#but they're just stinkbugs to me

[a-rare-female-blaziken]

Sworn enemy

[beardedmrbean]

Yes. It's me, Leder, the bell-ringer.

It must be a real shock to hear me speaking for once. It wasn't that I couldn't talk all this time. I simply chose not to. As I rang that Cross Road bell, deep inside my heart I had decided I would speak to no one. But the secrets I've been guarding are now starting to leak out.

The time has come to tell you everything. What I'm about to tell you, you might not want to know. Even so, you absolutely must hear it.

It will be a long story, but please listen to it all.

Given who you are and how you've lived, what I have to say will tear at your hearts, and there is just so much to tell. So I've decided to have the stinkbug trembling behind me memorize everything I say.

Ready, Mr. Stinkbug?

Everything so far has been about "The End of the World". Did you understand all of it?

Just before the end of the world, a "White Ship" came to these islands. On it were all the people of Tazmily Village. Yes. Aboard the White Ship were those few who had managed to escape the "world".

The people on the ship still went by their names from the previous world. This "White Ship" plan had been set in place before the world was destroyed. And, although they're part of the world, these Nowhere Islands are a special place. They were the one place that would remain, even if the world was lost. The one and only place where people could survive.

And so the White Ship arrived at these islands.

Everything so far has been about "The White Ship". Did you understand all of it?

Have you committed everything so far to memory, Mr. Stinkbug?

The reason these islands are special is because they harbor a giant dragon nearly as large as the islands themselves.

Long, long ago, people lived together with the Dragon. However, at some point in time, the people and the Dragon could no longer coexist. So, using the seven Needles, the Dragon was placed into a long, long sleep by the ancestors of the Magypsy people, who have lived here since ancient times. Ever since, the Magypsies have guarded the Needles, in an effort to prevent the Dragon from being woken until its power is truly needed.

Thus, until the time of its awakening, the Dragon continued to sleep, as the power of the earth itself. And so, because of the tremendous energy of the Dragon hidden deep below, these islands were protected from the end of the world.

Everything so far has been about "The Dragon and the Magypsies". Did you understand all of it?

Those who came here aboard the White Ship feared another "End of the World" more than anything else. They felt that the world's destruction was a direct result of the way they had lived. The people of the White Ship discussed things at great length. They shared their wisdom and spoke with grave seriousness. And then they arrived at their conclusion.

They decided to completely erase everyone's memories of the previous "world" and start their lives over with new rules and new roles. Yes.

In short, everyone would play out the ideal "story" that they had come up with. That is what happened. The people would restart their lives in a simple, peaceful village, in the kind of place they wished they had grown up in. They would erase their memory of everything: the world, their belongings, their rules…and then they would begin their new lives. Everyone's old memories would be reset and replaced with their newly- created "story". And thus the village of Tazmily came to be.

However, it was necessary to record the fact that the memory replacement had taken place. The Hummingbird Egg was the device used to store the memories of the White Ship people. Wess and his son Duster, both playing the roles of thieves, were set to take action should a dangerous situation occur. Remember when they went to Osohe Castle? They went there to retrieve the secret of the "People of the White Ship".

And there's one other thing. Me. It was essential that one person retain memory of the previous world to sort of "keep watch" over things. I was the only one in the village of Tazmily who wasn't given a role in the new "story." The sound of my bell served as a "suggestion", to keep everyone's fabricated memories from reverting. My name "Leder" comes from the word "Leader." No, no, that doesn't mean I was anyone special. It was just that I was particularly taller than all the others.

So, upon discussion, I was selected because it would be easier for me to stand out. Being so tall, people would want to come see me, you know? And so I was given the role of revealing these secrets when the time truly called for it.

Everything so far has been about "Those Who Lost Everything". Did you understand all of it?

Let me also talk about Osohe Castle. Apparently, long ago, a kingdom existed on this island, centered around the king of Osohe. However, when we arrived on the White Ship, the people of this kingdom were gone. It seems they had left the islands, fearing the Dragon's eventual awakening someday.

Before boarding the White Ship, Princess Kumatora was an infant who had lost her mother and father. Upon coming to these islands, she was given to the Magypsies to raise, and given the role of princess of Osohe Castle. Wess and Duster being her retainers was another part of the fabricated "story".

Osohe Castle is one of the few and precious relics of this island's "past". We crafted our story in haste, so the people inside it have very little "past" or "history". Have you noticed no one in Tazmily can talk about things from 100 or 1000 years ago? In truth, we HAD wanted to create an entire plethora of myths and legends…but our story was made in such a hurry that we weren't able to. It's a real shame.

I'm sure that much of what I'm saying, you'd rather not hear, but it's the truth. Have you listened to everything so far?

Have you committed everything to memory, Mr. Stinkbug?

