#Sparrow has speak with animals

[cerealforkart]

I know the Oak Swallows Garcia house didn’t have pets but if they did I just KNOW if Normal had a fish that died in the night it would be replaced with an identical fish before he woke up and he wouldn’t learn the truth for years

Hero on the other hand is an older child. If her fish died it was dead

[leafatlaw]

Genuinely fucked up and evil I can’t look up picture of my specialist guy on tumblr dot com without seeing spoilers

[bones4thecats]

Ooh, Okie dokie! (I forgot to label myself in my little question haha - it's me, 😊 anon!)

Can I request Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu having a crush on an Autistic Reader?

The reader is mostly nonverbal - only speaking using short words/sentences - unless they're talking to someone they've grown to really trust, to animals (such as their crow companions), or about animals - which they have learned lots of trivia about. They may also stim - usually by rocking side to side when bored or flapping/clapping their hands when excited. They're happy to receive physical contact but can be overwhelmed by constant loud noise (such as shouting or music.)

(I hope that wasn't too long - I hope you have a lovely day! ✨)

The Kamaboko Trio With An Autistic S/O

Characters: Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Insouke Hashibira Requester: 😊Anon A/N: I haven't written for Demon Slayer in such a long time so the characters may be slightly OOC. These are also fairly short, just noting! But, I do hope you enjoy this! Have a great rest of your days/nights!!! ⚠️ Spoilers/Trigger Warnings for: Nothing ⚠️

╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗

╚═════ Tanjiro Kamado ══════════════════════════╝

😺 When Tanjiro first met you, he was slightly confused as to why you rarely spoke longer sentences. But, in his fashion, he put that behind and stayed positive around you

😺 Whenever he notices your stims getting worse or more erratic, he holds your hand and allows you to mess with his. He also likes seeing how you would help Nezuko with her hair, using the physical action as another way to use a stim

😺 He is amazing with animals himself, getting along with pretty much every creature he finds. So, when you walked around the Butterfly Mansion with small birds and one of your pets, a Japanese dwarf flying squirrel that you named Kiyoshi, he got along with the cute rodent quick and easily

😺 Whenever you are set to be on a mission with him and the others (Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko), he tries to keep them quieter so you don't get overwhelmed

😺 Sometimes, he enjoys staying awake at night and ask you about some animals that he has either seen around or was wondering about. Such as a Japanese Macaque or a Sika Deer

╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗

╚═════ Zenitsu Agatsuma ════════════════════════╝

⚡ This guy, oof!

⚡ He had a hard time understanding you at first. But that was mainly because you rarely spoke and were extremely loving to almost every animal that you guys came across

⚡ I mean, you literally would attract any other Slayer's crow, which made Zenitsu roll his eyes stubbornly. How come you were such an animal magnet while his own crow (or rather sparrow) pecked at him whenever he tried holding him!

⚡ Anyways, he does like seeing how you handle demons, putting your own issues behind just to help out anybody in danger, whether they were children or adults or in between

⚡ Zenitsu may not show it fully, but he does like watching you play with your pet Koi fish when they were swimming around in your/Mitsuri's estate's back pond

⚡ No doubt simps even harder whenever you mess with his hands or wear his haori. He literally stands there with a goofy grin on his face as he giggles at your actions

╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗

╚═════ Inosuke Hashibira ════════════════════════╝

🐗 Inosuke is a very rambunctious person by nature. And he is surprisingly good around animals, due to growing up alongside them all his childhood

🐗 So, when you came around and seemingly calmed down a boar in front of him, he yelled your name and asked how you knew what they were thinking, in which you laughed and tried explaining to the best of your ability

🐗 He also had great hearing and understanding of body language. So if you were to speak with a lower tone or not be able to finish a sentence, he understands what you want to say without asking you to repeat like others

🐗 Smiling at him also makes him feel good, so whenever you do so if you can't gain the urge to speak to him, his chest puffs out as he goes on a rant of 'of course you smile at the King of the Mountain' and whatnot

🐗 By far the second best with an Autistic reader when it comes to this trio, the way he grew up helps him understand you better than the others easily

[opinioncore]

* ੈ✩‧₊˚— VICTIMs HOLD GRUDGES

— getting to know your friends! And enemies! And faculties! And students!

⸝⸝୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ — possessive and obsessive tendencies (yandere things), bullying, incest (not to you), OOC, manipulation, power imbalance (they're all rich and you're poor, or teacher and stuff) assault, you/your and they/them but AFAB reader, animal death (on Kabukimono's part only), OC mentions, mentions of death, choking (on Scaramouche's part only).

ᝰ.ᐟ — part 1 - reader x genshin cast

-–———————————————–-

Tartaglia/Ajax — The older brother of Patrina and Xiao. Zhongli always brought him to business meetings and these meetings are with foreigners, specifically Russian foreigners, since he was a child. He is a child of a different mother, a mother with ginger hair and blue eyes. He's a sporty kid in school, one of the most known representatives in sports whenever the school participates in competitions.

"Did you come to see me?" He asks, you shake your head, "I came here for Patrina, where is she?" You asked and looked around, he laughed, but it didn't sound happy at all, he placed an arm on your shoulder and pulled you close, not caring that he's sweaty, "I'm hurt, you came here looking for someone like her and not me? We gotta fix that, we're 'friends' remember?"

he doesn't really like how the word friend rolls on his tongue.

