#corvid crew

[someduckwithagun]

DRAW THEM AS THEIR AGE AAAAAAA

no because that is one of my biggest pet peeves so here yall go

[blood-injections]

This is. The dumbest thing I have ever made.

[skellseerwriting]

I’m Her First Mate

Harry Hook x Gn!Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Content & Warnings: Hurt/comfort, love confessions (sorta) via “first mate” terminology, kissing, set between D2 and D3, platonic Huma mentioned, reader’s parent was going to be Jetsam (Ursula’s eel)(don’t ask how that works) to explain how they’re Uma’s official second in command but it’s never written in context, yes I know first mate is supposed to be second in command (Harry just likes being told what to do)

Summary: With Uma outside the barrier and you in charge, Harry’s frustration keeps building up over her being gone

The alternations between “Harry” and “Hook” are intentional

“Ay!” Harry snapped at a crew member who was struggling to carry a large crate onto the ship. “Unload that cargo faster, ya weak guppy!”

You crossed your arms as you continued to watch him behave this way. Every other second he would bark orders at people and get upset over meaningless things.

Harry Hook was a ticking time bomb that was wounding tighter every second. His patience was thinner than (former) King Adam’s tolerance. No matter how much the crew tried to keep up with his demands, they always ended up getting yelled at.

Intruding into their personal space with his father’s hook waving around their faces, Harry spat venomous threats. You tapped your foot impatiently at the sight. He hadn’t even noticed you watching for the past ten minutes on the upper deck.

“Gil! Stop talking to that bloody crow!” He shouted at his best friend, who aptly waved goodbye to the corvid who flew off so he could get back to his tasks.

It wasn’t until Harry threw someone over the railing due to “misplacing” some materials a few feet to the right that you had finally had enough.

“Hook!”

“What?” He hissed as he turned to look at you, then immediately softened a bit once he realized it was you. But only a bit. His face and eyes were still all sharp edges.

“Meet me in my office.” You demanded, walking away.

“It’s not your office!” He called back, annoyed.

“It is while I’m in charge.” You said dryly.

Hearing frustrated noises emit from Harry as he no doubt ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, he finally began following behind you.

“Close the door.” You commanded, not looking behind you to check. He always did as he was told; even if it was begrudgingly.

The wooden door slammed shut with a bang as you sat in Uma’s swivel chair behind her desk. After propping your legs up on the wooden piece of furniture and crossing your arms once again, you raised an eyebrow at him.

He was still fuming with clenched fists at his sides; the only difference being that he stood in place this time. However, he was quivering with rage. A red aura wafted off of him in waves as his stark eyes held a near-murderous fury.

“What?” He asked, glaring down at you. Your eyebrows angled downwards.

“Don’t ask me ‘what?’.” You pressed your mouth into a thin line. “Your behavior today is completely unacceptable. You’re supposed to be my greatest asset, Harry. Not a liability.”

Harry flinched at the condescension in your tone, but he didn’t let up. Gesturing wildly towards the door with his father’s hook, he started ranting.

“They’re the liability! We need to get ready to set sail and they’re not working fast enough. Uma’s out there finding a way to lift the barrier and we’re just sitting here and-“

“I’m cutting you off right there.” You raised your hand, and he snapped his mouth shut with his teeth grinding together. “I put you in charge over the preparation team so I could focus on strategy. Without Uma here, I have to come up with a plan. I come onto the deck and see you treating my crew like they’re a barnacle you can’t scrape off your boot-“

“They’re not your crew.” He seethed, leaning forward over the desk with his hands spread apart.

“Don’t interrupt me.” You snapped. “You might be her first mate, but I’m her second in command. While Uma is gone, I’m in charge. So as of right now, this is my ship and my crew. Got that?”

Harry clicked his jaw in and out of place, shifting his eyes around a bit. “Fine.” He said, not looking at you. As he dug the tip of his hook into the edge of the desk that shared dozens of identical nicks next to it, he couldn’t resist another verbal retaliation. “You may have the crew and the ship, but I’m still her first mate. Got that?”

The tension in the room turned to a boiling point. Hearing him establish his allegiance pricked at your heart, but you ignored it for the sake of the dispute.

Standing and imitating his stance, you looked down your nose at him. You had never had to deal with his mood swings before. Uma has always done that. But even then, they had never been this volatile before. Never.