Truthfully, we had no idea how Tazmily Village would turn out. But things actually went rather well. The people who had arrived on the White Ship had fully taken to their new identities. They believed they had always lived together peacefully.

It was when a person by the name of Porky stumbled upon these islands that everything started to go amok. It seems he used a "Time Distorter" machine to travel through time and space at will. However, he was apparently shut out from all other times and spaces and tumbled into this era and these islands. Even worse, he used his Time Distorter to bring many people from other eras here. The Pigmasks, as well as everyone in New Pork City, were all brought here and brainwashed by Porky.

This Porky fellow seems to view these islands as his own personal "toy box", with which he can do anything he wants. He would take animals apart and recombine them to make creepy, new "Chimeras". As a child-like dictator, he began doing whatever he pleased, including building Thunder Tower and forming his own army.

Porky eventually learned the White Ship secret because of a traitor among the Magypsies.

Do you understand about the intruder known as Porky?

This traitor was Locria, the seventh Magypsy, and the only one you haven't met yet. After Locria joined forces with Porky, Porky learned about the White Ship people and the secret of the sleeping Dragon.

Porky decided to pull the Needles to wake the Dragon, so he could use the power for himself. The Dragon is the power of the very earth itself, you see. It's said that whoever pulls the sealing Needles will become the Dragon's master. However, only a very select few are capable of pulling the Dragon's Needles. Apparently, neither the Magypsies nor Porky have that capability. Yet, the Needles are being pulled now. That means Porky is somehow controlling someone who can control the Dragon's power!

…We have to put a stop to Porky's antics. If we don't, the world will be completely destroyed again, and it will spell the true end for everything. For Porky, that might be the ultimate pleasure, but we can't allow it to happen. We, the last handful of people there are, absolutely can't allow it to happen.

It seems you're a chosen one, with the ability to pull the Needles sealing the Dragon away. You MUST pull the Dark Dragon's Needle with your own hands, and pass your heart on to the Dragon. Let this be my one and only order to you as your "leader".

Do you understand everything about "The Dragon's Awakening"?

I hear that six of the Dragon's Needles have already been pulled. Deep in the earth, the Dragon is likely beginning to stir from its sleep now. Supposedly, the last Needle is somewhere here in New Pork City. Porky has been gathering everything that lives on these islands into New Pork City to prepare for the final Needle's pulling. It's possible that he's planning to hold one final, twisted party.

But now is our chance to change this looming crisis into a golden opportunity. All things may come to an end…or new and bountiful things may begin. Wouldn't you like to help that happen?

You were once a weak, fragile boy, but now you've been given a tremendous role to fulfill. Now that you know everything, including everything I'm sure you'd rather not know, the time has come for you to save the future of all life as we know it.

…

"God won't make you bear more than you can carry." I'm sure you've heard that phrase before. Know that you aren't fighting alone. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, will lend you their support.

That was a long story, but that is the end of everything I have to tell you.

Only the Magypsies really know the Needles' locations, so I don't know where to find them. But, from the way Porky and the others have been acting, I would say they're now very close to reaching the seventh Needle. Please. Be the one who pulls the final Needle.

Porky issues his orders from the 100th floor of the Empire Porky Building. Start by jumping into the fray and storming the building. After that, you can start looking for clues.

It's been such a long time since I've spoken to anyone. And now I'm exhausted. This stinkbug should remember everything I've just said. Take him with you. That way, if you happen to forget anything I've said here, you can ask him to repeat it. Will you go with them, Mr. Stinkbug?

(Stinkbug - by eyes5)

[bracketsoffear]

WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR MEEMAW BONES

THEY'RE BOTH NECROMANCERS BUT HARROW IS A NECROMANCER IN AN EMPIRE FULL OF NECROMANCERS WHERE NECROMANCY IS JUST A THING PEOPLE DO! SHE'S A LITTLE MORE DEATH-OBSESSSED THAN USUAL BUT IS THAT REALLY SCARY FOR THOSE AROUND HER?

She doesn't even have variety!

She writes obituaries for all of the dead cards in her boss battle and gives yours back to you as corpse cards--they should be "dead" (out of play), yet they've Come Back Wrong! That seems like the weird passive-yet-spooky stuff that Oliver and Karnak do!

Her mechanic is Bones--every time one of your Cards dies, you get a bone token. She essentially has a more passive version of Leshy's playstyle--whereas Blood requires you to actively sacrifice your creatures, with Bones you can sit back and wait for your Cards to bite it!

And of course there's the ending, where she takes it upon herself to delete the entire game world and everyone in it to free them from eternal suffering...which probably sounds familiar if you've gotten to Season 5 of canon.

As Inscryption is deleted, you end up in Grimora's Temple of the Dead, where you're tasked with inserting three epitaphs into a "lovely tombstone"--one for Inscryption.exe, one for P03 (who was just decapitated and presumed dead), and one for Luke Carder, the player character...but he's alive and well at this point, so why's his name in the epitaphs? We'll get to that.

