#and i like drawing beasts. its the best of both worlds for me)

[viorel-lette]

More designs and headcanons for the SUGARCOATED AU!

Big credits to these two awesome people who made the Fount of Knowledge and Pre-corrupted Mystic Flour sprites that I used above!! Their original post is linked along with their @ if you wanna check them out :D!

Fount of Knowledge Sprite by @frog-of-the-blog Transcend Flour Cookie by @modcroissant

Similar to Eternal Sugar's post (<- in which you can find a very small breakdown of her outfit design and a few headcanons) Below the cut is a few design details I made for Shmilk (BM) and Mysty (WPF) and a few more ideas for how this crossover AU will go!

The cut may not appear for others so I guess if you're one of them you can try to maybe scroll down really fast if you haven't yet played or watched a playthrough or summary of the game OMORI and don't wanna get spoiled of the game's horrors which for me, is one of its best parts! I would know cuz it took me a week to recover :D. 💯 percent would recommend if you just love to put yourself in undescribable emotional pain ^^💕.

But big chunky trigger warning for those who are sensitive to things like depictions of depression, anxiety, suicide, flashing lights and a bunch of other stuff!— it's pretty expected from a psychological horror game, but please don't be pressured to play or watch it!

Added Eternal Sugar's design thingy along since I wanted to change her weapon. Her U-shaped harp matched her angel form more, so I replaced it with the harp from her legendary costume! Suits her even better since both designs are more fairy like.

Anyways NOTES and HEADCANONS:

Really wanna lean in to the way how Sugar seems to slightly not belong with the rest like how Omori is with his monotone expression and colors. I mentioned before in her own design post how she's the only character in some sort of sleep ware, a few other differences I added here is that shes the only one based on her beast form and also the only one named after it, everyone else's design look more, and are named, like their virtues.

Each of them have fantasy-adventure-group-roles! Blueberry Milk being the wizard or mage and Pastry Flour being the healer. Not sure about everyone else's tho.

I really like the idea of Blueberry, being the "Basil" of this AU and giving everyone insects to represent them!! Mentioned how this has definitely been done before (Omoriposa AU by madnopost :D!) But it just suits so well especially since their beta designs are already based on insects so I'm kinda thinking of really adding it

And on the topic of being "Basil", I hc before that Bspice would be the sporty but actually artsy type— which would be a really fun characteristic to give to him but I feel like giving it to Shmilk instead. He would make doodles of their times together to parallel with the way Sunny remembered the truth through Basil's photographs

And speaking of hobbies, in the real world, Sugar loves to bake! Which is why everyone is named after some sort of ingredient (minus Elder Faerie?) and why her happyspace is almost filled to the brim with desserts and sweets. Keyword 'almost' as it seems that if things are not going so well eyes, teeth, and organs seem to be growing more apparent here and there (just like in Sugar's actual garden in game). Also her weapon irl is a cake slicer.

Other than that, Shmilk likes to read and with the new head canon, draw, and is one of those too-smart-kids-for-their-age, meanwhile Mystic loves to embroider and crochet in her free time! Hence why, other than Shmilk's insect assigning, in Sugar's imaginary happyspace she's portrayed as a spider.

K, that's all for now. *Ascends to a different plane of existence*

[dreiiton]

🐺‼️‼️

bonus:

[ddejavvu]

James who has no idea that your dog usually doesn’t like new people! But the first time he comes to your place your dog is all over him and wants to snuggle. He’s so wholesome I don’t think any pet could not love him. Bonus points for big fluffy dog getting fur all over him

Your arms ache with a phantom strain as you watch your dog attempt to flatten James beneath him- in a good way, this time. You're used to holding him back while he does his best to intimidate the day's houseguest, but he'd taken to James with a giddily wagging tail and a complete lack of his usual wariness.

"Hi, oh," James laughs, barely dodging a large paw to his face as your dog squirms around on his back, begging for belly rubs, "You're a big baby, aren't you? And a furry one, too."

There's wisps of shed fur lining James's entire outfit, and he's only been in your house for two minutes.

"What a sweetheart," James croons when your dog presses its heavy muzzle into James's stomach, "My goodness, you might be the worst guard dog in the world. 'You gonna protect my darling if someone breaks in here?"

"Usually he tries." You scoff, staring bewilderedly at your docile dog, "There's typically about five minutes of vicious barking and at least twenty minutes of holding him back until I can be sure he won't snap at your ankles."

James's hands never still from where they're roving through your dog's fur, and the little traitor looks up at you with a giddy grin while James dotes on him.

"Really?" James's face scrunches, one of his hands laying several heavy pats against your dog's side, "I can't picture that. I think she's lying to me," James looks down conspiratorially at your dog, nose-to-nose where your dog lays upside-down in his lap.

"She's trying to tell me you're a big mean monster," James squishes your dog's face, scratching dutifully beneath his chin, "But I think you're a harmless little baby. Isn't that right, hm? No, you'd never hurt a soul."

Your dog grumbles along, surely agreeing with him that you're a fearmongering tyrant who's trying to besmirch his good name. You draw out your phone to take a picture of them both, and when you send it off to Sirius and Remus, it's with the caption, 'Well boys, we've finally found someone who can tame the beast.'

'What the fuck?' Is Sirius's near-immediate reply, 'It took me an hour to get him to let me pet him last time, and I had to be actively feeding him or he'd freak.'

'James has a way with dogs, Sirius,' You can almost hear Remus's drawl through the text, 'That's how he gets you to do his laundry for him.'

"Your friends are very jealous," You hum, looking back to where James is now trying to gather all of your very large dog's gangly limbs into his lap, crooning all the while at the animal, "Sirius wants you to know he nearly lost a leg."

"Well maybe he deserves to, then, hm? I trust your judgement," James presses a kiss to the side of your dog's muzzle, "Maybe next time you could do us all a favor and go for the bollocks."

[hunterofartemis7]

Adopted by the gods AU pt.9

*in the mortal world*

*Odysseues, Polites and Eurylochus running around the market in Ithaca just being kids*

Odysseus: so what did I miss since I was here last?

Polities: well the king and Queen are apparently going to Olympus for some meeting.

Odysseus: what meeting?

Polities: 🤷🏼

Eurylochus: and a boar has been running around the forest causing problems. The hunters think it’s a challenge from the gods cause no one can kill it.

Odysseus: oh yeah, mama mentioned that. It’s a test of skill

Polities: that tracks for lady Athena.

Odysseus: yep! *stops at one of the stands and buys some loafs of bread*

Eurylochus: why do you but bread everytime we come here?

Odysseus: mama likes bread.

Eurylochus: ofc

Odysseus: *takes them bread from the stand owner* so, y’all ready?

Polities: ready? Ready for what?

Odysseus: we’re gonna go beat mamas challenge

Eurylochus: I’m sorry we’re gonna what?

Odysseus: we’re going after the boar.

Eurylochus: why?

Odysseus: mama made the challenge for only the best of the best. I want to prove that that’s us

Eurylochus: you are nuts!

Odysseus: oh come on what’s the worst that could happen?

Polities: we die!

Odysseus: no we won’t. I got a plan!

Eurylochus: you always have a plan.

Odysseus: yep! Now come on!

*after gathering some ropes and weapons, the boys head out to the forest where the boar was last seen. A couple other hunters from the palace are also looking for it and the glory of the kill, paying no attention to the three boys*

Odysseus: *draws the plan out in the sand* okay, you two will get on either side of it, and throw the ropes around the boar to subdue it. Than I’ll come up and stab it through the heart.

Polities: and what happens if it gets free?

Odysseus: than aim for the kill. You ready?

Polities and Eurylochus: yep!

Odyssey: let’s do this!

*the boys managed to find the boar before any of the other hunters.*

Polities and Eurylochus: *sneak up on either side of the boar, than get close enough to throw the ropes around it and hold it down*

Odysseus: *goes up for the kill*

The boar: *manages to get free from the trap and charges at polities*

Polities: *freezes in fear*

Odysseus: *pushes polities out the way and aims his spear at the boar, piercing its heart*

The boar: ☠️

Odysseus: *gets his leg cut by the boars tusk as it charged and fell* aah!