“I want to get this ship sea-worthy just as much as you do.” You said, hoping things could ease a little through your empathy and shared-interest. “If you want the crew to work faster, then pull yourself together and then get them in line. If I see you let your emotional constipation over Uma being gone hinder any progress we should be making, then I’m demoting you.”

Your words had the opposite of the desired effect. Harry seethed even more as he pointed his hook at your face over the desk between you.

“You can’t do that.”

It was probably what you said about Uma.

“I can until she gets back.” You threatened, leaning farther until the cool metal of the hook lay against your cheek as you bore into his wrathful eyes. Your tone was unforgiving as you laid out your ultimatum. “I’m dead serious, Hook. One more mess up, and I’m going to make you regret making me regret giving you this responsibility. I’ll even make sure to inform Uma just how disappointed I am in you.”

It stung a bit to say those words, but it seemed to sting Harry even more to hear them. He inhaled deeply, his eyes going wide. His face went frozen; all that wrath trapped in it.

You were waiting for him to blow up. You expected the heat of his anger to take over and burst out unchecked like lit dynamite. So, it took you by surprise when the opposite happened.

 An emotional implosion took place within him; snapping like a broken dam at those last words about Uma. His eyes softened. A few second later, a single tear ran down his cheek.

Visibly grinding his teeth together, Harry started to sob as more tears greeted his face. He hung his head low, then straightened his posture as he brought his elbow up to cover his mouth as he looked away from you.

Gulping down his cries, he started keeling again over the desk.

Something struck within you at the sight. You knew he was practically sick from missing Uma, but you never imagined it being bad enough to the point of this. His anguish was painful to see.

Walking around the desk, you placed a hand on his back while his body trembled terribly. Heavy cries escaped his mouth as he wracked with torment.

Taking his hat off, you set it down gently, then began to slowly run your fingers through his messy hair.

Harry stilled for a moment. Then, he began shaking again. However, it was less violent then before. His biceps still flexed as he gripped the edge of the desk, but his fingers seemed to loosen slightly.

Placing your free hand on his bare shoulder to try and relax the muscles there, you just continued to sift the dark strands between your knuckles; lightly tugging as you did so. Without really thinking, you began humming a familiar tune you learned from Uma when you were younger.

As if like magic, Harry was almost completely motionless. A calm silence overtook him. You could barely see his face, but it looked peaceful with how his eyes were closed.

Time passed a bit. You continued what you were doing. Slowly, Harry leaned closer and closer into you from where you were standing next to him. With his head angled under your chin, he finally let go of the desk and wrapped his arms around your waist. As you did the same and rubbed your hands up and down his back, he stood up straighter and tucked his face into your neck. His grip was tense, yet at the same time, it was careful. Like he might break you.

He started to cry again. It was small, though. It wasn’t filled with sadness like before. It was… relieved.

A few minutes passed and you both just stood there like that. His shoulders sagged; tired from the emotional weight that had been laying on them. Through letting the pain out, the fear and frustration slowly left his body, drop by drop.

You knew it wasn’t enough, however. Not quite.

“C’mere.” You encouraged, pulling away. He doubled down on his hold around you and forced you into a tight hug; shaking his head “no” against your shoulder. “It’s okay.” You murmured, grabbing his left hand and peeling it away from your back to guide him along as you approached the sofa Uma kept in her office. His body parted farther away from yours as you took a seat on the dusty cushion.

Harry stared strangely at your connected hands. The dark makeup around his eyes was completely smudged, but it couldn’t hide the puffy red underneath. You tugged at his loose grip a couple times, then patted the space next to your left with your free hand. Harry let you string him along and sat down. Wasting no time, you reached an arm over his left shoulder and urged him lean sideways to rest his head on your lap. He tucked his knees in on the couch as he lay there silently. With a loose grip, he held your left hand to his chest while you carded through his dirty hair with your right.

“I’m so proud of you.” Your soft words broke the silence. Harry sniffled.

Feeling your chest go tight, you resisted the urge to lean forward to see his face better from where it was angled away from you.

“You work so hard for me. For her.” You did your best to smooth your voice like a balm; to create something soothing that would calm him further. With your fingers tracing patterns behind his ear, he shuddered and curled his body tighter. “I know this has been hard for you. I’m so sorry you’ve had to suffer with her gone.”

Small weeping noises emitted from Harry again. His nose dug sideways into your leg. You turned to scratching his scalp in the way you had seen your captain do it.