Xiao — The youngest brother of both Patrina and Tartaglia. He's the one closest to his father — Zhongli — the most. Xiao feels like he's indebted to Zhongli the most because unlike his siblings, he never knew he had a mother, and Zhongli raised him by himself, no nanny or whatsoever, Patrina helped a little to that. He's in that little infamous group — 5WIRL —known for making the teachers live a living hell, he doesn't really do much and just follows what Venti does.

"You're a clumsy person, you know that?" He says, trying really hard to bandage your sprained ankle, that he caused. "This was your fault you know?" You snort, he doesn't really answer, but you're getting irritated at how he can't bandage your ankle properly at all. "I'll just go get Dr. Baizhu to do it in the infirmary—" and you let out a pained gasp, he just tightened the bandage on your sprained ankle, "No. I'll do it."

he doesn't really like how Baizhu looks at you.

Zhongli — The father of Tartaglia, Patrina, and Xiao. Owns the biggest, wealthiest, powerful and most successful company out there. Would do anything he could to spend time with his children despite his very tight schedule, like taking Tartaglia to meetings, studying with Patrina, and raising Xiao. He used to be a student in Teyvat Academy and is now the biggest investor that funds the company.

"It feels like you aren't glad to see me at all. Why's that, I wonder?" He asks as he drinks his tea that's probably more expensive than your entire house and furniture and food all together. He isn't dumb, he knows why you're so unfriendly, but he's the one paying your therapy to help your mental state after seeing your friend die, you really should be more grateful. He doesn't hear you speak, not even glancing at him. "You're quite the troublemaker, no?" He stated.

he doesn't really like how hostile your eyes look.

─── ᯓᡣ𐭩 ───

Kabukimono — The oldest out of the triplets by 5 minutes, but he really acts more of the youngest out of all of them. Was at first supposed to be the heir of the company his mother owns but she soon deems him unworthy (his words), and now he seeks attention from Amaya instead. He doesn't really do the same bad things his other brothers do, his just more clingy and obsessive than an average sibling. He's one of the most innocent and least sane people in the Academy (at least that's what they think).

"Please, have this.." he hands you something, it has a little flower with it.. and the main thing was a dead sparrow. He looks away with a flushed face while you look at it in horror. He fiddles his fingers, "I really love you. It brings me comfort that you don't make me feel less or worthless." It would've been very romantic if it weren't for the dead sparrow in your hands.

he really loves how he never feels left out when he's with you.

Scaramouche — He's next to Kabukimono, he was named Kunikuzushi but he doesn't want to be called that and prefers to be called Scaramouche. He also was supposed to be the heir, but his mother deemed him unworthy too (his words), so he grows to hate, feel insecure and finds comfort when he sees others as unworthy, just like him back then, he refuses to believe that. And thinks he's above everybody when somewhere in his heart, he feels unworthy. He uses Amaya as a way to release his frustrations, whether physically or emotionally or sexually, it doesn't matter. He's also in that little infamous group — 5WIRL —known for making the teachers live a living hell, and he is the worst out of the group, he doesn't wanna follow Venti at all but finds his ideas amusing enough to follow, students fear him, like a lot.

"Tell me. Where did you get this necklace from?" He asks you, holding out the necklace your friend - Nanako - gave you, "And why should I tell you that?" You spoke, defiant, not wanting to tell him anything, what if he was the one who actually killed your friend? It won't be long until he goes after you next if he finds out then. He scoffs, "Stupid... You're just really stupid aren't you?" He pushes you on the ground and gets on top of you. "Let's make something similar then, hmm? Something matching, and on our necks." And you feel something wrap around your neck, and as if on instinct, you wrap your hand around his.

he really loves the look in your eyes whenever you face him.

Wanderer — the youngest out of the triplets, yet more mature than the both of them, he was never meant to be an heir and never cared about it, was just heavily influenced by Scaramouche as a kid but soon grew to be more mature than him. He isn't as bad as Scaramouche when it comes to Amaya but isn't as good as Kabukimono though. He's also in that little infamous group — 5WIRL — known for making the teachers live a living hell, and he is like Xiao, just doing what Venti does, he isn't really with them all the time, just by himself.

"You're putting yourself in danger by talking to me, y'know that, don't you?" He scoffs, you don't even want to talk to him at all, you just want to ask where Amaya is, "I.. where is Amaya?" You asked, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance, should've expected that, "Amaya this, Amaya that," he pulls your face closer to him by your face, "Why not ask me things about me, or yourself instead? I'm tired of getting asked about Amaya."

he really loves how you would call out to him by his name.

-–———————————————–-

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ part 1!! Yippie!! I wanna add more but like, nahh let's keep it to them instead, maybe I should do doodles too?

