats swear by this book while blatantly taking none of its advice. Lakoff has been all over the series since the first proper video.

(caveats: several. Lakoff seemingly believes the main difference between the Right and Left is in our default frames, and that swaying conservatives amounts to little more than finding better ways to make the same arguments. he deeply underestimates the ideological divide between Parties, and some of his advice reads as tips for making debates more pleasant but no more productive. he also makes a passing comparison between conservatism and Islam that means well but is a gross and kinda racist false equivalence)

How Propaganda Works, by Jason Stanley (livetweets) A slog. Many useful concepts, and directly referenced in the White Fascism video. But could have said everything it needed to say in half as many pages. Stanley seems dedicated to framing everything in epistemological terms, not appealing to morality or sentiment, which means huge sections of the book are given over to “proving” democracy is a good thing using only philosophical concepts, when “democracy good” is probably something his readership already accepts. Also has a frustrating tendency to begin every paragraph with a brief summary of the previous paragraph. When he actually talks about, you know, how propaganda works, it’s very useful, and I don’t regret reading it. But I don’t entirely recommend it. Seems written for an imagined PhD review board. Might be better off reading my livetweets.

Neoreaction a Basilisk, by Elizabeth Sandier A trip. Similar to Jason Stanley, Sandifer is dedicated to “disproving” a number of Far Right ideologies - from transphobia to libertarianism to The Singularity - in purely philosophical terms. The difference is, she’s having fun with it. I won’t pretend the title essay - a 140-page mammoth - didn’t lose me several times, and someone had to remind which of its many threads was the thesis. And some stretches are dense, academic writing punctuated with vulgarity and (actually quite clever) jokes, which doesn’t always average out to the playfully heady tone she’s going for. But, still, frequently brilliant and never less than interesting. There is something genuinely cathartic about a book that begins with the premise that we all fear but won’t let ourselves meaningfully consider - that we will lose the fight with the Right and climate change is going to kill us all - and talks about what we can do in that event. I felt I didn’t even have to agree with the premise to feel strangely empowered by it. Informed the White Fascism video’s comments on transphobia as the next frontier of bigotry since failing to prevent marriage equality.

On Bullshit, by Harry Frankfurt Was surprised to find this isn’t properly a book, just a printed essay. Highly relevant passage that helped form my description of 4chan in The Card Says Moops: “What tends to go on in a bull session is that the participants try out various thoughts and attitudes in order to see how it feels to hear themselves saying such things and in order to discover how others respond, without its being assumed that they are committed to what they say: it is understood by everyone in a bull session that the statements people make do not necessarily reveal what they really believe or how they really feel. The main point is to make possible a high level of candor and an experimental or adventuresome approach to the subjects under discussion. Therefore provision is made for enjoying a certain irresponsibility, so that people will be encouraged to convey what is on their minds without too much anxiety that they will be held to it. [paragraph break] Each of the contributors to a bull session relies, in other words, upon a general recognition that what he expresses or says is not to be understood as being what he means wholeheartedly or believes unequivocally to be true. The purpose of the conversation is not to communicate beliefs.”

The Reactionary Mind, by Corey Robin (livetweets) Another freakishly useful book, and the basis for Always a Bigger Fish and The Origins of Conservatism. Jumping into the history of conservative thought, going all the way back to Thomas Hobbes, to stress that conservatism is, and always has been, about preserving social hierarchies and defending the powerful. Robin dissects thinkers who heavily influenced conservatism, from Edmund Burke and Friedrich Nietzsche to Carl Menger and Ayn Rand, and finally concluding with Trump himself. There’s a lot of insight into how the conservative mind works, though precious little comment on what we can do about it, which somewhat robs the book of a conclusion. Still, the way it bounces off of Don’t Think of an Elephant and The Authoritarians really brings the Right into focus.