“Uma will be back.” You promised, trying to keep the sorrow out of your voice. “She’ll be back and she’ll be able to give you all the affection and approval that you need.”

The affection and approval I can’t give you.

You hated he was hurting. Absolutely hated it. And yet, you couldn’t help but be a bit glad Uma was gone for a time. It meant you got to have this moment with Harry, with your hands on him; comforting him.

And that made you hate yourself more than anything.

Harry squeezed your hand, and you brought your attention back to him. A shaky, deep inhale made its way through his chest. Then, he exhaled a little smoother.

“It doesn’t just have to be her.” He whispered. You blinked; refusing to think what you wanted that to mean.

“Oh yeah?” You hummed lightly, distracting yourself and your palpitating heart by combing his hair out of his face with your fingers. “What does that mean?”

Harry turned over. On his back, his knees bent upwards while his countenance became fully visible. His face was still a mess, but his eyes looked clear.

Setting his hook down on his chest -which he was still clutching your hand to-  he brought his free hand up to thumb at your cheek.

You were instantly drawn into the feeling, the tenderness of it as his eyes looked at you so warmly all of a sudden. A second later, however, you turned your face away, and his fingers fell to rest against your neck.

“I’m not her, Hook.” You said, throat feeling tight.

“I know.” He murmured, now tracing his fingers along your throat. Goosebumps appeared there and made you shiver.

“I’m-“ you scrambled for something to say to him. “I’m not your captain, Harry. She is. She’s the one you’re waiting for-“

Harry just hummed as he continued his action; now at your collar. The pads of his fingers brushing over and underneath the bone there. As his hand started changing places again, you grabbed his wrist.

“Harry…” you finally looked down at him again. He just laid there; hair not even long enough to splay out around him like a halo. Instead, it’s messy points curled upwards like tiny horns. Blue eyes stared calmly into yours.

“What is it?” He asked, as if he didn’t already know. Debating on how to word things, your internal defenses came down farther when he brought the hand he was holding up to his lips.

You pulled it out of his grip. The argument fell flat on your tongue as you once again bore into those icy eyes of his.

“I may be her first mate.” He began, grabbing both of your hands this time and laying them against his chest. The heat spread into your palms along with the rise of fall of his breathing. “But right now, you’re my captain, ay?” Your heart simultaneously soared and berated itself over those words. “And I-“ he squeezed your hands tighter as his eyes searched yours for something. “I want to do my best for both my captains. And I know Uma’s the one I always adhere to but… but right now I want to be with you. I-” he swallowed. “I want to be your first mate right now.”

You think a tear just fell down you cheek.

“Ay don’t cry now lass.” He took a second to sit up to wipe it away with his thumb. “I think I’ve cried enough for the both of us already.”

You laughed a little at his quip, but your voice sounded so sad.

“I’m sorry.” You voiced, trying to gently push his hands away. He was now on his knees next to you, and with the height advantage he chose to hold the back of your head.

Hunching over, he pushed his face close to you.

“What’s the matter?”

You couldn’t shrink away from his stare. All you could do was try your best to look away; eyes straining.

Opening your mouth, you closed it again and debated on how to even word it.

“I don’t-“ you bit down on your tongue. “I don’t want to be a temporary replacement, Harry.” The rest of it flowed out easier once you said that. “I don’t want to just fill Uma’s role in your life and then have to go back to normal. I don’t want to be used like that.”

“Oh but it’s not like that.” He reassured, stroking his fingers through your hair. “It’s not like that at all.”

“Then what is it like?” You asked with a bite in your tone, being defensive to try and spare even just a little bit of your feelings.

Leaning back fully until he was sitting on his calves, Harry trailed his hands over your shoulders and down your arms to rest at your hands. He interlocked your fingers, and urged you to shift your seating so you were angled more to your left to face him better.

“It’s like this.” He said, and you couldn’t help but listen. “Uma is my captain. I’m her first mate and I would do anything for her. More than anything, the praise and affection she gives me provides me life. It provides me breath, and I love it. I love her.” Slowly and slowly your heart began to sink more. “But despite all that.” He continued. “I have only ever loved her as my captain. Just my captain.” You were still unsure where he was going with this, but you decided to take a chance and leave your heart half opened to his words. “I take orders from her because she’s my captain. When I do as you tell me, it’s because it’s you; not because of some hierarchy.” Once again, he brought your hands to his chest. You felt his heartbeat running rapidly. “And the praise and affection she gives me…” he hesitated, turning sheepish. “She provides it because I want it from you.”