[is-the-thing-actually-jewish]

are otters or songbirds more jewish i have an argument to settle

Rating: Songbirds, but there's a makhloket

The majority opinion holds that songbirds are more Jewish than otters, as it is written, “Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself in which to set her young near Your altar, O LORD of hosts, my Sovereign and my God” (Psalms 84:4). There are many other texts that mention songbirds throughout the Tanakh; there are zero results for “otter” as referring to the animal on Sefaria in our sacred texts.* Thus, the simple answer is that songbirds are more important in Judaism, and therefore more Jewish, than otters. Additionally, medieval Jewish illumination such as the famous Bird's Head Haggadah depicts Jews with human bodies and the heads and beaks of birds, indicating a close connection between Jews and birds:

However, as is Jewish tradition, we preserve the following minority opinions as well: 

Otters are more Jewish than songbirds: Songbirds were created on the fifth day of creation, while otters, like humans, were created on the sixth day. Therefore, otters are closer to humanity, and Jews are part of humanity, so otters are more Jewish than songbirds. (Genesis 1:20-24) Furthermore, this photo from the Cincinnati Zoo speaks for itself:

Both otters and songbirds are equally Jewish: Psalms 50:10-11 reads “For Mine is every animal of the forest, the beasts on a thousand mountains I know every bird of the mountains, the creatures of the field are subject to Me.” Clearly, this covers both otters and songbirds, so both are equally Jewish. Furthermore, otters and songbirds both look extremely cute in yarmulkes, which may not be halakhically relevant but feels important to state nonetheless.

Neither otters nor songbirds are Jewish; however, they are righteous gentiles under the Noahide covenant: To be Jewish means to be bound by the Abrahamic covenant in relationship with the Holy One. As animals are neither descended from Jewish parents nor have the agency to choose to be bound by the covenant made between God and Abraham, as human converts do, neither otters nor songbirds are Jewish**. However, following the great flood, God said to Noah, “I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come, and with every living thing that is with you—birds, cattle, and every wild beast as well—all that have come out of the ark, every living thing on earth. (Genesis 9:9-10). This covenant, symbolized by the rainbow, is God’s commitment to every living thing (clearly including both songbirds and otters) that God will never flood the Earth again-- something every one of us can support.

*(okay, there are three results: one is a typo for “utter” as in “our otter ruin” and the other two are German). 

** My cat, however, is definitely Jewish.

[highgaarden]

wake with the sparrows;

Her new Defense professor is a war hero. 

Strong-jawed, slumped shoulders. He looks like he’s constantly just come in from the rain on a lightning-struck night, with his dark trenchcoat, mended many times at the hems, and the slightest tremor of cold in his fingers. His office smells of cherry tobacco, resinous and inviting and dark and sweet, ash scattered uncaringly on the floor around his desk. He catalogues their practicals with sharp eyes, like a snake waiting to strike. He never speaks more than is necessary.

And he looks tired. 

Perhaps the only animated thing about him is the shock of black hair that spills over his forehead in unruly curls, too wild for a comb or even a gentle touch. Not that she is thinking about touches, gentle or otherwise.

He is, quite possibly, the youngest Defense professor they’ve ever had.

This has nothing to do with anything.

AU. 5/7. 17.4k words. Slowburn. Read here.

[cripplecharacters]

Alright, so long story short, my oc has a autism service dog (who is kind of also her familiar) and is a witch. What can I do to make this character realistic?

(sorry if this is vague, I have no other idea how to express this.)

Hi asker!

The most important thing would be to do research on service animals and how they specifically help people.

First, service animals are also a huge investment, both in terms of time and in terms of money. Owner training is expensive, but so can a professional trainer. Someone who gets a service dog via a charity will still be on the hook for things like food and vet bills. This means that someone who doesn't have enough time or money might not have a service dog because they're a pretty big commitment. They're not generally a first resort, because while they are very useful and can really help many people, they are also an alive being. And anything that's alive needs more care than things that aren't. Dogs have to eat and poop and pee and that needs consideration; and they can get sick, distracted, develop allergies to foods, and whatnot while machines can't. So thinking about how your character navigates these things will help them feel more realistic.

Not that you have to include or even know every detail of how they paid for training or how many hours they spent on it! But just knowing the general idea will be good.

Second, what tasks does the dog do to help your character? Basically, what does she need help with that the dog can do?

The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners has a list of tasks a service dog could perform for psychiatric conditions; it mentions depression, anxiety, and PTSD specifically but are not exclusive to those. From that list I'm including a couple that could be relevant to an autistic character, although it's in not exhaustive.

Bringing medication

Summon help from designated people

Assistance leaving an area by finding the exit

Providing deep pressure therapy to calm/ground handler

Help 'unfreeze' handler from dissociation or similar

The organization Ella's Animals also has a list of tasks a service dog for specifically autism could do; again, not exhaustive:

Providing deep pressure therapy to calm/ground handler (mentioned again!)

Trained tactile stimulation to ground handler

Behavior interruption, like of harmful stimming

Alerting handler of something they're not responding to

"Buffering" in crowds

Retrieving items

Alerting of elopement (NOTE: tethering and body-blocking are sometimes mentioned as something a service dog can do for autistic handlers, particularly children. But generally speaking, this shouldn't be done. It can be dangerous for the dog and the handler.)

You'll want to think of what tasks your character will generally need from their service dog, and while you don't have to describe them all in great detail, mentioning them when relevant will be pretty important and make your character feel more real.

Also, depending on your character's witchiness, too, you could add a little flair. Like maybe your character needs extra assistance after they cast spells because it's overwhelming, or they had to train the dog to recognize what they look like when they're casting spells so the dog doesn't interrupt!

I hope this helps!

– mod sparrow

[shroomiethefrogwhisperer]

People like my fuckin alien shit

So here. Have a list of all my characters.