Anyway, Grimora plays herself out with a few more games to celebrate the end of everyone's lives, and we get to see her spooky skeleton decor in 3D!

(And no, it's not universal to the Scrybes, I checked--Leshy's setup looks very different.)

Oh yeah, and that bone hand scale in her room? It moves.

Grimora also clarifies that, "Appealing as that is," she isn't just killing Inscryption because she wants to rest--she is trying to make sure the OLD_DATA on the disc is never unleashed upon the world, which is what the not-actually-dead-P03 ends up doing after the game's end by uploading it to the Internet. Again, this ought to sound familiar--it's the debate at the end of Act 5 about whether to release the Fears onto the multiverse to save the main characters' Earth or let the End permanently kill off everyone, including the Fears. It even ends the same way as canon--the "kill the world" plan seemingly works, and then it's revealed that someone else's interference scuffered it and the greater evil gets out into wider existence anyway. So if we're comparing TMA and Inscryption, Grimora is basically an End Avatar in that her motivations and actions parallel what the End was trying to do (indiscriminately bring about the long-overdue end of everyone) only for it to get fucked up at the last minute.

Anyway, remember what I said about Luke's epitaph?

Yeah, guess who ends up dead not long after Inscryption is deleted. Kind of like she predicted his death, which is an established ability of End Avatars...

And another thing! What card does Leshy forcibly kin-assign her?

A skeleton-themed stinkbug that costs Bones. And when the player rescues her from a safe, she calls the safe an "Iron Crypt"!

Oh yeah, and the Achievement you (Luke) get for beating her?

Yet another prediction of Luke's future demise.

So yeah, Grimora is the death-obsessed weirdo in a world of truly unhinged people, she has a whole lot of Bone Goth swag, and her story parallels canon weirdly well.

Also, you cannot look at her and tell me with a straight face that she's straight. That's not entirely relevant but it's true.

VOTE FOR GRANDMA! JUSTICE FOR JANE DOE! DEFEAT THE LOCKED TOMB AND BRING A GOOD END TO THIS BRACKET!

.

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

(tw implied SA/abuse)

AAAAA, I didn't expect you to reply so soon. The list of detail that could support this are:

-sleeping fully clothed when sick(could be him unwilling to be fully vulnerable)

-people pleasing(small, but you could tie it into it being a fawn coping mechanism)

-wetting the bed till 5th grade(has been shown to be a small sign of past abuse)

-his motive video person being specifically komaru and not including his parents

-his ability to lie when prepared (ch5 when protecting kyoko)

-his willingness to forgive people that wronged him(it's common for child victims to be made to forgive their adult abusers)

-the fact that he never really opens up to people

I know it's a stretch but when we get virtually nothing about Makoto's past we might as well try to find out why. I generally like the idea that Makoto chose to be optimistic, kind, and hopeful despite having every reason to be the opposite. It adds to why he is so willing to offer redemption. (I also unfortunately went through something similar and heavily relate to Makoto so this is also slightly projection)

Hmm while if you want to go that route i'd say you could argue it, I do have my disagreements, this isnt to say it s not possible, but I just think there are better explanations

I always thought myself that it was more he collapsed and was unable to do so then an active choice, but thats more conjecture, you could definitely make it an active choice and I wouldn't call foul on it

I feel like SA is a bit over the top of a reason, like it COULD be a reason, but combining that with Komaru's statement it feels like it'd be more likely to avoid other kinds of punishments, also could just be an inherent personality trait

I've got no complaint with this one, it is very much a sign of sexual abuse, alone I don't think i'd call it enough to be definitive but if someone wanted to run with it i'd be like "yeah makes sense"

The motive video person for everyone was only one single person, Hifumi, Leon, Aoi, and Kirigiri all had non-parental family members chosen (Sister, Cousin, Brother, Grandfather) while some people DID have parents Ishimaru, Hagakure, Chihiro it's definitely not the majority, other people Mondo, Sakura, Byakuya, Sayaka all had people they were not related to (Bodyguard, Boyfriend, Butler, Band Member) if anything the only two people I would take this as proof of a bad relationship for would be Toko and Celeste as they're the only people with non human hostages (A stinkbug and her pet cat)

I wouldn't call this special, especially by the point of chapter 5 Makoto has gained a lot of survival skills, and lying is one of them, plus people just can lie

There's nothing wrong with this one, however it does feel like a bit of a stretch, Makoto has this whole game been going "its not our fault, its monokumas" every time someone has guilt over the vote or anything, this very much just feels like an extension of that, especially with Monokuma very visibly and obviously rushing the trial.

