#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 ⚠️

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╚═════ 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

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╚═════ 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

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╚═════ 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

[lovesoakedd]

STOLEN TREASURE, SEIZED BY THE THROAT

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝 contains: oc x oc, 9.4k words, porn with plot ig, LESBIAN SEX (cishet men + minors dni), teasing, fingering, degrading, praise, corruption kink, throat-grabbing and light choking, kinks that weren't negotiated beforehand, dubious consent, dom/sub dynamics, spanking, face smacking, squirting, heart-to-heart about overbearing parents + gender, mentions of violence

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝 about characters + language used: jack: (pls no I did NOT name him this because of jack sparrow 😭): transmasc butch, he/him, only bodily description is of his hands mina: she/her, called a girl, terms used for her body include: "pussy," "cunt," "clit," "breasts," "tits," breasts are described as having a weight to them that makes them bounce

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝 taglist: @lovethousand

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝 ao3 link: here

“You know, of all the things I expected my crew to bring to me today, I didn't expect it to be a little thief. You have no worth, no one who’ll pay for your ransom, and now, I have to deal with another mouth to feed.”

When all Jack was met with was silence, he turned around, hands propped on his hips. “Well?”

The girl in front of him should have been meek after having been caught like this, her hand buried in the loot from the ship they had ransacked last week, eager fingers grasping at amethyst and smiling in wonder. Honestly, she had been so poorly obvious about it that Jack couldn’t help but assume that it was her first time. It had to be – who else would be stupid enough to sneak into a ship resting at port, thinking that there’d be no members of the crew there guarding the treasure?

But, the girl – Mina, she said her name was – is staring at him with burning, bright eyes, her mouth clenched into a firm line, as though she’s just moments away from lashing out like a wild animal. Not that that particularly scared Jack – he had been in this business long enough to know exactly how to ease wild things into submission. 

“If my presence here is so useless,” she says coolly, narrowing her eyes. “Then, just let me go. You don’t need me here.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” Jack muses, eyeing her up and down. In all honesty, he’s not too bothered by this turn of events – such happenings have been a common occurrence over the years. He has no intention of punishing any of the fools who dare to attempt thievery with him. From his experience, slight punishment and the humiliation of being caught are enough to have people on their way and making atonement. “Which is why you’ll be dropped off at the second port we reach after this one, and we’ll call it a day.”

She splutters, looking up at him with bulging, disbelieving eyes. “The second next port? Are you insane? It’ll take me weeks to return back to my city.”

Jack shrugs. The punishment he’s bestowing is one entirely too graceful for this situation. This girl should be on her knees, begging for mercy and thanking him for not slicing her throat out and leaving her to drench the floorboards. Instead, she only seems even more indignant that he’s sparing her in such a manner. If she was a thief who, like most in that career, had been bred to steal since birth, then she’d know that Jack is being unnecessarily generous with her life. 

No, this is the indignancy of someone higher up. This is the entitlement of someone who’s never faced the harsher, crueller punishments of this world before.

“It’s an inconvenience, that’s for certain, but by no means impossible.”

She scoffs, and Jack’s mouth twitches in amusement. “It’s ridiculous, is what it is. If you’re not going to kill me, just bring me back to the port where I was caught.”

This is exactly what Jack means. She speaks about her own death with such unwavering confidence, as though she’s completely certain that not a blade can penetrate her skin. Her skin, which isn’t roughened or scarred by years of labour or crime. How did Jack not realize it sooner? This girl is the picture of blue blood. 

“We’ve already set sail,” he says coolly, leaning on the beam supporting lower decks. “I’m not going to inconvenience my crew just to make things easier.”

“But, you’re inconveniencing me, and–”

“And?” Jack asks, cocking his head as he slowly saunters over. When he reaches Mina, whose eyes are wide with what he suspects is shock at his proximity, he lowers himself, crouching down to her height from where she sits on the hammock. “What exactly do I owe you? You make a feeble attempt to steal from me, I spare you, and you’re whining about having to travel back home?”

Her lashes flutter, mouth parting in surprise. Jack’s eyes flicker down, swallowing hard at the sight of her lips, softened probably by some expensive oil they’ve got down there. “I’m not whin–”

“Shut up,” Jack murmurs, grabbing her jaw, privately relishing in how undignified she looks when her cheeks are squished in his grasp. 

“I–”

“No,” he says, his voice lowering to the kind of consulting one might reserve for a stubborn dog. “Release the attitude.”

Her lovely throat, so unmarked, so innocent, bobs as she swallows down his words, her glossy eyes frozen on him.

With a satisfied hum, he gently pushes her face away, his tight grip freeing her cheeks. “Good. Now, if you’re gonna be a thorn in my ass–”

“It’s thorn in your side–”

“Then, you might as well make yourself of some use.”

“Meaning?”

He lets his gaze rove over her, taking in the swell of her breasts revealed from the tight pinch of her fabric. The cleavage is just barely revealed, the dip of it peeking from the neckline. He licks his lips, feeling a throb from between his thighs. When was the last time he had such an innocent, lovely little brat like her bent over his knees?

She shifts, a hand flying up to her bosom. When his eyes languidly roam up to her face, his mouth twitches at the sight of her downturned mouth and sharpened gaze.

“How dare you stare at me like that?” she gasps, reeling back.

He snorts, taking note of the way her chest rises up and down rapidly. “I apologize. As for your task, you can empty the piss bucket.”

“The– I, what?”

“Servants have probably been doing it for you for years,” he snarks, stepping back to unlatch the door and return to the upper deck. 

“Servants? How did you–”

Before she can finish her sentence, he’s already slammed the door, amusement bubbling in his stomach from her little show of defiance. 

–

Mina had really anticipated for this experiment to have gone differently. 

After weeks upon weeks of the rope set in place around her neck beginning to wind tighter and tighter, she had grown weary, crumbling under the weight of her mother’s constant demands. As well as desperate, the expectation of a soon-to-come offer of engagement haunting her innermost thoughts every night. It sent her stomach pulsing with anxiety, and every nerve in her body pinching until she was restless. 

So, she had hatched a plan. If she couldn’t find freedom within her city due to the power her parents wielded, she’d find it outside of its parameters. 

She had heard of the crew stationed at the docks, and knew of their mercy. Unlike other pirates, they’re infamous for having a captain who isn’t a man, and a set of morals that only permits murder if abuse or significant stealing takes place on their ship. Which, yes, is not the most comforting of sentiments, but when one is as desperate as Mina, it sounds like good odds.

And so, her plan had been to sneak onto the ship, and hopefully, as much of a stretch as it was, secure a place there temporarily. Just anything to buy her some time, far from her family. A half-year of freedom was better than nothing. And she can hide it behind the excuse of being taken by force in order to avoid punishment from her parents. They’d never believe that she was a willing participant.

And yet, she couldn’t even manage to accomplish that much, caught red-handed with her fingers brushing reverently over the gems found on deck. The pads of her finger had barely brushed the edges of one before two men had yanked her by her shoulders, dragging her into a rotten-smelling room filled with hammocks, and tossing her ungracefully onto the floor. It’s the roughest treatment she had ever dealt with before, and her entire body had grown hot in humiliation.

Unfortunately for her, though, the unceremonious handling had continued as a common theme that day, with the captain soon emerging through the door, wide-shouldered and strong. He had been all curt words and laughing eyes, shaking around her face as though she were a child receiving reprimands.

He was smart, too. More than Mina had anticipated. They had only spoken for ten minutes at maximum, and somehow, he had caught onto the fact that she was bred of wealth and money. 

It’s embarrassing, really, just how obvious she was. 

It’s not like she’s unaware of her privileged stature, and how that may show in her day-to-day life, just as Jack’s upbringing made itself evident in his lack of hesitation in physical contact. A lack that never existed in the refined, self-contained world she came from, built off the bars of self-restraint. But, still, she thought she wasn’t so spoiled that her upbringing immediately swivels its ugly head upon her first interaction with a person.

