#and that's not even like. specific to hippos.

[seewetter]

I like wemblingfool's addition and I appreciate the "We learn and understand way more from “rocks” than paleontologists are given credit for." sentiment and this criticism: "If true paleoartists tried to reconstruct a hippo, while they naturally would not get every bit correct, it would certainly look like a real animal, and not that alien monster that tumblr is so fond of using as “proof” that paleontologists don’t know anything".

But I don't think that this devalues all of ironychan's analogies from the original post. Not every Jurassic "peacock" ends up like Sinosauropteryx. There are lots of prehistoric animals whose coloration and sounds we don't know. What did t-rex smell like? We can reconstruct Parasaurolophus sounds, but we don't know its exact specific calls. Wemblingfool even admits that some of this reconstruction work is so effective because it draws on lots of contemporary creatures, it analogizes. And yes, that gives us a beautiful window to look at the past, but it doesn't *solve* Spinosaurus for us, those fossils remain debated and controversial. Our fossil record will always remain incomplete, hiding Triassic "peacocks" and Jurassic "orangutans". I think that ironychan was a legitimate target of wemblingfool's criticism (especially if the sentence "My point here is that we don’t know anything about dinosaurs." is taken at face value as a literal statement that non-avian dinosaurs are unknowable)... but I don't think pointing out that paleontologists might struggle to reconstruct elephant ears is the same as sharing a shrink-wrapped hippo as supposedly subversive paleo-art. I am no expert in paleontology, I don't profess to know whether elephant ears are yet another example of a feature that would under guarantee be reconstructed by professionals, but I think that's missing the point. There simply are marvels of the prehistoric world that science has yet to uncover or that no longer can be uncovered.

To take an opposing stance to that is to argue for "rationalism" in the sense William James talks about and opposes. That rationalism would be a philosophical position where scientific research is said to establish facts not only as items of (highly professionalized, highly reliable, practical) knowledge but as quasi-dogmatical encounters with reality-in-itself, a reality that supercedes empirical observation, a reality that can no longer be scientifically called into question not because it would be highly impractical and thus silly and unreasonable to do so but because this "is reality" and somehow above critique.

And I don't think that's a good way to think about long extinct animals (or anything, really). As I said, it's great to see just how professionalized, how reliable, how effective, how talented, how dedicated and informed paleontologists are. How practical / useful the things they discover are (for them and for us). They don't play around, fantasizing dinosaurs, they do their jobs and tell us really clearly how dinosaurs work.

But if we describe open scientific questions or potentially mistaken scientific assumptions as if these were threats to the scientific community, as if no future paleontologist would ever overlook that elephants have ears, as if that necessarily would be discovered by paleontology, as though the excellent professional practice of paleontology provided an external guarantee of capital-T Truth, as if paleontologists couldn't be making some error for each and every fact they've ever asserted (not because all their facts are wrong, very few of their facts are likely to be wrong at all...but because reality is complex and even well-worn scientific truths can unexpectedly turn out to be based on mistakes that ended up in the research results in any of a myriad ways that feel really obvious to future researchers in hindsight).

There is no external guarantee for truth. Scientific research is always built on previous research. Findings are built on evidence found and observations made, on tools used and logical paths pursued. Science is the path to making practical assumptions...Occam's Razor is nothing if not an intensely practical exercise (I have 2 explanations, both explain the same amount of information but I choose the simpler one, because simpler explanations are easier to work with...i.e. more practical to work with. I only change my mind and adopt the more complex hypothesis if it reliably explains more about everything than the simpler model does).

And yeah... that's what I came to say and now I've said it. Time to crawl back into my little system of tunnels...

I submit to you that the most iconic feature of any animal is either unlikely or impossible to fossilize.

If all we had of wolves were their bones we would never guess that they howl.

If all we had of elephants were fossils with no living related species, we might infer some kind of proboscis but we’d never come up with those ears.

If all we had of chickens were bones, we wouldn’t know about their combs and wattles, or that roosters crow.

We wouldn’t know that lions have manes, or that zebras have stripes, or that peacocks have trains, that howler monkeys yell, that cats purr, that deer shed the velvet from their antlers, that caterpillars become butterflies, that spiders make webs, that chickadees say their name, that Canada geese are assholes, that orangutans are ginger, that dolphins echolocate, or that squid even existed.

My point here is that we don’t know anything about dinosaurs. If we saw one we would not recognize it. As my evidence I submit the above, along with the fact that it took us two centuries to realize they’d been all around us the whole time.

[prismatoxic]

i do think calling for the boycott of a whole zoo without all the available information is stupid, and certainly the situation has much nuance and some people are focusing on the wrong things. the enclosure seems to be better than originally thought, for example, and thus should be less of a central pillar of the argument. but at the end of the day i really don't give a shit how good the zoo is or how good the enclosure is because the videos of the baby hippo clearly show harassment, encouraging dangerous behaviors, and stress responses from the animal.

like THAT'S my issue. i'm the guy who gets really frustrated when people reblog memes of animals in distress to my dash, because that shit always upsets me. and post after post by people in the zookeeping business have demonstrated that harassing these animals is NOT necessary for "desensitization".

if people are saying "of course a thai zoo is shit", then yes, that's racist. however critiquing the poor handling and sensationalizing of an animal in this zoo's care isn't racism, and the biggest people i've seen making points about the whole situation are very much focused on the behavior of the handler and aren't shy about critiquing western zoos who do similar awful things. i don't understand how "this animal is being mistreated on camera by a handler who seems to do these things to a lot of animals under his care" is an offensive statement.

anyway, if you're desperate for proof that the moo deng situation is okay because you like the cute hippo videos and want a clear conscience, you are prioritizing your own comfort over the realities of animal welfare, and i do not like you. i unfollowed someone a while back for repeatedly responding to concerned asks with "it's just a funny video" about a video that showed a cat displaying pained behavior in a situation where it was very likely that it was, in fact, in pain. this is not a topic i treat lightly and i will probably start blocking people over it.

like, not knowing is one thing. god knows i didn't use to recognize distress behavior in various animals the way i do now. but if you're willfully choosing to ignore distressed behavior or trying to justify it to make yourself feel better, you kinda suck! rethink your priorities.

[pigeon-butch]

I certainly have my own concerns about the treatment of moo deng but um. well i think some of you may just be racist

[seaofreverie]

I've seen the 'Sparks songs that could be TMBG songs' and vice versa comparision brought up a couple of times and idk if this one has been mentioned yet but I think Hippopotamus is really just the primest example of a 'TMBG song but it was actually written by Sparks'. Specifically it has so many elements characteristic of JL's songwriting. Obscure words! Interesting things done in the music theory sense that make it look kind of like an experiment / exercise in song form and that could even make it look like an excuse for them to mostly just fool around with this kind of stuff! (idk the specifics because I'm very not knowledgeable yet as for now in music theory, but I saw this mentioned somewhere too, it has something to do with the tonic / key resolution or whatever it's called I think, sorry, I don't remember). Seemingly absurd, non-sequitur lyrics! An unreliable narrator! I mean ok, it's mostly the obscure words that just happen to rhyme and thus make a good theme for a list of things to be found in the narrator's pool I suppose that made me think of this. And even the drumbeat during the uhhh, verses? (not the parts were the things in the pool are listed anyway) reminds me of modern TMBG for some reason

[kawaoneechan]

Project Special K, my "maybe this will be an Animal Crossing some day" thing that I mainly use to learn C++ has a Starbound-inspired asset system, much like many other things I made. As such, it works in much the same way:

On startup it takes a list of asset sources, sorts them by priority (I haven't added dependency graphs yet) and enumerates all the files in these assets. It then spends more time populating various databases from these files, like which items, species, and villagers there are.

That's it lol it's single-player only for now.

Even though I've written a function to forget certain files' existence in the asset system, there's a catch. Imagine two asset sources contain a file with the same relative path, let's say "foo.json", and they're different in content. During enumeration, the first file is put on the list, marked as coming from the first asset source. Some entries later, the second file is found and takes the first one's spot in the list, marking it as coming from the later source.

If I were to call ForgetVFS("foo.json"), I would not magically get the first version back. It was replaced, after all. That entry in the file list is removed, but it's the only entry listing "foo.json".

And that brings me back to the first PSK mockup screenshot that I made, the Content Filter screen.

Since PSK is beholden to the same limitations as SB that I literally just rambled about, clearly the content filter can't disable specific asset sources. It's all already loaded and processed after all.