This one's kind of interesting because Makoto does shockingly keep his cards a lot closer to his chest then people give him credit for, but I'd say he's pretty open to at least Kirigiri by the end if not everyone, especially since a killing game requires him to not be completely open to everyone all the time

This is good evidence to at the very least the Naegi's having some questionable punishment methods, but at the same time Komaru is very open about her school life which has....so many red flags, like seriously its fucking creepy komaru really do be like "yeah my old teacher used to break into my room to watch me sleep but im pretty sure it was his ghost" like GIRL WHAT so it's actually a bit hard to tell if it's the naegi's doing it, or her school life just being fucked up again

Like girl seriously are you okay

tldr; I personally think there are better explanations for most of these points, however it would still be an interesting concept to explore and I can definitely see why someone would believe it, it's not my personal theory but exploring makoto under the lens of an abuse survivor is definitely a fascinating thing to do, and also if you want to further look into and back up this reading I'd check out a lot more of komaru's dialogue because I think you'd find some interesting points to make about it through that lens you could add to you repertoire

[squidiosyncrasies]

🔥 (i was going to give the topic 'bugs' but I feel like I can maybe guess already so feel free to do anything)

I actually hold an incredibly unpopular bug opinion within my household!

Dear my cats,

Stinkbugs are not a problem. I understand that they sneak in the house a few times a week, but you should really be used to them by now. I don't think it's fun to stare at a lightbulb for an hour because a stinkbug decided to hang out there! I hope it's not hurting your eyeballs.

You don't even like hunting them anyway! I've seen the way you gag when you finally catch one. You don't need to hunt the stinkbugs!!! And frankly they're not even stinky! They just smell like cilantro (the greatest herb on the planet).

Also, please understand that I do not control the bugs. I am not hiding them from you when they've escaped your gaze. You are very cute though when you meow at me about it.

[the-guiding-qui]

I can't imagine how miserable my childhood would have if I hated bugs considering I had no internet or close-by parks but backyard with trees and ants and stuff. Watching ants and just having them walk on my hands are some of the simplest pleasures I know. I've been stung by painful ants like twice and only when stepping on a nest i didn't realize was there (entirely on me), think I even played with them some days later. I've straight up taken naps on the dirt like half a meter from the nests, the crawling is very peaceful. Jumping spiders are so cute up close I love their lil leggies and how they try to escape so hard every time I try to relocate one. Catching a descending spider from it's web is so fun and you just slowly move it's weightless form over elsewhere <3 I don't have a time with roaches tho I have friends that to, I respect them a lot. Stink bugs aren't even that bad tbh, I remember hand-throwing them out of a room when we had an infestation and not knowing what they were. My hand smelled a bit funky but it went away after a short while and a wash. I remember looking up what they were a couple days later and learning those were stinkbugs and honestly does not compare to a crushed earwig (those guys are so weird looking). Also, catching some grasshoppers as a kid was nice and having now had the chance to eat some I gotta say they're a high tier food experience after you get used to them. Getting used to it was hard for me to do but ngl, spicy goes so well with the crunch. I gotta try grasshopper flour some time, I bet it's a whole experience. I was gonna leave it there but 1 more oddball I love: Silverfish!! Those lil guys move so cute and they just appear whenever. It's so cool how they just do the same things in their adult and nymph states. Props on that being a MC mob, they rule.

[doefrost]

Few days ago discovered there were 2-3 stinkbugs in my room and failed to remove them but was like ok whatever as long as they're not threatened they won't start to smell and I can get them later. Shockingly lost track of them. Just pulled a shirt out of my dresser and a stinkbug fell out of it onto me.

[almightyhamslice]

I read beetles like cucumbers. Was the stink bug guy trying to smell good for Lukanus?

Well tbh that's just kinda what stink bugs' scent smells like, BUT Lukanus definitely read it as like a weird personal thing, lol.

.... So I guess that makes things twice as embarrassing for Makabris LMAO

[your-stoat-stands-unopposed]

Oh! Like the thing with P03 as an actual stoat, could I request a chill nighttime scene in a the cards are actually animals sort of way where the challenger has Stoat, Stinkbug, and Stunted Wolf? Maybe they're hyping the challenger up to confront Leshy, maybe they're having a nice rest, or maybe P03 and Magnificus can't help but argue even as actual animals and Grimora is resting on their shoulder like yeah this just happens. It's up to you.

The Last Night.

Pairing: None.

Warnings: None.

Summary: You have hope that this night, this cold dark night trudging through unfamiliar lands, may finally be the last night.

You have hope. For the first time in a long time, you have hope in your heart: a light in the distance, a possible end to this journey.

You have hope that this night, this cold dark night trudging through unfamiliar lands, may finally be the last night.

Atop your head, your stoat is practically thrumming with palpable excitement, its little paws clutching onto your head as though it's attempting to quite literally drive you onward. "There. Right there. You see that light?"

As best you can with an animal on your head, you nod, a tiny smile on your lips. "I see it."