Fascism Today, by Shane Burley Yet another influence on the White Fascism video. Bit of a mixed bag. The opening gives a proper definition of fascism, which is extremely useful. Then the main stretch delves into the landscape of modern fascism, from Alt-Right to Alt-Lite to neofolk pagans to the Proud Boys and on and on. Sometimes feels overly comprehensive, but insights abound on the intersections of all these belief systems (Burley pointing out that the Alt-Right is, in essence, the gentrification of working-class white nationalists like neo-Nazi skinheads and the KKK was a real eye-opener). But the full title is Fascism Today: What it is and How to End it, and it feels lacking in the second part. Final stretch mostly lists a bunch of efforts to address fascism that already exist, how they’ve historically been effective, and suggestions for getting involved. Precious few new ideas there. And maybe the truth is that we already have all the tools we need to fight fascism and we simply need to employ them, and being told so is just narratively unsatisfying. Or maybe it’s a structural problem with the book, that it doesn’t reveal a core to fascism the way Altemeyer reveals a core to authoritarianism and Robin reveals a core to conservatism, so I don’t come away feeling like I get fascism well enough to fight it. But, also, Burley makes it clear that modern fascism is a rapidly evolving virus, and being told that old ways are still the best ways isn’t very satisfying. If antifascism isn’t evolving at least as rapidly, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to win.

(caveats: myriad. for one, Burley repeatedly quotes Angela Nagle’s Kill All Normies, which does not inspire confidence. he also talks about “doxxing fascists” as a viable strategy without going into the differences between “linking a name to a face at a public event” and “hacking someone’s email to publicly reveal their bank information,” where the former is the strategy that fights fascism and the latter is vigilantism that is practiced widely on the Right and only by the worst actors on the Left. finally, the one section where Burley discusses an area I had already thoroughly researched was GamerGate, and he got quite a few facts wrong, which makes me question how accurate all the parts I hadn’t researched were. I don’t want to drive anyone away from the book, because it was still quite useful, but I recommend reading it only in concert with a lot of other sources so you don’t get a skewed perspective.)

Healing from Hate, by Michael Kimmel (Michael Kimmel, it turns out, is a scumbag. This book’s main thesis is that we need to look at violent extremism through the lens of toxic masculinity, so Kimmel’s toxic history with women is massively disappointing. Book itself is, in many ways, good, but, you know, retweets are not endorsement.)

A 4-part examination of how men get into violent extremism through the lens of the organizations that help them get out: EXIT in Germany and Sweden, Life After Hate in the US, and The Quilliam Foundation in Europe and North America. Emphasizing that entry into white nationalism - and, to an extent, jihadism - is less ideological than social. Young men enter these movements out of a need for community, purpose, and a place to put their anger. They feel displaced and mistreated by society - and often, very tangibly, are - and extremism offers a way to prove their manhood. Feelings of emasculation is a major theme. The actual politics of extremism are adopted gradually. They are, in a sense, the price of admission for the community and the sense of purpose. The most successful exit strategies are those that address these feelings of loneliness and emasculation and build social networks outside the movement, and not ones that address ideology first - the ideology tends to wither with the change in environment. The book itself can be a bit repetitive, but these observations are very enlightening.

(caveats: the final chapter on militant Islam is deeply flawed. Kimmel clearly didn’t get as much access to Qulliam as he had to EXIT and Life After Hate, so his data is based far less on direct interviews with counselors and former extremists and much more on other people’s research. despite the chapter stressing that a major source of Muslim alienation is racism, Kimmel focuses uncomfortably much on white voices - the majority of researchers he quotes are white Westerners, and the few interviews he manages are mostly with white converts to Islam rather than Arabs or South Asians. all in all, the research feels thinner, and his claims about militant Islam seem much more conjectural when they don’t read as echos of other people’s opinions.)

Terror, Love and Brainwashing, by Alexandra Stein A look at totalitarian governments and cults through the lens of attachment theory. While not explicitly about the Far Right, it’s interesting to see the overlap between this and Healing from Hate. Stein stresses that the control dynamics she discusses are not exclusive to cults, and are, in fact, the same ones as in abusive relationships; cults are just the most extreme version. So you can see many similar dynamics in Far Right organizations, like the Aryan Nations or the Proud Boys. It’s made me curious how many of these dynamics are in play in the distributed, less controlled environment of online extremism, and makes me want to look further into the subject before drawing conclusions.

(caveats: book is, as with How Propaganda Works, sometimes a slog and rather repetitive. I clocked a 4-page stretch in chapter 8 where Stein did not say a single thing that hadn’t been said multiple times in previous chapters. also, when talking about people coerced into highly-controlled lifestyles, she offhandedly includes “prostitutes” among them? it’s that liberal conflation of sex work and trafficking which is really not cool. this isn’t a major point, just something to notice while you read it.)