Eurylochus: Ody!

Polities: Odysseus!

Odysseus: *holding his leg in pain* I’m fine! Just a cut

Eurylochus and polities: *both run up to him panicked*

Polities: Ody your bleeding!

Odysseus: I’m fine! At least we got the boar

Eurylochus: dude you need to get cut fixed up!

Odysseus: I’ll have uncle Apollo fix it when I go home.

One of the hunters: (previously mentioned) what are you three doing out here?! Don’t you know it’s dangerous— *sees the boar and Odysseus bleeding*..do you three kill it?

Odysseus: yep!

Polities: well Odysseus killed it, we just helped.

The hunter: wow. Did not expect a couple of kids to be able to kill this beast; color me impressed.

*the three boys smile proudly*

The hunter: what happened to your leg?

Odysseus: oh, the boars tusk hit me when it fell.

The hunter: come on, you need to get that treated.

Odysseus: I’m fine! My uncle or mom can fix it.

The hunter: well I doubt either will be happy if I just let you go and risk that wound getting infected. *calls the rest of his group over and fills them in.*

*while in disbelief, the hunting group picks the boar up and puts it in their wagon. The nice hunter helps the boys into the wagon and takes them to the place to get cleaned up and wait for their parents*

Polities: what do you think your mom will say when she learns her own son beat her challenge?

Odysseus: hopefully she’ll be proud!

Eurylochus: or she’ll kill you for getting hurt.

Odysseus: or that!

The hunter: *climbs into the wagon* wait, who exactly is your mom kid?

Odysseus: Athena!

The hunter:………………….nope! Not gonna ask! *takes them to the palace*

[drippingmoon]

Remains of a Night | Aberration of Sunlight: Beta stage!

Hello to everyone! I'm super happy and excited to announce that another one of my wips has reached beta stage. It's a series of two books: with Remains of a Night being the first, and Aberration of Sunlight wrapping up the story. Like before, if anyone would like to give a wee fellow writer a hand, I'd beam in gratitude☺ If not -- if you could at least boost this post, that'd be delightfully kindly of you. ❤

Sign-up period: till April 10

Genre: sci-fi horror, taking place on either an icy planet, or in the dead of cosmic space, as we're on the runnnn

Long story long (both books' blurb):

In purple fields of forget-me-nots, a broken helmet rests. It's the Fourth Dive of Procyon.

The Beast of the Deep Night has long turned into a cataclysm. Now it vies to extinguish humanity. The stars are slowly being tugged its way, and one day they will all Dive inside its void maw. This is the current outlook, in the planets' neon nights of bleakness and numbness. Alexander Madigan, police Superintendent of his planet, is definitely not where he should be. But with the world at an end, and a distress call breaking the silence of his office, he decides to investigate the truth behind the cataclysm. Even if that may draw its lambent eye his way.

He doesn't think his life matters more than the young marine's on the other end, who he wishes he could bring home.

Ages before their reality, the crew of another ship does its best to preserve their own lives. Things have become complicated though: with the addition of a new recruit, and while the Beast is merely a cautionary tale in their time, their impression is that it might have just come to their ship. Nor does it bode well that they have the most selfish human on the journey with them.

Word count: 120k, 123k respectively (RoaN and AoS)

Warnings: gore, body horror, suicidal thoughts, ableism (intentional and unintentional)

This all started out of my love for Halo, (if you share it, I salute you!💞) and for the idea of a creature that could hear the whisperings of the universe to it. Boy, were they bloodthirsty.

What am I looking for?

It's an advanced draft, I went ham on the editing!🥳🤣 so if any typos have dodged my attention... (they always do, the little fuckers), I will be super grateful if you found them. Otherwise, the standard; characters, plot, odd phrasing (this isn't 'quiv, so the writing is standardly clear. Still, if there's anything that makes you squint, I want to know). I do have lists of questions for each chapter, but you can opt out of it and comment free style.

Honestly, I just want your direct thoughts, and if there happens to be someone who's an expert on people who have had one arm devoured... that's a sensitivity beta I could use!🤩

Inconsistencies! Orrrr... if something just so feels like it used to have 5 more chapters on it and now it looks like a visitor from another timeline. Whoops.

Your emotions! Let me eat them! What moments stayed with you, and which had you feel particularly meh! More than everything else on this list, this is the most important one to me.🥹

Very preferably, that you read both books. However, it's purely optional.

What can you expect?

Two pretty word documents! We can talk as much or as little as you want. I do enjoy making friends, though🤭

No deadlines. Having been a beta reader myself more than a handful of times, I know how hard it is. Nevertheless, please do make sure you actually want to do this, and genuinely like the sound of this series.🧐 I will expect you to keep me updated about your progress (nothing fancy; once per month), so I know I'm not being ghosted. It goes without saying you can drop it whenever you want! Just inform me. That way, I'm not waiting, and I can move ahead with my baby. And you've something off your conscience. Win-win.

!! Since I've never shared snippets here, you can absolutely ask for a sample two chapters and decide.

That's it! Thanks for eyeballing this post, and I hope to see some of you! I am genuinely curious and excited about your thoughts, and hopefully someone will have the time🤩💞 for the sign-ups, you can contact me in my DMs, or comment here, and I'll reach out to you! Ta-ta, I'm out! Have a great day!

[felixcloud6288]

I finished Made in Abyss Season 1 and here are my thoughts

Starting off, it's kinda crazy watching this while going through Dungeon Meshi. Both stories are about a party trying to reach the bottom of a subterranean location.

In Dungeon Meshi, we mostly follow the perspective of the main protagonist Laios who portrays the story as an action-adventure comedy. We also periodically follow the perspective of a secondary character named Kabru who instead portrays the story of Dungeon Meshi as a survival-horror. But even when we see the world through Kabru's perspective, we're expected to continue viewing the world as a comedy. Made in Abyss is what Kabru thinks Dungeon Meshi is.

Made in Abyss takes place in and around the titular Abyss. The Abyss is an impossibly deep cavern filled with relics and strange creatures. People make a living delving into the Abyss, discovering relics, and researching the Abyss. However, the further down you explore, the more dangerous it becomes to ascend back up. There are delvers of various ranks signified by the whistles they carry. White Whistles are the highest rank delvers and are permitted to travel as deep into the Abyss as possible.

The story revolves around Riko, an orphan girl training to be a delver. She's the daughter of a white whistle named Lyza who went down into the Abyss and hasn't returned in years. One day, Riko finds a robotic boy she names Reg and later, a delving team returns to the surface with Lyza's whistle and a set of notes. When Riko is permitted to look at the notes, she finds drawings of a boy who looks like Reg and a note saying "I'm waiting at the bottom of the Abyss". With these two things in mind, Riko and Reg decide to make a journey to the bottom of the Abyss, which they both admit is ultimately a one-way journey.

Made in Abyss is considered one of the best anime series of the 2010s by multiple sources and I understand why. It's both visually beautiful and has an amazing soundtrack. On several occasions, I thought I was watching a movie. The main reason I decided to watch Made in Abyss was because I had stumbled across the OST and couldn't stop listening to it.

The Abyss is a hauntingly beautiful land. It is nature unbound and allowed to grow as it sees fit. There is wonderment at every level. Ancient ruins dot the Abyss and only add to that wonderment. And the animation and music capture that sensation.

When I first listened to the OST, it gave me a sense akin to discovering something beautiful by accident that makes you realize how little you've truly experienced. And seeing the OST in its intended use made it even better. I'm looking forward to continuing just because some of my favorite tracks haven't actually appeared yet.

The series has a bit of a slow start. The first season is 13 episodes and the journey through the Abyss begins at the end of episode 3. More importantly, the series does not truly show you how graphic it is willing to get until episode 10. There are early signs to it not shying away from nauseating imagery, particularly the willingness to show characters vomiting or peeing in fear, but everything from episode 10 and beyond is a whole other beast.