And, Lord, was she wrong about that. And about how much of an adventure this would be. Instead of getting a taste of freedom, she’s been declared a burden whom the crew plans to unload two stops from now – in just a month and a half. And then, she’ll have to deal with the chaos of trying to get back home. How lovely.

And to pour salt into the wound, rubbing and fingering until she’s practically seething in pain, she’s so ridiculously seasick. 

On her fourth day of vomiting profusely over the edge of the ship, wincing as it splatters along the side, her face twists in contempt when she hears Jack’s laughter. It’s a familiar sound at this point – rough, low, coated in silk. She absolutely despises it, for it makes her feel small and weak. She’s accustomed to walking with the confidence of her family’s roots following behind her like a dark shadow. Here, though? She’s stripped bare of it, left with nothing but the painful self-awareness of just how incapable she is. A fact Jack never fails to remind her of. 

“Need me to hold your hair back, princess?” he taunts, his strong arms hanging off the edge as he watches her thoughtfully.

She ducks her head down, her guts tightening under the weight of his stare. “No, thank you.”

“You sure? Would hate for all the time that went into those tresses to go wasted,” he muses, lifting a long finger and twining it about in the hair hanging by her shoulder.

She sneers, leaning back from his touch, nearly shivering when the rough skin of his fingertip scrapes against her cheek. “I suppose you find amusement in such luxuries.”

“I would, but it does make for pretty things like you, so I can’t find it in myself to complain.”

She rolls her eyes, trying to stifle the flutters raging in her stomach from knowing he actually thinks her pretty. She should not, absolutely not, grow any sort of affection or attachment to any of the crew members here. She is to leave in six weeks, not to mention the fact that they’re unkempt, roguish, always mocking her, belittling her and laughing at her expense. She cannot believe she once thought she’d manage multiple months here, months that in her idealized thoughts, were anticipated to be filled with euphoria and all sorts of freedom. 

Instead, all she’s getting is a total of two months on board. And as of now, it seems it’ll be nothing but seasickness and writhing, aching shame from being the common joke.

“Don’t flatter me,” she rasps out, pressing a cloth, scented with lavender, to her nose.

“Do I really appear that disingenuous?” he drawls out, his head cocked at her.

“You steal for a living,” she deadpans. “Of course I don’t store faith in your ability to be genuine.”

“And yet, you came here, anyways.”

She stiffens, acutely aware of the hypocrisy that turns her thoughts so rancid.

“Why?” he prods, his eyebrow raising. His tone isn’t mocking, for once, but genuinely earnest. “Was it curiosity?”

Torn between wanting to answer just to be rid of him versus the desire to seek some knowledge from the years of experience he clearly has obtained, she answers. “It was too difficult to remain at home. I wanted to experience something entirely different, something on the other end of the spectrum.”

“You thought I would keep you on the ship to give you that?”

A twinge of embarrassment blooms in her chest and she grinds her teeth down. “For longer than a mere two months.”

He sighs, extracting his gaze from her in favour of the horizon. “I can’t do that. You’re of no use here.”

It’s strange, for it’s not like she’s been relishing in her time here. All her five senses have been plagued with some new form of torture since her first day, she has become something of a laughing stock, and being amongst people so damned efficient only highlights how little self-sufficiency she’s sustained over the years of spoils and riches. But, still. To hear herself be rendered to something useless that they cannot afford to keep because she provides that little help – it stings something terrible.

“I’m aware,” she bitterly grits out. “I just wanted a chance to–”

“Seize some freedom?”

When she says nothing, he taps his long fingers on the railing, eyes seeming glazed over as he speaks slowly, as though carefully selecting every word. “I understand that feeling. I was not, well, born to this lifestyle.”

When she sends him a questioning glance, he scoffs. “No, I was not blue-bellied. My father was a merchant. But, a traditionalist, nonetheless.”

“One who I suppose didn’t take kindly to…” she trails off, her eyes falling over his body.

“No. One who indeed did not take kindly to it,” he confirms, his eyes steady and cold like steel.

Yet, somehow, admirably enough, he doesn’t sound angry. Despite the injustice of having to succumb to piracy in order to live his life as he pleases, he does not sound bitter or sour about the ordeal. In his tone, there is the tired edge of resignation, paired with the sharpness of resolve. As though his father’s rejection only further refined and solidified the basis of his determination. 

“Do you ever imagine how it would be if things were different?” she asks quietly. While her parents grate her to no end, she cannot possibly imagine having a life outside of them. The only concerning aspect of that notion is that she’s unsure if it’s due to genuine affection or having never possessed the choice of an alternate path.

“When I was younger, more innocent, perhaps.” He shrugs, as though the topic is one of little consequence to him, though she can see the way his lips purse together. “As a child, it used to frustrate me to no end. I was convinced that as his child, he ought to be proud of me for mirroring him. In fashion, in stance, all of that. When I saw he gave none of that approval to me, but to my brother, it made me seethe with envy.”

She feels a pinch of sympathy in her stomach, her eyebrows drawing together in focus. She supposes she understands that. Even growing up herself, femininity was only permitted to present itself in very specific, self-contained ways. There was no creativity she was allowed to take with it, no freedom, no broken expectations. There was a regime, a certain path to follow in order to prove herself a woman. She fought and fought, but eventually, it became easier to be lured into complacency. To snap at the maids who tore her dress, to angrily throw an outfit at the wall when it became mud-stained. It’s those little moments of rage that give her some comfort, some relief, while still managing to uphold the front that she is on the correct path to womanhood.

“I understand,” she mutters, the words tasting foreign when said towards Jack. “My family is difficult regarding appearances and identity, too. Though, I suspect our problems are quite different. But, I…” she trails off, hoping he will not laugh at her. “I’m sorry, nonetheless. I can imagine how angering it is.”

He’s silent for a few moments, and she dares not look at him, humiliation beginning to swell in her. How stupid it is to compare her experiences to his. Any pain she’s felt has probably been thrusted upon him tenfold.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, absentmindedly scratching at his forehead. “I’m fine now, though. It was once angering, that’s for certain. But, I have grown to detach from it.”

“How long does it take to accomplish that?” she asks, clenching her teeth together.

“Years. But, don’t rush yourself. Feeling that sense of hopelessness should be the last resort.”

“I’m already teetering on the edge of it.”

He huffs an amused laugh. “I can tell. Sneaking onto a pirate ship for a world of adventure? It’s the stuff of fiction.”

She glares at him, instinctively smacking his arm. “Well, fiction has been a constant companion for years.”

“Huh, that makes the lack of personal boundaries more understandable,” he muses, giving a pointed glance to where she just hit him.

“You’re one to speak! You were barely an inch away from me when we first met!”

“And are you to tell me you truly didn’t enjoy that?”

Mina splutters from the screeching shift to flirtation, feeling as though her mind becomes crushed into something malleable, unable to weave together proper sentences. Jack is watching her carefully, like a predator lurking within the bushes, peeking at her unabashedly through the leaves and vines. As though she’s for his taking.

She clears her throat, trying to ignore the almost nauseating roll of anticipation that courses through her stomach. “I did not. You’re a stranger.”

“And? That doesn’t stop me from feeling something of a… carnal nature for someone.”

Her eye twitches. “That’s because you were most likely raised to perceive sex as anything other than the meaningful union of two people in love.”

He chuckles, the timbre of it so smooth and husky, like the dollop of caramel that was planted on those cakes that had been served upon her seventeenth birthday. She wonders how such a sound would taste solidified – if it’d be just as smooth and thick as the sweet nectar that had seeped into her tongue those years ago.

“It’s meaningful, but something can be meaningful without love.”

“Coming from a pirate – typical, but unsurprising.”

The dimple by the corner of his mouth deepens. And as does his mischief, it seems, for he steps closer to her, the weight of his body a steady heat against the breeze of the ocean.

“You are to tell me that if you had the chance to experience such touch, even once, before the wedding night to a man you’ll inevitably one day be forced into the arms of, you wouldn’t take it?”