You were stunned.

“But-” Your brain scrambled for a way to deny everything. “All those things you said, about it being her crew, about my authority-“

“Well at its heart those are still hers.” He said gently, brushing your knuckles against his cheek. “But it was never about that. You were never about that to me. I want my captain back… but I also want you back. Back when we had the same level of authority under her.”

A smile cracked on your face. Harry grinned in return.

It may not have been the most romantic move, but you leaned forward to hug him; needing to feel him close. His arms nearly strangled you in return.

“She’ll be back.” You promised, breath tickling his hair. “I promise.”

“Of course.” His own voice tickled your neck. “Just promise me one thing.”

“What?”

He pulled away, holding you at half an arm’s length.

“That we won’t go back to being normal.”

“What does that m-“

Harry kissed you.

You wrapped your hand behind his head to pull him in closer; kissing him back.

His lips expertly danced against yours, and your face went warm at the feeling. You didn’t even want to think how much practice it took to get that skilled. But, you had the satisfaction of knowing that this was pure passion; perhaps the first time he had kissed someone and actually meant it. Eventually, you broke away for air.

Knocking your forehead against Harry’s, you asked him a breathless, lighthearted question.

“Is the option of you being my first mate still on the table?”

Laughing, he placed a hand against your hair as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Of course.” He smiled. “I’m sure Uma wouldn’t mind sharing me.”

“Well if this is going to work, it’d be more like me sharing you.”

Harry became transfixed by your eyes.

“How about you both share me equally?”

Now it was your turn to laugh.

“Sure.” You said, giving him another drawn-out kiss. “As long as I get to be the one kissing you.”

Harry flashed a toothy grin.

“Only if Uma’s okay with it!” He teased, laughing when you hit his arm over the joke. In return, he just pressed a chaste kiss against your cheek, letting out a manic giggle.

“You’re going to be the end of me…” You sighed, closing your eyes, then opened them again when Harry started tracing your face with the curve of his father’s hook.

“You’re already the end of me.” He breathed, and you started reflecting back to the task that had consumed you both for the past couple of weeks.

“We’ll get this ship ready, Harry.” You promised him. “For Uma.”

Pausing his motions to stare at your lips, Harry moved his eyes back up to yours. Then, he bared his teeth in an ear-splitting grin.

“For Uma.”

Taglist: For Harry Hook

@lesbpotmurdocklokistan @mushroomdemon9 @leoisbabygirl @brokenmilkcrates

@little-teacupss @eretsupremacy89 @yokolesbianism

[demigoddessqueens]

Imagine Altaïr, Malik, Ezio, Haytham, Shay, Connor, and Arno trying to deal with an S/O who has befriended the local crow population.

It's cute when the crows keep bringing you small trinkets, keep using you as a perch, or follow you around all the time.

What's not quite as cute is when one day you get captured and the damn crows keep breaking into the residence and SCREAMING at your poor boyfriend. He'd be finding you right away the instant he knows something's wrong and you're hurt, and the corvids are definitely more than smart enough to help.

Oh, and when you're found? Injured? Not only are you staying right with them at all times but you're being watched by five or six sets of beady eyes all the time.

Awww! This was so cute and then got angsty then cute again!

HERE ON MASTERLIST 9

altair

It’s 50/50 with him, either he’s intrigued by your bird companions or annoyed they impose on moments with you

if you were ever taken from him or missing, Altair tries not to panic but feels some relief that he can track you down when the crows lead him to you

Now he appreciates their loyalty to you and how they’ve come to accept him as well. After all, he’s glad there are those who look after you when he’s not there

malik

Thought it was a bit odd at first, but it wasn’t a bother to anyone, and at least when you visited there was additional company with the birds. As long as they didn’t make a mess of things.

if anything bad happened to you or you were taken, he’s grateful for their lingering presence to signal where you are

After an incident like that, Malik now has the habit of tying notes to their legs, saying something like “whatever impulse you have that leads to trouble, think twice about that.”

ezio

Equally annoyed but intrigued about the corvids and tries to bribe them to bring him trinkets too

in the case of you being taken or missing, every eye on the ground and in the sky is able to find you safely.

