#adrenaline addiction

[weltato]

Why I Think Toad Is So Obsessed With Speed - Long Post

This is a long post (and mostly a wall of text, sorry) about The Wind In The Willows, specifically the 2016/17 musical version since I haven't read the book in a very long time.

TL;DR in the tags

Using my new friend Medical News Today I have found an article via Google that was medically reviewed by someone with a PhD, so I'm kind of inclined to believe this is pretty accurate. It's littered with references too, as all good articles should be.

This article is about the definition and symptoms of an "adrenaline junkie" (also known as a "thrill-seeker" or a "daredevil") - I think Toad is addicted to the adrenaline and the feeling he gets the faster he goes. He's not just bad at driving because he doesn't bother to learn, he's bad at driving because he actively enjoys and is seeking out the danger to get another hit. To quote Ratty in 'Speed Is Of The Essence' -> "Speed is an addiction, and alas poor Toad is hooked." He really is hooked, it's plain to see through the show.

He goes from boat to boat, then to a horse-drawn cart (despite the horse's desire to not have a fast paced life, hence why she decided to pull barges instead), then to a motorcar and then finally (by the end of the show at least) to a jetpack. We see what happens with the motorcar through the show - Toad is obsessed with the thing. He says multiple times that he needs more speed (both in 'The Amazing Mr Toad' and in little moments through the show that I can't remember right now, but he says it at least twice) and even repeats the line "speed is the quintessence of what Toad is all about" from earlier in the show. He even stole some bloke's car when he couldn't have one of his own; he faked a heart attack (poorly, but he did it) which scared Mole so much that he ran off just for Toad to bounce back up again two seconds later without a care to go and steal a car.

Now, I could go on a whole other post about Toad's relationship and attitude towards Ratty, Mole, Badger, etc., but I won't right now. Maybe later, who knows. Just know that it's there.

Even when in jail, he didn't seem too bothered. Yes he was dramatic and over the top and yes he was devastated to be in prison, but he was doing it for the attention. It wasn't a subdued "oh I've done it this time" with how he took to the chains and the bars coming up, but rather a big show and dance and an "oh, woe is me, look how I've been wronged!" performance. Yes, most likely there for theatrical effect because it's a musical for all ages, but that's just it - Toad is theatrical. He annoys his escape route, but when she threatens to leave he goes quiet and apologises and then goes right back to being dramatic and happy-go-lucky. I do believe that was a genuine show of remorse to the Gaoler's Daughter, just like how he was when he realised the same guy was coming his way in the car and when he started singing 'The Finale', but as soon as he finds a way out he takes it and runs.

Sorry, I got a little off-track there, but here are the symptoms for when someone is getting dosed with epinephrine, which is the hormone your body produces when in the fight-or-flight response (which is a "reaction that occurs when a person senses or perceives they are in danger"):

increased heart rate

sweating

decreased feeling of pain

heightened awareness

sharpening of mental focus

increased strength

Now, I'm going to focus on these when they become relevant, because the first two that I notice the most is decreased pain and increased strength - have you noticed how many times Toad gets knocked off somewhere? Mole even says that he's been in hospital three times and that's just in the first two seasons that Mole knows him. He crashed the toff's car, then he was thrown off a moving train, then he fell into a canal (or wherever the barge was, I'm assuming a canal) which will not have been warm at all, and then he crashed the same car again! Even the tightening of the corset around him didn't wind him for long; probably set off his epinephrine again, idk.

Toad is usually a loud and brash and blustery fellow who has little regard for his or anyone else's safety, but one thing he isn't is a coward. I won't lie, I've tried to put that label on him because at first glance it suits him so well with how he tries to get his way out of the 20-year sentence, but he goes straight for the Chief Weasel when Portia is in danger - as usual, he fumbles at first, but he eventually gets the upper hand. He's a proud and ungrateful creature, as the Gaoler's Daughter said, but he's nothing if not creative; once given the chance (and really, his only escape option), he went head first into Being A Woman™. Being the first to fight against the Chief Weasel - "step away from that sir, step away I say!" - isn't just latent bravery: it's getting the sense of fear and the kick of adrenaline by being the Hero Of The Hour. He didn't even focus on being chased across six counties and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage, he just focused on having his Hall back.