But as the text in the mockup notes: "Unchecked species will never appear in your town as villagers. Any villager already there will remain." So if you uncheck the cranky personality and the hippopotamus species before first starting a game, no villagers of that personality and/or species will try to move in. But any cranky hippos already there will remain there until they're put in boxes.

This can be dynamic, in the middle of a running game. You could have a single cranky villager, disable that personality in the content filter, and no other cranky villagers will appear.

Or you could disable sea bass. Any bass already caught, stored in your inventory, in an aquarium on display in your house or the museum, or in storage, will still be there, but no more sea bass will spawn in the waters until you re-enable them.

That of course raises the question...

What happens when you remove an asset source whose contents are already used in your saved game?

My take? Since the saved game would refer to all of this by ID names that have to resolve to the actual things, it could fail gently. Items turn into fallback stuff (perfectly generic items as it were), and villagers whose IDs don't appear in the database, or whose species don't exist anymore, spontaneously move out, their houses replaced by cordoned-off "this space for sale" placeholders.

That was my take. But what's yours?

[vampirtulpe]

Some headcanons about the kinda games the PO Boxers would probably be addicted to

Glass Joe: -Literally plays every management and business sim game in existence, when there is something new that looks fun, he will buy it without hesitation

-Vicariously living through the success his virtual businesses have

-When he wants to built off stress he plays games like Doom where he just beats up monsters in a gore fest, it's weirdly cathartic for him

Von Kaiser: -Hardcore civilization addict, didn't sleep for 3 days because he got so into his beef with George Washington after he built a city right next to his capital (Based on a true story that happened in my civilization game)

-Talks shit about his computer opponents like they're real people

-When he wants to actually relax he plays Minecraft, falls into the first hole, never finds the exit and just hollows out the earth and builds an underground civilization

Disco Kid: -Addicted to rhythm and dancing games of all kinds, he probably has a ddr machine at his place and it gets used regularly

-But also Rhythm heaven and guitar hero and stuff isn't safe from him, he will find them and he will get the best score

King Hippo:

-Likes to play the really simple platformers that are usually made for kids. He could play something more difficult, but he just finds the simple stuff much more relaxing and cuter to look at -If the art style isn't appealing to him he ain't playing, end of story, no matter how good the gameplay is

Piston Hondo: -Virtual Pet Games have taken over his life, to the point where he even got himself a tamagotchi. Everything about it just appeals to him, the cute aesthetic, the animals, the emotional attachment, the reward for your hard work by seeing your pet propser? Yes, please

-And Puzzle Games, specifically the Sailor Moon ones

Bear Hugger:

-Doesn't game a lot, but if he does, he likes the cozy simulators, usually with animals or just living in the wilderness and building a house or a bed'nbreakfast, that kinda stuff

-He's also an arcade game enjoyer, he just likes simple stuff he can pick up, play for a few minutes and can then put away again

Great Tiger:

-Card Games. All the card games. No matter, it has a card game, he'll play it. His current obsession is Slay the Spire, he played it so much, he even dissociated and began playing it in his head while he tried to fall asleep

-No matter the aesthetic, he just wants the card games

Don Flamenco:

-Stupidly addicted to Stardew Valley, like it's not even funny anymore. Actually learnt how to mod just so he could add like an absurd amount of mods to the game, you couldn't even recognize the base game anymore

-He has so many hours in Stardew Valley, it took his life over at some point. He used to have a multiplayer farm with Carmen, but then he got so into it that she got kinda left behind in it all, oops-

Aran Ryan:

-Horror Game junkie, this guy just likes torturing himself, he lives for the adrenaline. Stuff like Outlast and Dead Space is his fucking jam, anything that makes him almost shit himself

-If not that, then he wants to play something funny, like actual funny games he will laugh at for hours, he hasn't found a lot, but the few he did find he could play again and again and never stop laughing at

Soda Popinski:

-Also not that much of a gamer, but he really enjoys comforting games, like games he would've loved as a child. It's kind of a way for him to return to those times and always gives him a warm, happy feeling

-He even has some old consoles and an ancient TV so he can really capture the feeling of lil pop playing all his favorite games back in the day

-His absolute favorites are the Banjo Kazooie games, he never finished them as a kid, so he got a little emotional when he actually 100 % them as an adult

Bald Bull:

-He doesn't really game on his own, but when he has people or family over, he will always join when they wanna play Mario Party or Kart or any of the party games

-He doesn't get a lot of enjoyment out of playing on his own, but playing these cute party games with people he loves is like one of his favorite times ever

Macho Man:

-Dating sims, ironically, like he eats that shit up- he gets like all the good endings, but not the ones where he gets rejected, cause getting rejected is Bogus-

-Usually goes the women routes, but 'messed' up one time and went on a man route and has had bisexual thoughts ever since that he will try to ignore till his dying breath, his tiny brain can't handle it

Sandman:

-Adventure games, hands down. No matter what kind, the cool ones, the funny ones, the scary ones, the adorable ones, the ones for kids. If he can click a character around on an interactable background, collect items and combine them with other items to solve puzzles and progress, he WILL play it

-he very much prefers the classics in that regard though, like King's Quest for example

[foureyedfella]

☆ Sorry for my radio silence, I'm still working on requests dont worry, school is just kicking my ass right now

☆ Since I cant always draw, I've been working on something silly between classes! Idk why but I wanted to draw the boxers as mythological creatures/tied mythology based on their respective regions! I got all their stuff done in a huge doc lol but I was able to doodle the minor circuit!

☆I'm just gonna copy and paste certain notes from my doc for each of the boxers lol (CW: DEATH, mentioned quite a bit)

Joe is a Cauchemar! This creature is said so sneak into people's rooms, laying on their chests until they die of asphyxiation. While it's not specific to France, it's still highly regarded there, and who hasn't heard about the sleep paralysis demon? Joe is not the best cauchemar, he often just trolls people, but never decides to kill them outright. He even does it with the other boxers until they yell at him 💀

Kaiser is an Aufhocker, who has similarities to a Cauchemar! (This is on purpose, love wins!!! /j) It is said that they can shapeshift into any form and cling onto the backs of thieves, and unless they get something in return the person will die of exhaustion. Because Kaiser would shift so much in his early years, he tends to forget the look he initially assigned for himself. Joe reminds him 😭

THIS ONE IS SO FUNNY LMAOOO OKAY- so when researching mythology specific to New York, I had the GREAT pleasure to find out that it's common mythology that kids would keep alligators as pets but would flush them away, so now theres a bunch of alligators in the sewer system apparently. So hey, Disco Kid is just an alligator hybrid man, why not? I promise he is friendly, he also just likes disco, why eat people when you can dance with them?

King Hippo is a taniwha, who are said to be creatures that hide in rivers, lakes, or caves in order to kidnap and eat people! King put that life behind him after trying the delicious delicacies that humans have to offer, he is a changed man! If he's just a bit hungry, he "says" he's gonna start eating the other boxers, do we believe him? Who knows.

☆ I have a disgusting amount of info for each of them, if you guys are interested I'll drop it, but I'm working on doodling the next circuit!

[toptierteaser]

Fatboy Sorting

There are many challenges that the Administration at Fatty Camp must address over the course of time, not least among them repairing all the busted bunkbeds and broken exercise equipment, sewing patches into the uniforms their fatboys bust out of...and of course, keeping up with the rampant, ravenous appetites of their Campers as they binge and gorge and stuff themselves endlessly out of house and home...

But among the most pressing challenges--as well as the most popular amongst the Coaches at Fatty Camp--is the Sorting. You see, with all the various types and sizes and flavors of fatboy at Fatty Camp, it is imperative that the Administration does a fine job of sorting its piggies into subcamps, assigning each to a Bunk specific to their blubbery and chub, to their gluttony and girth...and to ensure each of them is put on a diet and workout regimen and under the guidance of a couple Coaches which can "best fit their ample needs."

It starts with size, of course. With the measuring, the prodding of embarrassed fatty after embarrassed fatty onto the scales, a taunting jock wrapping his measuring tape around each quivering pork chop as he shouts out the numbers, as they are flashed on the screen before every fitty and fatty alike! And then, with a firm pat on the ample tukis, a prod of the juicy love handle, and a good shake of the protruding gut, each fatty is sent waddling to their freshly-assigned line, where a sticker in the shape of a bear or a pig or a turkey or a hippo...or even a whale...is stamped onto their fat, widened ass and on the front of their rising, riding shirt.