She gulps, keeping her head pinpointed down, gaze honed in on the rolling, crystal blue waves. “Yes.”

She stiffens as he moves closer, his mouth edging to her ear, breath warm and moist as he breathes, “Not even one night of pleasure?”

“Not even a night,” she mutters, her voice beginning to tremble.

“Nor even hour upon hour of slow kisses, wet touches of a tongue, fingers that can reach places you didn’t even know existed?” he husks, his breath tickling the lobe of her ear and making a jolt of a shiver shoot down her spine.

She tries to suppress it by stiffening her posture, keeping herself upright lest her hips twitch or her body tremble. “Nor that.”

Out of spite, she almost wants to mention that she’s found every spot possible, and does not need his assistance, but she’s well-aware that revealing that will be to her utter demise. And so, she gently sinks her teeth into her tongue, holding back.

His fingers skim along the opening at the back of her dress, loosened from the usual confines her mothers insist on wearing. His fingertips are dry, slightly scratchy with calluses, and they’re infinitely tender along her soft skin. And somehow, that makes it harder to ignore. If he was rough, manhandling her, she could shrug him off, yell at him, dismiss him as a brute unworthy of her time. But, these gentle, soft touches promise a night of patience, one where he’d handle her body with something akin to reverence. 

It’s hard to resist the anticipation of that. Not that the rougher touches don’t have their merit too.

God, why did she think of that? Now, thoughts of Jack groping her are spilling through her mind, his large hands sinking into her ass, grabbing her by the tits to yank her forward. Pressing into her jaw, like he did on that first day, while he hovers on top of her, leering and smiling.

His hand splaying out, palm pressing into her back, is what awakens her from the stream of lewd thoughts and she jerks away, sending him a sharp glare. Though, snapping her head at him momentarily sends their noses brushing, which makes her reel back. God, even the mere tip of his against hers has her face feeling like it’s set aflame. 

“You seem very sure,” he mutters, eyes roving along her features as though they have all the time in the world.

She scoffs, pulling away further. “Well, I am.”

She absolutely, irrevocably is not sure. 

–

Jack is certain she isn’t either when one night, he has a pretty little thing on his lap, his breath moist on her neck, hands squeezing at her thighs beneath her skirts. For one second, his eyes are tracking her plunging neckline, skimming languidly along the dip of her cleavage, and then, he’s spotting Mina, peeking through the open entrance of the tavern.

He spots her so quickly that he doubts she notices, ensuring that his gaze flicks back to the woman taking residence on his lap. He wants to see just how long he can draw this out and wring out her innocent curiosity. Though, deep in his gut, he’s slightly impressed that she actually had the gall to sneak off the ship.

While he’s certain that Mina believes him to be a cruel dictator for deciding she only gets to leave the ship upon the second port they stop at since her arrival, he has his reasons. One of them being that the first port they’d reach, the one they’re currently stationed at, is much too dangerous to secure Mina a safe passage to her home city. And secure Jack plans to, an additional part of her departure he hasn’t told her of yet. He has to keep her on her toes somehow. Spoiled thing she is, she deserves the punishment of nervous anticipation. 

He had firmly told her earlier that she was to spend the rest of the evening on the ship, with the spare men who chose to stay back rather than spend a spirited few hours in town. She had frowned and stomped, demanding for a night off of what she called “this stifling, suffocating ship,” but he hadn’t faltered, simply patting her cheek and ordering her to stay put.

Judging by the insolence she’s currently embodying, he supposes he ought to have been more stern on her. Lord knows what could have happened if she had run into the wrong sort of company and had gotten harmed. The tavern isn’t far from where the ship is docked, yes, but in this town, any distance is harmful if you don’t have the correct skills to protect yourself. And judging from Mina’s lack of motor skills whenever the ship sways or bumps, constantly tripping over her skirts and tumbling to the ground, she very much does not.

The only benefit is the molten desire beginning to stir in his stomach, pooling low and making him throb. The knowledge of her being there, eyes caressing his form as he takes care of the woman giggling in his lap and rubbing the tight muscle webbed in the back of his neck, has him biting back a grin. It was crystal clear from their talk a few weeks ago that deep inside, perhaps even past the bounds of her own awareness, she desired sex. It was clear in the way she downright trembled from his touch, goosebumps erupting over her skin when he muttered low in that way he knows has people writhing. 

He’ll give her some satiation. Just a bit for tonight. Though, he’d be lying if he said putting on a show for her was solely for her own sake. 

With a harsh clearing of his throat, trying to minimize the bubbling laughter rising up his throat, he presses his face deeper into the woman’s neck. His lips hanging open, he lathers soft, wet kisses to her neck. She releases a sweet gasp, the arm looped around his neck tightening as he places more pressure on the tender skin, his open-mouth kisses hard and pointed. When he reaches a spot under her ear, he pauses, his mouth encircling the patch of skin and sucking it slowly, his eyes shutting in concentration as her deep breaths soften into a long whine.

Meanwhile, his hand buries further under her skirts, slithering into the warm crevice between her thighs. He hisses when the tips brush against the tight coils of her hair, idly toying with them as he skims his teeth along her jaw. He loves this – methodically tugging out every small, uncontrollable noise, lavishing his attention until someone’s body becomes utter puddy, subjected to every overwhelming sensation he instigates. A canvas just waiting to be painted with marks, brushed over and stroked until a flaming array of colours are set to life behind squeezed eyes.

And knowing Mina – fiery, stubborn, petulant Mina – is watching it all unfold has his arousal strengthened by a tenfold. His thoughts drift to the wetness that must be seeping against her folds, the way she must be rubbing her thighs together as she watches them.

It pushes him on further, the hand cupping the woman’s waist raising to sink a finger between her chest and the fabric tightly enclosing it. He stubbornly tugs until her breasts lunge out, a deep groan rumbling in his chest at the sight of her perky nipples. He ducks down, taking one in his mouth, lips fondling the bud while his fingers rub delicately at the other. He can feel her beginning to rub her ass down on her lap, hips moving in slow circles as he toys with her sweet, sagging tits.

He can’t resist the urge pulsing through him, and mouth still on one tit, his eyes flutter open, locking right onto Mina.

Who is staring directly at him, hand pressing down to her mound. 

This time, he lets his gaze linger long enough to give her a few seconds to register having been caught. Her eyes bulge out, lips parting as she freezes in place, the slight movements of her arms immediately halting. He can sense her humiliation, her gaze beginning to skitter about, as though she’s torn between meeting his stare or slinking away into the dark night.

When she chooses the latter, concern shoots through him and he grits his teeth. Still causing him trouble, the menace. 

After ushering a very dissatisfied woman off his lap, murmuring a quick apology, he wipes the smear of wetness on his trousers, rushing out of the tavern.

As soon as he steps out, the cool air coats his skin, rubbing it until it’s tingling to the touch. His eyes carefully scan the street, panic beginning to flip in his guts as he searches through the night crowd buzzing along the lanes, laughing and engaging in all flavours of debauchery. Fuck, if she’s lost, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. 

When his head swings to the side and he finds her braced against the outside wall of the tavern, he feels his shoulders sag in relief. He rolls them before moving towards her, a prickling sense of self-awareness beginning to surge through him now that the heat of the moment has dimmed. 

“Why’d you come here?” he asks, halting right in front of her, hands settled on his hips.

“Why? Did I interrupt your time with that woman?” she snaps, eyes burning with fire as she stares at him pointedly.

He snickers softly, satisfaction trilling through him. Her meaning is clear as a summer sky, shining on him and casting him under the heat of her jealousy. “I’d much rather know what you’re up to out here.”

“Oh, so I’m a second option – is that it?”

His mouth twitches. He’s never able to resist draining pleasure from her rage. It’s simply too attractive to behold, and instigates a strong itch in him to discipline her. “There’s no competition happening here. This was simply an exchange of pleasure you caught sight of.”