Heightened awareness let's you pay more attention to details and analyse the things around you to greater length. Now, this isn't really shown by Toad in the show, apart from maybe how obsessed he is with his own motorcar and how he wants it to be perfect, but do you want to know who does keep note of everything? Ratty. That's more of an anxiety thing for him possibly, since he's exasperated with Toad for pretty much the entire show, but there is a moment at the end where Toad finally says out loud what he's recognised about himself - "sometimes I ask a lot, sometimes I lose the plot".

Again, sharpening of mental focus probably doesn't apply to Toad quite so much, but it does apply to Mole when he frightens the stoats that are guarding the door to Toad Hall - Mole is a cautious animal, despite the joy of the new adventures that he's finding through the show. We see it when he first finds the river and meets Ratty, literally jumping into his arms so as not to get wet. We see it when he tries to hide under his coat when learning about the Wild Woods. We especially see it when he goes into the Wild Woods itself to find Badger and gets ambushed by the Wild Wooders. Mole is easy to scare, and yet in the moment when he should be the most scared he uses Toad's discarded disguise to scare off the stoats who then go and tell the rest of the Wild Wooders.

Oh boy, sweating and increased heart rate. Well, with the adrenaline from the speed of the car (and the thrill of flying with the jetpack later on), then yes his heart rate will kick up. I can't really give sweating a proper thing here because being in a theatre production gets very hot under the stage lights and with the choreography and the amount of energy you need to play Toad's role (nowhere near as much as Elle Woods, but still a lot) then you'll be sweating anyway. In the filmed London production of WITW, you can visibly see the main cast are sweating, so this point is moot. However, generally with fear, sweating is aligned, e.g. 'woke in a cold sweat' symbolising a nightmare. Also, according to the Woodland Trust, toads virtually always have dry skin, so I'd say it would be very easy to tell if Toad was sweating.

Here's a direct quote from the article about the causes and psychology behind adrenaline junkies (the severe ones, the ones who are dependent): "An adrenaline junkie enjoys seeking out activities and experiences that trigger the release of epinephrine. They may feel a compulsion to take part in these pursuits, which often drives them further. When a person undergoes a stressful or intense experience, the amygdala releases the hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine. Bursts of norepinephrine can lead to extreme happiness or euphoria. According to a 2009 study, norepinephrine could be a key factor in a person becoming dependent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this unconscious need for stimulation can affect the way a person’s everyday behaviour. An adrenaline junkie may therefore create drama in their life to trigger their body’s response to stress. There are few studies on why people enjoy risk-taking activities. However, some research shows that personality type can play a role in a person becoming more of a risk-taker. One 2013 study suggests risk-takers were more likely to have a personality that showed traits of low conscientiousness combined with high extraversion, high neuroticism, or both."

Mate. If this doesn't sum up Toad, idk what does!

Extreme happiness or euphoria?? We see that all the time! He's ecstatic to have his home back, he's a puddle of joy when he finally gets back into a motorcar, barely anything phases him even when Ratty is tearing into him about their past friendship. Of course Toad creates drama, did you see the 'As If In A Dream' sequence? 'The Amazing Mr Toad' was pretty dramatic too, he had an entire performance and wasn't bothered by the hedgehogs at all - he didn't hear them over his joy of getting (what I assume to be) a fake award that was just for show, most likely. According to that 2013 study, Toad definitely has the traits of a risk-taker, at least in my opinion.

Now, in all of this, I'm not talking about substance abuse. This isn't someone administering adrenaline to Toad, but rather about him seeking out thrills to get the feeling of adrenaline and the euphoria that comes with it. This is all natural. At least, in a human sense, and since I'm mostly focusing on the more humanised musical version of WITW, this makes sense. As for the original animals they are based off, I have no idea, I'm not an animal expert.

As with any addiction, there are withdrawal symptoms:

cravings to do the thing he wants to do (as previously mentioned, he fakes a heart attack just to steal a car so he doesn't have to stay cooped up without a car)

less interest in other activities besides what he wants to do (the entire show is about Toad chasing speed, even yelling at the train driver to shovel in more coal to make the train go faster, and he gets bored of things very easily)

negative emotions, such as frustration, agitation, and restlessness (again, see the faking a heart attack scene; he's restless and runs Ratty and Mole around, even Badger to some extent, and gets very easily frustrated [such as when the guard was making a joke at his expense])

"A 2017 study states that individuals suffering from a compulsion to specific actions can reduce tension, stress, or anxiety by carrying them out."