I said at the beginning that Made in Abyss is what Kabru thinks Dungeon Meshi is, but the first 9 episodes are a mostly cheerful tale of two children exploring the unknown mixed with some periodic adrenaline-pumping moments where they encounter dangerous creatures. But we're constantly told that ascending back up the Abyss is dangerous. We get little snippets of what happens beforehand, but episode 10 is where we're shown that this is a survival-horror disguised as an adventure story.

If I could change anything about the pacing, I would just make sure the first episode shows us something just like what we see in episode 10 because it's not fair to a viewer to wait 10 episodes to realize they can't handle what can happen.

I can understand if a potential viewer is unable to watch this series because they can't handle the kinds of body horror Made in Abyss shows. But if you can endure it, this is a beautiful story. I ended up crying half way through the season finale.

There's one final thing I want to talk about but it delves into some spoilers for the end of season 1.

Just because I made the Dunmeshi comparisons, I want to point out that food in this series can look so gross.

On the left we have Riko's cooking where she tends to throw everything together which makes her dishes look gross, but she knows how to prepare everything. On the right, is Nanachi's cooking. Nanachi genuinely doesn't know what a good meal tastes like as he survived on dumpster scraps growing up.

The season ends with Riko, Reg, and Nanachi sitting together to have a meal and it looks like this.

It looks good and it tastes good. And it's the first good meal that Nanachi has ever had. He has this meal shortly after Reg fulfilled his wish of killing his friend Mitty, and it's a moment that let Nanachi know that there are wonderful things in the world.

The world is horrifying and beautiful. And exploring the world exposes you to both the horror and beauty of it. Nanachi has experienced mostly the horror but he got a taste of the beauty in this moment. And at the end of the season, he decided to join Riko and Reg on their journey because he's gained a new outlook that the world still has wonders despite the horrors.

back

[beesmygod]

do the forbidden woods have any connection to the beasts or great ones, aside from being geographically adjacent to byrgenwerth? Are the snake infested fellows just "normal" as far as yharnam is concerned? Like before yharnam got all bloodborney, was the Yharnam Cartographer's Guild map of the woods still just a big circle with SNAKES written?

this is a really good question because, as a lore psycho, i think the understated lore implications of the woods are genuinely fascinating. i think there's a lot to unpeel, even if we take into account that it was one of the places in the game that was chopped up at the 11th hour and scrambled before release.

as always for these lore posts, important nouns are bolded and speculation is in italics. we are going to discuss the woods in three parts: from the gatekeeper to the windmill is "the village". from the windmill to byrgenwerth is "the woods". the subterranean cave shortcut back to yharnam will just be called "shortcut." i'll expand on this shit GREATLY when we reach this part in "you hunted" (I HAVENT STOPPED WORKING ON IT I PROMISE IM JUST SWAMPED) so considered this a light overview. feel free to ask for more details on things and ill do my best to fill in the blanks.

THE VILLAGE:

-from the jump, the village gatekeeper is a fucking weird little blip in bloodborne's narrative. i haven't thought about him enough to figure out if he's more than just a spooky, unexplained element but he has some cut dialog that sheds some mindboggling information about yharnam: he seems very confused about WHEN it is and will cite the last time he had a visitor as anything from a year to a century.

-the lamps in this area lighting the way to the village are little burning fetal beasts of some sort.

i'm starting to understand more and more about how fire operates in the world of bloodborne, since most of the time it appears in the game, it's seemingly impossible. the thing that confused me the most was how old yharnam was still burning if it happened a long time ago. i think it's time to start thinking of the old blood as impossibly combustible and a great source of light/fire. this isn't the first in-universe example of creatures being used as fuel: the lamps in the fishing village are slugs (also infants? they strongly resemble the hunter's appearance as a baby great one in the "childhood's beginning" ending). this is a whole fucking like, thing. it's its own post.

next, the huntsmen enemies here are dressed funny. you probably noticed it but couldn't pin down how. they're dressed in white church clothes! the first model here is used only in the forbidden woods. the two on the left are from central yharnam. note the gloves on the first two; these are church doctors!

(this post goes on like this for some time)

the white church doctors are the ones that were doing "experimentally backed blood ministration". the butcher's garb further defines it as "forbidden research". these white church doctors are the citizens of this "village". in the clustered buildings where the majority of the huntsmen are, you can find blue elixir and beast blood pellets in abundance. both of these items can only be purchased from the store after obtaining the choir's badge, drawing a firm connection between the white church doctor's research and the goals of the choir.

although, this probably isn't too much of a surprise; it's almost certain that this is where fauxsekfa came from. she took the same shortcut we did, right? i'm not really sure i understand the shortcut too much. but let's talk about it.

THE SHORTCUT:

although not explicitly stated, i am strongly convinced that this cave is the entrance to the hintertomb. at the very least, it is absolutely an entrance to the labyrinth. the presence of tomb mold, blood gems, parasite larva, and pthumerian giants/corpses makes this very clear. the root chalice for the hintertomb describes it as "a cesspool of noxious snakes and insects"; i think it's likely that the snakes came from the hintertomb given they can be found in the swamps there.

the giant graves here and further into the woods are referred to as "tombstone[s] of a great one".

the hunter's mark i think would suggest these are pthumerian made. its possible that the hintertomb is spilling out into the world above but frankly all of the graves here are baffling. grave placement and appearance needs more research. the graves in the woods only are developing a strange sort of honeycomb rot pattern not unlike the head of an amygdala. this pattern shows up enough that it warrants more investigation.

the slow poison-inducing "water" here has similar properties to the slow poison pool in the research hall. they are different colors, but have similar origins: the poison pool in the research hall is from the decomposing bodies of the patients, who were exposed to bizarre blood ministration and parasitism. the pool here is likely from decomposing great ones. with this in mind, perhaps the silvery liquid is mercury.

the ladder leading out of this area is fucking insane and i have a hard time understanding what occurred there. like what in the hell is up with that grave you exit into in yharnam. who popped it open. why is it so cavernous. what happened to the contents.

anyway, let's just go back to the woods.

THE VILLAGE (again)

there's really only two more things to mention here before we move on: first, beast roar can be picked up here. it's the undead, still twitching hand of a darkbeast. nothing touched by the old blood can truly die, and these severed limbs are no exception.

second are the butchers. these are the people who collect specimens, hack them apart, and present them to the church doctors for research. they show up in three different ways: the surviving madaras twin wears the butcher's set (the hunter picks up the set from the other twin's corpse), the "executioner" enemies (REMINDER: a better translation would have been "butchers" [or, literally, "dismantling men"], i have no idea why they went with "executioner" outside of their superficial appearance) wear the cape with the popped collar, and there are huntmen enemies skulking the streets below the grand cathedral hunting for victims dressed in the garb. they literally only appear there.

ah, one more thing. this is the place where you can find the suspicious beggar and interrupt him while he's in the middle of chowing down on one of the biggest families i've ever seen in my life. at first i thought the devs hysterically fucked up the sizes of the corpses, but they're dressed like the citizens of yahar'gul. while not outright stated, evidence strongly suggests that the beggar is irreverent izzy or one of his followers such as the close proximity of one of izzy's inventions and the beggar's clothing reflecting his past as both a veteran tomb prospector gone mad and former church agent. there's a lot of meat on that bone, but for another time.

OKAY. LAST PART NOW.

THE WOODS:

this is the part you probably remember the most bc it's snake hell. the first thing we absolutely need to keep in mind is that the snake-infested guys you meet are a reference to doobie from jojo. the snakes are parasites to people, but the snakes themselves are also being parasitized? they are covered in ticks, those are the huge bloated blobs all over them. given that the augurs of the great ones are invertebrates...what does that imply about the inclusion of the ticks narratively?

there's something absolutely fascinating happening to the flora and fauna in this section of the woods but it's hard to know what it all means. some notes:

-when enemies in bloodborne die, the game handles their corpse in different ways. some of this is lore related, some of it is to reduce hardware strain. some corpses turn into ragdolls, some explode into blood, some explode into white particles (sometimes with blood but not always). snakes explode into white particles. i got way too into the fucking weeds with this, but (outside of the slime scholars....kind of) all of these enemies either appear or were intended to appear in the chalice dungeons, the nightmare frontier, or the nightmare of mensis (the lecture hall containing the scholars connects the waking world to the nightmare). all of these locations are, arguably, the nightmare.