Karen: Ship's mechanic. Human (American-Indian). Fun, snarky, mom vibes, dabbles in illegal drug dealing. She/Her, heterosexual. Has a brown bob with a side undercut, blue eyes, and dark tanned skin, lots of tattoos (including Rainbow Dash). She's like 36.

Steve: Comms Expert. Human (Korean-Japanese). Chill, easygoing, likes video games and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, can and will beat your ass at fortnite. He/Him, gay. Has short black hair, dark brown eyes, pale skin, and a few piercings. He's in his early twenties.

Moss: Translator. Human (Hispanic). Chaotic, sarcastic, an absolute gremlin, has a pet ratbird (keeps trying to domesticate the entire ratbird infestation that lives in the pipes). They/It, pansexual polyamorous. Has curly, bright green/pink hair, blue eyes, and slightly tanned skin. They're twenty-nine.

Zzgnaru. Ship's Captain. Alien (Nobletsk). Tired parent vibes, serious, literal, bad at nuance, loves plushies. Xey/xem, aroace. Brown/black scales, 6 yellow eyes, white horns, spiky tail, pink claws. Xey're 52.

Amethyst: Navigator. Alien (Penaconian). Sweet, happy, literally a ball of sunshine, everyone's sweetheart cutie who also has anxiety. Obsessed with anime (Moss showed him JJK and AoT, and now he's into KnY, MHA, and, like, Helluva Boss.) He/they, demiromantic bisexual. Short blonde hair with purple highlights, hazel eyes, pale skin. He's 32.

Banana: First Mate. Alien (Zzbrk). Comedic, silly, madly in love with Moss (BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET), completely unserious like Captain Jack Sparrow unserious. She/fae, poly, omnisexual. Yellow/brown scales, vitiligo skin, golden eyes, shaved head, white spikes. She's 43.

Douri: Weapons Operater #1. Alien (Aaki). Depressed as shit, loose cannon-type shit, can and will eat your tacos. It/Its, asexual panromantic. Basically just a humanoid blob of orange slime. No one knows its age.

Josh: 2nd Mate. Human (American). Kind of a psycho, hilarious, autistic, likes sharks. And things that look like sharks. Steve’s boyfriend. He/Him, bisexual. Black dreadlocks, umber skin, dark eyes. He's also in his twenties.

Rhïianae: Weapons operator #2. Alien (Jawa). Collects random shit and makes guns out of them. Has severe adhd. Can never finish a project (took apart a secondary engine about a year ago and it's still disassembled). ??? skin, orange eyes, ??? Hair. Fae/Faun/It, demisexual polyamorous. Faun's in its mid-thirties.

Calixtian: Ship's Doctor. Alien (Penaconian). Likes doing experiments on beings of lesser sentience (or heck, same level-sentience, he doesn't care), mad scientist-esque, no one likes him. Blue-green hair, orange eyes, vitiligo skin. He/Him, aromantic. He's 46.

Nøræxx: Interplanetary criminal. Alien (Asgardian). Wanted for weapons smuggling and illegal mercenary work. Is the cavalry reserved for when Douri and Rhïinae are out, is the bodyguard. Dark hair, green eyes, tanned skin. She/He/They, cupioromantic asexual. 500+ years old.

Bastier. Comms student. Human (British). Clueless, cute, easily confused, has OCD, likes cats. Speaks 8 interplanetary languages (not including Earth languages, which he speaks at least twenty of). Blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes. He/Him, heterosexual (bicurious). 19 years old.

The Ship. "Steroid Annihilator". Modified Class 8 Torigrian K-Wing Destroyer. Got its name when Zzgnaru, Karen, Douri, and Steve successfully piloted it through the Inter-Galaxian Asteroid Fields. Zzgnaru wanted to name it Ssjuokimbl (Conqueror of Rocks), but Steve suggested Asteroid Annihilator instead, and when they got it painted on the side, the artist doing the paint job spelled it wrong. Karen couldn't stop laughing for days.

Note: Steve is a Chill Gay™️, and Josh is a Chaotic Gay™️.

[bestiarium]

The Sazae-Oni [Japanese folklore; yokai]

Kazusano Kuni, in the Shiba prefecture of Japan, used to be a popular shelling spot in the Edo period. There is a folktale from this region about a strange sea-snail-like creature that lives in the deep seas, called the Sazae-Oni.

On nights with a full moon, this enigmatic being floats up to the surface and dances in the moonlight. After completing its dance, it transforms into a human woman and comes to shore to look for a place to spend the night. When she comes knocking on your door at night, you should never let her in, because she kills her host in the morning, before transforming back into a snail creature and returning to the open sea.

The Wakayama prefecture has a completely different story about this creature: according to the legend, the Sazae-Oni transformed into a beautiful woman when a ship passed through the coastal waters. She convinces the ship’s crew to get her aboard the ship, but the sailors are cruel and lustful and the demon finds herself sexually assaulted. In retaliation, she transforms back into a monster and devours the crewmembers.

Generally speaking, the 18th century yokai bestiaries by Toriyama Sekien are some of the best sources out there if you want to know more about creatures from Japanese folklore.