I refer you to the moment when he's back in the toff's car after he's been thrown off the barge: he jumps up and down, requests to get in and then gives it a hug. Here's a picture.

See the smile? All tension and stress at being found out? Gone.

He's in his element, he's back where he feels he belongs. It's euphoric.

This article says that there is no inherent risk involved with leading an "exciting life" but it also says that if things get dangerous and out of hand then one should seek medical attention. These things include:

putting their health and well-being in danger (been in hospital at least 3 times, crashed at least 3 times over the course of the show, got thrown off a moving train and fell off a barge into (very most likely) freezing cold water)

causing distress (see Ratty, Mole and Badger through the show, and also that poor man who's car he stole twice)

causing the person not to fulfil their work, home, or other responsibilities (Toad? Responsible? As if!)

Also, remember the line "then he staggered, and he stumbled, and he fell on one knee"? Well, in the article following this main one, one of the changes to the body during an adrenaline rush is "redirecting blood toward the muscles, causing a surge in energy or shaking limbs". Staggering and stumbling? Well, the guy's just fallen from a barge into cold water and is still in shock from it, makes sense that he'd be all over the place.

Getting a jetpack is the next big thing because he's finally grown weary of motorcars. Finally. Once again, in 'Speed Is Of The Essence' Mrs Otter and Ratty tell both Mole and the audience that "[Toad's] tastes are rather fickle." Toad is showing off by flying around and arriving to his party in a jetpack...and so the cycle starts all over again!

For now, that's all I have to say on Toad. I want to hear what other people think! Even if this gets nowhere I'll have still written it down. Maybe I'll do more deep diving on the other characters soon.

[tangledinink]

absolutely obsessed with gemini Donnie's piercings! They suit him so much! and i bet theyre fun to draw too!

you also mentioned tattoos! what kind do you think he would get? like what kind of designs and where?

Ah thank you! ; w ; I just think they're fun <;3 he deserves piercings... And yeee he has quite a few tattoos as well that he builds up over the years--

both his arms host meticulously planned, carefully considered, personal and meaningful full-sleeve pieces that were done professionally by sorrelshine's older sister, leafwhistle (she's the one who pierced donnie's eyebrow in that comic!)

his legs are where everything else goes. there are dozens of different pieces patchworked all over-- some done by leafwhistle, some by other artists, some by sorrelshine (who is not a professional, let it be known, but knows how to use a tattoo gun!), some even done by himself. he let leo do one once. mikey has done several. there's everything from stick-and-poke stars to little grayscale robots to brightly colored flowers down here, and he'll shove new things wherever they'll fit whenever he feels the urge.

[ gemini au ]

[wizardpink]

He cannot be serious with this slightly arched back, mouth open, hand betwen his legs pose.

"Oh no the vampires are trying to kill me 😩💦"

[an-established-butt-dent]

'Dreamers' A quiet evening

Solas x Lavellan, available as print here.

Mixed media on paper

[robiinurheart33]

@sugarpasteltmnt s new chapter literally revived me from tmnt art block their fic is so amazing!!!!!! Every time I read it I get like 10 concussions from throwing myself around the room after reading a few paragraphs they writing is so!!!!!!!!!!! Especially the most recent chapter that has me tearing out my hair oml /pos pos

[pianokantzart]

I was looking through more Fortune Street quotes, and I found this in Luigi's dialogue when Princess Peach is close to winning:

First I was like "Jesus Christ, Luigi, going right for the jugular, huh?"

Then I realized that line sounded familiar...

Certified Mr. L moment.

[vr46ridersacademyofficial]

i totally agree with the consensus that when valentino does something outrageous like choking marc in front of his parents or joking about kissing him in press conferences it’s kind of threatening to out them, it’s deranged and kind of a power play, like yes absolutely! i do think there is a possibility that they Both get off on that though

[suusoh]

Johan liebert would do that old school pavlov classical conditioning "get them addicted to my presence using adrenaline" trick with darling. He'll tell you he wants to show you something, then proceeds to show you either some upsetting and horrific movie/material on the internet. Or bring you to a place in some shady area where you'll surely witness something straight up sick or disturbing (think that orphan scene)....But don't worry, he'll be there the whole time. up to you though if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

[fortanuvasyama]

It really is like the cherry on top of the shitstorm he's going through rn lol

okay SO there's a series (that i think just technically wrapped up?) called THE JOKER: The Man Who Stopped Laughing. Basic premise of the story is that there are two (2) Jokers who are trying to kill the other; I'll call them Joker A and Joker B. Jason appears intermittently throughout the issues, but the important part right now is Issue #12 (which came out on on the seventh of November, so like six days ago) and which takes place after the end of Gotham War.