-there are statues of amygdala and a presumed evolution of the celestial child sprouting out of the ground. i am almost certain these are original versions of the statues in the grand cathedral and yahar'gul, respectively.

-remember that strange pond with the fireflies? the only place in the game where there's fireflies? what the hell is up with that lol. i kind of have an answer:

most concrete is this: back when the original boss of the woods was snakeball, you would have faced a rematch in this pond.

insane theory crafting moment: look, this is stupid complicated and a reach so if i have to get into really defending it it, ill do it in another post. but in bloodborne people can be teleported around via "communion". communion is the means of entering the chalice dungeons and requires three things: ritual blood (or perhaps just liquid, if rom's arena is anything to go by), something to hold the blood (typically a chalice, but sometimes the "chalice" is a skull), and light (this is almost always achieved with candles). this pond is probably full of blood, if the rotten bodies nearby are any indication, and the fireflies offer light. but, look, this shit was cut so don't think too hard about it.

-its in the art book but also in the game (but hard to see): the wall separating byrgenwerth from the rest of the world is melted.

wait wtf there's dudes in it. lol. what da hell!

oh my. the name for this asset is "wall of divine tomb". cool. every day i lean some new insane shit about this game, for real.

anyway the only other point of interest is whatever the fuck valtr and the league are doing. too deep of a topic for now. anyway, those were the points of interest in the forbidden woods. i hope this was....whatever counts for informative when it comes to video game trivia

[collaredlizard]

its more afraid of you than you are of it!

personal blog, if you are here for art -> @crotaphytidae 18+ (no porn, may be suggestive in way of furry art - pooltoys n stuff) no strict dni but i wont follow back unless we've interacted a bit

more info abt me in read more

beast/lizard (but you can refer to me with most animal terms) it/its, he/him is acceptable - adult (20s) - fat dyke, transexual freak npd animal, autism beast, and more, please be patient! im still learning to play nice with the other animals in the enclosure

zoology, rain world, and pokemon are my primary interests! i love talking bout them and will at length, especially regarding reptiles. feel free to , and please do, send me asks about topics you see me mention. i also love character design in terms of animals, speculative biology, taxidermy, and mythological creatures.

mutuals can dm for my discord/invite me to servers but as of rn i am trying to take it slow socially. best place to interact is in my ask box

something to note about me is i am a menagerie, both of real animals and of fake! please tag me in any creature posts, monster hunter, pokemon, warrior cats, rain world, animal photos, animal drawings (especially vintage!) this includes but is not limited to: bugs, reptiles, birds, freakish and non-conventional creatures, dead or living animals, etc!

i also have other interests like music of all kinds (but especially rock), cartoons (ex. steven universe, mlp) old flash games (animal jam, jade wolf) pet sites (like neopets, flight rising, goatlings) old web/web design, all kinds of archival but especially late 1900s shit of all kinds, and more. im a very diverse creature, an omnivore!

[kay9leo]

#MCtober2024 - Week 4 Patronus

Based on lamieboo's #MCtober2024 event (click on #MCtober for more info).

Up till 6th year, Iñaki's patronus was a coywolf (aka Eastern Coyote)

By around the end of year 6, it completely changes shape to a Hippogriff...

...it matches Sebastian's Hippogriff post-Hogwarts.

So I would find that both coywolf and hippogriff matches Iñaki to an extent on the inside.

Coywolf (a canid hybrid)

Personally to me, coywolf is a version of how she sees her younger self since when she first learned of these interbred wild crossbreed of a species in science class, it reminded Iñaki of herself since she's culturally mixed - she's Guatemalan-Ecuadorian-American (🇬🇹 🇪🇨 🇺🇸)- and Coywolf/Eastern Coyotes are a crossbreed hybrid of coyote, wolf and dog. Both her and the coywolf are from three different groups.

Her teacher pointed out to her before she left the States for the UK that she's like a coywolf after their lesson on the canid. Her teacher reminded her that she's an adaptive, gritty determined person who can manage to thrive to all environments they come upon despite its newness and that she'll find her way to thrive in her new environment as well.

Like the coywolf she once spotted before she left New York.

Hippogriff (an equestrian-avian hybrid)

Like Tonks, when Iñaki gets older and starts developing feelings, one of her first realization of her changing sentiments for her fellow Slytherin is how her own patronus starts to change form little by little till one day, instead of seeing a corporeal coywolf, a corporeal Hippogriff comes out instead.

Like a coywolf, a Hippogriff is a hybrid of an mare and a griffin (another hybrid on its own). This creatures still fulfills what Iñaki still see herself, a person from three worlds but there is now a greater meaning behind her hippogriff patronus. The Hippogriff symbolizes love and impossibility as well as those engaged in the magical arts. It's something that ends up fitting Iñaki between her mastering her Ancient Magic and realizing how much she can do as well as the form of her budding love for her best friend, Sebastian Sallow takes the form of a magical beast that symbolizes love. Considering the mishaps the two find themselves in (in the fanfic I tell myself I will one day write lol), their bond shines bright even through their darkest times.

After all, "Love shines brightest in the dark".

(Link to hippogriff myths: Mythical Beasts and Symbolism, and yes, that line is from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

...

Just felt like drawing to do something different besides reading my paper and grading papers. Happy midterm week 😭

And yep. I'm still doing MCtober because I never got the chance to finish the prompts and I like having a drawing challenge to do on my own pace and time. 😁 I will state that my younger sibling helped me get the background on a layer on my drawing app. 😅😁

[cheapsweets]

The nocuous Shonweak

My response to this week’s BestiaryPosting challenge from @maniculum

Jinhao shark fountain pen with fine, hooded nib, with Monteverde Raven Noir ink, over initial pencil sketch. I'd considered adding some colour, but didn't have time this week; imagine it's got telltale orange/yellow and black warning colouration :)

It's been interesting trying to relearn pen shading techniques from scientific illustration again (as ever, suspect going a bit bigger would make this easier, I'm also going to have another rummage through my pens to see if I can find an even finer nib, since the one's I've been using don't come close to using a dip pen).

Reasoning under the cut;

The Shonweak is so called because it is proof against fire.

Okay, first things first, we get no indication about what type of creature this is. My default assumption when the bestiary authors don't give us any more detail is that is must be a Beast, but I've been wanting to mix it up a bit. But what to go for...?

Of all poisonous creatures, it has the strongest poison. Other poisonous creatures kill one at a time; it can kill several things at the same time. For if it has crawled into a tree, it poisons all the apples and kills those who eat them. In addition, if it falls into a well, the strength of its poison kills those who drink the water.

Okay, a poisonous critter, and not just poisonous, the most poisonous...! Okay, this narrows it down a bit. We get some creatures that are occasionally poisonous due to their diet (including certain birds, and snakes!), but mostly we're looking at amphibians, insects, echinoderms, fish, flatworms, and some others too.

This also made me think about the line between poisonous and venomous. We've all been on tumblr a while, so we've probably seen the memes, but technically the main difference is that poisonous animals deliver their toxin passively (in this context, being eaten is passive...)

We also know that this thing can crawl into a tree, so must be able to climb (that eliminates most fish, for starters).

I've gone for a beetle, since drawing an arthropod is pretty different from anything I've done thus far. Main influences are;

The diabolical ironclad beetle, a tiny awesome critter that is nigh on indestructable. It has a flattened body, fused elytra, and a cool, knobbly surface to its armour; I gave the elytra a bit of an overlap, so it could consider clamping its body down if it gets into a sticky situation (like a fire).