It's embarrassing, of course, but what better way to put each fatty into his place?

Of course, it doesn't begin and end with the sorting based on size, on weight, on the circumference of each Camper's chest and stomach and ass...no. The REAL sorting begins when each panting, juicy camper is run through a series of tests. An obstacle course through which the Coaches poke and tease and prod each Camper to watch his struggling, ballooning body jiggle as he pathetically attempts to complete it. Of course, each fatboy thinks they’re being tested based on physical aptitude alone. And they are. But on top of the observations by their Coaches and the Directors to see who can do the monkey bars or the wall climb, they are also being watched. Who among them will beg for release? Who will struggle through the line of tires, only to get his fat hips stuck on the second-to-last, to squeal and call out for help? Who will run out of breath on the treadmill? Who will become distracted by the lone cupcake placed on the trap door and yelp as his fat ass falls through? Who will be embarrassed as he swings down the line of monkey bars, aware that his obese ass is jiggling like crazy? Who will be totally oblivious that his shirt has completely ridden up? Which porker will be delusional enough to try the tube slide only to get stuck, wriggling, begging, and pleading, halfway through?

For the Coaches, it’s one of their favorite parts of the Sorting. For the Campers, it’s one of the most embarrassing.

When the Campers have been duly sorted again…the whiners from the oblivious-porker from the determined fatboys who aren’t SO chubby just yet, but who will be well on their ways to obesity within a few months of bingeing…each is sent to the Fitting Room. There, another test awaits. The routine outfitting of the porky, chubby campers. They find themselves on benches, ordered to strip to their briefs and forced to waddle over to the clothing that awaits them. without sizes, the fatties do their best, racing and wrestling each other for the roomiest clothes that can fit their obese bodies. and the Coaches have themselves a fine time watching their piggies struggle, huffing and puffing, cheeks reddening as they force themselves into the bright pink booty-shorts, the humiliating striped shirts that chafe between their rubbing thunder thighs or wedge up their enormous butts or don’t even come close—no matter how hard they tug—to covering their ballooning bellies and exposed bellybuttons! Each, looking like a packed sausage, the Campers grunt as they struggle to lean down, yank socks over their chubby toes and wrestle with their bellies to tie their shoes. Huffing and sweating by the end of their ordeal as they look around at one another’s bodies, puffing out like pastry from the too-tight clothes…

And then the eating bell rings.

Here comes a reward. Or so each fatty thinks, as his ass bumps into his neighbors, fighting each other to claw the way through the doors to the cafeteria. They race, pushing and shoving each other’s overfed bodies to get to the buffet first. nearly bending over, ass up in the air as they race to fill their plates, knowing how quickly food could be taken away from them. Knowing how hungry they are, having exerted themselves during the ten-minute obstacle course and clothing try on; An unusually-EXHAUSTING day for Fatty Camp. They pack themselves in, love-handle-to-love-handle, asscheek-to-asscheek, overblown-belly-to-overblown-belly, on the benches at the tables, which groan in pain beneath the collective girth. Stuffing themselves to the brim on all their favorite foods, unaware that the Coaches and Admin are watching. Unaware that they’re being documented like pigs. Which one likes which foods? Which will eat himself until the button on his camp shorts pops? Which will feed himself until he can hardly move?

It's an easy way to do the final sorting. As, from behind the one-way-glass teams of doctors and Coaches and Counselors take notes, laughing as they sort each of you fatasses into your group.

Oh, the PLANS they have in store for you!

How they go about their sorting. Placing the exjocks—the former football players turned butterball, the swimmers and runners who let themselves go, the wrestlers who never cut again after high school or college. Even their own, the Coaches who couldn’t keep up with their diets and exercise requirements. How much fun they will have, taunting you, reminding you of your skinnier, fitter days when you were hot stuff and an athlete. When you were one of them…

The ‘helpless fatties,’ they’ll categorize differently. Penning you in the bunks where they know you desperately want to lose the weight, though they’ll do everything in their power to sabotage your diets, to fill your overeating urges. Treating you like the adorable piglets you are…

And the gainers. Oh, what they’ll do with you! Knowing how easy you are to control. How you would od anything to be fed, to grow, to avoid exercise. How they will hold that—literally, holding cupcakes and donuts—over your heads, just to watch you beg and whimper and plead.

How much fun they’ll have, when the sorting has been finished and you accept the kind of fatboy you are!

[cyberdragoninfinity]

keeping my brain busy in the wake of All the Bullshit by assigning the Arc-V Pokemon teams and making little pictographs for them <3 you can really see the slow progression of me fighting for my life trying to find good little character icons as time went on

anyway under the tag are all my rambling rationalizations for all my choices too if anyone wants to read my however-many-hundreds-of-words howling <33

YUYA (mostly c/ping this from an older ask since his team didn't really change):

Zygarde 20%: i think it’s fun giving him one of the ‘incomplete’ Zygarde forms since he himself is an incomplete piece of Zarc. That's Silver Claw.

Tyrantrum: He needs a terrestrial Dragon type, huge, since Odd-Eyes is the only dimensional dragon who doesn’t fly… Odd-Eyes is also very dinosaur like! :^) Plus the king motif and it’s even red too!!

Delphox: challenging myself to give at least all of the yuboys a fully evolved starter, and I really like delphox for Yuya…invokes stargazer and timegazer magician and all the other Spellcasters in his deck, the showmanship of fire, powerful supernatural abilities. also yuya with a fennekin is SOOO cute. in universe I like to think Dennis traded him the fennekin in exchange for Yuya's original starter (Sobble)

Hippopotas: Hip Hippo, of course!

Gengar: he needs something smiley, and Gengars got that prankster mischief energy that I think could play nice on a Yuya team. Plus it being a spooky purple ghost for the purple Zarc Energy. Mega Gengar is even stated to be able to travel to other dimensions <3

Roaring Moon: for Awakened!Yuya and Odd-Eyes Raging Dragon, monstrous violent dragon that bares a striking similarity to another Pokemon from another region, another world…hmmmmm who does that sound like…..

ZUZU:

Cherrim: Specifically its Sunshine form, noted for its high energy and cheer! It has her color palette AND EVEN LITTLE 'HAIR' DOODADS LIKE HER TOO?!? she would adore this thing

Floette: Truly a very Bloom Diva/Melodious feeling Pokemon, I think it suits Zuzu perfectly... hers probably has the red flower i think :-) Maybe at some point it evolves into Florges, invoking some of the more 'grown' Melodious ladies.

Scream Tail: Pink, tough, and a little scary lol. I think it's fun if she AND Yuya both have Past Paradox Pokemon...matchies. Jigglypuff invocation for Melodious/Zuzu's musical motif too!

Leafeon: Giving all the bgirls an Eeveelution!! Zuzu deserves Leafeon naturally :3

Lilligant: Plant/Flower Lady, elegant, pairs perfectly with Sora's Whimsicott. A no brainer for me.

Meloetta: fuck it giving all the bgirls a Legendary too!! Gotta go with Meloetta for Zuzu, especially the Aria Form. Like. That thing's a Melodious monster. also something something the way it can alter people's emotions vs. Ray Akaba's power over Zarc or what have you. I'm seeing visions

SORA:

Hydrapple: For Frightfur Chimera's three heads, also literally a sticky candy apple monster. Syrup Bomb. It's so perfect for him.

Bewear: Frightfur Bear of course!! ANOTHER PERFECT ONE FOR HIM. Cute giant plush bear that is actually Fucking Scary and Can Hurt You So Fucking Bad.

Mimikyu: ANOTHER NATURAL PICK spooky haunted stuffed animal lookin beast!! Looks cute but can be vicious. Mimics something friendly to hide its truth self underneath. Very Frightfur compliant.

Slurpuff: This kid does not walk around with 4385289345 different sweets on hand for me to NOT give him the sticky sweets fluffy dog Pokemon. What if a Fluffal was made of candy. Soramon unlimited.

Whimsicott: Frightfur Sheep! Also mischievous and surprisingly powerful, and it compliments Zuzu's Lilligant! BECAUSE THEY ARE BESTIES!!!

Kartana: I'm giving all the Fusion dimension kids an Ultra Beast because I can <3 extradimensional fuckery representation <33 Kartana is imo the one that works best for Sora, being small and sharp edges like an Edge Imp. Little fucker that will cut you.

GONG:

Iron Hands: AINT MOVIN. BIG METAL ROBOTIC MACHINE BEAST. THE JAPANESE INVOCATIONS OF HARIYAMI. THATS A SUPERHEAVY SAMURAI.