Also likes to tie notes to said crows’ legs to pass along to you. Something funny, cute like “I see you.”

haytham

Is not amused at all. He thinks they’re annoying 😝

but if you were ever kidnapped or separated from him, he’s grateful that the unlikeliest allies help find you

There was a rare moment you saw him attempt to bond with them, one successfully perching on his finger

shay

He didn’t think much of your pet birds before but they were a welcomed presence on the ship during longer voyagers

the one time you were not by his side, his fiery temper almost got the best of him before your own trackers lead him down every path to find you

From there on out, he greets them like he does any other crew member. Giving them treats sometimes

Ratonhnhake:ton

He adores your birds and thinks it’s sweet they look out

however, pity the souls who try to take you away because there’s no corner they can hide in

Of course your pet crows are just naturally drawn to his calmness, always perched on his shoulders

arno

He thought it was oddly endearing that you’ve bonded with these birds, although they happen to be a bit of a nuisance

Now if you were to ever be taken from him, it’s all hands on deck

Given the amount of loss and heartbreak he’s had in life, it’s no surprise that Arno always wants you close to him and appreciates the corvids for keeping tabs on you

[witchofthesouls]

About the Other/Cybertronian!TFP crew in Jack, Raf and Miko…

What would their alt modes be like, do you think? Would they be more Autobot, Decepticon, or Predacon in nature? Also, what kind of shenanigans would each of them get into?

Personally, I do enjoy the thought that cyberized!humans would have a slant towards 'military' upgrades and beastial traits. Like a tribute to humanity's ties to the animal kingdom and their capacity for arms (tool usage lol). Think of it how a lot of civilian equipment, vehicles, fashion, and architecture, as well as groundbreaking discoveries, had a lot of roots from warfare or military applications.

Shoot, I'm thinking that Aligned verse cyber!humans could be considered throwbacks since the initial generations of early Cybertronians didn't have T-cogs!

I think it would be really fascinating to build on the Cybertronians' form of ableism (as seen with Bumblebee and Starscream with their stolen T-cogs) compared to a cyber!Agent Fowler -who was an Army Ranger-or a cyber!random human that lacks a weapon system and/or conventional armature. Plus, the massive culture clash between American views on social mobility versus Golden Age Functionist-held caste system.

(So much shenanigans there.)

Generally, my thoughts for their Cybertronian forms are consistent across the various Other aus with some tweaking on the plot and the world-building:

Jack has deep ties to blackbirds and corvids, so he's capable of flight. May have multi-forms as an ode to a fae heritage or something strange as a direct descendant to a Prime of Chaos upon a planet caging the Unmaker. Dark frame with a pale face. His (and his mother's) optics would be a grey-blue hue.

Miko is a War-Forged Seeker femme. A lot of is due my headcanons on Seekers (and their kin) and her yōkai roots. War-Forged is what I'm specifically calling Elita One's frame-kith. Cybertronians used to bleed pink, so the bright pink armor is callback their Primal Age and their ancient roots. War-Forged are mecha with extreme combat-related programs that modern science as yet to come close to surpassing them.

As for Raf, he's a dragon. Not quite a Predacon, but it's definitely aligned. Or, weirdly enough, a satellite. I think it would be funny if he's similar to Soundwave in some ways there. The Autobots would need to deal with his data-cables. A dragon shape as it's a call his family's roots to being adventurers to Elsewhere, his dad being a dragon himself, and the old warning: "Here be dragons."

[birdgenetics]

Birdtober 8th, 2024 "Corvid Crew"

This isn't really a "crew" since their ranges don't overlap much, but I just wanted to draw a Blue Jay and a Black-Billed Magpie, so that's what I did.

[cupids-chamber]

" Requests are open now, for Twisted Wonderland Circus Au.. "

CIRCUS AU! You've scrolled through endless of emails, in search of one in specific—However, one miss-click later, you've found yourself opening an email.. about a raffle draw? 'Dear customer, you've won our Yearly Raffle Draw, for an all expense paid trip to every show held by the NRC (Night Raven Circus), check out our website linked down below, for more information on your prize!'

[ SHOWS ] HEARTSLABYUL - DIASOMNIA - POMEFIORE - OCTAVENILLE - SAVANACLAW - SCARABIA . . .

"Is this isn't a scam?..." [ WARNINGS ] The Circus crew is predominantly supposed to feature yandere content, so any requests you have for this au most likely will be written with a yandere viewpoint unless specified otherwise.

[ SITE ] REQUESTING RULES - REQUEST NOW !!!

works to be added....

— taglist ♡ ; @corvids-treasure-box , @woo0o0oo0o0o , @inkybloom-luv , @achy-boo , @vicsartscafe , @malikryx , @braindead-archives , reply to join !