Joker B finds Jason, who is still under the effects of the fear-adrenaline thing Bruce did to him.

Joker B wants Jason's help to kill Joker A and seems(?) to be disappointed by the fear-adrenaline thing stopping Jason from doing.... anything, I guess.

So he gasses him. With Joker Gas.

Everyone's interpretations of this will be different, BUT given what Jason does in the rest of the issue (i.e. chase down a train, hijack a jetpack, take control of a blimp, crash that blimp into the train in a desperate suicidal attempt to save Gotham from destruction)

whereas during Gotham War he straight up couldn't even run because of the fear-adrenaline link

(not pictured: me screaming i knew it!!! in despair)

it seems that the Joker gas DOES negate the paralyzing effects of the fear-adrenaline problem (I wouldn't consider it a fix though).

Joker does note that it will wear off fairly quickly.

I'm sort of speculating that Jason now has a constant Joker-smile, but Jason's face being completely in the shadows for the rest of the issue makes me more confident in that theory. PLUS that's how Joker Gas has worked in the past.

(And don't worry, after Jason crashes the blimp into the train and sends the whole fiery mess into the river, Rose fishes Jason out of the water and resuscitates him.)

And we still don't see Jason's face, soooooooo... idk I think my theory holds some water! (pun intended lol)

I hope this helps!

[airlocksandaviaries]

adrenaline addict high off his ass + boyfriend who's gonna give him a serious telling off for being so reckless (once he's not so loopy)

[crmsnmth]

A Hit Of Adrenaline

Be my bad influence Give me that confidence of a Friday night Bar close kind of drunk

In an hour, he'll be vomiting in the rose bushes outside the neighbors house Get him in here before someone calls the cops

Be my hit of adrenaline Give me some reason to actually believe I'm alive Because I can't tell recently

Quit you're whining, it's painful to hear

You promised I'd taste the metal of a car accident Or the safety being off this time I grind my teeth so much in my sleep I can sometimes feel the roots crack beneath my gums

Be that late night drug deal outside of a street I've never had the pleasure of loitering on But that all changes when the house opens it's doors and I find myself passing out with strangers The real Kids in America

I need that spike to feel alive Because I play the role of walking corpse The zombie apocalypse starts with pharmaceuticals A thousand presses every second That's what we call a love buzz

Pretend to be my drive-by shooting I'll take the blanks and trade them up I'll only pretend to wear the vest If I get lucky, I get lucky and don't have to deal with thinking anymore

Good, it's overrated anyway

Through the bullets in the fire and wait for the shells to pop Popcorn in full metal jackets I can hear the whisper past my ear

See, I told you. I just can't die

Let's just call it misanthropic immortality I can't die if I never lived

[villain-in-love]

Behold! The elves and the ship chart!

Imagine falling in love with a crazy woman that barged into your dungeon and continuously tried to kill you. Press F for Thistle. As well as for Kiera, for that matter, since she also didn’t expect for things to turn out like this.

This relationship is such a mess that nobody (even the pair themselves) can figure out what the hell is going on between them anymore.

Clarifications are, as always, under the cut:

♤ The age gap goes in several directions at once. Technically, Thistle is at least 700+ years older than Kiera, since he was a dungeon lord for a thousand years, while Kiera is only 302 years old. On the other hand, he’s younger in terms of physical and perhaps mental maturity. In my narrative, Thistle stopped aging when he was an equivalent of a human 17-19 years old. In the same way Kiera would be somewhere around 21-23 years old if she was human. (In any case, both are equally emotionally stunted and immature...)

♤ They’ll be together forever because Thistle is the living embodiment of “Bold of you to assume that death will get you out of this relationship”. Also after all the shit they went through (including what they personally put each other through), they became so attached to each other that they will kill you if you try to separate them.

♤ Though they don’t dress up much while in the dungeon, both are naturally pretty, but their deeply unpleasant personalities ruin everything. Therefore not a 100% cute couple.

♤ They were not thrilled about being in love. They more or less calmed down about it by now (mostly Thistle) and took on a new approach, but at first it was nightmarish.