Kingambit: Another Samurai that notably stays put for the most part. Esteemed and respected and strong as hell and when its friends fall it only grows stronger to not let their sacrifices be in vain.

Aggron: has a cry like a train, thus reminding me of Gong's insane train SHS. Also just extremely Gong-relevant animal to me...big protective wall of might and metal.

Kleavor: Another Pokemon with classical feudal-Japan/samurai-relevant vibes. Has bigass eyebrows. In PLA its Hidden Ability was Steadfast, also.

Mudsdale: Like. Gong just needs a Ground type. To me. Hardworking and powerful but extremely slow. VERY good at using Heavy Slam. "It remains calm and unmoving no matter the situation." like...bro.

Ogerpon: FUCK IT GONG GETS A LEGENDARY TOO. For Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji and also Ogrepon cares so much about her friend(s) and so does Gong!! I KNOW it'd be rocking the Cornerstone Mask mostly, too. Solid as a rock....

SYLVIO:

(Shiny) Sneasler: For his Yosenjus, also the entire Sneasel family is just so Sylvio to me....shiny H-Sneasel/Sneasler especially. It has his stupid yellow bangs!! SLASH POS

Floatzel: Also another smug weasel Pokemon with lots of oranges/yellows in its palette. I actually can't fully remember why I gave him Floatzel but it could very well just be my bias cuz I love Floatzel lol

Quaquaval: THE SYLVIO STARTER EVER. SHOWY GAY WATER DUCK. ABYSS ACTORS. QUAXLY ALWAYS FLICKING ITS HAIR QUAFF. OVER THE TOP PERFORMER. MR. SAWATARI....

Cetitan: For Mobius the Mega Monarch/that smattering, and also Cetitan is kind of shaped like some of Sylvio's big bulky Abyss Actors (Evil Heel, etc...)

Unfezant: Another pompous male Pokemon with swoopy hair things <3 "Intensely proud." Also a little dart-like to me.

Toxapex: Really just another Pokemon that looks like an Abyss Actor. Also probably something in there with a Posion type vs. Sylvio's early TOXIC AS FUCK ATTITUDE, SIR!!!

DECLAN:

Metagross: Supergenius Pokemon made of four fused Beldums <3 Analyzes its foes with expert calculations. Incredibly strong. Just tremendously Declanmon to me.

Empoleon: D/D/D Wave King Ceasar!! Also just the royal/emperor aesthetic in general, would it right at home with the D/Ds. And "It avoids unnecessary disputes, but it will mercilessly decimate anything that threatens the safety of its colony" BRO THAT'S DECLAN.....

G-max Duraludon: The LID building <3 Also like the idea of him wielding Gmaxs AND Megas AND probably Z-movies and Terastalizing too, as a parallel to mastering all the summoning mechanics.

Escavalier: D/D Proud Chevalier, another tremendously brave in the face of adversity Pokemon, also UMMM THE LANCERS!!! also I like the implication he and Moon Shadow traded to get their respective evos with Shelmet and Karrablast lol.

(Shiny) Mega Gardevoir: Again, wielding Megas just as easily as Gmax... has his color palette, plus Gardevoir in general has that 'tremendously loyal to the person it cares most about and will protect them at all costs' thing which just. screams Declan and Yuya's dynamic a lot to me.

Regigigas: lmao, "Reiji." The trio master of the Regis just like Declan is the leader of the Lancers. Insanely powerful creation-diety ass Pokemon vs. Declan's position of being an Akaba and that narrative weight re: Ray. Also would be right at hoem with some of the big bulky D/D/Ds.

YUTO:

Ceruledge: well now this is just a Phantom Knight for real.

Hydreigon: Dark Rebellion!! Brutal and relentless (in its objective)...I like the idea that Yuto's Hydreigon is pretty chill when not Fighting in a War though <3 His frienddd

Decidueye: His requisite evolved starter, I think Lulu traded him Rowlet originally~ Also on that Phantom Knight swag with the Haunted Cloaked Ghost Archer Everything.

Aegislash: AND AGAIN. THE PHANTOM KNIGHTS FOG BLADE. THE PHANTOM KNIGHTS TOMB SHIELD.

Absol: A stoic and tremendously goth beast, plus the way it's so attuned to knowing when disaster will strike + Yuto having gone through The Horrors of War just pair up very well.

Zacian: He DID have Zamazenta too but he traded it to Lulu :^) In general both dogs are so wonderful for him... weaponry clad and endlessly noble and brave. Busted as fuck, I'm sure there's some commentary on PKs in there too lol. I imagine its mostly in its battered Hero of Many Battles form for the most part....

SHAY:

G-Max Corviknight: TRULY THE RAID RAPTOR RISE FALCON OF IT ALL. absolutely GIGANTIC metal bird that launches feathers like missiles. This thing WOULD be like rank 8 or some shit. ALso something something Raider's Knight.

Staraptor: ok well now thats just kind of what Shay looks like. Giant emo bird of prey <3 Incredibly strong and fast and Here to Fuck You Up Bad

Ninjask: ok this is a wild pick for him but I LOVE him and lulu having ninjask and shedinja, also Ninjask's whole deal of being Extremely fast is right at home with Shay's birds. It's also described as if "not trained properly, it will refuse to obey the Trainer" which like.... very Shay joining the Lancers-esque <3 Guy who is difficult to work with.

Braviary: "For the sake of its friends, this brave warrior of the sky will not stop battling, even if injured." "They fight for their friends without any thought about danger to themselves." "With its brave disposition, it fears nothing—not even death." DAWG THATS JUST SHAY OBSIDIAN FROM YUGIOH ARC-V.

Talonflame: RAID RAPTOR BLAZE FALCON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK IT BRAVE BIRD FUCK IT BRAVE BIRD FUCK IT BRAVE BIRD

Blaziken: This thing has Speed Boost and it's about to be your problem. Powerful, brave, nimble, perfect for Shay and his like insane acrobatics he's always busting out. Perfect Pokemon for guy who beat the shit out of like 8 cops at once. 🔥

LULU:

Altaria: TRULY A LYRILUSC OF A POKEMON Humming and singing and incredibly powerful bird. Soft and warm and "with a kind disposition." I know she would love this thing so much.

Swellow: For Lyrilusc Sapphire Swallow/representative of all her swallow-adjacent songbirds

Shedinja: Again really fun in a pair with Shay's Ninjask. 1 HP to mirror how Lyriluscs are all level/rank 1!

Sylveon: and here's where my Flying TYPE Eeveelution would be... IF I HAD ONE >:( WELL. I do think Sylveon suits Lulu very well too, an exemplary compliment to her kind and friendly nature. AND transgender colors #lulugendermoments

Togekiss: Peace-loving angel-esque bird!!! Dueling shoudn't be used for war but making people smile!!!! "it visits peaceful regions, bringing them gifts of kindness and sweet blessings." LULUMONNNNNN

Zamazenta: Yuto traded this to her out of hoping it could help protect her ;w; Hero of Many Battles mode for the most part. The shield/protective motif also I feel ties well with Lulu's nonaggressive but remarkably adept at standing up for what she cares about character.

CELINA:

Liepard: IDK WHY IT'S SO HARD TO FIND GOOD LUNALIGHT EQUIVALENT POKEMON BUT ALAS lunalight panther dancer! ok it's a leopard but shhh. Also "moody and vicious" and strong and stealthy.

Pyroar: and Lunalight Leo Dancer too!!!!

Sensu Oricorio: For the bird Lunalights, and also its fan-feathers remind me of Cat Dancer :3 WAIT ITS HEAD FEATHERS ALSO LOOK LIKE CELINA'S BOW AND HER PONYTAIL...OMG

Umbreon: Naturally Celina's Eeveelution!! The moon associated one, hunts prey in the dark, glows in the moonlight (evolves through friendship 🥺celina did too.....)

Hisuian Lilligant: Compliments Zuzu's Unovan Lilligant (BECAUSE THEY ARE FRIENDS!!!) also an elegant and powerful Fighting type that moves like a dancer. This has always been a big Alexis Pokemon for me too but what can I say Fusion girlies rocking out with the Skater Dancer Plant Lady.