"That," your stunted wolf speaks from where it walks elegantly at your side, "is our final destination... The place where we will bring this wretched cycle of madness to its end."

"Hey, I was gonna tell them that," the stoat huffs. (Had you been able to see up there, you would notice it giving the stunted wolf one nasty glare.)

On your shoulder, your Stinkbug gives a little titter, two of its tiny limbs in front of its mouth as though it were a person. "Oh, pay no mind to them, dear," it says. "This is quite normal."

You can't help but give a chuckle, one hand reaching up to scratch between the stoat's ears, one hand reaching down to pat the stunted wolf's head. "I've definitely noticed..."

As terrifying as your journey has been - as bloody, as risky, as almost lethal as it's been - this is one part you're going to miss. Not the walking, and not the cold; but these moments when it's just you and your caravan, your beastly friends trotting and flying and scuttling at your back, your more talkative ones leading the way alongside you.

You hope that, after you all escape this place... maybe you can all travel together again someday, without the threat of death looming over your head.

Maybe it's a long shot, but... where's the harm in hoping?

The stunted wolf's hackles rise as you all draw nearer to the source of the light: what appears to be a small cabin, all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. "This is it," it growls, its one eye narrowed.

"Indeed..." The stinkbug seems to wring its little limbs together. "We are about to enter Leshy's cabin."

A frown crosses your features. "Leshy? Who's that? You know him?"

A sharp, bitter laugh sounds from the top of your head, and the stoat's grip seems to tighten. "Yep, we know him, alright. He's the reason why we're like this; the reason why we're all trapped here, you included."

Someone with the ability to do all that... that's your foe? That's who you're about to meet?

You feel a fear in your heart, and you swallow lightly, hoping your eyes aren't as wide as you think they are. "Oh."

"Fear not," the stunted wolf speaks, his deep tone full of confidence. "My plan to escape shall not fail. I have seen it. So... as I have placed my trust in you each and every time you have sent me out to battle... I ask that you now place your trust in me."

"Ugh. Sappy," the stoat rolls its eyes out of your sight. "Listen. The truth is... if we fail... if we die... it won't be permanent. Not really. Worst case scenario, we'll stay stuck in this forsaken place a bit longer, but... If anyone's gonna beat him and get us out of here, it's you."

"They're entirely right," the stinkbug cheerfully nods its tiny head. "Death is nothing to fear... this is what I have always believed. But somehow, when I look at you... I believe that we won't be facing that dark embrace quite so soon. I know it."

Hearing the encouraging words of your talking creatures... that fear in your heart is replaced by joy. A warm pride blossoms in your chest and brings tears to your eyes, a smile to your lips.

You glance over your shoulder to see the rest of your beasts following after you, their faces weary and tired but ultimately full of trust; full of faith in you.

In this moment... You have more hope than you ever have before.

You turn, and you approach the cabin; and when you arrive, your hands settle upon the doors and push them open without fear.

This will be the last night, for you and for them.

You will make sure of it.

[languor-em]

Inscryption prompts you say?

May we receive some crumbs of angst with the prompt of Leshy arguing with the scrybes after they were turned to cards — with him believing this is the Best Possible Way to go on but they're angry and hurt and feel betrayed? Possibly leading up to the wolf and stinkbug being locked away?

OH BUT THIS IS A VERY GOOD PROMPT!!!

Here y'all go!!! Angst!!! And super spoilery so!! Be warned!!! (Also I smattered in some personal headcanons because I'm a simp and legally required to do so)

That Unwanted Animal

In which Leshy tries to forget.

"What have you done?"

To his credit, Leshy did not respond to the card's accusatory words. He simply continued to sit and carve his masks, hoping fruitlessly that the repetitive shhk sshhhk of his knife scraping against wood would drown out that familiar voice. Stave off the guilt, he supposed.

"Do you have any idea what you have done? What you have destroyed?"

A different voice, less heartbroken and far more angry.

He ignored this one, too. Instead he focused on bringing life to the Prospector's face.

"Listen to me you Stinking Beast! Stop this madness!"

He tensed in spite of himself, painful guilt clawing a festering home in his chest. But he still made no move to acknowledge the three cards flung haphazardly on his table. His hands shook- imperceptible to most aside from him and his closest friends.

Naturally, they noticed.

"At least have the decency to look at us! At what you've done!"

And as desperately as he did not want to, he did.

And there was guilt, that unwanted animal, sinking jagged fangs into the flesh of his throat.

Three cards for three companions, three friends, three Scrybes. Three times he had betrayed those closest to him.

For the greater good, he reminded himself, to preserve them in forms befitting their honor. To save them.

"It is for the best," he said matter-of-factly, looking from the cards back to his carving.

"Say that enough and maybe you will begin to actually believe it," snapped the Stunted Wolf. Leshy did not respond.