© cupids-chamber, do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work/theme without prior permission and or confirmation.

[spookymultimedia]

Swap AU with Jericho and Gricko !

Jericho is a scarecrow druid who specializes in birds, especially corvids and ravens. He came from a village of scarecrows but they didn't approve of his connection to crows. So he was banished. He uses his flute to call on bird spirits. His daughter is Fluff, a disabled Raven who can't fly too far due to a damaged wing. She has the flight capability of a chicken. She is very clever and dexterous and loves helping her father with opening locks and such. His best gal is Lethica Nightborne. They work at Briggsy's carnival, up until Briggsy was caught to be a sham and a scammer. Then the crew end up at The Witchlight Carnival.

Gricko GrimGrin is a goblin bard of secrets who was caged by witches and his soul was bound to Virgil to be used to hunt for children. With help from Virgil they escaped together. Gricko claims they're best friends but Virgil tends to push him around and nip at him. He carries around a guitar that he likes to play goblin rock music on. It's also his tie to Virgil. He carries a leash that muzzles Virgil, but it's hard to say who's actually the one trapped one. Sometimes it seems like Virgil is pulling him around. There's an amber key that could remove the muzzle and undo their bound souls.

[3zethe3zr]

STP Voices preening headcanons

These are mostly based off of my designs for the voices (silly little anthropomorphic corvids - each a different species with a different accessory) But i thought they were too fun not to share :]

Now, in some particular order:

Takes absolute shit care of themselves and their feathers:

Broken (Collared Crow)- I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Its Broken. His feathers are fifty shades of fucked up and hes trapped in too much self loathing to ever consider preening, social or not. The manacles have damaged his wing feathers to the point that even without the chains, he cannot fly. Cold (Common Raven)- Feeling nothing does not mean they experience any discomfort when unkempt and sees self maintenance as wholly boring. Is absolutely rank. Also considers social preening an absolute waste of time, is lucky to have Hunted as a bestie Cheated (Chough)- Never gets in horrid enough condition that Broken and Cold do, but somehow manages to be worse. Does not see the point in self maintenance when his feathers are just going to get fucked up in the future, but the second he feels he's too unkempt he will start complaining. Doesn't enjoy social preening either, so the others have to force him at metaphorical gunpoint, and he whines the entire time

Takes insanely good care of their feathers:

Opportunist (Eurasian Magpie)- First impressions matter! He is always ridiculously well put together and shiny. Wants the connections social preening could give (and maybe a friend), so tries to initiate it frequently. Often the one badgering Cheated to take care of himself by appealing to Cheateds' better nature. Cheated does not have a better nature. Hunted (Malayan Black Magpie)- Well maintained feathers have a fuck ton of benefits for a Weird Fucked Up Prey Creature so Hunted is insanely diligent about making sure every feather is in order, and gets cagey and on edge when this is not the case. Social Preening is its primary way of bonding and it greatly enjoys it. The one keeping Colds feathers from getting too nasty.

Perfectly average preening habits, nothing to write home about:

Hero (Carrion Crow)- Tries his best but often ends up a little scruffed up around the edges Skeptic (Taiwan Blue Magpie)- Normally keeps themselves very presentable, you can tell when their mind is occupied as they get unkept very quickly Contrarian (Steller's Jay)- Always looks perfect without having to try at all. Everyone else hates this.

Would have good care of their feathers BUT:

Paranoid (Rook)- Anxiety is a double-edged sword, he takes very good care of his feathers due to it, but can also over-preen and has a few bald patches. His gloves bend his wing feathers out of shape and that only stresses him out more. Does not trust any of the others to preen him. Smitten (Blue Jay)- His feathers are ridiculously well groomed, and he cares about looking good. However, he does not take that helmet off ever, and nobody else is allowed to take that helmet off- so his facial & head feathers are as fucked up, bent and grimy as Broken and Colds. Perhaps even worse. Outside of the helmet thing, he delights in social preening. Stubborn (Jackdaw)- Being in good condition means he can fight for longer, so preening is a worthwhile investment to make. Post fight, you're going to need a fucking construction crew to put him and all his feathers back into place. Doesnt enjoy social preening and gets fidgety and bored fast.

[sleeplesssmol]

In your opinion what is Vertin suitcase animal? I'm trying to draw different gacha games as animals like Stelle and caelus as racoons, chiefs from Path to nowhere as snakes or cats, lumine and aether as bunnies or rabbits, rovers from wuwa as ravens/crow etc.