Celesteela: More moon motif!! Also Celesteela's Princess Kaguya inspiration honestly parallels Celina as a character really well too

YURI:

Silvally: we all know I associate Silvally with the yuboys in general, but teamwise I think it belongs the most on Yuri's--hodgepodge chimera monster experiment built in a lab and kept away from 'normal' Pokemon and populations. blasphemous emulation of god. Definitely absolutely kept Poison type mostly. 💜

Vileplume: PREDAPLANT CHIMERAFFLESIA.... I was torn between Vileplume or Victreebel but I think Vileplum works the best. It's Yuri's colors <3 *spews toxic spores at you*

Mega Sceptile: Grass/Dragon-type, literally has Starving Venom's colorful orb things, extremely fast and powerful... Sceptile is already the perfect starter for him but Mega Scepty just checks all the Venom Boxes.

Scolipede: Its horns look like Yuri's hair prongs <3 He deserves at least one big purple bug imo. It's also described as HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE and RELENTLESS and damn if that aint Yuriful.

Carnivine: truly one of the Most Predaplant of all Pokemon. This bitch eats meat!!! also I think it's funny if Yuri has a Pokemon that kind of chronically sucks bad but he loves it anyway.

Nagadanel: AND OF COURSE YURI'S ULTRA BEAST IS ALSO STARVING VENOM :) why the fuck is it like Yuri's hair color(s) exactly. Like Poipole too of course but still omfg. its poison is described as an adhesive too which i think is just perfect as a mirror of Yuri's sticky nasty ass dragon. slash pos.

DENNIS:

Meowscarada: JUST KIND OF DENNIS'S TRUEST POKESONA. TO ME. Dark type masked showman magician, master of misdirection....kind of has his haircut....gay.... uhhhh. meow!

Star Trim Furfrou: WELL. YOU KNOW. 🐩 also Star Pattern in particular for matching the 'performer' vibes and being the same blue as the blue in Dennis's stupid stupid outfit.

Inteleon: I'm privvy to the truth (Yuya traded Dennis his Sobble and got his Fennekin in return) but also like. This is justalso a Dennis Pokemon Bigly to me. Gay Sniper Spy Chameleon.

Mime Jr.: Performage Trick Clown!!! And the Performages in general. Little clown for this fucking clown.

Copperajah: For Chaos Ancient Gear Golem :,) I imagine it can Gigantimax and REALLY have that "giant fucked up war machine" mood down back. Also something something circuses and elephants.....

Blacephalon: LIKE. HE COULDNT HAVE ANY OTHER ULTRA BEAST, REALLY. Weird unsettling clown that sets off fireworks and literally blows its own head off 🥴 dennis might as well be a damn blacephalon. "It slithers toward people. Then, without warning, it triggers the explosion of its own head." dennis literally did this in front of a cruise ship full of people .

YUGO:

Rayquaza: Yugo's perfect Legendary choice AND a perfect Clear-Wing equivalent! Sky/Wind related green dragon, only arms, no legs, hell its yellow rings even remind me a little of Synchro rings.

(Shiny) Flygon: Also just reminds me of Clear Wing a whole lot <3 green, fast, long stripey tail, rhombus wings.. the shiny palette is also Yugo's colors!

Cinderace: I had such a hard time picking a starter for Yugo but I think Cinderace is the best pick... literal jock that plays toys and is described as "losing its cool easily," "it gets pumped up when cheered on," and "if it starts showboating, it could put itself in a tough spot" which just comes off like a laundry list of Yugo roasts HFDGUSD he would love this bunny rabbit.

Starmie: Mostly I just love Yugo and Rin have counterpart Pokemon but also Starmie has Speedroid vibes to me!!! Spinning star toy. Also fast as fuckkkk

Dragapult: HI-SPEEDROID KITEDRAKE!!! DRAGON THAT SHOOTS DARTS. FUNNY FAST VEHICLE LOOKIN ASS LIZARD.

Miraidon: ok Im pulling the "Yugo is one of my favorites he gets two Legendaries" card HE JUST DESERVES MIRAIDON. DUEL RUNNER DRAGON. CAPABLE OF BEING SILLYGOOFY AND ALSO LOCKING TF IN. one yuboy having a Past Paradox 'mon and one having a Future Paradox mon makes me a little craayayayzayy

RIN:

Froslass: Truly one of the most Windwitch of all Pokemon to me. Powerful ice witch lady fuck up your whole world.

Bronzong: A big fuckoff Bell. For Windwitch Freeze Bell. And Diamond Bell. And Crystal Bell. And Winter Bell. And

Hatterene: AND ANOTHER POWERFUL WITCH POKEMON FOR THE WITCH QUEEN also the trans flag colors just like rin's riding gear outfit. transfem rin is real btw

Glaceon: easy Eveelution pick for her ❄

Cloyster: Counterpart to Yugo's Starmie! Big weird floating Ice-aligned spike covered shape, which also described like 5 different Windwitches! Rin with Shellder is also really cute.

Glastrier: Really had to mull on what Legendary to give her but I love the idea of her also having a 'rideable vehicle' Legendary (horses are rideable vehicles.) Also Glastrier is a busted ass powerful as fuck belligerent ice monster and I think RIn would deeply appreciate its cunty spirit. 💙

MOON SHADOW:

Lunatone: Naturally!

Greninja: NATURALLY AS WELL!

Basculegion: The whole thing with Basculegion being powered and driven by the souls of its dead loved ones is just so perfect for the way Moon has to carry on after Sun Shadow got carded. Plus those very archiac Ainu design elements present just suit him well I think.

Accelgor: LIKE. I GOTTA. NINJA SWEEP also again i love the idea he had to trade his karrablast with Declan to get his Accelgor in return. Lancer synergy

Golisopod: Defense-oriented shogun armored type beast, pairs up well with invoking Moon's Twilight Ninja archetype. Also the Emergency Exit ability reminding me of all of his nimble ninja escape tactics we get to see.

(Shiny) Pawniard: A.) has his color palette B.) ninja-ish cadet at the command of a higher up (Bisharp), but also C.) that's Riley 🥺

RILEY:

Espurr: they just look like one. Riley Pokemon of All Time.

Oshawott: I love the idea of Riley having a baby Water starter to compliment Declan's Empoleon, and Oshawott's got that nice light blue and white palette and a design that evokes Riley's teddy bear a little bit. Plus its scalchop as a neat parallel to the C/C/C Weapon Monsters.

Beldum: Another baby form of one of Declan's monsters, also representative of C/C Critical Eye--one menacing red eye included!

Gigalith: All of Riley's C/C/C Rock Battle Monsters <3 (Armor, Blaster, Sword.) Also has eyes like Critical Eye too a little.

Ralts: one more mirror of Declan's team, but also this is another Pokemon Riley kind of just looks like. them big ol eyes. And the whole thign with how it flees when strong emotions are present :(

Terapagos: a cute and harmless looking Pokemon capable of absolutely horrifying reality shifting powers, just like Ray through Riley's body is capable of mildly terrifying ablities <3 I think Riley and Terapagos would also just be buddies 🥺

ZARC:

Zygarde 100%: FUCK IT. GIVE THE SUPREME KING ALL HIS DAMN DRAGON LEGENDARIES i just really love the idea of him especially having 'stronger' forms of the Legendaries the Yuboys wield--also like. Zygarde 100% Freakass Fulled Reunited Giant Green and Black Superweapon Dragon With Red and Blue Undertones (the colors of the pendulum scales)... it's too perfect.

Mega Rayquaza: Ultra-strong green and black terrifying giant dragon... 2!!! <3 The evolution of Yugo's Rayquaza. Giving Zarc all the crazy battle gimmicks too like he lords over all the summoning mechanics. Green for Synchros too <3

Eternamax Eternatus: ANOTHER WORLD-ENDING GIGANTIC DRAGON MONSTROSITY FOR THE ZARCMAN overloaded with power.. violent and unpredictable... the counter to Yuto's Zacian (and previously owned Zamazenta).... Fusion colors also.

Arceus: IT IS DRAGON TYPE NATURALLY the original vs Yuri's remix (Silvally)....fuck around and become God and all powerful. :,) Creation deity moments! White for Synchros as well.

Guzzlord: Also a bit of a parallel to Yuri's Silvally, but just in general I Gotta Give Him This Giant All-Consuming Dark/Dragon Extradimensional Abomination. All devouring.... Zarc in a way devoured the four yuboys too, huh.

Regidrago: Wildcard Dragon Legendary for the final spot but I do have my reasons <3 Big black dragon skull, "said to have the powers of every dragon Pokémon," just fires blasts of Dragon Energy at foes. Also just this sort of "ancient incredible power" feels very along Zarc's lines too

RAY:

Eevee: All the bgirls get evolved Eeveelutions, but I just love the idea of Ray's partner Pokemon being just a plain Jane unevolved Eevee that fought God and won.