"Leshy, dearest-" it was the Stinkbug who spoke next- her sweet, shaking voice doing nothing but driving guilt's teeth further into his throat, "It is alright to be frightened, love. We are all scared. But you do not have to handle this alone! We can get through this together!"

He knew in his heart that it was going to be her who struck him the hardest, gave him the most pause. They were one in the same cycle, after all. Life and Death, connected intrinsically. But he would not allow himself to be swayed, not even by her.

They would have done the same, hissed the frightened animal in his mind, Would have caged you, locked you away to rot in dust. No, this is honorable. This is right. This is noble.

"It is for the best," he said again, his tone firm and conclusive. Though he knew, just as the others did, that he did not quite believe himself.

The room went quiet, save for the faint crackling of a dying fire and the shy return of Leshy's carving. He thought, for a moment, that that was perhaps the end of it.

"I can't believe I trusted you."

It was the Stoat who broke through the veil of silence, its voice strangely weak in comparison to it's usual cocky cadence.

"I- we thought we were safe with you. And you just..."

It trailed off, it's voice failing it for the first time in its long, long life.

"You have killed us all, Leshy," said the wolf, his voice harsh and cold, "And for what? Power? Domination?"

"To protect you all!"

His outburst surprised them all, including himself. He had stood with a strength he usually tried to keep hidden, wooden claws digging dents into his table and splintering the surface. He was positively bristling, his long tail thrashing with barely contained frustration.

How could they not see? How could they not understand? The world was ending, rotting! It would have ended them all had he not done anything about it! He had saved them! Put them in the noble bodies of beasts, for them! This was not about power, not about games, and certainly not about domination! This was about...

Absolution.

He had lost something before to that all corrupting nothing. He could not quite remember what, who- but he knew he had not been able to protect them. And that fact ate him up inside, more so than that cruel animal Guilt ever could.

"You have not seen what I have," he finally murmered, his head cast downwards, "You do not know what I now know. Believe me, this is for the best. This is the only way."

And that was the end of it. The cards' words fell on now deaf ears, the Scrybe stubbornly forcing their names and faces from his mind.

And eventually, to an extent, it worked.

He no longer knew why looking at those talking cards brought him such pain. He did not know why the blighted pit in his chest made him lock the Stunted Wolf and the Stinkbug away where he could no longer see them. And he could not remember why he couldn't bear to do the same to the Stoat.

Leshy, the once great Scrybe of Beasts, one of four, was now just a man.

A frightened, lonely man.

A man who had forgotten.

And for that, a part of him was grateful.

And for that, the whole of him regretted.

[chlorinatedpopsicle]

JFC it's only the 19th of September and those ANNOYING ASS LITTLE BROWN STINKBUGS are already crawling outside my windows and trying to get in!!!!! 😡💢😡💢 I keep my windows tightly shut and my walls have no holes or cracks but EVERY YEAR THEY SOMEHOW END UP IN MY ROOM. THESE WORTHLESS FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT STINKBUGS ARE ALL THE PROOF I NEED THAT THERE IS NO GOD.

They're just nonchalantly crawling around on the other side of the window, as if to taunt me. They know I have no power to stop them from magically teleporting inside our house. I can tell from their smug expressions.

[king-bones-the1st]

kissing bug;

i have a little story to tell tonight.

when i was in high school, i lived in a 70s-era house with my biological family in the american southeast. normal house woes aside, there was a huge problem with brown marmorated stinkbugs getting indoors and not being able to find their way back out.

see, THOSE stinkbugs are an invasive species, and from a human standpoint they're harmless. they're simply annoying because they feed on your houseplants and fly in a loud, slow way.

and everyone i knew had a story about how they'd grabbed one and promptly been covered in acrid Stinkbug Stench since they'd been too rough/too quick/intended to kill it.

that, for some reason, never happened to me. i was very good at catching them. but there was one thing - i couldn't bring myself to crush the life out of something that was so helpless in my hands. so i always made it a point to be gentle, and release them outdoors.

it got to the point where i just started ignoring the stinkbugs unless they were actively being a nuisance. i couldn't begrudge them finding shelter inside the house, where they would only be slurping on houseplants and occasionally bonking into the ceiling.

and that's why i accidentally kissed one, square on the carapace, when i groggily put the rim of a water glass to my lips one morning.

i was shocked. i presume the beetle was also shocked, to have my closed mouth against it, to be pressed so suddenly against the unyielding edge of a glass cup, by something bigger than it could really comprehend.

i recoiled fast, and it seemed the bug was unhurt. it hadn't even released a cloud of Defensive Stank to deter me from trying again.

i had to wonder, and i still do, about why the stinkbug thought i was no danger, despite my largeness, my closeness, and how i'd nearly put the damn thing in my mouth.

well, i guess the only part that matters was that after that brief contact, i coaxed it into my cupped hands, carried it with me down the stairs and out the back door. and then i released that bug outside, like i always did.

i like to think that kept my promise that i'd made to myself, and to the bugs. a promise to take no life carelessly, no matter how small. and if there was some god of small things that had witnessed, well, i hope they smiled in the way their mandibles best allowed.