Friend, you're opening Pandora's box! We used to talk about this A LOT but at the end of the day I think it depends on what side you want to embody.

Frog because of all rain motifs?

Snow leopard cause it kinda looks like her?

Birds for symbolic reasons like liberty, or a caged bird for the exact opposite.

We also joked around about raccoons and possums too.

But I think somewhere along the lines, I stuck with cat because its more comprehensive than the others. Here is how I see it:

Cats are clever, independent, and adaptable. They're curious little things who manage to get into trouble and hang out in places we never thought they could reach. Horrorpedia convinces her to go to Greenlake, Vertin following up on rumors in Mane's Bulletin, and sometimes she chooses to get into trouble along her crew instead of being dragged in (like in Alien T's anecdote).

Cats are cute and stuff, so we see them as vulnerable creatures but they have fangs and claws. They are built to survive! They are hunters but we forget that until they bring back their prey or decide to give us a good chomp. People forget Vertin isn't a bad fighter despite her lack of arcanums. She's strong and agile AEB fighting Schneider, fighting enemies in Labyrinth, subduing Spathodea (literal boxer) with Ezra (who is sweet bby mushroom not a seasoned fighter), and protecting 37 while fighting manus.

They are stealthy, which we see in Vertin as well when she's sneaking around on missions. There is a magical quality to them too. Cats exist beside monsters, demons, humans, and so on in many stories. They're portrayal as something mundane yet still fantastical is something that Vertin embodies. Her "stoicism" also plays into the cat theme but once a cat likes you, you'd be surprised at how expressive they can be! You just need to get to know them.

Cats are alert at night too, sometimes even with Zoomies. Nap during the day, agent of chaos at night. Vertin is shown taking naps and staying up very late. I also like the idea of Kittin living in the Suitcase = Cat in a box. What is a Suitcase but a fancy box we use to carry around?

Cats also collect/hoard things. Socks, shiny things, toys under the couch... I see her a as collector based achievements and other meta (her gathering arcanists, Uttu cards, etc).

If not a cat, my second choice would be a bird. Some type of Corvid. I wish I could give you animals that you didn't already have listed! Maybe some specific type of cat?

But also I like cats and birds so that's a bias I have.

[jupiterswasphouse]

WASP REVIEW - PARASITICA (TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2012)

[Image ID: A screenshot from the 'Parasitica' episode of TMNT 2012, of the parasitic wasp, which is the focus of the episode, mid-flight /End ID.]

Now, for a change of pace, let's have a look at something that isn't from a video game for the first time in this review series! It tends to be harder to find wasps in TV in particular that are notable enough to properly review, which makes it all the more fortunate that I got this suggestion, as this mutant species of wasp is the entire focus of the episode!

Now, I've never been a TMNT enjoyer, I just didn't get into the franchise as a kid and have yet to look into it on a wider scale, however, I did enjoy this enjoy this episode. That's not to say it's without its inaccuracies, though, so let's get into it, starting with the wasp's general appearance!

Looking at it them, they have the shape and eyes of wasps of the family Vespidae, fairly standard fare for wasps in media, likely based on some black and yellow species of paper wasps, or otherwise yellowjackets. The latter would makes sense, given what appears to be an abundance of setae around the mesosoma especially, reminiscent of a fair number of yellowjackets, although of course the glowing lines across the wings, meso- and metasoma, and eyes aren't accurate, but they aren't meant to be. I have to say, props to the modeling crew for making a fairly detailed model with an appropriate amount of wings and legs.

[Image Source: Wikimedia Commons | Image IDs: Two screenshots of the episode, showing one wasp standing and three wasps flying above the Ninja Turtles respectively, followed by a real photo of a common wasp, a type of Yellowjacket, also known as Vespula vulgaris /End IDs.]

They're also notably large, roughly the size of a medium breed of dog, having grown significantly from their mutation. Funnily enough, just before the first appearance of the original wasp, after being asked by Michaelangelo how big the arthropods in a set of photos are Donatello makes a statement I feel the need to comment on, that being "Well, a bee is about four millimeters, and a wasp would be six", which is an odd statement. For one, which species does he mean in particular, he gives an oddly specific measurement when the wall displays images of multiple different types of wasp, including fairyflies (or Mymarids), which can be as small as 0.127 millimeters (Dicopomorpha echmepterygis), and Vespids which can reach up to 45 millimeters (Vespa mandarinia). The western honey bee (Apis mellifera), the most likely candidate for the bee that Donatello is referring to given how common and well loved the species is, itself is 10 millimeters at minimum among the average worker.