Bombadier beetles; in case you're not aware of them, their defence mechanism is spraying near-boiling noxious chemicals at attackers (you'll also be familiar with them if you've ever read the Spider World books by Colin Wilson!). The most famous ones are yellow and black, and you can see the nozzle on the end of its abdomen.

While the bombadier beetle does actively spray toxins, keeping them in its body also makes it poisonous - best of both worlds!

Also can't deny the influence of the blue death feigning beetle, a very aestheic insect indeed, and if I'm honest, the tanker bug from Starship Troopers...!

I did look at large beetles like the goliath beetle for some inspiration, especially around the legs (I imagine the Shonweak to be pretty big as beetles go), but decided against it since they're a lot fancier, and I figured a tough, fire-braving critter like this to be a little plainer and unadorned.

It resists fire and alone among creatures can put fires out. For it can exist in the midst of flames without pain and without being consumed by them, not only because it does not burn but because it puts the fire out.

Okay, if this is the creature I strongly suspect it is, this is an interesting wrinkle to the mythology around it; it's proof against fire because it puts the fire out (not something I've heard before). I'll have more to say if it does turn out to be what I suspect...

Okay, hear me out... The bombadier beetle combines exothermic chemicals in its body to produce its boiling, caustic spray... What if a creature could do something similar for a seriously endothermic reaction; it would be almost like a tiny, living fire extinguisher... I imagine the Shonweak as a bomadier beetle relative, spraying freezing toxins at enemies (or just generally if stuck in a fire, or if it falls down a well, or if those apples are looking particularly hostile...)

[steak-n-popotoes]

FFxivWrite '24 - 10

"Is something the matter, Beef?" Erenville asked.

L'kozu stopped and looked back over his shoulder. It seemed Beef had stopped short of setting foot on the bridge. For some reason, he was studying the flagstones and support pillars rather intensely.

"Beef? We've a long walk ahead of us, we had best get moving."

But Beef still dawdled at the Xak Tural Skygate.

L'kozu glanced toward Erenville, and could already feel a stern look burning a hole in the side of his head. Alright, time for some interpretation, then.

Judging by how long Beef's gaze lingered on the stones versus the carvings upon them, it wasn't the decoration that had caught his eye. What's more, when something of that nature held his attention, Beef had a tendency to take out his sketchbook and capture their likeness. Gale usually trained her sights on the subject while Beef focused on the drawing. Or perhaps in this case he would have taken a charcoal rubbing...

Hold on a moment, where was Gale? L'kozu looked around, but she didn't appear to be in Beef's immediate vicinity... He subconsciously patted his traveling bag around the crystals pocket, but felt no intruders. Though he could try to listen for her feathers rustling, the sound of the falls would drown out any attempt. Where in the world...?

While Kozu looked around for the little beast, his eyes locked briefly with Erenville's. This is another reason why it is more simple to travel alone, Kozu's companion said wordlessly.

In the upper corner of Kozu's vision was a flutter of green feathers. After craning his neck to get a better look, it seemed to be that Gale was surveying the upper support structure of the bridge. At that distance she was likely straining the 'tether' between her and Beef, which was doubtless taxing for the both of them. Surely he wouldn't do so without good reason...

Was Beef trying to ascertain the bridge's structural integrity?

"Beef, I assure you, the bridge is quite stable."

This comment seemed to snap Beef out of his focus, and he looked up at Kozu in surprise. Gale hadn't returned yet, though, nor did he take the first step. Well, at least he had the boy's attention.

"I can tell that the structure and placement of the stones is very sturdy. You trust my judgment, right?" Kozu smiled. A half-truth, as the Yok Huy's masonry baffled L'kozu in its precision and ingenuity and remained a bit outside of his purview, but there was no need to trouble Beef with such details that moment.

"This bridge has been here much longer than the capital has, and it will no doubt remain long after we're gone. It won't collapse today."

As he waited for Beef (and Gale) to come around, Kozu wondered what Beef had noticed that had given him pause to begin with. A structure this large would likely have some level of sway to it, but such movements would be near-imperceptible unless measured intentionally, or perhaps if someone with exacting vision... viewed it from...

Kozu's eyes wandered to Hunu'iliy, the lighthouse towering over the nearby Landsguard barracks.

"Beef," Kozu asked, "have you been climbing things you oughtn't again?"

Though he had been staring as per usual, Beef suddenly became very interested in his boots.

L'kozu sighed. "Just show me the sketches you took later. I'm sure the view was lovely."

[paperanddice]

Last Friday I said a bunch about how demon lords aren't easily converted between the different systems, and this whole section of the book was one I'd been putting a lot of thought into. None of that applies to Akyishigal, who at level 12 in the Tome of Beasts really doesn't count as a real demon lord even by that system's expectations. Akyishigal might announce itself as the lord of cockroaches and a power of the Abyss, but its only real claim to fame is being effectively unkillable, having survived despite its general weakness in comparison to even regular demons. As durable and adaptable as the creatures it claims lordship over, Akyishigal carves out hidden lairs within the realms of true demon lords, remaining below notice and ready to escape at any moment.

In Golarion, Akyishigal can't grant clerical powers like a true demon lord, but it is doing its best to worm its way into being recognized regardless. Its spawn are released into the world to spread the word of the lord of cockroaches, and while few have any respect for that title it does what it can to provide for those who call out its name. So far, small numbers of weaker humanoids, in particular kobolds, goblins, and roachllings, as well as some escaped slaves or thralls, have thrown their lot in with Akyishigal, providing it a hidden but growing base of followers.

In the Dragon Empire, Akyishigal has snuck out from under the attention of both the Diabolist and the Crusader, and makes its own home hidden somewhere under one of the great cities. Managing to avoid drawing too much attention to itself, it skulks among the refuse and the forgotten, offering aid and power to those who live in the garbage, and making plans to grab for its own power without the oversight of any Icon.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Akyishigal Creature 12 Unique, Large, Demon, Fiend, Unholy Perception +24; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, telepathy 100 feet Skills Acrobatics +21, Athletics +23, Deception +25, Stealth +25, Survival +22 Str +5, Dex +3, Con +6, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +7 AC 33; Fort +26, Ref +23, Will +22; +2 status to all saves vs. magic HP 250; Immunities death effects, disease, poison; Resistances acid 15, fire 15, physical 10 (except holy); Weaknesses holy 15 Speed 35 feet, burrow 20 feet, climb 35 feet, fly 35 feet Melee claw +25 (agile, magical, reach 10 feet, unholy), Damage 3d8+13 slashing Divine Innate Spells DC 31, attack +23 ; 6th dispel magic (×3), divine wrath (×3), summon animal (vermin only, x3), summon fiend (demons only), vomit swarm (every 1d4 rounds); 5th translocate; 4th translocate (at will); Constant speak with animals (vermin only) Divine Rituals DC 31; demonic pact, planar ally Claw Flurry [2 actions] Akyishigal makes four claw Strikes, each against a different target. These attacks count toward Akyishigal's multiple attack penalty, but the multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until it makes all its attacks. Cloak of Swarms [2 actions] (aura, divine) Akyishigal emits a cloud of flying, stinging insects in a 5 foot aura. While the aura is active, Akyishigal is concealed, and any living creature that enters the area or starts its turn within it takes 2d10 piercing plus 1d10 poison damage (DC 31 basic Reflex save). The aura lasts for 5 round; it disperses immediately if Akyishigal takes 15 area or splash damage from a single source. Akyishigal can't use this ability again for 1d4 rounds. Skitter [1 action] Akyishigal Strides up to 20 feet, and makes a claw Strike against a creature in its reach at any point during the Stride.