Alt-America, by David Neiwert (livetweets) A look at the actual formation of the Alt-Right, and the history that led up to it: the Militia and Patriot movements of the 90′s, the Tea Party, the rise of Alex Jones and Glenn Beck, and so on. Having been steeped in the rhetoric and tactics of the Far Right for so long, someone doing the work of sitting down and putting it all in chronological order is immensely helpful. Generally clear and well-written, too, and would be an easy read if not for how goddamn depressing the content is. Has an unfortunate final 7 pages, where Neiwert starts recommending actual policy. Falls into the usual “have empathetic conversations with genuine conservatives to turn them against the fascist wing taking over their party,” not recognizing the ways in which conservatism is continuous with fascism, nor the ways that trying to appeal to moderate conservatives alienates the people whose rights they deny. Means an extremely valuable book leaves a bad taste in the final stretch, but everything up to then is aces.

#the alt-right playbook #alt-right

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yeetfort · 5 years

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If you're ok with requests: uh im sappy so,,mercs with an s/o who loves animals? Can info dump about them, find beauty in even the desdliest (blue ringed octopus cough) or ugliest (anglerfish cough cough) ones, wants to own a shit ton, that stuff?

Oooooo these were so much fun to write! I love silly sappy little stuff! I hope this is what you were looking for!

Soldier will claim that he can fight the dangerous ones off for you if they ever break out of their enclosures. Also says something along the line of “ha! They think they’re the deadliest things in the world! They haven’t met me!” You explain to him that they are just your little babies. He’s willing to learn more about them after you show him just how cool they are.

Scout thinks it is SO neat! As you’re describing animals, especially the ones with some very odd properties, you get a bunch of “woah! That’s awesome!” “They can really do that??” Learning about them also makes him feel smart. He’s really absolutely FASCINATED by them, maybe partially because he’s just enchanted by you.

Demo - Did you know it’s illegal to get a fish drunk in Ohio? Because demo does. He’s why that law exists. He’s always though that stuff was pretty interesting, especially considering that in Scottish folklore, any one of them might be a human in disguise. Aside from selkies, demo is intrigued by animals and will let you talk all day about it if you’d like. You also like to watch underwater documentaries together while curled up on the couch. It’s a fun time.

Engie is almost totally indifferent to it until you bring in a rescued baby alligator. He remembers seeing them in the lakes at home as a child and instantly has a bond with it. You have to remind him often that these are wild animals and that they need to be treated as such. Even after getting his robotic arm bitten off, he’s really developed a love for the critters, alongside one for you.

Heavy loves that you are gentle and have a real appreciation for the natural world. He always had to fight and kill huge bears in Russia, but always held a sincere respect for them nevertheless. You’ll talk about how much you love your animals even if they are probably constantly trying to end you. He tells you that they probably actually appreciate you, even if they don’t show it.

Pyro is 100% on board from the beginning and tries to pet everything. Oh, god, please pyro do not pet the octopus. Turns out he’s fine because those gloves are nearly impenetrable. He especially likes how colorful the animal world is. He asks you where a unicorn’s natural habitat is.

Spy is frankly disgusted with them before you come along and show him their hidden wonders and beauty. Even the most hideous ones have a secret hidden. He especially likes the deception of the lure with the anglerfish. He decides that he might actually be able to learn some useful tactics from them in spy work.

Sniper IS the animal man!! This dude wrangles eagles and shit! He likes to blabber right back to you about things like how he found this really cool spider that bit him when he was 5 and he almost died but it was a REALLY cool spider. Will take you out in the wilderness and you’ll very quietly go looking for anything that looks interesting. You have quite a few photos together where you hold up some bugs or have a bird perched atop your head. He doesn’t normally do ocean stuff, but he will if you ask him to. He finds that catch and release fishing is a really nice bonding activity for you two.

Medic owns birds himself, and is absolutely enthralled with your little collection! He has experimented with animal parts before (baboon bits, hello!) but is almost kind of sorry about it once he realized how much value and wonder they hold when they’re alive. He keeps a little aquarium in his lab of your fish just to look at for when you’re away or when he’s feeling sad or bored. You like to go through animal anatomy books together, and he likes to point out all the things on them that correspond with the human body.