With this fourth instalment in Sekien’s yokai encyclopaedias, however, he took a lot of liberties. Instead of illustrating monsters from well-known folktales and legends, he wrote a narrative in which he fell asleep and saw hordes of strange monsters in his dreams, many of which he invented himself. Among the creatures he supposedly dreamt up was the Sazae-Oni, a sea demon with a horned turban shell for a head (these snails are called ‘sazae’ in Japan, hence the name). He referenced an old wives’ tale that sparrows supposedly dive into the sea and transform into clams to hibernate during the winter, and a saying ‘moles emerging as quails’ which refers to the emergence of hibernating animals in spring. If these animals can transform into other animals (not intended literally), why couldn’t the power of nature turn a snail into a demon?

In this book, the fiend is depicted as a vaguely humanoid monster with a long, snail-like body coming out of a snail’s shell. Its head is a shell with eyes and strands of seaweed. Though Sekien did not invent the Sazae-Oni – the aforementioned folktales apparently predate him – his shell-tailed depiction of the monster became a mainstay in Japanese culture, with numerous appearances in tv shows, manga and other media. In particular, I think the Pokémon Slowbro and the Digimon Shellmon are based on this yokai.

Sources:

Yoda, H. and Alt, M., 2016, Japandemonium Illustrated: the Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama sekien, 319 pp., p. 256. This work is a translation of the Gazu Hyakki Yagyo tetralogy by Toriyama Sekien in the 18th century.

Papp, Z., 2010, Anime and Its Roots in Early Japanese Monster Art, Global Oriental, 194 pp., p. 95.

(image source 1: Shigeru Mizuki, illustration based on Toriyama Sekien)

(image source 2: BillSpooks on Deviantart)

[sonntam]

I don't think I've seen a write-up on various fairy-tale and Russian sayings references in the English translation, so I'd like to make one.

"Puddles make poor drinks" and "Gorkhon water will turn you into livestock": what's up with that?

There is a fairytale about a big sister and the little brother. They walk for a long time and the brother is very thirsty. His big sister keeps telling him to keep going and not to drink from the puddles, like a goat. Eventually the little brother drinks from the puddle.

And promptly turns into a goat.

Rest of the fairytale is about the big sister returning the little brother to his original form.

So, this is where the talks about puddles and water turning you into livestock is about.

The Akela joke did not work at all in the translation.

It comes from Mowgli, which is well known due to the USSR cartoon. In the book (and in the cartoon) the elderly wolf leader Akela misses during a hunt... after which he promptly is deposed as a leader of the pack. Mowgli loses his protection and this is a Big Deal.

So whenever a boss in real life makes a silly mistake (say, throwing a paperball into the bin and missing) everyone thinks it's very funny to say "Akela missed!" implying that they will get a new boss now and the current one will get deposed for this mistake.

Here "Akela never misses" means that Khan being at risk of infection and coming into the nutshell does not diminish his importance at all and his dogheads are just as loyal as before, happily delivering loot to him.

There is a saying: "Better a sparrow in hand, than a stork in the sky."

It means that you should treasure what you have, instead of preferring that which you can't get (so easily).

Lara Ravel references that she can't be happy with the little she has. She wants to help others and for this she needs more.

"Maybe I could be useful to you" is a classic thing that various animals say to people in fairytales, once they are caught and plead for their lives.

I think, this is a popular trope in English fairytales as well, but the phrasing here is lifted directly from fairytales in Russian, so pointing it out either way.

"Everyone's shirt is closer to their skin" is a well known Russian saying.

It means that your happiness and comfort is always more important to you than the comfort of other people. Hence: your shirt is closer to your skin, so you care about it more.

"Silence implies assent" is another popular saying (it even rhymes in Russian).

If someone proposes a course of action and no one speaks out against it or for it, then people usually say "silence is a sign of assent" and consider the matter settled. (Or, more often, people then suddenly say that they disagree and you get a more lively and productive conversation.)

I can't find another screenshot, but Dankovsky says something similar about "I wore down seven pairs of shoes getting to this town".

It obviously could be taken as a factual statement, but most likely it's a reference to fairytales.

In a lot of fairytales the protagonist will be given on a long journey seven pairs of iron boots. Once all of them break, the hero has reached his destination.

Same here: it's a fairytale way of saying that you had a long and arduous journey (or in Capella's case, ran around the whole town for years).

"I'll just peek with one eye" is another popular Russian phrase.

"Can I look?"

"No"

"How about if I look with just one eye?"

Obviously, it's nonsense, but it's a typical thing to say if you REALLY want to look at something, so you just say "pleeeease, I will just look only a little".

[silverynight]

I’m fully convinced Tanjiro is some type of Disney princess while how well he can speak to animals. I mean, muichiro’s crow literally hates everybody but besides Muichiro we’ve only ever seen her on one other person’s shoulder and that’s Tanjiro’s. I wouldn’t be surprised if one random morning he had all the pillars crows around him (and Zenitsus sparrow and inosukes crow) and Kaburamaru around his shoulders.

Yeah, he's definitely a Disney Princess.

And that has definitely happened more than once, and the first time it happened, all the hashira melted at the sight because he looked so cute and happy.