“You are disgusting,” she spats out. “An exchange of pleasure? Is that all sex means to you?”

A twinge of irritation flickers through him, disliking the conclusions she is leaping to for yet the second time. Despite the days they have spent together, filled with banter and the occasional, more intimate conversation, she is still, by all means, merely an acquaintance. One who doesn’t possess the level of knowledge required to make such an accusation of him. 

“Not always. But, when I am spending a single evening off the ocean, finally surrounded by women other than my crewmates who I’ve known from years–”

“You haven’t known me for years.”

Jack’s frustration is stomped out with a spark of mischief upon her argument, which seems to have slipped out of her mouth without permission, judging by the way she immediately clamps it shut. 

“I’m aware,” he chuckles, taking a step closer to her, his chest brushing hers. God, it’s so shapely, hugged just right by that obnoxious, lace-trimmed dress she insists on wearing no matter how long she’s been on the ship for. “No crewmate of mine has ever been on the receiving end of so much ogling from me.”

Her throat, so lovely, so tempting to be marked, moves as she gulps. 

When it seems she’s been stunned into silence, he moves even closer, his body pressed firmly into hers, coaxing her back to fully plant against the wall. “And do you not consider yourself a hypocrite? Accusing me of my exchange of pleasure, when as I recall it, you, too, derived some pleasure out of it?”

Her breath hitches in her throat. “I–I did not–”

“You did,” he husks, his face slowly tipping towards hers. “I could see that haze in your eyes, that eager little hand. You were wanting, were you not? Playing a third to that woman and I?”

“I am no third–”

His hand gently closes over her throat. “Shut up.”

A breathless little moan is wrenched from her, and his smile curls up wickedly. Ah, there she is.

He squeezes gently, the dip of his nose pressing into her cheek as he greedily sucks in her scent. It’s a mix of saltwater, musky sweat and sweet perfume. He could get drunk off of it, sniffing it until it’s soaked into his mind, tinging every thought with her presence. 

“If I knew this is all it took to get you to quiet,” he muses, licking a warm, wet stripe along her cheek, “I would have choked you a lot sooner.”

Her body stutters when his other hand gropes her ass, nails digging in through the layers as he kneads the plush skin of it. He continues to plant, sloppy, dripping kisses across her cheek, down her jaw, the ministrations producing wet little squelches that have his stomach tightening in anticipation. 

“Ah,” she whines, her head lolling back, lightly thumping against the wall.

He slides his hand from her neck, cupping the back of her head to cradle it from the rough concrete as his soft little kisses draw closer to her mouth. Right as his breathing ghosts over it, the warm puffs from her mouth intermingling with his, he whispers, “Is this alright?” Beneath the lust, hot and aching in him, is the underbelly of concern. He knows she can’t be too experienced – in fact, perhaps she has none beyond her own hands. 

He leans back, carefully peering at her. 

She nods eagerly, licking her lips.

With a deep chuckle, he captures her lips in his. She’s immediately making her desire for him known, the folds and dips of her body molding into his as she wraps her arms around his neck, tugging him close to her. One hand still buried in her skirts, clutching onto her ass, his other arm wraps around her torso, holding her close as his mouth languidly explores hers, tongue slipping through to lick into her mouth, rubbing along her teeth and meeting her clumsy flicks with smooth, massaging strokes.

She eagerly bucks into him, her hips jolting forward without rhythm, and something in his chest swells. She’s like fresh fruit hanging low on the branches, so easy for the taking. 

“Someone is eager,” he drawls, his voice raspy with desire and his mouth moves back to her neck, nipping at the juncture where it curves into her shoulder.

She cries out from the prick of it, nails scratching at his back through his shirt and vest. “You’re so rude to me, so undignified, I hate– mmph,” she moans as he forces her into a bruising kiss, shoving his tongue into her mouth.

“Something tells me you need someone to treat you in all sorts of undignified manner,” he hisses against her mouth. “Just dreaming and aching to be taken as something other than fragile.”

Before she can respond, he’s silencing her with another harsh kiss, his teeth sinking into her bottom lip, chewing and sucking until it’s pink and swollen with his rough toying. And she’s all the more pliable, panting desperately against him as he tarnishes her mouth, turning it into a filthy pit of spit and teeth as her tongue chases him, drool spilling from the corners. It’s so slippery and wet, making him feel dizzy, and he parts from her to circle his lips around the pink muscle, sucking on it until her eyes are drifting shut, high whines creeping up her throat and tumbling out. 

When his hand strokes from her ass to her thigh, beginning to rack up the fabric of her dress, she freezes against him.

He immediately clenches tighter on her dress, pulling away to search her face for any signs of discomfort. “What’s wrong?”

Her gaze shifts to behind him before returning to his face. When he leans in, head tilted in curiosity, she whispers, “I want us to be alone.”

That sends a possessive bolt pulsing through him. Fuck, she wants them alone, away from any prying eyes – only belonging to each other in the throes of their pleasure. Only he will get to see her this way, and judging by her earlier anger, she most likely wants him only for her. The notion doesn’t make him feel even close to being controlled – rather, it makes him hot with desire. He very much likes the idea of belonging to her. 

Many long, seemingly everlasting minutes later, filled with Jack squeezing her ass and igniting hot, angry glares from her, they’re stumbling into his room, mouths clashing together. His rough hands are immediately at her dress, tugging at the stubborn laces and willing them to free her body to his ardent gaze. Everytime his knuckles brush along a sensitive spot on her body in the process of doing so, she releases another short-lived, sweet noise into the heat of his mouth, which later latches down to her neck, sucking bruising marks.

When he manages to get through the tight ribbons of her dress, unsheathing her body to his hungry gaze, he feels his mouth grow watery at the sight of her breasts. They’re so pretty, the weight to them giving a bounce that has his eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head, mind whirring with thought of how they’d move when he fucks his cock into her.

And her nipples – God, they’re both erect in the chill of his room, swollen and wrinkled slightly at the edges. His lips tingle in desire for them, thumbs reverently brushing them, testing the waters to see how sensitive her untouched body is. When she twitches, he ducks down, taking one into his warm, wet mouth, tongue flicking along it until it’s dripping in his spit.

Her torso immediately juts out in response, her eyes squeezed shut, as though she cannot bear to see him making love to her body. She writhes delightfully from the light strokes from his tongue, clearly sensitive and unable to tame her reactions. But, he can sense the tension in her shoulders, the way her body is stiff and upright. 

He eases in close, his hands roaming over her tummy, fingers digging into the soft flesh. Kissing her cheek, he whispers, “You are a sight to behold.”

Her skin grows textured with tiny bumps, a shy laugh flowing from her lips. It makes him swallow hard, unaccustomed to hearing a noise so pleasant and vulnerable from her. It’s so different from the fiery, unattainable brat he’s come to know these past weeks, and it softens him to realize how much trust she’s storing within him to be this open. 

“It’s true,” he quietly insists, nibbling on her earlobe, soothing the sting with his tongue. “I’ll take good care of you.”

She shivers hard, and he pulls back with an amused quirk of his mouth. 

“Does someone like the sound of that?” he hums, coaxing her steps backwards, so that knees hit the edge of the mattress and send her flying into the luxurious, plush blankets. She curls into them like a cat, clearly having grown to miss such fine treatment when she’s in the duration of her sharing a room with the rest of the crew. He shrugs off his vest, smiling down at the sight of her so content.

“No,” she murmurs, the word so lazy that there’s barely a lick of conviction in them. He knows she’s just being a brat for the sake of stubbornness. 

“No?”

The question seems to jolt her out of her relaxed reunion with a bed. Propping herself on her elbows, the spitting image of ruin with her dress shoved to her waist and her tits popped out, she tips her chin up in defiance. “No.”

He rolls up his sleeves. “Oh, we’ll see how well that holds up.”