#cute #tf2 #tf2 reader #tf2 headcanons #tf2xreader #tf2 x reader #x reader #reader #xreader #all mercs

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other-side-of-wonder · 6 years

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Marvel Characters as things I've said/heard

Bucky: "God dang it feels like... What are those fish tank places called? Because it feels like those.. all hot and stuffy and smelling like e a r t h."

Peter, panicking while studying for his Spanish final: *frantically taps his elbow* "WHAT'S THE ENGLISH WORD FOR THIS??"

Sam: "Update: I got out of bed to move to another bed."

Steve: "Tony! Are you drinking wine?"

Tony: "...No.. I'm holding wine."

Steve: "And who's wine is it?"

Tony: "...mine."

Peter: "Bruh, I have a crap ton of homework to do but I just watched someone fry a banana."

Peter: *texting Ned but struggling with autocorrect* "I got a whole box of kit kata!"

Ned: "A whole box of what now?"

Peter: "Kit Kats! And I'm gonna eat them all."

Ned: "Share?"

Peter: "No. I'mma ear all my jut katas."

Peter: "Ok y'know what nevermind."

Ned: "???"

Loki, yawning and tearing up: "Oh it's just my emotions slipping out of their cage, give me a minute."

Bruce, while playing heads up: "Oh! It's that guy from the Green Bay Packers uh- um- Heath Ledger!"

Peter, while holding Ned's hand: "Bro your hand is so soft!"

Ned: "Really??" *Takes Peter's hand and starts rubbing it* "Bro yours is soft too!"

Peter: "Broooo!"

Pepper, distantly: "Tony, are these pants on the floor dirty or clean?"

Tony: "I don't know, are they mine?"

Pepper: "Well, duh."

Tony: "...Pretend that they're clean."

Tony, after hearing dramatic music playing from Peter's phone, "The heck are you watching?"

Peter: "A video of a Peppa Pig figurine getting crushed."

Tony: "That's not at all what I thought you'd say."

Peter, watching a marching band: "We love a good flutter step.. oh nevermind that guys just running."

Bucky, running around the kitchen: "I feel like I'm in some sort of hell dimension right now.. why is the cheese white.. why is the turkey in a bag?"

Peter: "THESE PIZZA ROLLS ARE BACON AND MAC N CHEESE FILLED??"

Steve, upon seeing Tony eating a cupcake: "We're getting ice cream later, why are you eating that?"

Tony, "This is my pre-dessert."

Peter, carrying around his anatomy textbook in a baby carrier: "In this house we only care about anatomy."

Clint, grabbing a mirror: "I wanna see if I look like an egg.. eww yeah."

Thor, after being confused over ordering a pizza online for the past 10 minutes: "The pizza guy better come dressed as a wizard or I'm gonna be pissed."

Shuri, posting a picture of some trash cans: "Just me and the girls."

Peter: "Oh I look so good in this."

Aaaand there's a whole lot of stupid funnyish conversations I've had but this is all I can remember rn so ✌🏻

#peter parker #tony stark #bruce banner #clint barton #shuri #bucky barnes #steve rogers #pepper potts #thor #loki #ned leeds #this is stupid #marvel

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mendespideys · 6 years

Text

the intern ▿ pt. I

Pairings: reader x ceo!tom

Summary: you’re finishing your last year of university in london, and what better way do to that than with an internship at holland and osterfield’s?

Warnings: mentions of sex, language, tom being a teasing bastard

Words: 1.5k+

a/n: inspired by this picture right here bc damn. based on the prompt “i banged someone last night and they’re interviewing me for a job” from this list and the first episode of grey’s anatomy

here is my masterlist | let me know if i should continue this here ☺︎

series masterlist

next >

When you wake up, your initial thought is to fall back asleep. It feels too early, you conclude, turning around in the sheets. As you do so, your eyes widen, realizing why you had awakened in the first place. Taking in your surroundings, you also realize that you don’t recognize the room you are in.

The memories of the previous night hit you like a ton of bricks, and you stumble out of bed, in search of your clothes. Stumble was the right word because two seconds later you bump into the nightstand, knocking your phone down on the carpet.

As if it was second nature, your head whips toward the other side of the bed, your muscles tensing as the sleeping figure stirs. You wince, painfully aware that you had woken him up. He turns on his side, his bare chest peeking out from the white comforter. Licking your lips, you take in his muscular build and messy hair, mentally patting yourself on the back.