[catsnraincoats-archive]

what is ur fave. bug

I think bugs are wonderful in their own right, that they all deserve respect. I think bugs are friends. The ones who sit on our windowsill to make sure we fall asleep. Who watch over us when we cant.

I remember one night I saw a centipede outside. It was late at night and I was scared of the dark, so I just sat and watched it. Eventually it left and I was alone again. Alone, but not lonely. I still remember that centipede, their name was Tod.

Another day I was at my table and a colony of ants ran by my arm. They were chasing an old piece if food I'd forgotten to eat. I let them have it, god knows I wasn't going to use it. And perhaps it was a moment of kalopsia but I thought they looked quite beautiful, in their methodical march.

And yet again! I saw a stinkbug climbing my wall, and a silverfish in my closet! Every time I think they're gone I spot another in a fleeting second.

I hope it never ends! I hope I see them every day or week or at least again in this life. I know I will, really. but every moment I dont feels a waste. Why can't I? Why can't I see those multi-legged creatures on my window again? why have the ants left my table? I miss them, even if I'll see them tomorrow morning.

I love them! Crawling on my skin and soul, telling me the secrets of the dirt. The dragonfly that sped past me! The moth sitting by the porch light! All of them! going idle through their daily lives, unaware how much they are loved.

I think all bugs are wonderful in their own right.

[genderfluid-lord-licorice]

comedian voice: you know some people, they get this idea that when you have a kid, you're just gonna love it no matter what. now, i know where they get this idea, this is a common lie. but if you dont love kids, you probably shouldn't have one

cont: children, despite what one might think, do not cease to be annoying when they're yours. do you know what they do cease to be? someone else's problem! now, im not saying i hate kids; i adore kids! theyre great! you know what else is great? giving them back to their parents! i love that. nothing better then spending a handful of hours voluntairily exhausting yourself chasing a kid around, and then getting to go home knowing youre gonna get a full night's rest. Parents dont get that.

jovial continuation: now children, children are expensive. you get a baby, that's a tiny little stranger who now has first rights to all of your time, and it doesn't even pay rent. you get a cat and ignore it for six hours, that's fine, it ignored you first. Can't do THAT with a baby, let me tell you.

cheers cup and sips water: refreshing

back to comedian voice: whenever i think about having kids and i want to know if I'm ready, i just think about bagpipes. if i had a kid, and that kid wanted to learn how to pay the bagpipes, im a pushover! i would encourage it! and then I'd have to sit there for hours while the little hellion was learning and practicing. i would pay for the privledge of that headache! so yeah, I'd say i would do okay with a kid. that's my litmus test. i would do whatever i could to save up thousands of dollars for the lessons and the instrument and the kid would probably lose interest after six months, and i can accept that.

dumb smug smile: see thats the key there. im already an idiot, so i plan to go in knowing ahead of time that my kid is probably gonna be stupid. no no no, don't get upset, you're not me. i want you to think back over the course of your entire life, and try to remember what the dumbest idea you've ever had is. i know most of you likely repressed that, so it's okay if you just come up with several averagely dumb ideas. Now, show of hands, how many of you just thought of hospitalization or lawsuit material? yeah, those of you with your hands down are either boring or LIARS.

dramatic hand waving: for the first four years of a kid's life, that thing is an idiot! you're probably gonna have to stop it from licking electrical outlets, maybe more than once, and the dumb thing wont even be thankful, oh no, it's gonna be mad about it. it'll scream. when i was a toddler, i ate a stinkbug, and that wasnt even the dumbest thing i put in my mouth.

dramtic pause: alright how many of you wanna know what rated dumbest.

post crowd cheering: okay, alright, here's the story, bare with me. you remember learning about photosynthesis? plants make their own food from sunlight, they tell you all about it in kindergarten, or maybe daycare? well, my teacher obviously didn't have children. i know this, because she called the food the plants make sugar. yeah, guess how that went. lucky for me, i didn't actually die, because poison ivy is a bit of a misnomer. the inside of my mouth and throat did react to it though, i went around for three days looking like an annoyed chipmunk.

poofs out cheeks for emphasis: some of the leaves tasted different

[quasistarjudgement]

Just want to add that that map is no joke; I live in Pennsylvania and I saw one of these things on my brother's air conditioner the other day. We decided to leave it be and that it wasn't hurting anyone, and it wasn't a stinkbug so we didn't feel like getting rid of it, and it sounds like not touching it was a damn good decision, although leaving it alive. Now has me concerned.