In a matter of seconds, too fast for her untrained eyes to anticipate, he has her pressed stomach-down into the mattress, his fingers holding onto her dress with a death grip as he drags it down. She whines into the pillow, her hips wiggling in what he assumes is a split between eagerness and humiliation. Pressing his face in the spot between her shoulder blades, licking long stripes along the skin until she’s sheen with his mark, he tugs the dress down, pinching her undergarments along the way, moving and moving until she’s completely nude. 

His hands are immediately on her ass, massaging and pushing the cheeks together and apart. His thumbs dip into the gap, using the grip to open up her ass, licking his lips at the sprinkle of hair running down her ass and then spreading wide at her pussy. And fuck, her pussy. It’s coated in arousal, glinting under the dim light of the night sky, practically begging to be fucked whole with something.

“God, you’re so desperate,” he mumbles, his thumb pushing down to playfully brush at her folds.

She bucks against the mattress from the touch, her words shaky as she mumbles, “It’s not my fault, you did this to me!”

He smirks at the accusation of her tone. “Do I have to bend you over my knee to get you to shut up?”

Face half-pressed into the pillow, she sends him a wide, doe-eyed look.

His hold on her ass tightens painfully at the revelation, eyes hooded and trained on her. “You’re such a whore, I swear.”

“And you’re such a–”

He doesn’t give her the time to finish, his palm coming down to deliver a sharp smack to her ass, sending the fat of it jiggling. When she cries out, her eyes screwing shut, his voice softens to a coo, murmuring, “Sweet girl, I’m sorry. You’ll do better, right? Make sure I don’t have to do that again?” As he speaks, his hand strokes at the hot patch of skin.

“You think I’m just going to– ah!”

Her words shatter into a loud wail as he smacks her ass again, this one harder and sending the noise bouncing off the walls. He takes an utter, shameless delight in how she crumbles under his harsh touches, so pliant in how she sinks further into the blankets, burying her face into the pillow as she keens. She’s impossibly endearing – such a sharp, stinging mouth, but so easy to turn into complete mush, malleable and weak to influence.

Before she can talk, he gives her two more consecutive ones, darkly laughing from the way her body gets so tender from it, wriggling as tears gush from her eyes. He takes a sadistic sort of satisfaction in seeing her finally broken down like this, her insistent attitude finally crumbling to a complete stop. And how goddamn sweet it is, seeing Mina, his Mina, soft and sensitive, entrusting him to look after her and give into all of her needs, no matter how dark and salacious. He wants to relish in this success, as well as for her to fully embrace it – embrace both the loss of control and her great pleasure, which is perhaps one of the only times she’ll experience it in her lifetime.

The thought makes his jaw clench, but he shoves it away, choosing to lean into a very different idea that flares to life in his mind.

“Roll on your back, then sit up,” he commands, kicking off his boots.

And finally, to his deep pleasure, she obeys.

–

Mina’s back to Jack’s chest, he keeps her legs spread open, grabbing her jaw and coaxing her to look at herself in the reflection of the mirror across from them. She immediately squirms at the sight, her tummy clenching in pointed embarrassment. Her pussy is absolutely drenched, creating silky strings of liquid along the tuff of hair there, clinging to the pad of his finger as he draws the digit along her pussy, dipping it near her hole. She clenches on nothing feeling her insides scrape with the desire to be filled.

“You want it?” he mutters close to her ear. 

Her hips shift instinctively on the bed, excitement thumping through her body as she feebly nods. She’s only ever had her own fingers inside of her before. But, Jack’s consistent concern throughout the evening has her more relaxed than she ever thought she’d be capable of during her first time. A first time that was always envisioned with the shadow of a man, face blocked out, downright unbearable for her to look at.

So different from Jack, whose face she wants to drink up so badly that she’s willing to face the sight of her own in the mirror.

His long finger sinks in just barely, prodding gently. His nail just barely brushes the rim of her hole, making her hips flinch in want. She just wants him to sink, bury and claim her. Her mind is almost delirious with the want of it – it’s scary, terrifying even, to be so clouded by her own bodily desires, shameful and depraved. But, every nerve in her is so drenched in the need for it that she cannot even muster enough self-deprecation to stop him.

His finger slowly inches in her, passing through her tight entrance and filing out her hole, which immediately latches onto him, as though her body is urging her to trap him inside forever and never let him go. The unfamiliarity of someone else’s finger in her has her squirming, the lack of guidance she holds over the act making every movement inside her feel all the more important, her body caught off guard with every twitch and push. 

When his finger has fully slid in, the tip already pushing into that special spot tucked deep away in her, he groans right in her ear, “There you are.”

The words, purred with equal measures cockiness and pleasure, have her tightening around him immediately. His long, thick finger in her has her burning with the ache of it – but, it’s not bad, not at all. In fact, it has the deep ache that’s been pumping through her pussy finally sated. And the relief is immense.

She thinks it can’t get better until he starts rocking his finger inside of her, her walls sucking him in each time he dips back in, pleading for him to stay. But, he never strays too far, his finger still half in her before plunging again, getting harder, less relenting, with each thrust. The throb of it has her whining, her head laying upon his shoulder as he wraps an arm around her tummy, bracing her to his steady body as he fucks her languidly. 

When his second finger is met with resistance, he hums coyly. “Someone hasn’t toyed with the rules much, has she?”

“Well, with my schedule, I– oh,” she breaks into a moan when his second finger begins nudging her entrance, “it’s hard to manage time for exploration.”

He leans over to his bedside table, pulling out a screeching drawer. “And what exactly are you doing in this busy schedule?”

When she doesn’t answer, lost in the flex of his shoulders as he leans over the bed, he rebukes her with a rough jerk into her pussy.

She bounces from it, a staggering gasp shooting from her lips. “I–I attend business meetings with my father, I arrange events with my mother–”

“Very lively,” he mutters, using his teeth to pop the knob off.

“It is,” she defends. Though, she doesn’t add that it’s only lively to some, her being excluded from that group. While it keeps her busy, most definitely, it is the kind of occupation that leaves her empty at the end of the day. Nothing fulfilling is tied into it, no real, authentic joy derived from the meetings and engagements bordered by social regime.

He kisses the back of her neck, and her mouth twists in emotion, the gesture feeling like a silent apology, a sympathetic link tethering them to each other, just as that first tender conversation they shared.

When he eases his finger out, spilling on it what she now realizes is oil, his touch is kinder, two fingers pushing into her slowly as she wraps tightly around him. A breathy moan escapes her lips, suddenly notching to a higher pitch when his other hand lowers and begins to rub on her clit, helping her through the sting. When it’s finally faded to a dull ache, she finds herself seized with the urge to have him take her carnally the way he once mentioned. She doesn’t want her body to be treated sweetly with the pity of someone who knows she has a lifetime of unhappiness ahead of herself. She wants to be fucked and debauched thoroughly. 

“That’s the best you can do?” she goads, her tone velvet-wrapped in arousal.

He snarkily laughs, the noise making her head spin. “Don’t insult me.”

His fingers begin jamming into her with a brutal intensity, making her release a strangled cry. With each severe, pointed press into the spongy spot buried deep in her, the tingles racing from her pussy to the rest of her body deepen, mind numb with pleasure.

“Look at how well you open up,” he rasps against her ear. “Like this cunt was made for fucking.”

She cannot bear to look at the mirror, his words humiliating despite being so, so good. His hand grabs her jaw, fingers smacking gently into her cheek, sending the skin rippling. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone stupid just from two fingers,” he mumbles lazily, kissing her cheek.

Out of sheer determination, she forces herself to look at the mirror, nearly gasping at the sight of his two girthy fingers pumping into her steadily, her hole completely swallowing him as sticky white streams of her arousal begin to wrap around his knuckles. Her entire body is painted with a thin layer of sweat, and she can feel it gathering in the crease beneath her breasts, sticky and wet. 