Shaymin: En Flowers 🌸(also En-Wind for Sky Form Shaymin)

Lunala: En Moon 🌙 (also En-Windish, plus the Ghost typing a fun element with Ray effectively being dead and haunting that goddamn narrative.)

Lugia: En Birds 🐦 (also En Wind for all its storm conjuring capabilities)

Enamorus: ok I thought about Tornadus at first for En-Wind but A.) Ray needs a Fairy type for the 'dragon killer' implications, B.) Enamorus being this extremely powerful female Pokemon that fortells spring, brings the world back to life, and 'violently punishes' those that disrespect any living being is just, like, too perfect.

Regieleki: Its arms look like her ponytails <3 Honestly in general it looks a lot like when she was a glowy yellow spirit form. Also the only Pokemon to learn Thunder Cage, which feels quite appropriate for Ray stopping and containing Zarc. And oh well it's just a neat little counterpart to Zarc's Regidrago because I love when they have counterparts and I love divorce <33333 #EQUALITY: GIVE RAY LEGENDARIES TOO.

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Where Are We Going? (And Where Have We Been??)

@littlemissartemisia @tmntaucompetition

Prev || Next

Dee-Dee -- er, Donatello took Misa to a small side desk in the far corner of the room while April and Karai took the three boys into the bathroom to wash their faces and brush their teeth.

Misa was so confused and nervous. She wasn't sure why she felt so anxious about this whole situation. It was only Donnie... It was just "DvD". Huh. She'd forgotten that nickname...

"Alright then, Misa, sit down," he instructed. His voice was stern, commanding, but not at all scary like she'd figured he would be. He seemed pretty steamed when he'd first seen her.

Misa sat down at the corner of a bed, while DvD got the chair out from the desk and turned it around, sitting the wrong way down on it so that he could rest his arms on the back, his legs dangling out from the edges.

"So," he said, pure exhaustion in his voice, "How. Did. This. Happen."

"I don't know," she responded. "Last thing I remember, I was with my dads --"

"Wait, what? What do you mean, 'last I remember'? You were here with us the whole time."

Misa stared at him.

"...No, I wasn't. I was home with Hypno and Warren, we were getting ice cream, when suddenly a pink cloud exploded around me and then I was here!"

Donnie's eyes went wide. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to understand.

"Okay, so either you just somehow... got pulled through time, or the magic that turned you into an adult transformed your memories to fit accordingly. Which means you're either a time-traveler, or a precognitive clairvoyant. Both are equally terrifying and incredible."

Misa swallowed, her fingers twiddling as she looked around the room.

"Where... where are we?" she finally asked.

"The TMNT AU Competition. More specifically, the apartments they give to the contestants. Do you... remember that?"

Misa thought hard.

"I... kind of remember the competition. It was this big arena, right? Lots of stalls and stands selling all kinds of stuff, and people giving out gifts, and the med ward where I met --" she froze, suddenly remembering it all. "Mikey. I met Mikey in the med ward. I gave him..."

Her hand went down to the friendship bracelet on her wrist. It was old and frayed, the colours were slowly fading, but she wore it every day. Even after she'd forgotten who she'd given the other bracelet to. She made so many and gave away so many as a kid, she couldn't keep track after a few years. But each one had signature colours, and this one was a mix between bright orange and cotton candy pink.

"...I gave him a friendship bracelet and 'adopted' him. I forgot that, I can't believe I forgot that." She smiled before her eyes started to sting with tears. She looked up at DvD. "Why did you leave me?"

"What are you referring to?" he asked, obviously confused. "Misa, you've been with us the entire time!"

"I... what? No, I told you, I--"

"Based on what you've told me, from your perspective you left the competition and went back to your own home dimension?"

"Well, yes!" she exclaimed. "Most of my early childhood is kind of a blur... hopping from one dimension to the other... but I did go back to my own world, where I was taken in by Warren Stone and Hypno Potomus! They raised me, pretty much."

"You mean... that mutant hippo and the worm guy? I think I remember them from my universe..."

"Yeah, Hypno took me in to help me learn how to control my powers."

"What powers?" Donnie asked, eyes wide as he stood up suddenly. "You never said you had any powers!"

"You didn't know?"

"No! Of course not! Obviously not!" DvD calmed himself down, smoothed out his shirt, and sat back down. "You were four years old... possibly you didn't know that you had abilities, or more likely you just didn't think to tell us. Perhaps you purposefully didn't tell us..."

"Has it really been nine years?" Misa wondered out loud. Wow. So much could change and be forgotten in only nine years...

"So you're thirteen now?" DvD asked.

"Yup."

"You're the same age as Mikey is-- was."

Misa looked up in fear.

"Was?? What happened to Mikey?"

"Didn't you see the kids go into the bathroom?"

"THAT was MIKEY?!" she yelled, standing up and looking back to the door, behind which three toddlers were getting ready for bed. "He's... he's teensy! What happened to him?!"

"The exact opposite of what happened to you," Donatello said with irritation, as he slapped his face and slid his hand down his face.

"That doesn't explain much..."

"I suppose not. Basically, there's been a weird epidemic of people being turned into different ages. So far, it turned Leon, 'Phael, and Mikey into 7, 6, and 4-ish years of age. Apparently, it turned you into a 13 year old."

"That's weird."

"No weirder than a talking mushroom with a musical fetish."

"OH MY GOSH, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" she laughed. "I thought I dreamt that up!!"

DvD smiled softly as she cackled at the crazy memories.

She could just barely catch the dark circles under his eyes, the weak hold he had on that fragile smile. When she was a kid, she remembered seeing him and thinking he was kind of scary or grumpy all the time... Lee-Lee Leo had called him 'Grumples' once, didn't he? But she remembered seeing him sometimes with a wide grin and strange smile. He would say funny things about arson and world domination. While she hadn't understood it at that age, it made her giggle. She smiled at the memory...

"So your brothers are basically toddlers now?"

"OUR brothers, yes."

Misa smiled.

Well, at least one thing never changed. Once a family, always a family.

She had assumed that because they'd never visited her world, that meant maybe they hadn't cared after all, or they'd forgotten her. But that didn't seem to be the case after all... if anything, it might have been the other way around.

"So... we should probably catch each other up to speed, hmm?" Donnie suggested.

"I guess so..."

"Alright then, you start."

Misa began giving him the gist of her life, her abilities, her friends and family and the many adventures she'd been on during her 'absence'. Donnie filled in some details about their situation afterwards, how the pink mist had transformed their little brothers into little-er brothers, and even helped fill in the blanks from some other memories, such as Karai's arrival, the fear fungus, the other competitors that met her, and so on. After a few minutes, Karai and April took the boys out of the washroom.

Misa couldn't help but stare at the boys. Mikey was all smiles, and had to be held back to keep him from running up to her and slamming into her knees for a hug. Raph looked at her with curiosity, but held onto April's leg with desperation. Leon just simply glared at her, half-hiding behind April and Karai.

"Hi, guys!" she said with a smile, kneeling down on the floor to get closer to their height.

Mikey wriggled himself free and pounced on her, giggling like a madman as he wrapped himself around her like a monkey.

"Meezie!"

She laughed at that nickname. The vaguest of memories came back, of a tiny toddler in rags calling her that...

"Is it really Misa?" Karai asked. She hadn't apparently witnessed the transformation, having been in the kitchenette making some tea.

"Yep. It's her," Dee said with a nod.

Leon grumbled angrily.

"Traitor..."

"Leo, be nice," April rebuked.

Raph slowly meandered out from behind the teenage girls and crept towards her.

"Misa? How'd ya get so big?"

"Magic, apparently," she said, rubbing the back of Mikey's shell. He was still clinging onto her.

"Stupid, bad magic," Leon grumbled again.

"Aw, c'mon Lee-Lee, I'm the same as before! Just... taller."

"You're a stinky grownup now," he said, crossing his arms and pouting. "You're a traitor."

"You'll have to grow up one day too, ya know."

He pouted again, hot tears in his eyes. Tears? Oh, he wasn't mad that she 'betrayed' him and grew up. What was he mad about?

"I don't wanna be a stinky grownup. They're mean."