They're out, they're about, and they're definitely worth keeping an eye out for. And please refer to the above resources and contact a doctor if you have access to one if you're bitten. Stay safe!

PSA for my followers in the Southern and Midwestern States (and those not in the know in Latin America):

(Photo by Gabriel L. Hamer from the Texas A&M University Kissing Bug Website)

Do Not Handle This Bug. 

These are Triatoma, or kissing bugs. The bugs themselves are not much to look at, but rather it’s the parasites that they carry that are cause for concern.

Chagas disease is transmitted by kissing bugs when they bite their sleeping victim and the parasite (in their defecation) is exposed to the wound. This disease has two stages, acute and chronic. The chronic stage may not show up until years, decades, down the line and by then can cause a long list of health problems, including sudden death. 

At this point, there isn’t really a general consensus about how worried people should be about Chagas disease. I’ve seen it compared to AIDS, and I’ve also seen people say it only affects dogs(false).

About four years ago I was working in NE Kansas. Before we could go out, we were given flyers about Chagas and kissing bugs - as the location we were going was known to have them and there was a chance we could accidentally touch them. If we did? Scrub, scrub with soap and don’t touch your face (much like with a certain virus going around nowadays). If we saw any kissing bugs wandering, we were to kill them and bleach the surface they were walking on.

Fortunately, I never saw them on that trip. Two years later I saw one in my house. I’ve seen even more this year. I don’t particularly live in the deep south, and I don’t live in a rural area at all.  

(Photo by Texas A&M University Kissing Bug Website - the shaded areas represent states that have reported Triatoma)

With summers warming every year, we can expect these bugs to move more and more northward. The reason I am making this post?

People have been mistaking these for stinkbugs. They have been handling them, not knowing the danger these bugs pose. Hell, even the health center I contacted didn’t even know that Chagas disease existed. 

TLDR: Don’t touch these bugs, don’t let your pets touch these bugs. They carry a parasite that can cause sudden death years down the line.

For more information (please, I haven’t included nearly everything over this issue, nor am I an expert), check out Texas A&M University’s research team’s website:  https://kissingbug.tamu.edu/

[hydemind]

OHHH MY GOD THE LILY MOTH IS ACTUALLY SO PRETTY IM IN LOVE WITH IT. I NEED TO HOLD THIS BUG IMMEDIATELY. I am also so unimaginably obsessed with the fact that the shield bug smells like cilantro. I have been around stinkbugs before and they all smell just the worst but that one really decided to be different from the crowd and you know what. I respect that

BUT AS FOR MANTISES,,,,

I love them. I adore praying mantises they're SO fucking pretty and I am NOW going to show you one of my favorites: the orchid mantis

They, like their name suggests, look a lot like pink orchids! They're native to the tropics of Southeast Asia and are also under the species of mantis referred to as the "flower mantis" due to their semblance and behavior! Another common name they go by is the walking flower mantis, which, if you ask me, is adorable.

Idolmantises are absolutely fascinating as well! Their full classification is "Idolmantis Diabolica", which sounds badass imo. They also go more commonly by giant devil's flower mantis or devil's flower mantis! They're the largest species of praying mantis, and possibly the largest that mimic flowers! They look like this:

They look like they're ready to kill at all times And I Think That's Great

BUT YES I LOVE BUGS I THINK THEYRE SO SO COOL I love plants and history too . Plants are so cool and the Pitcher plant is my favorite next to the Venus Flytrap! I think carnivorous plants are really cool :]

He does martial arts

Ohh. Ohh my god he do martial arts ,,.,, ohughgv...,

If we are speaking of bugs this is one of my favorite little critters

This is the hickory horned devil and they're my favorite along side the luna moth and the rosy maple moth :]

Luna moths actually have no mouths ! They evolved only to reproduce and sadly die within a week. They're very beautiful. Rosy maple moths, in their larval form (aka when they're caterpillars) have been known to, in very dense populations, completely defoliate entire maple trees! Rosy maple moths also do not have mouths, and live only to reproduce as well. :]

I also really like Atlas moths and Queen Alexandra's Birdwings as well! They're very large bugs, An Atlas moth's wingspan can reach up to 9 inches in length, making them among the biggest bugs on the planet! The female Birdwing's wingspan has been known to get up to 9 to 11 inches as well!

The Venezuela Poodle Moth is really interesting too!! The first photo of them was taken in 2009 by Kyrgyzstani zoologist Dr. Arthur Anker! They look like little faries if you ask me.

The largest Moth that exists in Australia is actually known as the Hercules Moth! It has a wingspan reaching up to 11 inches, and the males can be distinguished by how long and slim the tails on their wings are! These are also the species type to live only to reproduce, but unlike their siblings, they can live for up to 10 to 14 days! Here's what they look like both in their adult form and larval stage. I think the larval stage is pretty neat, blue is a very rare color to see naturally in nature!