[bonefall]

I tried to use search before asking, so apologies if this has already been covered, but I was wondering - what's the dynamic between humans and housepets in BB? The original books tend to frame housecat life as dull and stifling even in the eyes of housecats themselves, in line with the popular opinions among people who oppose the idea of keeping cats indoors. Is that maintained here, maybe in light of the fact that cats in this universe are highly intelligent animals whose needs are less likely to be met by the common pet owner, or are there housecats in BB who are happy with their housefolk? Are there housecats who see and bond with their housefolk as family? How well do humans meet their pets' needs, broadly speaking; does Albion hold similar perspectives and/or policies to the UK on cat care and stray management as far as indoor-outdoor?

This is where the logical conclusion of cats having been sapient all along kind of starts to clash with canon's... weird thoughts on what normal cats should be able to do

For the record: Unequivocally I advocate for keeping cats inside. Outdoor cats are bad, for the cat and for the environment. This goes for the UK too, your cat is not special, it is a killing machine, England did not evolve to accommodate millions of free predators.

(An overpopulation of predators starves and kills the excess, and then prey populations rise in turn in a natural cycle. Domestic animals are fed by humans which keeps the population artificially high, interrupting this cycle)

But, the thing is:

REAL cats are not sapient. They're animals. BB cats have human intelligence.

(Even canon... that's not a cat. Cats don't form language, or make government, or have a concept of land stewardship.)

SO here's how things are different in Albion;

Only domestic cats are sapient. Something about domestication quirked cats, specifically.

This ONLY hit cats; probably because they domesticated themselves instead of on purpose by humans.

Lynxes, servals, lions, etc, exist but are nonsapient.

Probably because of their ancestry, cats don't naturally form large, structured society. The average clowder is a loosely connected group of friends and family.

It's normal and not damaging for cats to go several months living alone, unlike a human. They don't NEED to live in groups.

So culture can die pretty quickly if a clowder is interrupted in some way. They don't have a problem with taking their closest relatives and striking out.

SEE: The Nomadic Group that BB!Jake/Sparrow is part of, Wind Coalition homesteads, the cats that live in the various farms above Ravenpaw and the Barleys.

3 - 5 is the group average. Usually half of the members will be related and kittens leave at a certain age (usually 2 or 3)

15 cats is a large clowder. Clan cats are an anomaly with densely populated "Clans."

but Clan cats are absolutely put to shame by the tribe, which has 3 Wards which are practically cat cities of 50+

The most common types of romance closer resemble BloodClan's matriarchy or Smoky's polycule. Clan cat romance is also an anomaly.

The average size of a litter is 2, as opposed to canon which is 3, and opposed to reality which is 4 - 8

They are also very unlikely to ever birth more than 6 litters. Most reproductive cats will have 2.

Like humans, they also don't have a litter at the first onset of puberty. First litters tend to come around 2 years.

So to begin with, these cats aren't like real ones. A single pair of real cats can have over a hundred children in their lives.

They also have a more drawn-out adolescence. 6 months is the START of puberty; similar to being a 13-year-old human.

But anyway, onto HOUSECATS

Unequivocally the best way of life, even for these cats.

They do have a habit of jimmying open objects, more than real cats. There is a large market for "pet aware" design, like inlaid locks on windows, chains on fridges, and jams in drawers.

However. They are just as lazy.

Feline-specialist biologists have to come up with "tricky" trials to test their intelligence. Cats do not care about pleasing humans like dogs do.

Rural areas are best for keeping these cats. They do really well on farms.

People who keep cats in car-infested or dense areas are advised to keep their cats indoors. Not only are cars and crowds a danger, but ferals are often hostile towards so much crowding.

In some ways, you can compare these cats to monkeys more than cats, with their troop structures.

AND SPEAKING OF MONKEYS...

Like monkeys, problem clowders are subject to animal control raids. It is NOT unheard of that a clowder gets territorial or starts biting people.

Usually the individual cat is captured and dealt with. Sometimes the problem is so bad that there will be a roundup.

That's excessively rare though. These are very politically unpopular, people love cats.

And cats love people! There's really bad and awful people out there, and really bad and awful cats; but they're the exception, not the rule.

There's a sentiment in the universe that dogs are direct and cats are roundabout; cats are occupied with puzzle toys and novelty, dogs like to be commanded.

They respond to music like parrots. Jessy can change a record in her owner's victrola. Her owner is a himbo and just thinks it's a trick her previous owner taught her, not stopping to question how she had an old owner who also had a victrola and taught her how to change records. In 2012

Cats are still easy to keep, in spite of all the additions. A really smart cat can be entertained with toddler toys. Most are fine with a friend and 30 mins of playtime a day.

They do a lot of sleeping.

Most cats do get neutered and spayed at 6 months. Housecats don't usually see it as a big deal, or chalk it up to the price of a good home.

Clan cats find that SHOCKING and sickening. How can you think something like that is not a big deal??

But they just... don't. BloodClan too.

Clan cats are taught to fear lots of aspects of housecat life, which feeds into their xenophobia. It wasn't always THIS bad-- it really turned for the worst under Flystar of SkyClan.

But anyway forget them for a moment

There ARE a few downsides of being a housecat. There's a total lack of agency here, for one

Bumble and Turtle Heart couldn't control their owners adopting Tom. Twolegs often take kits at a certain age, and you may never know where they went.

A human can die and not have a home for you to go to. They can be abusive or neglectful. A new one can be brought in who hates or can't be around cats.