“Where are you going?” He blinks a few times, a yawn escaping him as he runs his fingers through his hair.

“I have an interview in,” you click the button on your phone, your eyes widening. “45 minutes. Shit. Besides, this how one night stands work.”

You turn around, fishing your dress up from the floor with one hand. You try to ignore the sounds of the bed creaking as your date from last night moves around. You pull the red dress over your head, slipping on your black heels - surprisingly keeping your balance this time around.

“You can stay for breakfast, darling,” he suggests softly, his voice raspy. “I can drive you to your interview. I actually have to be at work in thirty minutes anyway.”

You shake your head, grabbing your purse and slipping your phone inside. “Thanks, but no thanks. I really need to go home and take a shower. This interview is important to me.”

He shrugs as if to say suit yourself, effortlessly throwing on a navy colored shirt. He follows you to the front door quietly, his bare feet padding against the wooden floors. You grab the door handle, turning around to take in his ravishingly good looks one last time. If this had been any other day, you definitely would have taken him up on his offer.

“Well,” a smirk spreads across his lips, and you wish you could feel them against your own. “Thank you for last night, love. Good luck with your interview.”

You just nod, swallowing thickly, unable to form a normal sentence. You walk out into the hallway, realizing that you’re on the top floor. You’re already planning the fastest route back to your apartment when you hear his door close behind you.

XXX

Taking one last look in the full-length mirror on your wall, you nod to yourself. You can do this. You’re too much of in a hurry to care about the apple falling off the counter as you grab your purse. Locking your door, you inhale deeply; one last attempt at calming your nerves.

The nerves come back in waves as soon as you walk through the revolving doors at Holland and Osterfield’s. The view that met you was more than enough to take your breath away, but you’re too anxious to enjoy the beautiful foyer. After announcing your arrival and purpose, you are directed toward the fourth floor. As the elevator doors close, you give yourself one last pep-talk.

Sitting in the office was the most nerve-wracking thing you had experienced in a long time. You nervously tug at the hem of your dark grey pencil skirt, wondering if it was a little too short. After glancing around the room again, you focus your gaze on the bookshelf on the wall. You can just barely read the book titles, but it helps calm your jitters.

“You like reading?”

The oddly familiar voice makes you jump in your seat, and you stand up, wiping your clammy palms on your skirt. Turning around to meet your potential boss, you extend your hand toward him. You can physically feel your eyes widen in shock when you look at him. His stern expression changes, too, and a smirk suddenly makes its way to his lips.

“Y/N,” your name falls from his lips with ease, and you hate how good it makes you feel. “Good to see you again.”

The sly smile on his face fuels your sudden frustration. Just my fucking luck, you thought, looking at the man you had left this morning. Yesterday when you met him, he had been wearing black jeans, a black shirt, boots and a suede brown jacket. The bad boy exterior had been swapped out, and you couldn’t quite decide which side you preferred.

You nod. “You as well,” you trail off, realizing you had either forgotten his name or he hadn’t given it to you at all.

“Tom Holland.” He finally takes your extended hand, his touch lingering. He clears his throat, walking toward the chair behind his desk. He motions for you to sit back down and you comply.

“So, Y/N,” he starts, flicking through the stack of papers on his desk. You realize they contain information about you, suddenly itching to see what was written. “It says here you go to Imperial College London. Impressive.”

You nod, not entirely sure how to reply. “Yeah,” you confirm. “I have been going to ICL for the past two years. I will be graduating in June.”

“I can’t help but notice your thick American accent. Although London is lucky to have you, I can’t help but wonder why you chose to come here. Enlighten me, would you, Y/N?”

You hate how your name sounds so much better in a British accent, especially the way it falls from his lips. You fold your hands in your lap, suddenly regretting leaving the top button of your blouse unbuttoned when you feel his eyes watching you.

“Well,” you begin, trying your best to avoid his curious eyes. “My aunt lives in London, so I used to come here every summer until I turned thirteen. I’ve always loved London, and well, ICL just seemed like the perfect university for me to attend.”

Tom nods, seemingly more interested in your appearance than your answer. You study the stripes on his tie, attempting to organize your thoughts so you would be prepared to answer his next question.

Crossing your legs, you use your right hand to throw your hair over your shoulder. Tom licks his lips, quickly glancing back down at the notes in front of him.