13th Age

Akyishigal  Triple-strength 7th level troop [demon]  Initiative: +14 Claws +12 vs. AC (4 attacks) - 20 damage. Natural 14+: Akyishigal can pop free from the target and move as a free action. If it ends this movement engaged with another target, it can continue making attacks. C: Cloak of Swarms +12 vs. PD (1d4+1 nearby enemies) - 10 damage plus 15 poison damage. Natural 16+: The target is also weakened (save ends). Repeat: Akyishigal can repeat this attack as a quick action at the start of each of its turns, dealing 1d6 damage and 2d6 poison damage instead of the regular damage. If Akyishigal takes 35 or more damage from a non-weapon attack that doesn’t deal acid or poison damage, it can no longer repeat the attack. Limited Use: 1/battle, recharges when the escalation die first reaches 6. Burrower, Flier, and Wall Climber. Teleport: As a move action, Akyishigal can teleport to a nearby location it can see. Resist Acid and Poison 16+. AC 23 PD 21 MD 20 HP 314

[sepublic]

Back in sixth grade, I attempted to write my own version of Bionicle: Rahi Beasts that was updated to include all Rahi introduced since the original 2005 release. I never finished it, given it was an enormous list from Biosector01 to work off of, but a great deal of the charm for me was writing the entire thing in the Matoran alphabet, to really sell the idea that this was an in-universe book.

Of course, the mental and physical labor of memorizing the Matoran alphabet and writing it, as well as my limited Elementary skills, made the entires fairly short and simplistic. I also included drawings for the Rahi, and clearly couldn’t decide if I wanted them organic and/or biomechanical in their depictions. I’ve included translations, with spelling and grammar mistakes retained for accuracy. I’ve still got two more posts on this due to photo limits, so here’s the first section;

Bionicle Rahi Beasts

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the world of Bionicle. There are many species in the vast world of Bio.

Some include Rahi. Rahi are the wild life of the Bio universe.

Some are small, and some are enormous.

From Acid Flies, to Energy Hounds, the rahi are all unuique!

Domain: Southern Continent

Acid Fly chasing Protodites.

ACID FLY

Acid Flies are dragonfly-like Rahi. Found on the Southern Continent, they can oftenly be found flying on the continent. Their main means of defense is spitting acid at its prey and predators. They tend to go after small insects, such as Protodites.

One strange, ironic thing is that while the inside of their bodies are immune to their acid (obviously), the outsid isn't. As a result, there have been a few rare incidents where an Acid Fly has been injur by itself.

Domain: Karda Nui

An Air Serpent enjoying the view.

AIR SERPENT

An Air Serpent is a reptilian creature that can glide for short distances and, like Acid Flies, shoot acid at prey and/or predators.

Living in Karda Nui, these Rahi often terrorize the Matoran living nearby.

Unlke Acid Flies, their acid does not harm them at all.

When Makuta Antroz, Bitil, Chirox, Gorast, Krika, Mutran, and Vamprah invaded Karda Nui, most of the Air Serpents were captured.

Domain: Metru Nui

The Archives Beast as an empty room.

ARCHIVES BEAST

The Archives Beast is a powerful creature that can take any shape it wished.

Like the Krahka, it has been once proposed that both species are related.

The only known specimen was stored in the same level as the Onu-Metru Great Disk. When Toa Whenua and Nuju were searching for it, they went into the same room as the Archives Beast. Appearing as an empty room, it tried to kill them, but they escaped.

Domain: Onu-Metru

An Archives Mole on a stroll.

ARCHIVES MOLE

These small Rahi originally dwelled in Po-Metru, but had to migrate when the number of villages increased. A majority wound up in the Archives.

Of all Rahi, Archives Moles are probably among the best at working together. Being relatively defenseless against larger predators, they have learned to work togethr. They have been known to form living ladders and bridges.

When aione, an Archives Mole hides in a small area.

[solitaire-sol]

Prongsfoot Week 2023 - Day 7

Write/Draw/anything for this ship.

I wanted to try writing something longer and lighter/cuter/sexier? than most of my microfics, but instead this thing showed up and I wrote it in a couple of hours. I edited it as best I could, but I wanted to post it before Prongsfoot Week officially ended (for me) so there may be some stray typos or something I didn't catch.

Title: this universe of you and me (we'll make ourselves inevitable) Wordcount: 2,644 For: @prongsfootweekarchive AO3: Link Notes: It's sort of a soulmate/canon divergence/time loop (?) AU, but it's James and Sirius and their bond being recognized by Magic Itself, which throws up Its hands and goes "Okay, let's make your mad love/codependency official." They're just First Years right now so there's nothing to warn about, but that might change as they get older.

“Some say that magic has a mind of its own, though no evidence of this theory has yet been found by even the most dedicated researchers. It is my belief that magic lacks a mind, as we might consider it; magic is not alive in the strictest sense, or even in the loosest, yet it does have a will, and the foremost instinct of that will is to seek out its own expression in the world. This is why magic forms in the improbable ways that it does, producing all forms of magical plants and beasts without interference from a wizard’s hand. Indeed, in the course of my own work on the subject, I have come to believe that this is why magic works at all: The magic within an individual, what some refer to as “magical essence” or the “magical core,” instinctively moves outward, allowing those with the ability to cast spells and otherwise work their will through the medium of magic.

“Magic perpetuates magic, as like is attracted to like, which occasionally results in the creation of alysída mystika, more colloquially known as a “magic chain” or a soul-bond. Despite the ominous sound, the alysída mystika is generally viewed as a positive effect, a spontaneous event wherein a witch or wizard will find themselves connected to another through the very essence of their magic, forming a bond closer than any that is possible without it. Alysída mystika has only formed between those of unusually powerful magic and often serves to compensate for deficiencies in both parties by making them, in many ways, one whole.

“A proper alysída mystika brings its own benefits, such as the stabilization and even enhancement of previously unstable magic, but its occurrence is such a rarity that some in the magical community still refuse to admit that it exists. Even among those who acknowledge its existence, the difficulty of studying a ‘soul bond’ is immense, both because the parties of such a bond are rarely amenable and because doing so comes dangerously close to violating the First Fundamental Law of Magic. Nonetheless, evidence of such phenomena is undeniable, and if magic can indeed be said to have a Will of its own, the alysída mystika may be the most overt demonstration of that Will in action.”

- Adalbert Waffling, Deep Magic: Magical Theory and Esoterica

This is a story that has been told a hundred, perhaps a thousand times before.

In 1971, a young boy prepares to board a train. He is slight for his age, but he hardly seems aware of it: His fine robes are as well-tailored as any adult’s formal robes would be, and he tows his trunk along with an ease made possible only by the levitation charm that allows it to float behind him like a half-inflated balloon. On the platform, he’s enveloped in his mother’s arms as she does her best to smile through her tears; his father clasps his arm, beaming down at his son, before kneeling (just a little creakily) to hug the boy, too. They look old enough to be his grandparents, elderly without being decrepit, dressed in exquisite fashion because although they will miss their precious child, their little miracle, they want this to be a celebration. It’s his first year at Hogwarts, the school where his parents found each other, and they want him to know that this is a milestone as important as any grand ceremony. Hogwarts, they’ve told him, will change his life.

James Potter detaches himself reluctantly from his mother, and hugs his father one last time before drawing himself up to whatever height he can manage and giving them what he thinks of as a confident, mature nod. He’s never been away from his parents for any real length of time and a part of him wants to cling to his mother’s skirts, to refuse to go-- James has never been denied anything, not really, and he’s sure that if he puts his foot down, his parents won’t make him leave. That would be babyish, though, and James is not a baby, so he carries himself as manfully as possible - his parents’ eyes tear up once more at how much he looks like their little boy, hair mussed and glasses recently-straightened - and steps aboard the Hogwarts Express.

On that same platform, another young boy has already said his goodbyes. His family came with him, one of the rare outings that is not to some exclusive shopping street or the estate of a similarly blue-blooded line, and neither of his parents had tried to conceal their distaste for that brief time spent among the hoi polloi. Orion Black, a rare sight anywhere besides the most exclusive clubs of wizarding London, stands like a statue and regards his eldest son with the eyes of someone whose prized racehorse is about to start down the track. Walburga Black looks as if she’ll be off to some prestigious gala, no less exclusive than her husband’s clubs, and as if she’d rather be there now, were it not for her son and Heir.