Problems, but, not INHERENT ones y'know? Most housecats do have good homes.

Anyway, TL;DR

BB!Cats are slightly different than real cats because I am leaning into the fact that they speak a real language, with the higher intelligence that implies.

In addition, I treat Housecats as a "Culture" to fix, on the same level as the other canon groups that get treated as inferior to Clan cats (Tribe, Guardians, etc). "Culture" because, obviously, Every Single Housecat Ever doesn't share a culture lmao. But I hope that makes sense.

[vivicantstudy]

Why We Must Care for God’s

Sacred Creatures

What do God and the Bible say about animals?

Animals are a vital part of God’s creation, each one playing a unique role in the world around us. No matter which animal it is—small or big, dangerous or gentle—we are called to treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion. The Bible teaches us that we must never mistreat them, recognizing their value as part of God’s divine plan. By caring for animals, we honor the Creator and reflect His love in the world.

1. Animals in Heaven and Earth:

1. Isaiah 11:6-9

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

• This passage paints a picture of harmony among all creatures in God’s kingdom, suggesting that animals are part of His eternal plan.

2. Revelation 5:13

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!’”

• This verse illustrates that all creatures, including animals, give glory to God, both in heaven and on earth.

3. Psalm 36:6

“Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.”

• This verse shows God’s care for all His creation, humans and animals alike.

2. Animals as Miracles of Creation:

4. Genesis 1:24-25

“And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so.”

• Animals are part of God’s intentional creation, reflecting His creativity and power.

5. Job 12:7-10

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?”

• Animals are presented as witnesses to God’s greatness and as teachers of divine wisdom.

6. Psalm 104:24-25

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small.”

• This passage celebrates the diversity and wonder of animal life as part of God’s creation.

3. How We Are Supposed to Treat Animals:

7. Proverbs 12:10

“The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”

• This verse encourages kindness and responsibility toward animals.

8. Deuteronomy 22:6-7

“If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.”

• A command to show compassion and preserve life, even for birds.

9. Exodus 23:12

“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”

• Animals, like humans, are given the blessing of rest, showing their value in God’s eyes.

10. Psalm 145:9

“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

• God’s compassion extends to every creature, reminding us to follow His example.

11. Matthew 10:29

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”

• Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant animals are under God’s watchful care.

Let us remember that every animal, no matter its size or nature, deserves our care and reverence, for they are part of God’s miraculous creation. When you hurt animals or ignore their suffering, you are disregarding the love and care God has commanded us to show towards all of His creations. The Bible teaches us that cruelty to animals is not only a failure of compassion but also a violation of the divine stewardship entrusted to us. Each time we mistreat an animal, we fail to honor the Creator who placed them in our world. Our actions, whether out of neglect or cruelty, diminish the beauty and purpose of God’s creation, and we lose the opportunity to reflect His love and kindness. It is through our care for animals that we live out the true nature of God’s love—one that extends to all living beings, great and small.

[mleprae]

Lancester into a warriored cat :D

If you can't read the font it says;

'Mourninglullaby' Shadowclan A talented storyteller with a honey toungue When he speaks, his clanmates listen. (Objectum) Despite the advance of other cats, he has no interest in any of them, but he is very affectionate towards a stuffed animal from his kittypet years.

His name is sparrow.

[outofangband]



Working on some longer xenobiology/speculative biology posts so in the meantime here are some more random thoughts

Updated edition a year later! I hope these are ok!!

These are more jotting down ideas, please please feel free to give me any to elaborate on!

Also not all of these I necessarily consider my Headcanons, they’re just fun to play around with

Location edition

1. Tapetum lucidum or, eyes that can glow in the dark. (similar to the eyes of cats and raccoons) This is not limited to the Caliquendi and so is not directly related to Treelight.

Related to this is the potential ability to see infrared or other light spectrums like certain animals. I do like the idea that elven vision in the dark is more complicated than simply being able to see through the dark.

They navigate in unique ways, using the earth, trees, and even rocks to orient themselves. (I’m basing this in part of Legolas’s words about the elves of Hollin where he appears to draw sense memories from flora and stones) This also fits into my ideas for some ways elves are disoriented and controlled within Angband.

When elves are kept away from the natural world, in monotonous environments, without access to plant life or even a variety of geological information, they can enter a sort of stupor. Even in Angband which of course does contain rocks and life in the form of fungi, algae and even some plants, Cyanobacteria and certain creatures, much of the mines and dungeons are deliberately kept barren, lifeless and separated enough from the caverns and tunnels. What information they receive is never comforting. On that note, Ecological empathy taken to an extreme. Elves becoming depressed from ecological destruction, feeling the changes to landscapes on an innate level. Hence again why Angband is so damaging

Ears that express a wide range of emotions like how eyebrows do with humans. Elven ears will flatten, perk up, twitch, and even fold at times.

. I talked about phosphorescence here which actually has roots in canon!

Being able to navigate on all fours with ease, particularly while climbing and on a similar note, advanced balance.

For some of them, partially webbed feet and possibly even gill like structures on their chests for the sea elves.

On that note I think evolution works obviously differently for elves. Traits adapt and spread at different rates.

Pressure to areas of their body causes them to fall still, like with puppies and kittens. They have very sensitive areas in the backs of their necks and behind their ears. I've talked about this on my states of consciousness and sleep posts!