The nastiest squelches are coming from between her thighs, and his middle and ring finger rhythmically slide in and out of her, abusing her swollen, rubbery spot. When his other hand braces against her lower tummy, flattening to create a warm pressure, she jerks up in response. And God, does she look wanton in this state – hair sticking to her forehead, tongue lolling out, eyes half-lidded as he pushes every limitation. And the sight of Jack doesn’t ease her arousal at all – his face is contorted in stone focus, jaw clenched as he works her pussy as though he’s been exploring her body for years. 

“Good girl,” he breathes, meeting her wide-eyed, jittery gaze in the mirror, his own focused and direct. “You look so pretty like this. Such a pretty, wet little cunt. All she needed was some fingers, huh? And look how sloppy she’s getting.”

The sudden surge of dirty talk has her spiralling into unknown bouts of pleasure, her mouth falling open, unable to even begin meeting him halfway.

Just as everything, Jack picks up on it immediately, sending her a proud grin through the mirror before his hand starts groping her tits, pinching and flicking at her nipples mercilessly. “Such a mess, aren’t you? And here I thought you were so prim and proper. All you needed were some dirty hands fondling your tits and cunt, and you just turn into a downright whore.”

His words make her pussy cling onto him tighter, a thin liquid beginning to stream from her hole, slithering down to her ass. She can’t even respond, her body a rapid whirlwind of aching, throbbing, tightening, loosening, needing. Fuck, she needs him in any way possible. Oh, why did she say ‘fuck,’ that’s so–

His palm starts bumping steadily against her clit and she flails in his arms, tongue hanging out as she begins to teeter on the edge of her orgasm, grazing the edge and moments away from falling into the pit of it. It’s familiar, but so different when it’s someone else in control, predicting the course of her pleasure, taking care of her, predicting every move without her permission or knowledge.

He seems to sense her impending climax, biting her cheek, egging her on. “Are you going to come? Spasm all over my fingers, show me what a slut you’ve been all these years when locked up in that town? You’re going to arrive back home completely ruined, a lowly pirate having fucked you over–” he thrusts harder, “-- and over again.”

Those words send her tumbling over, a loud scream flying from her mouth as the tension in her tummy shatters into pieces, the remnants of it streaming through every muscle in her body, ringing it of all its strength as she becomes completely consumed with pleasure, with release, with Jack.

As she comes, the runny liquid comes pouring out, spilling along Jack’s two fingers and drenching his blanket. She knows she isn’t urinating, but the sensation has the same kind of release, a floating feeling encompassing her as she lets it gush from her pussy rather than hold back. Jack talks her through the entire thing, fucking her through it and panting, “Leaking so much for me. So wet, so good, so fucking sweet.”

As she twitches in the aftershocks, she sags back into him, one arm of his immediately circling her and holding her close. 

“I– might I..?” she trails off, gazing up at him curiously.

He seems to understand her question, his chest shaking with amusement. “Not tonight.”

She nods – while part of her would have enjoyed touching him, she understands his lack of desire to receive right now.

As their interaction simmers to silence, she fidgets. She does not know the rules that pair with these sorts of encounters. If they were in love, she would ask that they sleep in this bed together and that he hold her close for the night, the two of them exchanging gentle kisses and giggling over what had just transpired.

But, Jack is not a lover. And while that notion would have brought her relief a month ago, now it leaves a bitter burst in her mouth. For she would like to settle into his arms, listen to his heartbeat and memorize the pattern of his breathing as they fall into mutual slumber.

Suddenly uncomfortable with the idea of curling deeper into him, then being slapped in the face with rejection, she slowly peels herself away, muttering, “Well, I should–”

Not a second passes before his arm presses against her ribs, holding her to the bed. “Where are you going?”

“We’re done, so I assumed...” Now, she feels even more embarrassed. What if her dismissal had hurt him? What if doing this is even odder than simply seeking affection from him post-coitus? “I’m sorry.”

He says nothing for a few moments, but she can feel his thoughtful gaze lingering on the side of her face.

Then, finally, a kind, soft, “Come here.”

He tends to her without hesitation, easing her to spread her legs so that he may wipe her clean with a soaked rag, changing the blanket that became soaked through, and then shrugging off his shirt and pants, leaving himself in a loose undergarment that hangs around his crotch. The entire time, she cannot bear to look at him, the domesticity and softness of the moment making her more unnerved than the sex itself. 

Just as before, his kindness makes it harder to resist, harder to think of leaving and soon no longer being by his side. She chews on her bottom lip, eyes burning as she forces her gaze to remain on the door handle. Just a few deep breaths, that’s all. She will not dare cry in front of him.

As it turns out, she also lacks the courage to avoid gazing upon him as he folds his clothes and tosses them into a corner of the room. His body, so handsome, so precious, is smooth in its motions as he slinks under the blanket. She finds herself bashful at the newfound intimacy of this. Both of them naked, lying in bed together, with nothing to fill the cup of this interaction but bodily touches that are warm, comforting and without ulterior motive.

To her surprise, he stretches an arm out, his dried lips blooming into an expectant smile. “Well? You will not leave me by my lonesome, right? That would not be very gratuitous of you.”

She laughs weakly, the familiarity of their banter a modicum of relief in this foreign territory. She hesitates, fear pinching at her mind, whispering in a dark, gravelly voice that this will only make things more difficult. That laying in his arms for the night will leave her with only more short-lived memories that haunt her.

But, as her eyes skim the rise and fall of his chest, she’s captured by the feral urge to rest her ear on his heart, and have the lullaby of it rock her to sleep. She craves him in a way that surpasses his skilled fingers and lewd words. She wants him just as he is now, in this casual state of undress, where all he can offer her is his company.

She shifts, then lays her head upon his shoulder, marvelling at how warm and toasty he feels against her. Her bare breasts squish into his side, and their legs tangle together, hairs intermingling as her toe brushes his shin and sends an obvious shudder up his spine. She pockets that information for next time.

Right as she is about to submerge herself in the pond of rest, his voice quietly comes through. “It would not be too bad, though.”

“What wouldn’t be?” she groggily murmurs, wanting to bite him for interrupting her sleep.

The steady pumps of his chest still for a few moments before he finally says, his voice stained with affection, “Another mouth to feed on the ship.”

[bloodchapell]

castle of sand — senku i. 9: not so new revelations

brief summary: first day in the stone world. everything is worse and despite that, it still manages to be better than before

what to expect: allusions to cannibalism as a metaphor, implied domestic violence (?)

your sword's note: all past and future parts + playlist of this series available on my mistresslist

"You built all of this on your own!?" You gasped once you saw the house. He nodded with a proud grin. "That is amazing, I bow before you."

You didn't actually bow, of course. But you did look around marveled.

"Do you know how to sew?" He asked and you nodded. You both were in the house. He gave you a piece of leather, a sharp stone with a wooden handle, a bone needle and some thread. "Make yourself some clothes, I was saving that for a sleeping bag but whatever."

You spent a good time measuring yourself and then tracing lines over the leather. Senku wanted to hurry you up but like a miracle he felt full of mercy at least for that day so he simply let you figure it out.

"How do we make black dye?" You asked peaking your head outside, seeing him collect statues of sparrows and organize them in the lab he had built.

"You have clothes, they don't need to match your dark personality in the stone world. Plus with this weather making the clothes black might as well cook you alive."

"What a hateful being." You complain sighing. Seeing that you were done he went back to the house for a clay pot. You were picking up the remnants of the leather.

"What is that?" He asked immediately when he saw the clothes you had made.

"A jumpsuit. I do not fancy dresses like you." You stood up, well it was an upgrade from the vines. The jumpsuit had short sleeves and it stopped in the middle of your thighs.

"It's not a dress, it's a lab coat." Senku mentioned and you nodded.

"So I guess this is totally not a skirt and I can lift it up." You asked and he immediately slapped your hand away. "Precisely I don't wish to be running away from some wild animal holding a skirt down."

"You are taking this somewhat comedically." Senku said.