Sirius Black stands before his parents like a soldier on parade, childish features already foreshadowing his father’s sharp lines and his mother’s beauty. His black robes are perfectly tailored, every fine black hair in place, and the rich shade of emerald in the lining of his robes makes his future allegiance plain. His mother tells him that this day marks the end of his time with childish things, as if eleven is not still firmly in childhood, as if he hasn’t been disallowed from being childish for years. She gives him his orders: Meet the right people, make the right connections, establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. He is, after all, a Black. Toujours pur. Sirius’ father says nothing but nods once in support of his wife. Sirius’ brother has not been allowed to attend; young Regulus is not as talented as his elder sibling, and it would be imprudent to take him from his tutors just to see his brother off. Sirius gives them a brief but respectful nod each - Mother, Father - and boards the train. His luggage is already onboard; transporting it himself would be beneath the dignity of a Black.

Sirius finds his compartment, checks on his luggage and takes the seat by the window. There are no reservations on the Hogwarts Express, besides needing a ticket to board; it’s one of the school’s nods towards equality, though it doesn’t seem to work as well as the school might hope. Cliques form early, like finding like, but Sirius remains undisturbed as the rest of the train begins to fill up: When the door happens to slide open, he turns and fixes them with a supercilious gaze, grey eyes steadier than any child should be. The air of superiority is enough to chill even older students, those who don’t take one look at his general appearance and decide that they’d rather sit with someone a little... less. Can eleven-year-olds be truly intimidating? If they’re tall for their age, obviously wealthy and clearly secure in their semi-hostility, then the answer is yes. For the more magically-sensitive, the unseen warning is even greater, a certain coldness in the air that spikes at another’s approach. This boy does not want company.

James doesn’t care, in general, what other people want, unless those people are his parents; and since they always only want him to be happy, James has developed a certain blithe arrogance that is charming in a child, potentially less so in the man he might grow to be. James picks a compartment at random, or he thinks it’s random, though in later years he comes to wonder if it was Fate, if it was simply the Will of Magic appearing in his life as it would so many times. James is a miracle child, after all; by all accounts, he shouldn’t have been born. By the time James sets foot on the Hogwarts Express, he’s already accustomed to the idea of being meant for greater things.

James slides open the door of the compartment, fully intending to push his floating trunk into the corner and make himself at home, regardless of who might already be in there. Sirius looks up at the sound of the door, eyes already narrowing as he prepares to shoo off whoever might be intruding on his space. Hazel meets grey.

Something kindles within each boy as if there had been a glowing ember lying buried deep within them, waiting for the moment that would fan it into life.

Their futures, the ones in which they had lived without the intimate, instinctive knowledge of each other’s hearts, go up in flames. They have no words for how good it feels, will have to wait a few years before they have anything comparable to the sensation of feeling someone else’s soul slot into place alongside their own, but it may be enough to say this: Their families are forgotten, the coming school year is forgotten, everything in their lives that is not contained within that train compartment no longer exists as their magical cores unravel and weave themselves together in a new, joint pattern, returning to each with a little of the other.

Sirius thinks of molten gold, a soothing warmth where searing pain should be, spilling over the sides of his heart as it fills the fractured spaces he hadn’t even known were there.

James hears the distant rolling thunder of a twilight storm, dark clouds with a silver lining enfolding him as protectively as his father’s Cloak, silver light like silk against his skin.

James speaks first, as he so often will: “I know you,” he breathes, eyes wide behind his glasses so that he looks more owl than lion, brown and green and amber catching the sunlight through the compartment’s windows and melting into gold. He doesn’t know this boy by any conventional measure, doesn’t know his name or his life or his favourite food or how he cries, but James recognizes him in a way that supersedes such superficial things. It’s impossible to love someone without knowing them, after all, and James loves this boy more than the parents who until now have been his world.

Sirius answers, as he always will: “I’ve been waiting,” Sirius says, without quite knowing why, and his words collide with each other in his throat as it grows tight, and tears spring to his eyes before he understands that he’s crying. Sirius has never met this boy before, doesn’t know his name or his life or his family or the sounds he makes in his sleep, but Sirius knows that his life until now has been a cold and empty thing, a mausoleum dedicated to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. This boy with the golden eyes has thrown open the doors and let in the light; Sirius is loved, and he is helpless to do anything but return that love with all the ferocity of one who has always been without.

James moves instinctively, dropping onto the seat beside the other boy and hugging him tightly, small arms reaching around Sirius’ waist because he’s a little too tall for his shoulders to be in easy reach. James has always wanted to be taller than he is, but now he feels it more than ever; he has to be taller, he reasons, to give this boy the perfect hug. He wants every part of this boy with the pale skin and the bewildered, tear-streaked face to be no more than an arms-length away, forever. “James,” he says, and then he repeats it, lifting his head a little so that his words aren’t muffled by the other boy’s robes. “I’m James.”

Sirius is already embarrassed by his sudden, inexplicable loss of control, by the way that hug makes him feel so much better than he can ever remember feeling yet makes the tears well up again until Sirius has to bite them back. Tongue firmly between his teeth, he masters himself enough to look down into those hazel eyes, to really study the boy who’s attached himself to Sirius’ side like a limpet: Having a name to put to this face, to this heart, is almost too much. James, Sirius thinks. There’s nothing remarkable about that name, especially not in comparison to the many celestial monikers that adorn Sirius’ own family tree, yet he would trade a sky full of familial constellations for this one terrestrial boy. Sirius doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll do exactly that, and it will cost him no more in hesitation than he has at this very moment.

“Sirius,” he says, and James grins whitely, rolls the name around in his mouth like a sugared almond (precocious as always, Jamie) and finds it to his taste.

“Sirius,” James echoes, his arms tightening around Sirius as best they can; the tears have ceased to slip down Sirius’ cheeks, and James wants to make sure that no others follow, ever again, except in happiness. Sometimes James’ mother cries when she’s very, very happy, and those are the only tears that his Sirius should have.

“James,” Sirius replies, head inclined in acknowledgement, a hand coming to rest on the shorter boy’s back. Sirius is not one for physical gestures and has not been raised in a family where anything but perfunctory contact is either warranted or expected, but that doesn’t matter now. The action feels natural, and James beams up at Sirius as if it was expected. Of course. This is his James, after all.

Not long after, shortly before the train is due to leave the station, a girl with red hair plaited neatly into twin braids makes her way down the corridor, poking her head into the compartments she passes and frowning slightly in disappointment when she sees that each is full. A dark-haired boy tags along behind her, slight and slightly dishevelled, lacking the air of neatness that surrounds the girl in her brand-new school robes. The girl tries the door of the next compartment, but the door only rattles a little in its frame.

“It’s locked?” she says, mildly surprised as she reflexively tries to peer through the inset window. The frosted glass reveals only coloured shadows, but the compartment hardly looks full: As far as she can tell, only one of the seats is occupied, though she can’t really say if it’s by one person or two. Her companion clears his throat in a pointed sound of impatience, and the girl shoots him a look before moving away from the door in acquiescence.

“Alright, let’s go,” the girl says decisively, continuing down the hallway, the boy trailing slightly behind her in the narrow confines of the rail car. “There’s bound to be an empty seat somewhere.” Girl and boy continue on their way, and in the train compartment, James and Sirius fail to notice them at all; even the brief rattling of the door had failed to draw their attention, the two already talking furiously, eager to share every notable thing about their individual pasts, in anticipation of their shared future.

The train chugs onward, and the story unspools itself in familiar loops and whorls, similar and yet shaped anew, picked out and rewoven like threads of magical essence. One fated meeting occurs, in a slightly different form, and another fated meeting is delayed; one domino falls in a slightly different direction, and the trajectory of the entire path is changed.

Or maybe nothing changes except the details, and every beat falls exactly where it’s fallen before. Regardless, those boys on the train sit beside each other, hands linked in a physical, unconscious imitation of their newly joined souls as if nothing else matters besides each other.

And maybe that’s true.