They do not have fingerprints though the skin on their hands will sometimes absorb and take in the colors of the things they touch, regardless of skin tone though skin tone does effect how clearly these show. For example, if an elven child spends some time playing in grass or clay, they may come back home with the skin up to their forearms that color.

Elves rarely have freckles but those that do will notice that they change colors and shades. Sometimes russet, sometimes even silvery, gold, or blueish. This is also true with birthmarks and even some scars. As they predate the sun their freckles are more similar to spots for camouflage and most words for them translates something to spots or foilage.

Elves can imitate sounds of animals very easily, especially bird and insect songs. While being able to communicate with animals is a rare gift among them, most can speak basic warnings and declarations, such as being able to warn sparrows that there is a hawk around. They can also pick up song very easily, often feeling the rhythm of even very gentle music in their hands.

I have a lot of thoughts on elves and synesthesia. I think most stimuli and input for elves is experienced through multiple senses for example being able to feel sound (obviously humans can to through vibrations but elves are more attuned to this). Synesthesia of the kind humans experience is somewhat more common in elves and other kinds unique to them also exist. (I have a whole post about this here!)

I talked about snow blindness and elves’ unique experiences with winter here!

I headcanon that elves have a specific sense for growth; they can hear and feel for lack of a better phrasing, shoots of grass growing, flowers blooming, roots expanding out. Not all are equally attuned to it or aware of it and some can become extremely overwhelmed by it if their ability to process is affected.

[krabkrab-wontshutup]

A Dove among Ravens

Aka I redesigned Dove Grayson, my old Magnus Chase oc!! His name is now Nastasiya, and he is still the son of Aphrodite, but is no longer the grandchild of loki. Also, ive never posted about him before, so heres a long ass list of all my notes about him!! Content warning for a very weird death, this is the riordanverse we’re talking about.

Full Name: Nastasiya Grayson

Gender: FtM

Family: [Mother] Aphrodite | [Father] George Grayson

Age: 16

Species: Demigod of Aphrodite

Affiliation: Valhalla

Residence: Floor 19

Weapons: Chain sword - A sword that, when you hit a button on the hilt, turns into a chain-bladed whip. Becomes a rose gold chain necklace when glamored. Designed by a hephaestus kid.

Status: Einherjar

----------

History: Nastasiya is the demigod son of the goddess Aphrodite and George Grayson, a passionate historian whose adventures took him across the globe. After being sent to camp half-blood two years prior, Nastasiya was killed at sixteen trying to defend a group of schoolchildren from a nemean lion, which had been mistakenly placed in a zoo.

Fatal Flaw: Pride

Physical Appearance: Nastasiya has fiery red hair, which cascades around his neck in soft ringlet curls. His eyes seem to shift in color with an almost magical quality, adding an air of mystery to his gaze and always matching his outfit. His soft skin is slightly tanned, and he’s absolutely covered in freckles. He wears a lot of light colors- whites, pinks, and beiges mostly. A rose gold chain, which becomes his sword when needed, is a consistent accessory, as rose gold is the only metal he incorporates into his style. He takes pride in his large hooked nose and is often seen sporting round rose gold glasses.

Personality: He possesses a flair for the dramatic, embodying the very essence of his mother’s aesthetic- Roses, Flowing silk, pearls, and perfection. His taste for the finer things in life is evident in everything he does. Like his father, Nastasiya is a romantic at heart; he often finds himself lost in poetic thoughts, expressing himself with an extensive vocabulary that captivates those around him.

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General Abilities: Poetry, Strange knack for identifying perfumes and colognes, Able to lie very well and can tell when other people are lying, never messes up nail polish when applying it, The god of vibe reading, Master of comebacks and witty remarks, Able to speak fluent french, Always gives the best advice he can (When he’s not hissing and telling people to kill their abusers)

Demigod Powers: Charmspeak, Emotion reading, Amokinesis, Communication with Aphrodite’s sacred animals (Doves, Sparrows, Swans, Dolphins), (After death) Blessing of Aphrodite (Never has to worry about his looks ever because favoritism), [He’s supposed to be more powerful than your average aphrodite kid because he’s kind of the favorite]

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CONCEPT: The first Greek demigod to enter Valhalla (That we know of). Idk i figured greek demigods die in battle all the time, why not consider if one of them was found by a valkyrie? Besides, it's not like demigods of aphrodite and demigods of freyja are all that different. My idea is that the runes misidentify his vibes as freyja vibes but he’s all like “Uh, that doesn’t sound right; I know my mom is Aphrodite.” Cue cup dropping because Greek demigods in valhalla?? Unheard of before now!

SUITE: The room has a table in the center and a circular bed in one corner, with a lace and pearl canopy curtain hanging around it and gorgeous plush blankets. There’s a tv stand on the side of the room opposite the bed, and a wall of books near the bed. One large, circular window sits at the back wall. It has two latches at the center, and curtains in the same style as the canopy bed. A picture frame sat on the window sill. The picture is of Nastasiya, Aphrodite, and George at seaworld for Nastasiya’s twelfth birthday - the only time Aphrodite ever visited. Next to the picture frame is a bag of pearlescent pink runes. The room is lit by candlelight, and the wall directly behind the bed has all the posters from his bunk at camp half blood, as well as a “Cabin 10” poster.