“What brings you to Holland and Osterfield’s? Why is this the company you want to intern with for the next six months?” He raises a questioning eyebrow, leaning back into the comfort of his chair.

You take ahold of your bottom lip with your teeth, trying to figure out the best way to answer his question. Truth to be told, his company had been the last on your list, but they were the only ones that had replied to your e-mail.

“Mr. Holland,” you start, meeting his eyes. “Your company is very extraordinary. I find what your company does and stands for especially inspiring. I know that Mr. Osterfield and yourself started out young, which makes your success that more impressive. I would love to work for a company like yours.”

Tom smiles at your answer, nodding. You glance at his hands as they write additional notes on the papers in front of him, an unwelcome redness spreading across your cheeks as you remember how they had touched you last night. The memory sends a shiver down your spine, and you shift uncomfortably in the chair.

“Harrison tells me you’re a marketing major. He’s the one who runs the marketing department of the company,” Tom informs you, looking back up from the printed notes. “Unfortunately he wasn’t able to make it in for your interview. He said you know all the basic marketing stuff?”

You nod, validating his information. You glance toward the black, elegant watch on the wall. It had only been ten minutes, and you were already more than ready to go back to your apartment.

“And do you usually sleep around?”

Your head whips toward him. “No! I-I, uh,” you sputter, embarrassed. The question had fallen from his lips so nonchalantly. “I believe that’s none of your business, sir.”

Tom grins teasingly with a shrug. “Fair enough.”

He pushes his chair back, standing up and straightening his blue blazer. You feel his eyes on you as he walks around his desk. You stand up quickly when he stops in front of your seat expectantly. You pick up your purse, slinging the strap over your shoulder.

Tom buttons his blazer, the fabric tightening around his abdomen as he does. You bite your lip, remembering his bare chest from the morning. You suddenly wonder what would have happened if you had stayed at his place.

“Well, Y/N, I look forward to working with you.”

You frown, meeting his eyes. “That’s it?”

“Yes,” he states simply. “Unless you have any questions for me, I expect to see you here on Monday. 8 o’clock sharp. Bring your laptop and good looks.”

You shake his hand, willing the heat in your cheeks to go away. If you had known the interview would be this easy, you wouldn’t even have bothered with the three mock interviews you had done with your friend the day before.

“Y-yes, Mr. Holland. Thank you so much! I will see you on Monday.”

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brandyjanell · 5 years

Text

What Book Is That?

In the past few months, I've become obsessed with all types of books. Don’t get me wrong, i've always liked to read as a child and my mom used to buy me tons of books, but as an adult, it has turned into an addiction. At least once a month, i'll go to the nearest Barnes & Noble and do my thing. It's just this undescribable feeling that Barnes & Noble gives me. As soon as I walk through those doors, I feel like i'm at home and at peace.

After I've made my purchase, I usually post the book on my social media just to let everyone know what i'm currently reading, and I almost always get someone that asks me, "What book is that?". So I decided to do a feature on my website because I am a big reader and I would love to share some of my favorites with my viewers. The books in the picture above are books that i’ve read and/or will read.

“You are a Badass at Making Money” -Jen Sincero

“Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear”- Elizabeth Gilbert

“The Power Playbook: Rules for Independence, Money and Success”-La La Anthony

“2 Fish”-Jhene Aiko Efuru Chilombo

“We're Going to Need More Wine”- Gabrielle Union

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”-Mark Manson

“The Sun and her Flowers”-Rupi Kaur

“HER”-Pierre Alex Jeanty

“A Psalm For Us”-Reyna Biddy

“Milk and Honey”-Rupi Kaur

“The Hate U Give”-Angie Thomas

“Year of Yes”- Shonda Rhimes

“Whiskey Words & A Shovel, v.1”-r.h. Sin

“Whisky Words & A Shovel, v.2”-r.h. Sin

“You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life”-Jen Sincero

“Whisky Words & A Shovel, v.3”- r.h. Sin

“A Beautiful Composition of Broken”-r.h. Sin

Out of all of these books, I will give you four books that are a must-have on your bookshelf.

1. The Sun and Her Flowers- Rupi Kaur (This book is a book of poems that hit my emotional spots. If you like poetry and you're in the mood for a deep read, this is the book for you. Highly Recommended!