[wytfut]

70 going on 20..... riding the flat lands of Nebraski

Time really does fly the older you get. I understand that this is quoted all the time, but I gotta say its all so true.

Thus.... there seems at times not enough time to ride. Or enough riding time.

Been extremely lucky.... with all of my chronic back issues, that I've been able to keep on riding at my whim. with no issues. Well maybe except for the first part of this week. I couldn't sit comfortably any where..... another time, maybe...

I started riding way back in 1973... bought my CL 350 honda brand new with a collection of "bean checks"... in Fairbury. And haven't looked back.

Even when I didn't own a bike, I was still riding time to time.... buddy here, friend there, test rides, etc. Long dry spell of owner ship, but I kept my taste buds active.

I've never been to much of a subscriber to motorcycle rags. ... have done a couple over the years. But now with www, i get more than enough info.

Obviously I'm a huge EH fan. And because of it, I've gained some notoriety here in the midwest, as "that guy".... I find that funny.

But to be real, I just love to ride. Even if its the same old route time after time. I do change it up, on a "whim". And I do like most of the time to ride "lone wolf". There are exceptions... where as I'll ask around to see if anyone wants to go... But I'll jump on my X in a second, just for the "ride".

What is it? Why is this so addicting? Well... for one, I know, I'm a weird one hard to follow, but once I'm on my favorite beast, I'm instantly in my younger 20's. That very first ride on my old 350 boils all back into my head, grinning ear to ear.

Nothing like a road trip.... out in western NebraXi..... oh lordie thats mystical and transforming.... such long lonely stretches of soft curves, no traffic, green fields of waves.

Some of it, I can't deny, is the attention side of it. Owning an X always draws someones attention. Usually somebody that knows a little bit about bikes, and can't figure out what this thing is. That is fun....

I can ride just a couple of miles, and come home with a very good attitude, and a smile.

It is dangerous, and I know it. But that's a part of my adrenaline addiction. I miss the days when there was no helmet law. There was nothing like it, so very hard to describe. So very hard to describe even with a helmet law. The NebraXi helmet law is going away January 1. I'll be a good boy, and wear it.... I've too may years of fire and rescue under my belt not to understand that it is a true injury preventer. But I'll admire those that will not.

Its also my best stress reliever. If I'm enduring a stressful situation... I'm looking for a quick chance to go ride. My back for instance, and all the unknown nuances attached to that situation. That has been a heavy load with unknowns what is going to affect me for the rest of my life. This week I was looking directly that I may not be able to ride anymore........ GAAAHHH!!!

My last surviving adrenaline rush. It'd be very hard at this time for me to give up riding. ... I do think about my age, and when will I give it up. I don't know....

I'm hoping when riding with someone, and they notice what ever, they tell me that I need to reevaluate....

I also need to plan ahead a bit... unknown how far ahead. ... but what is going to happen to my X when I quit riding? And I hope that when confronted I'm of the right mind. Not trying to be the guy who won't admit.....

My initial thoughts way back in the day was to give to Luke.... as he has never rode big bike much, nor was he a part of X world when we first got into it. But he has shown no interest at all. In fact I can tell, he'd like to own it, but he'd never ride it. At least not like I may feel it should be.... no no, not the storage of it, but enjoying riding it.

Jake and Josh both are previous X owners. Jake at this point doesn't have time to ride... I don't want it shoved off into a corner. Josh bitches about the windshield height (LOLOLOL). But his time is also a bit limited, with everything he has his toes in.

My latests has been towards my grandson Jack. He loves to ride... mostly dirt, but loves to ride. His other grandfather bought him a street/cruiser Husky thumper. I think he'd enjoy it, respect it and maybe even wrench on it as needed. I don't know that he'd sell it.

Being I wouldn't be around, I guess it doesn't matter. I may just leave it to the estate... and let them wrestle with all of that...

The old cliche of "if I have to explain it, you won't understand" .. is definitely a cliche, but its so true. How does a person describe the true joy of riding?

hopefully I've a few years left in me.... wish me good luck

[ceasarslegion]

@ospreyonthemoon @taboo-delusion oh boy!

Because I know both of you guys don't know much about beastars, I'm going to establish some basic things about the series first before I get into the... disk horse.

Beastars is, at its core, about what a society of anthropomorphic animals with human levels of intelligence would look like, complete with how the social hierarchies and various forms of systemic oppression and other issues would look like in such a society. It is NOT meant to be a reflection of our own reality nor a metaphor for racism or other forms of identity-related bigotry. Some subplots and stories absolutely do cover such things if you read between the lines, but at large, the series is an exploration of itself, not our own world. Carnivores have cravings for meat that can lead to devouring incidents and at the same time are oppressed and stereotyped as bloodthirsty murderers. Herbivores are likewise oppressed for being seemingly weak. And even the devouring incidents and meat cravings from carnivores aren't so cut and dry, the series explores how carnivores don't just kill and eat herbivores, there's social and cultural factors that lead them down that road.

This imo is best backed up by an extra in the first volume of Beast Complex, which is a series of short stories set in the same universe but is not related to the main plot. Paru talks about how she always loved drawing animals best, and the idea for beastars was born from a manga panel she used to sell at her college. Everyone loved the idea of a society made of animals instead of humans, and things snowballed from there.

The series is also radically sex positive. It portrays sex work as not inherently good or bad or anything, just another form of work that can be exploited by bad actors in the case of a gazelle character or be very empowering in the case of a leopard character. Sexuality, kinks, and fetishes are portrayed as a part of life that makes it rich and worth living, and distinct to the individual. Haru is very fast and loose with her sexuality because sex makes her feel powerful and pleasured in a world where small rabbits like her are beaten down by carnivores and herbivores alike. Legoshi, on the other hand, is very celibate with his. He's not prudish nor is he judgemental of others, it's just not really his thing. Sex means a lot to him along with his virginity, so he wants to give it to someone he truly loves, where Haru doesn't place such sacred relics on her own sexuality. And neither of these experiences is treated as better or worse than the other, it's just some of many ways sexuality develops as we grow up and discover ourselves. And paru very much acknowledges that this development starts in adolescence, it's not like you turn 18 and unlock the horny.

Paru is also a very private person as far as mangakas go. She never shows her face at public events (she wears her chicken fursuit head instead) or talks about her personal life outside of photos of her deck plants and funny stories from the storyboarding process. She's never talked her personal politics nor her views on our human cultural matters afaik. She just doesn't want to mix up her work and her personal life it seems to me, which is entirely her right to do so especially when her work covers some heavier topics. I think she may recognize that that's a saw trap waiting to happen.

This has led a lot of bad actors online to make wild assumptions and accusations of her based solely on Beastars subplots. There's a plot where Haru gets kidnapped to be devoured alive by the lion mafia (the youngest member of which is actually my PFP) and the boss lion makes a speech about how an herbivores place is to be devoured by their superior carnivores and she should be honored to be fulfilling her purpose. This is portrayed in text through sexual assault, which like, I think most of us can put two and two together as to what paru might be saying when the most sexually open character in the series is seeing this as a sexually-charged violation of her. Unfortunately, the internet didn't so much. This became an accusation of how haru must secretly be endorsing fascist ideology where they cropped out all context of the wider series AND THE SCENE ITSELF and reduced it right down to the boss lion's monologue and nothing else.

The pedophilia accusations came from how sex positive the series is, and how paru acknowledges that sexual development begins in adolescence instead of acting like you only figure out what your sexual soup is at the stroke of midnight on your 18th birthday. Legoshi is 17 and Haru is 18 when the series starts, somehow this is a lolicon relationship, but not because Haru is one whole year older than legoshi and TECHNICALLY an adult-minor relationship, but because HARU is designed to be small and cute with "childish" features while legoshi is a large, strong carnivore with "more adult" features.

You guys can say whatever you want about beastars and its fans but at least we never sent glass cupcakes to paru because we didn't like the artistic direction of a fictional animated series so I think we have the higher moral ground here because I have a feeling the people accusing paru of secretly supporting pedophilia and fascism are in the same category as that group of voltron fans from back in the day