"Absolutely, I always wished to live in an environment like this. Stress is made to be scared of falling of cliffs or big animals, not being scared if my mom had a bad day at work and trying to decipher her level of anger through her footsteps." You point out and he can't help but laugh, him who had despised your presence so much being relieved that at least he had you to alleviate the horrid solitude. "I meant to ask what happened to your forehead too."

"The stone left cracks. You have a circle in your lips, since you were pouting for 3700 years." He points out and your hand immediately runs to your face, a finger examining the weird dent.

"So what is it that we are doing?" You asked and his breath escaped his lungs. The well known phrase with nothing but a single word changed.

"Rebuilding civilization, of course." He said and your face twisted into a frown of shock.

"Nono, I am far too young...I wouldn't possibly be a good mother..."

"That is possibly one of the most disgusting things that could ever be implied." Senku shook his head. "I am talking science here."

"Civilization was indeed build from the dirt around, but it feels oddly surreal, might be even pushing it." You say thinking. "On some insane levels of manpower it might be just plausible, but this is Senku we are talking about, a spring breeze has more strength... plus myself is only slightly better. What are the steps? It is like playing Little Alchemy."

Again another laughter from Senku. Had you always been this funny? Probably not, probably it was because he had just started to hallucinate the monkeys around speaking to him so having another person around was refreshing, even if it was you —his words—.

"Taiju is awake, I know it. So we will revive him and he will be the manpower. Then surviving will be easy cake and we can focus on discovering the way to revive anyone." Senku said and you nodded. "It would have been far easier if you had decided to use your brain for a noble path like science but it will do for now."

You still couldn't shake the surreal feeling of it all. After having gone insane within the confines of your mind infinite times so much that you wished to exist again, coming to see that the life that awaited you was nothing short of prehistoric made you question if it was real. Plus why the hell did Senku turned nice? You sighed trying to stop thinking about what 3700 years meant, probably it had also fried his brain into empathy.

"I am hungry." You said after some silence.

"You should still have food from our era in your system."

"I didn't eat anything." You say and he sighs annoyed.

"Go pick up berries." A basket thrown at you. "I will see what else is there to eat. Don't go too far."

You nod and walk out of the house with the basket. You walked around, not so far since you still didn't know the area, picking berries off bushes. In one of your delirious scenarios while being stone you imagined what would have happened if you opened your eyes and found yourself in a hospital, or being a ghost overseeing your funeral. It looked like it didn't matter anymore, so you didn't ponder too hard on it.

Unlike you, it was the only thing Senku could think about. For some reason he started feeling like it was his fault. He would rarely defy what his father would ask of him, and now he felt a deep guilt about having done so when it came to befriending you. Since returning from the miracle cave you two hadn't talked about it. He didn't know how to bring it up again but he knew he had to. His mind went over everything again, every possibility. If you had slipped from the roof you would have probably survived, with a few broken bones, but it would have hit him even harder; he couldn't even come to imagine what would have been the reaction of your parents. If you didn't slip and went through with it in another way, that made the chances higher, he would have come to learn of what had happened from someone else. That made his whole body go cold. By that point he had so much shame within himself that he didn't even question why he cared so much about you yet didn't do anything to help you before. Thinking about it made his head hurt and his eyes tear up.

"I found this." You say with a smile walking back to after an hour or so. Senku quickly sniffled and turned around to look at you. The basket was half full, rested on your hip, while the other hand held a bunny.

"Great, some good food." Senku applauds but the silence coming from you told him everything. "We are not having a pet."

"I am not killing this poor creature that trusted me, I would rather perish." You say and he bolts towards you to grab the bunny but you dropped the basket down and ran from him.

"Amazing, that was the world's most stupidest play of tag." He says laying on the ground breathing erratically after five minutes of chasing you. "All for the damn bunny."

"Watch your mouth." You grab his hair and he ends up nodding. Not for anything you are your mother's daughter and he could see in that split second the potential for evil in your eyes. "I will just let this absolute angel go back to its own matters. I will be eternally grateful for the epiphanies it helped me obtain."

"What epiphanies?" He finds himself asking before he can even realize what he is asking, so now while you two eat, you talk his ears off about how the bunny reminded you of the softness of life and that its act of trusting you gave you an oddly positive outlook on life in that instant.

For the rest of the day, he experiments with the sparrows and the nitric acid while he has you making stuff like your own toothbrush.

"So do we have soap?" You ask and he shakes his head. "How do you shower then?"

"In the river." He says like it's obvious. "I do need to make some soap, we will figure that out soon."

"You don't stink." You say and he frowns at your strange comment.

The sun slowly falls and Senku makes a fire. For the rest of the evening he focused on labelling the sparrows and playing around with the remaining of nitric acid he had.

"Did you feel alone?" You ask resting on the table of the lab. He lifts his gaze immediately, no reply. You don't ask again but the question turns the gears of his head. You would often speak to him about how lonely you felt and he then realized that during the two months he spent alone he had been pushed through the bridge by that horrible solitude. His eyes remained on you for a second, your hair was a little wild, he had noticed the scars in your arms already but chose to stay silent about them.

Once he was done, you two stepped outside of the lab. The campfire illuminated the area only so far, and you could see the literal darkness extend everywhere around you. Inevitably you took a step closer to Senku.

"Got scared?"

"A little." You exhale looking around distrustful of the environment. Sitting by the campfire now, you two eat more, it didn't feel like a proper meal but it was better than nothing.

"Lay down on the grass." Senku says once you are done eating and you do once you see him laying too. He is looking to the sky and you are looking at him. "Stop looking at me, look up."

You do.

There are so many stars in the sky that you can't possibly count them all like you did back in the modern times. Senku looks through the corner of his eye at you, your eyes widen and your pupils expand, the fascination you have for the stars is so clear that he is kind of jealous of how strong you feel them.

"It kinda hurts." You say placing your hand on your chest.

"What?" He turns around.

"The stars kinda hurt." You repeat. Of course that makes no sense, he should have known. "I am starstruck."

Thousands of years before, Senku did not understand what you meant when you said that stargazing felt too confidential and special, but he understood now. Since he woke up he had only taken glances at the sky, hadn't even allowed himself to wonder about the stars, but now that he was doing it, and doing it besides you, he came to realize that you were right to complain before.

"Whenever I felt so much that it became unbearable I would look through the window at the stars." You start narrating, for the first time he is eager to listen. "I have been so lonely since I can remember that I felt like I could only relate to things like the stars. I would lose my eyes in them and pretend that I was nothing but a star in a human body, feeling would be me burning so hard that I couldn't handle it because I was not supposed to be a human and this body can't possibly withstand a star. But even in my kinship with the stars I could not possibly dishonor the name of a celestial body by calling myself one. It was an odd feeling. I would be really upset when the sky was clouded and I couldn't see them."

"Almost all the elements in our bodies were made in stars by nucleosynthesis." Senku says and you laugh.

"I know. Everything I am made of used to constitute so many different things before. Every element in me formed eons ago in the depths of so many different stars." You say extending your other arm towards the sky. "Once you have reached the darkest place possible, the only thing you can really see is the shine of the stars."

Your words shook him. What you said was factual, the oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium that constituted human bodies was formed in stars, yet the way in which you said it went beyond simple factual science and twirled into poetry.

"What is the darkest place possible?" He asks and you turn around to see him. The answer comes to his mind before you even think about it. Regardless, you don't say it, but he knows you also got the answer. Before he knows it, he calls your name. "Show me. If it won't hurt you, I want to know it."

Your eyes meet his. An odd request.

"If that is what you really want then it won't matter, I will stay still while you dissect me and savor the pain in the fibers of my body. It won't hurt me because I know the darkness, I am immune to such mundane pain after marinating in the void for so long. It doesn't matter if you tear me apart."

"What are you even saying?" He says immediately.

"You can open up my chest and carve out my heart to figure it out. Eat it all up until you get to know the darkness too."

"That is so damn morbid, stop it." With a face of disgust he says.