2. Milk and Honey- Rupi Kaur -Rupi Kaur is the same author for the book "The Sun and Her Flowers," and this book gets deeper (In my opinion). It's still a book of poetry, which makes it better because the pages are short and sweet, yet deep.

3. We're Going to Need More Wine- Gabrielle Union I'm a huge Gabrielle Union fan, so when I found out that she was coming out with a book, I had to purchase it. I read this one in two days. Great read, even if you aren't a huge fan of hers. Gabrielle made a lot of excellent points in this book.

4. Year of Yes- Shonda Rhimes- I am a huge fan of Shonda Rhimes because I believe her work is incredible. One of my favorite shows is one she created, and that's Grey's Anatomy. I did a bit of research on Shonda Rhimes and found that she was the creator of a few other hit shows ("How to Get Away With Murder” and "Scandal") and that's what drew me to her. I wanted to know more about what she started out doing before she was writing and how she got to the point where she's at now. I purchased her book, "Year of Yes" and fell in love. It was very motivational, and I learned to say yes. It's deeper than a simple "yes," especially if you're a person that overthinks a lot of situations and are indecisive like myself. Definitely a MUST READ.

I hope that you guys take the time out of your lives to read at least one of these books. Please feel free to leave a comment and if you have any recommendations for me, don't hesitate to let me know.

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fantroll-purgatory · 5 years

Text

I know! Where’s her symbol? Where’s her horns????

I’m hoping for some help on classpect and lunar sway so I can settle on a symbol before designing her horns.

World: Alternia - Hiveswap Era? Maybe??? Name: Whimam Natron - Whimam based on “whim-wham” the origin for the word “whimsy”. Natron, as in the mineral used during mummification in ancient Egypt.

I love this name, it’s a Good One. Combining mummification and a clown character together is fun to me since jesters were pretty popular in ancient Egypt. Worldwide clownery. Age: 9 Sweeps

Theme/Story: Whimam is a Subjug going through a bit of a crisis of faith. After an especially intense rage led her to maim her lusus she’s begun actively suppressing her highblood rage and trying to a live a quieter, more peaceful life. This is of course at direct odds with worship of the Mirthful Messiahs, that pretty much mandates regular culling and attendance to a (literally) bloody church.

She’s also found that not culling most every troll you run into and embracing the less murdery side of clown-hood nets you more friends and she’s quite happy about this development. As a result she’s torn between being devout in her faith and the bits of a new life she can now see. Goals: A general overview would be nice! Strife Specibus: Chain&hookkind - or just “Chainhookkind”. Not to be confused with the tool. It’s literally two large meat hooks connected by a length of chain. It has various uses in combat, but she prefers to hook someone and pull them in before finishing the job up close.

I do think that’s very great for the intimidating aesthetic, a good time all around. If you wanted something more Clown-y/circus-y, you could consider Devil Sticks or a Cyr wheel, but I think this fits the slaughtering tendencies of clown church. Fetch Modus: I don’t know

You could probably work out a juggling modus where she has to catch the ball she’s looking for without dropping any of the others in order to extract the item! Or if you wanna focus in on the hook concept, maybe slide in an interest in fishing and give her a fishing modus, haha. Blood Color: Purple Symbol and Meaning: Hoping to get classpect help that will decide that.

We’ll discuss that when we get down to that section! Handle: merryMausoleum [MM] Quirk: This is something I was also waiting for my symbol for deciding. If you have non-symbol related ideas (or even ideas for the symbols you recommend) I’d love to hear them though!

Okay not to bring up HxH, but could theoretically take inspo from Hisoka to add card suits to the end of sentences depending on the mood she’s feeling. It has a double function since card suits are associated with relationship statuses on Alternia!

This is also a bit of a niche reference, but Saggi the Dark Clown is the 34th Yugioh Card introduced, so you could replace E and A with 3 and 4 respectively, in traditional homestuck fashion.

Special Abilities: Chucklevoodoo - Can send psychic images of her violent intent to others, letting them see in vivid detail just how awful their death is about to be. Lusus/Guardian: Crocodilehound - Giant crocodile with scaled wolf limbs and paws. Their relationship has been testy ever since Whimam blinded her in one eye during a fit of rage. Think cold companionship – Whimam feeds her and she helps keep Whimam safe, but they don’t stay around one another often (not that Purple Lusus tend to be the most attentive, anyway.)