Misa slowly recalled his adverse reaction to Raphael when he'd first been turned into a tot. He hadn't even trusted Mikey when he saw him! He'd said something about... what was it, a mean place? The orphanage! He'd grown in an orphanage. With mean adults... and now Misa was an 'adult'. So to him, did it correlated that since she was now a grownup, she was automatically going to be mean to him, just like all the others. He thought she was a 'traitor'...

Misa tried to smile at him, to reassure him that she wasn't going to betray him or hurt him. Leo refused to meet her eyes.

"Hey, I promise that I'm not a stinky grownup," she said, scooting closer to him. "You're still my big brother, okay?"

Misa held out her pinky to him. He eyeballed it with concern, trying to decide whether or not to trust her... Well, if he could trust Miss Karai and Miss April... he could trust Misa again, right?

He wrapped his pinky around hers.

"Okay, big sister."

[wickedcriminal]

What kind of dragons are Furious are Wodensfang and Little Tooth in the Half-Brothers AU? Are they still Seadragonus Giganticus Maximuses (Maximi?) or are they changed to DreamWorks species like Merciless and Horrorcow?

Or are the Red and Green Deaths just how SGMs look in this AU?

They're all Seadragonus Giganticus Maximuses! What I did for the AU is that I made SGM an umbrella classification for multiple different species of giant seadragon. Kind of like how wolves, dogs, and foxes are all canines.

For HBAU specifically, what I did is made all the Death dragons one species. Thus, the Red, Green and Purple Death would all look very similar. I really like how distinctive the movie design for the Red Death was, so that's what I went with!

Their DreamWorks design seems to have been built as Boulder Class, so I made some changes to suit the seadragon label. Since the Red Death lived in a volcano, I made it so that this dragon is typically at home in lava and other extreme temperatures, mainly underwater, hence the seadragon classification. (The Green Death would have resided in an underwater volcano until it woke up and decided to Have Berk For Supper!) The crown and tail emulate coral and can change color to decieve fish and smaller dragons. They're built like elephants and hippos with devastating jaw strength and can swim very well despite their size.

As for Furious, the Wodensfang, and Toothless, they're all one undefined species of SGM that are born very small, grow incredibly massive, and then get very small again in their old age. In the context of HBAU, this specific species of seadragon is so incredibly rare that they dont even have a name, and are just referred to as their umbrella class, Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus. (Since these dragons have a habit of being connected to Hiccups throughout the ages, perhaps that could inspire their official name?)

For some other members of the SGM family, I added Doomfangs and Leviathorgens! Considering how huge they are and them being seadragons, it just felt right to me!

[bitter-bats-cult-of-the-moon]

Demon or Deity? Deciphering Spirits

How to Confirm That You’re Talking to a God or Goddess

You can thank St. Augustine of Hippo for this. In the early 5th century, he wrote a theological essay against Paganism titled, “On the Divination of Demons.”

St. Augustine’s mother was Christian, and his father was Pagan. He understood both sides. He wrote many philosophical arguments for Christianity, his largest being The City of God.

In "On the Divination of Demons," Augustine fought back against an Oracle predicting the invasion of Serapis's temple. He argued that demons spoke to this Oracle. He argued that All Pagan Gods are Demons in disguise. He ridiculed fortune tellers and future predictions comparing them to the circus.

Do the arguments hold some sort of validity?

While Spirits can impersonate Deities this guy can now be pushed away from the conversation.

I’ll ask that question again.

Can Spirits Impersonate Deities?

The short answer is Yes.

The long answer depends on your experience level and knowledge.

If you are not used to the deity’s signs and how they communicate or you do not know which red flags to look out for, you are prone to deceit.

Red Flags

Messages drastically change.

For example, recently you received a sign from the Goddess Hekate. She wants to work with you.

The next week, another message tells you that She does not like you. Deities rarely change their mind without good reason. Double-check the divination.

People do everything for you.  

Deities do not need to go through others to speak to you. Even if you cannot hear Them directly, deities can contact you in different ways. If someone else does a reading that sounds completely different, question it. Especially if it’s random and not requested. Do not use other people to translate things for you all the time. Spiritual journeys are personal. They are meant for you, and a lot of people get hurt this way. Other individuals love taking advantage of people using them for their own motives. Just be careful out there.

Overly negative or apocalyptic.

I've heard an unfortunate amount of people claim that the world was going to end after contacting their spirits. Why would they let go of any worshippers telling them that? Why would they give someone a sense that they are the chosen one? Question that. No one is special. We are all here for the human experience. Try dealing with that first even if you don’t want to.

The entity is trying to force you into things.

You do not need to answer spirits. A deity could ask you to worship Them. You can also say no. With years of experience, I have never heard of a deity punishing someone for not working with Them. If a message sounds like a threat, then question everything, and it’s probably best to ignore it.

How to Guarantee That You’re Speaking to a Deity

Ask the same question several times.

Use your preferred divination technique writing down all the answers to your questions. After one day has passed, repeat the same method rephrasing the questions asking the spirit again. Sometimes there are inconsistencies. Question what feels right and what does not.

Thoughts belong to whom?

Are the thoughts yours or are the thoughts external from you? Sometimes strong emotions are mistaken for spiritual signs. It’s easy to get caught up in your own head and let it take over hijacking the metaphysical exercise. Always question this. Did you anticipate a specific answer? This can also lead to derailment. It doesn’t hurt to ask again to gain confirmation. Before contacting your deity, stabilize your emotional state.

Gathering valuable resources.

Contrary to what I just said you can seek outside opinions for valuable resources. Become familiar with the deity’s information beforehand and ask about other peoples’ experiences. Just don’t let people take over the work or tell you how to think. Try to do the work yourself. Research is key.

Different techniques for you.

Try a different form of divination to see if the answers are around the same or greatly vary. This won’t hurt and it will help you learn more. Trust your instincts in spirit work. It’s okay to question things.

Protection orders.

If there is constant anxiety and worry, then do yourself the favor and put-up protection wards before spiritual communications begin. It will give you some peace of mind and it doesn’t hurt anything at all.

[mechanical-sunchild]

There's a really specific short horror story about therians that I think was part of a collection but I don't remember where it's from and I really wanna watch it again. I mean, it's kinda goofy but it was nice to see therians in something even if it mixed our lore with werewolf (general lore) and some other goofy stuff.

Now I know what you're thinking - why would I want to watch a horror film about therians? Doesn't it make us look bad? I don't think it does though! The whole premise is that a guy has been turning into a werewolf and wants help. He finds a group of people who call themselves therians and say that they too are animals who shift into their animal forms at night. They tell him that wolves are common/the one everyone thinks they are but you can be any animal (true). Those there are a cheetah, a boar, a turtle and yes a wolf (could be more but I forget) as well as their friend the hippo furry. They talk about what it's like to be misunderstood and not able to talk about being an animal. They tell him that Santa was actually invented to sniff out and kill therian children, which is why there aren't as many nowadays. I told you it was goofy, bear with me. It seems like it's setting these people up be delusional and only the one guy is actually a werewolf but...they're right. About all of it. About being those specific animals. About Santa. They physically shapeshift (again, werewolf style) and fight and kill Santa who is trying to kill all therians. (Santa might also have been a robot? I can't remember.) It's I dunno I just found it really funny to have this playful take on therianthropy, mix in some werewolf mix, make it a bit silly but ultimately make the therians right about being animals.

Now if only I could remember where it was from...

EDIT: It's 'Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous'

[mikewheelerfan2022]

My thoughts on Chaos Theory Season 2

Major spoilers for the season below!

If I had to use one word to describe this season, it would probably be disappointment. Season 1 was genuinely one of my favorite seasons of television ever. I loved the dark tone it set. Then this season went and ruined that. It felt a lot more like Season 1 or 2 of Camp Cretaceous in tone than Chaos Theory. Which was definitely a let-down. In addition, it really felt like the events of this season could have been confined down into a few episodes. The content with Brooklynn was quite interesting and engaging, but all the parts with the Camp Fan in Africa were really dragged out. Essentially half of the season was just them on a river. Where are the stakes? Where’s the interesting content Season 1 set up?

But, putting all that aside, there are some genuinely enjoyable elements in the season. Of course, the standout was the episodes where we followed Brooklynn. I loved seeing what happened to her after the Allosaurus attack. It’s definitely interesting to find out that her arm was injured by a raptor, not the Allosaurus. That definitely makes more sense. The Allosaurus’s jaws would have killed her, not just ripped off her arm. It was also nice to find out who The Broker is. I think a lot of people predicted Santos, so I wasn’t too surprised. I honestly had forgotten who she was, though…Dominion definitely didn’t cause her to leave much of an impression. But I quite liked her in Chaos Theory.