Thistle also used to be especially infuriated by that fact because, like, he’s got a dungeon to run! The Golden Country to protect! He needs to find his brother! Meanwhile Kiera is literally the number one hazard. He already had to think about her a lot lately because of how troublesome she is, but now he completely lost the ability to get her out of his head. He’s so busy, he already knows what he wants, and he simply has no time nor need for this nonsense. The worst part is that Kiera started to slowly replace thoughts about Delgal in his mind, and Thistle is truly horrified by that.

Kiera took it all with a bit calmer “Damn, I need to hurry up in killing him”. She hates experiencing those kinds of feelings, she hates that she wants to be closer to someone again, she doesn’t want to get stuck with him in this dungeon for eternity, how can she possibly fail- She had one job, goddamnit. It’s her own fault for wasting time because of her own curiosity. Giving up because of falling in love with a target is pathetic and nothing like her. Especially when those feelings endanger her freedom.

♤ I don’t think Thistle would eat dry noodles even in the modern AU, but nutritional value is almost the only thing that concerns him about food. Would probably eat something incredibly bland or barely cooked and wouldn’t care as long as it keeps him functioning.

Kiera's relationship with food is a long and complicated story... In any case, she is rather picky and her eating habits are all over the place, but she genuinely finds healthier food options tastier most of the time.

♤ Just because Thistle rarely brings up Kiera and the fact that they’re in a… “relationship” (if you would call it that) doesn’t mean that he doesn’t spend a frustratingly large part of his day thinking about her. He’s just the type to obsess quietly.

And in any case, who is he going to tell about her? Soulless bodies of his family sitting in his dining room? His monsters? Villagers of the Golden Kingdom who are all terrified of him?

At least Kiera mingles with other adventurers from time to time.

♤ What draws them to each other is not only being able to understand each other due to their similarities, but also the fact that both of them are really fucking lonely. That’s the glue here. That’s why they latched onto each other so hard and so quickly. (Kiera might claim that she’s okay with being alone, but she’s still human)

♤ Regarding "What stands in the way". Basically, the problem is that they stubbornly cling onto their old priorities because it’s the only thing they have ever known. Thistle is nothing if he doesn’t serve the Golden Kingdom. Kiera is nothing if not a war machine. I guess they both see themselves as tools that are only allowed to have one purpose.

On another note, at this point Kiera tries to kill Thistle not only “for sport” and because she hates giving up, but also because she’s terrified of attachment. Thistle doesn’t make things easier for her, since he tends to get too attached, as well as controlling, and his idea of expressing love includes putting Kiera in the safe terrarium that he controls, so he could take care of her fo-re-ver.

So what we have is a “control freak vs free spirit” kind of problem. This does get resolved by the end of the manga and they come to a "compromise". Not willingly by themselves, though, but because of the circumstances.

♤ Regarding Thistle and “haven't experienced any genuine human connection in centuries” – yes, he had Delgal, but I think that that after everything Thistle has done, their relationship most likely became way more emotionally distant in the last few centuries, at least on Delgal’s part.

[souraesthetics]

Cute lil thrifted fit from 2day sry for being inactive I was really fuckin sick for a week and life just happens

~side note didn’t eat and drank a shit ton of zero sugar coolers after not drinking heavy for over a week plus walked 12K steps feeling pretty light ^.^ ~

[ratwithhands]

your battle addict au has really peaked my interest! it sounds so cool and i’m already invested ^^

Aaaa thank you!! Glad to see people are enjoying the show ^^

Wish I had some more content for you guys since the AU is actually really short and simple 👁👁)💦 It's more slice of life compared to my more story oriented AUs, mostly focused on how perceptions shift and how daily life changes when important information comes to light.

If I can, I'd love to get some short/episodic comics out for you guys, like something about the trip to Sinnoh or the hunt for Garchomp. This AU is mostly just a bunch of small moments bundled into a larger collection, so it's probably better suited for shorter posts/sketches.

Anyway! Thank so much you for your interest :D your support means more than you think ^^ hope you have a good night!

[jarsarahere]

I'm almost a year clean but God do I miss the feeling you get right after the first cut. The adrenaline rush, you can physically feel in your head and chest, it's like a high. Then the slight sting once the pain starts to settle in where you cut, god. It's mouth watering. Does anyone know where I can get this same feeling? I miss sitting in pure bliss.

[lorillee]

kaiji you have problems.You need to seek help