You lay down smiling in silence for a while. Your words keep ringing in his head, it was a fucking bizarre way to talk about it. To metaphorically eat you meant to learn the truths about your darkness, it was somewhat a gruesome action, to dissect you apart and taste your pain. He was ultimately surprised with how easily you agreed to open up.

"So what am I to do? Just info dump everything on you?" You ask after a while.

"Let me ask you some questions." He says and you nod. "What is up with your family?"

"It is a bad one." You say immediately and he laughs. "I don't even think of that as a family. My mom and dad had a very bad relationship, I think that is kinda obvious. They would be separating and going back together all the time, and I got no explanations on what was happening. That messed up with me a lot. It boils my blood, even now. They would argue in front of me with no decorum or care, and eventually started to argue with me too. It was like a war field. There is no peace in my memories, dissonance is all I can remember and that is somewhat piercing."

He knew as much. It wasn't rare to see either of your parents leaving with half of the furniture all the time, one would leave only to then come back, then the other one would. When your parents would argue, whether it was on the street or in the apartment so loud that everyone could hear, you would walk covering your face, head down, embarrassed.

"What about your dad?" Senku asked then. He knew you had a better relationship with him. Before your mother came back to live with you, you were living with him. Then one day Senku never saw him again.

"My mom actually left, I stayed to live with him because well my mom is insane, dare I say clinically. He was really depressed and after some problems he had with his job he chose to leave the country. He started living abroad, got a girlfriend and well, last thing I knew, he was getting another kid." You say clearly bothered, going over what you told him on top of the miracle cave. "Left me here with the devil herself and called me occasionally saying how much he missed me and stupid stuff despite leaving me."

"Do you know about that?" Senku asks about something else and you look at him without understanding. "When we were in fourth grade, winter break."

"That he tried to kill himself?" You say with no tact and his face stays blank, not knowing how to react. "I couldn't possibly be so oblivious. Where do you think I got the idea?"

"Sorry." Senku says and you laugh, it was rare to hear him apologizing.

Senku knew half of all those truths, they stayed in the back on his mind, on the side he refused to acknowledge. It was as if he was just waiting for your confirmation. He had heard the arguments, he had seen the police been called, he had seen trucks moving stuff out only to move it back in months after, he had seen an ambulance parked by the street, he just refused to ever think about it. It was slowly coming to him that he always knew.

"But you knew all of that already?" You say rolling to your stomach, almost reading his mind. "Do you want to hear how I felt then?"

Your eyes look at his. There is an unsettling image in them, Senku can see it. "If you want." He mutters.

"I used to be very angry about it. I was an angry child." You say playing with the grass underneath your hands. "I didn't know what was happening both outside and inside me most of the time and I hated it, it was a foggy confusion. When I started to make sense of things, I became a sad child. Now I am afraid that no matter what I turn out to be, I will always be a sad child. I am somewhat glad to be here right now, I don't have to worry for not having a family, or feeling like no place is home, I don't have to worry about anything."

He noticed quickly that your worries didn't mention being kicked out or fighting with your mom or being apart from your dad, they were notions so intrinsic to you that they went beyond the daily nuisances.

"This situation kinda fucking sucks." Senku says referring to the petrification and you nod. "But at least you don't have to worry about any of that anymore."

A newly found silence between the two of you drowns the noise of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees and the ticking of the campfire. After some minutes Senku gets up and puts out the fire, he stands waiting for you to get up and once you do you get into the house. He still has questions, but would rather let you talk on your own accord.

"It's a little cold." You say.

"Well yeah, my sleeping bag went into making your stupid jumpsuit." He points out.

"Can you make me a plushie? I need to sleep hugging something." You sit down on the wooden floor.

"Sure, I will catch that bunny and make a plushie out of its skin." He sits too before laying down on the pillow he made.

"You factually cause my soul to lose color." You let your back drop to the floor. "If you do that to my bunny I might kill you back."

A shared laughter in the darkness. His hands are fidgety, you are careless.

"If you feel bad you have to tell me. You are my only helper and I can't go back to being overworked." He says with some tenderness in his voice. "Whatever it is, if it's affecting your capability of working, you need to tell me. I will listen to you no matter how long the ramble is."

"Okay."

"Do you want to talk about what you were thinking before you got petrified?" He asks being unable to say it like it was.

"No. Let's forget about that part." With your denial he doesn't know how to insist.

"Then promise that you won't think about that ever again." He grabs your shoulders.

"I don't think I will have reasons to." With all honesty you say but he shakes you. "I promise."

"When you are ready to talk about it, I will listen... or whatever." He turns around.

It is still cold, and the wood is no comfortable bed, and you have nothing to hug, but it is a good night. Even if there is no electricity, or a bathroom, or good food... you shush your brain before it ruins the bliss. You can't simply stop thinking, so you focus instead of reliving the day in your mind. After an unknown amount of time, your eyes start to feel heavy. You turn to the side and poke Senku's arm with a finger, no response, so you slide an arm around his waist and rest your cheek against his back.

He curses himself in his mind for having pretended to be asleep, but lets you hug him nonetheless.

taglist: @thelonestarinthesky

[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.

[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™️.

[theteablogger]

the sparrow stuff really skeeves me out. he knows just enough about linguistics and ornithology to make his ludicrous claims seem almost reasonable. it feels like the first step on an unreality rabbit hole that will lead his audience to be willing to believe increasingly bizzare things

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on things in case this continues to escalate.

I want to clarify a couple things, in anticipation of talking points Andy may use (and has kind of already used in his response to my initial post):

At no point did I cast doubt on the idea that sparrows or other bird species have language. I am well aware that people have been studying this for some time.

Andy suggested that I said he was projecting "personhood" onto Nuggie, and I feel like that's a pretty loaded statement. Humanity (the state of being human) is different from personhood, and I don't know enough to say with confidence whether animals should be considered to have personhood. I'm not a biologist, zoologist, or ornithologist, so I can only speak to what I know anecdotally. Like I said, I've lived and bonded closely with a bird before. I know firsthand that they are intelligent and emotionally complex and have distinct personalities. I have never and would never suggest otherwise. What I said was that Andy was anthropomorphizing Nuggie, which is projecting humanity onto him.

[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

[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".

[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.

[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.

[sketchehm]

another hi: crack variant of the mafia mafia au but dteam got transformed into animals randomly. no one knows how this happened. but now there are three animals getting many many pets (and having fun conversations with the three cats)

what animals exactly im split about. for sapnap i could see hamster, bunny or puppy. for dream puppy, deer, stoat or bunny. for george cat or sparrow

though i could also see all three as cats. especially due to that one mafia mafia post where Rich refers to them as cats iirc

actually speaking of: consider all of them as dogs and cats. huge furry cuddle pile. many purrs, many happy tail swishes. cuteness overload

Amazing crack varient oh my goddd

So what was discussed before is that Sapnap is dog who was raised with cats (Dream and George) Rich was more referring Dream and George as cats hehe :3c

I imagine the guys doing their usual and charging into their rooms for suprise cuddles only. To not find them there.....WHERE ARE THEY.

Then realizing the buddle of blankets on the bed was hiding a puppy and two kitties. A tiny puppy is shaking scared and the kitties are rubbing up against the poor thing. They're all so 🤏

The guys wondering when did dteam bring in these tiny things. What's more surprising is Patches warming up to these little guys more than she did with Milo and Naomi pfft She does end up just taking one of the kittens with her and it's the puppy and other kitten following her around yipping and meowing after her hehe

It takes a while before the guys figures out these lil guys ARE dteam. And boy is it about to get a lot easier to spoil them all :3c

They're all picking them up and cooing at them and the 3 of them are SO chatty. (Dream is screaming to get them to fix this, he has to get back to work!!! George wants them to put him down, its embarrassing!!! Sapnap likes barking back at them :D!!!)

For all of them being cats and dogs, I like to imagine Rich actually just owning all these animals and dressing them in lil suits and calling them a mafia pffft They're the cutest pile of fluff :3c