What they’re setting up with the conflict between Brooklynn and the rest of the Camp Fam is great. This season really did feel like it was setting up a much bigger and more interesting plot later, which caused this content to feel kind of empty. But oh well. Seeing Brooklynn as an anti-hero is so fun. And of course the Camp Fam doesn’t know that, they genuinely think she’s working with the Broker. That’s great. I do love a great misunderstanding. I also want to see the consequences of Ben lying. It might be that the others never fully trust him again, or at least for a while. I wonder if they’ll have a plotline where Ben learns something important but the others don’t fully trust him or something like that. That would be really interesting.

One of the best and most intriguing parts of the season was Kenji. Chaos Theory Season 1 managed to move Kenji from my least favorite of the Camp Fam to my favorite. And Season 2 continues his great characterization. Specifically, the impacts of his father’s death. Because it genuinely seems like Kenji is suicidal. If not actively so, at least he has a great disregard for staying alive. Kenji was constantly putting himself into danger and being incredibly reckless during this season. Running into fire, jumping off the boat, putting his hand into the mouth of a hippo, trying to fight dinosaurs, and much more. He’s actively and purposely putting himself into danger when he really doesn’t need to. It’s clear he doesn’t care whether he lives or dies. And that conversation he had with Ben definitely raised alarms. I can’t remember his exact words, but he said something like “If somebody else close to me dies, I won’t be able to take it anymore.” That’s definitely a very suicidal statement. Now, of course this is a kids show. So I have no clue where they’re taking this or if they’ll even address it. But I’m excited to see.

Moving on to a lighter topic, let’s discuss ships! Yasammy is still going strong, and I love to see it. We never get enough lesbian relationships in media. As for Benji, which I also ship, we’re at least getting some crumbs. I have no expectations that this ship will ever become canon, but a girl can hope. And even just getting crumbs makes me happy. But that brings us to Dinostar, my absolutely favorite ship. I’ve shipped Brooklynn and Darius essentially since Camp Cretaceous Season 1. I always hated Brooklynn and Kenji, as it felt unnecessary and like it came out of nowhere. I was practically giddy when we found out Darius was in love with Brooklynn in Chaos Theory Season 1. At that time, it sounded like Darius had purposely confessed and Brooklynn had declined. Now we know that the confession was an accident, and Brooklynn’s denial wasn’t as clear cut as we thought. She just said she wasn’t ready, and wasn’t able to get any other words in before Darius left in a panic. Does this mean Dinostar will get together? Who knows. But I have hope.

Overall, this season wasn’t as good as I hoped or expected. But I still enjoyed it. And what it’s setting up for future seasons is definitely great. I think this season was clearly meant to be filler, and that’s okay. I trust that the writers will deliver us a great Season 3, and more seasons after that. But all of this is just my two cents. Thanks for reading.

[serpentface]

vertebrate megafauna of the red rock archipelago

A selection of the megafaunal birds and rodents endemic to the Red Rock archipelago, homeland of the sole remaining archin people.

The Red Rock archipelago is a tropical volcanic island chain, isolated from the supercontinent by great distance, and even further isolated due to rising sea levels over the past couple thousand years.

Most vertebrate niches are filled by birds and rodents, with a few unique families developing here seen nowhere else. Two of these translate to “groundbirds” and “hoofrats”, the former being flightless birds with vestigial/absent wings, the latter being large rodents who have developed hooves.

left to right:

'Assassin moundbuilder’: A large solitary ambush predator who kick prey to death with their long middle claws. Males build and compete over mounds which females lay their eggs in. There are a few (much smaller) moundbuilder species.

‘Reeking Birdmouth’: Midsized predatory hoofrats whose incisors have taken on a self-sharpening, beaklike shape to better tear open the flesh of its prey. They live in colonies and show great behavioral plasticity depending on the environment- some clans will hunt alone or in loose groups for small prey, some are specialists of large animals. They produce a strong smell that can overwhelm archin chemical senses, hence the name.

’Nightwalker’: Not a groundbird at all but a species of heron and a relatively recent addition to the ecosystem. They are nocturnal (likely to minimize competition with comparable birds, mostly diurnal) and hunt and scavenge on land and water. They are one of the more dangerous species to archin with the least adaptive fear of their guns, and will occasionally prey on them 

Middle: Archin (the ant) and mrinitialman default human silhouette for reference. 

‘Reinbird’ ‘Reined shrieker’: A mid-large omnivorous groundbird that has been widely domesticated as mounts for units of archin. Domestic populations have very long wattles regardless of sex, which may be used or augmented as reins for a rider. 

‘Twilight shrieker’: A very large, mostly frugivorous groundbird closely related to the reinbird. It is named for its  resemblance to an evening sky (sunset on one end, starry in the others) and the haunting territorial calls of the male.

‘Mudleg musk-rat’ the smallest hoofrat, this is an omnivore that fills a similar niche to pigs, and will opportunistically eat almost anything. These are occasionally kept as livestock by archin colonies, herded and controlled by units on reinbirds.

‘Maned leaper’: A group of mid-sized highly cursorial hoofrats, who fill a very similar niche to deer. they are a favored prey of birdmouths, and will leap and kick high in the air while fleeing to confuse predators

‘The Ground Shakes’: A massive herbivorous hoofrat who could be considered somewhat analogous to a hippo. While they are exclusive herbivores, they are very aggressive and can do tremendous damage to archin settlements with their mere presence. A naming taboo has developed as a result- there is no specific name for this animal and it is referred to in the abstract (in hopes of not attracting them). ‘the ground shakes’ is a common phrase, or occasionally the slightly more specific ‘giant’. 

[feeshies]

Okay time for me to be (more?) annoying

I saw multiple posts talking about how Moo Deng was being taken advantage of and I don't know anything about zoos (much less what zoos are supposed to do when an animal goes viral) so I'll let people more qualified talk about that. But one of the points brought up was the fact that the zoo was "patenting" the hippo.

Let me get my 1 "um, actually" point. The zoo isn't patenting her. Unless they created a serum that created this specific hippo and they want to protect their invention. The zoo is actually trademarking her.

If that was my only point, I wouldn't be making this post (people use these terms interchangeably all the time and it's just...something I have to deal with).

It's fine.

It's. Fine.

(SummerAutumn, they may not see you, but I see and appreciate you)

But maybe I'm just jaded from studying IP and trademark law, but I really don't see the issue?

The argument was always, "this shows that the zoo is trying to make money off of her!" Which...yeah? Would you expect them not to? Also, do you think they aren't already?

A trademark doesn't mean "you can now profit from this thing." It means "this thing is recognizable enough in commerce that you can register it as yours." There are still common law protections for non-registered marks, but having that official registration provides more protection. That's basically what a trademark does: it marks trade. The zoo is going to sell merch. It is what it is. The trademark registration just allows the zoo to say "yes this is official hippo merch straight from the source" as well as allowing them to raise action against other people claiming the same thing with their bootleg merch.

As my new best friend SummerAutumn said, priority filing plays a major role in this. We saw this recently with the "Demure" meme (we talked about that in class again a few days ago which is what helped spark this whole thing. Memes come up a lot in that class idk). If the zoo doesn't get the trademark, someone else will. And maybe we don't want someone who can't even locate Thailand on a map getting priority filing (the zoo could still challenge it of course but that's a different issue).

I can't speak to any of the animal treatment stuff, but from what I've seen just looking into the trademark stuff off tumblr and twitter, idk it seems fine. And of course there are instances of people registering marks for less-than-noble purposes. But idk "zoo registering to trademark their famous animal so they can turn in a profit" doesn't seem as evil as some people are making it out to be. Most of the complaints I've seen are written like the zoo is personally taking money from Moo Deng, like they're dipping into her college fund or something.

Anyway, I just needed to get my thoughts down. Again, my issue isn't that people aren't getting this specific legal term right (I certainly didn't know the exact nuances of trademark vs copyright vs patent law a year ago). My issue is people are taking this legal concept and coming to the bad faith conclusion that there is something morally dubious going on when it's clear no one is looking into how this area of law works. Moo Deng being trademarked is not an indication of how she's being treated or how her caretakers see her. If you want to say that it feels scummy to involve any animal in commerce like this, then you can have that opinion, but that's bigger than trademark law and it's certainly bigger than a single zoo in Thailand.