I’m almost tempted to say, like, Crocodilion instead. Lion legs instead of wolf. Since lions get used in circus performances a fair bit! Or crocodelephant? But crocodilion sounds fun. Interests: Whimam really loves taxidermy and, through intimate contact with plenty of troll and animal guts, has developed extensive knowledge on troll and animal anatomy. A desire to entertain has led her to become well-versed in various party tricks including: juggling, sleight of hand, and balancing acts. She hopes to eventually become a subjugglator.

Does she have any interest in the more medicinal aspects of biology, or just the guts and blood? If she isn’t interested in health, it could be something she starts to look into more as she leans into her nice side. Another fun little idea is that you could have her interested in drawing? Purely for anatomical drawing. Catch her with this on her walls.

And taxidermy isn’t the only form of animal preservation, you could get her into mummification and wet preservation, too. And does she do other preservative forms? Like tanning, maybe? Skull mounts? Insect-collecting?

Appearance: Since I’m attaching a talksprite (I can’t for the life of me make one of the classic sprites for her, even after extensive time fiddling with parts and bases) a few things aren’t shown. Her pants are in fact poofy waist-high shorts. She also wears a ton of jingling bracelets and some comically large shoes.

CUTE. All of this is great and I really wouldn’t change a thing. Personality: Whimam is a recovering murderclown. The life she led up until recently was defined by violence and a close relationship with death (which made her feel close with her faith). She grew up culling trolls for her gods and beasts for her Lusus. Eventually she started culling both for her own interest – taxidermy. Her massive hive has multiple rooms dedicated to the stuffed remains of her victims.

After she let her rage get the best of her and tore out one of her Lusus’s eyes she began repressing that side of herself. She culls only as is required for her Lusus to eat and has even withdrawn from her church life. Despite this she’s still faithful to the Mirthful Messiahs – a fact that as mentioned earlier has left her in serious conflict with herself.

Keeping her rage in check is harder than she expected and so she’s more or less just started bottling it all up. She puts on a chill, affable affect and pretends she’s always calm even when she’s absolutely bristling, and avoids extraneous conflict as much as she can. This can and does lead to moments where she experiences serious outbursts when she hits her limit.

On the upside she’s now making friends for the first time in a while and is learning to channel a fun side of herself that doesn’t rely on brutal murder. In conversation she’s a fairly mellow woman who focuses on listening over talking. She’s vulgar with a dark sense of humor, but deceptively sensitive to insults. Usually she’d just kill someone for hurting her feelings, but lately she’s taken to awkward attempts at deescalation. She’s, naturally, more patient with highbloods than lowbloods.

I love this writeup, this is a great and very strong personality and a wonderful arc setup for a character. I don’t really have a lot of commentary to give besides saying you should think of more specific calming techniques she uses! Highblood rage can be so potent that we’ve seen that, like, Gamzee goes off sopor and is immediately in murderclown party zone. How does she chill out? Calming music? Woodburning? Really, really aggressive juggling?

Lunar Sway: I don’t know. I was thinking Prospit, but the more I’ve written the less certain I’ve been. She’s been comfortable in the church and the hemospectrum, feeling no need to rebel against either, but she’s now in a more conflicted head space than ever before.

I think she’s definitely prospit. One of the things that is noted about prospitans is that they’re adaptive- they try to change themselves rather than change others. She is honest about herself even if she tries to hide her blowups and she is dedicated to altering herself and her behavior rather than trying to tear down the clown church’s socially ingrained patterns of violence. She is also emotionally reactive and somewhat impulsive, which is a prospit trait more than a derse one. Title: This is the big point I’ve been stuck on. I’ve been waffling between several aspects and I can’t for the life of me settle on even just a handful of classes.

Too Obvious as it may seem given her story’s focus is on Rage, Too Obvious is sometimes right- I think she’s a Sylph of Hope. She spent a long time inverted as a Prince of Rage, acting out violence, but she has come upon a new set of convictions that she is dedicating herself to. She is opening up and broadening her own choices and paths and using her behavior to passively create new hope that wasn’t there before!

Which would make her symbol CAPRINIUS, SIGN OF THE CREDULOUS.

I hope this review was helpful! I didn’t have a WHOLE lot to say, she was already pretty solid. Thank you for sharing!

-CD

#purpleblood #submission #cd review #review #whimam natron #whimam #natron #justsomesonso

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