[Image ID: Another screenshot, showing the wall in question, which has 4 different papers pinned to it with multiple different species of wasp /End IDs.]

But anyway, with that side-tangent out of the way, let's get into the behavior of the wasps, starting with the first things we see. When the initial wasp appears, we hear vocalizations from it, which isn't necessarily unheard of, although these noises aren't quite the same as the vocalizations of some other types of animals, such as mammals or birds, as these aren't produced through complex vocal cords and structures, but they are created by vibrations in the wasp's body by stridulatory organs or other muscular structures. These are called stridulations, you may have heard of them in cicadas and Orthopterans, but they can also be observed in mud collecting and digging wasps such as potter wasps and Sphecids, as well as velvet ants, and sounds like a charming little squeak! The vocalizations in the wasps in this episode sound like processed sounds produced by birds like corvids or vultures, reminiscent of sounds associated with prehistoric dinosaurs in movies.

After this, we see the wasp start hunting the turtles. One could make the argument that the wasp is simy protecting its egg rather than hunting, but the events of this episode make it very clear that the wasp is hunting the turtles. While there are many social wasps that may forage for carrion or pieces of your barbeque dinner in order to feed their larvae, the specific targeting of a vertebrate species is highly unusual for a parasitic wasp, as they tend to only target other arthropods like their fellow insects or spiders. But it's likely that this particular behavior was onset by its implied genetic modification by Kraang, known enemy of the Ninja Turtles.

After a short chase around the room, the wasp stings Leonardo in the arm and promptly falls to the ground, dying immediately. This is most reminiscent of the worker honey bees, which have a barbed stinger that cannot be removed from a thick-skinned animal such as a mammal, thus taking parts of the abdomen and internal organs with it (including the still-pumping venom gland), killing the bee within minutes. It's a bit longer than the near instantaneous death we see in this wasp, but it is rather quick! The wasp in this episode appears to have a similarly barbed stinger, although it has only one barb, rather than the row of barbs honey bees have, being shaped almost like a fish hook. Other wasps, including parasitic wasps, have smooth stingers, and thus, can sting multiple times. Notably, worker honey bees are infertile females, as opposed to the stinging parasitic wasps, which are, of course, fertile, the stinger being a modified ovipositor in all wasps that have them (including bees and ants), only being found in females.

[Image Source: PBS, Rose-Lynn Fisher | Image IDs: A screenshot of Donatello holding the stinger of the mutated wasp, and an extremely close up, colorless photo of a worker honey bee stinger /End IDs.]

We know that this wasp is a female due to its possession of a stinger, as well as being fertile due to the egg we see just a moment later. The sting does not kill, nor paralyze Leonardo, despite the size of the wasp, instead having a different, immediate effect in that Leonardo becomes extremely protective of the egg. Over the course of the episode we see that Leonardo appears, in a way, brainwashed to protect the egg, the eventual intention being that the egg would hatch safely and he would be consumed by the young wasp inside.

Shockingly, this does have parallels in the real world, first, and in possibly the more well known example, a form of direct brain change is induced by the emerald cockroach wasp (Ampulex compressa). It first delivers a sting to a thoracic ganglion of a cockroach, causing temporary paralysis in the forelegs, allowing the wasp to deliver a second sting to the head ganglia, inducing a zombie-like state, inhibiting its escape response and allowing the wasp to lead the roach by its antennae back to the wasp's burrow, where it lays an egg upon the roach, allowing its larvae to feed.

[Image Source: iNaturalist, ravinaidu | Image ID: A photo of an emerald cockroach wasp leading a 'zombified' cockroach back to its burrow across dirt and rocks /End IDs.]

However, there's another genus of wasps that I believe is the one they took inspiration from here, that being Glyptapanteles, a genus of Braconid wasps that deposit their eggs directly into Lepidopteran hosts, specifically caterpillars. The eggs hatch, and the larvae of the wasps feed on the caterpillar's bodily fluids from the inside, specifically avoiding the vital organs as the caterpillar appears to continue to behave and grow normally despite the parasite inside them. Then, they emerge and pupate, spinning a silk cocoon for themselves, at which point the caterpillar stops moving much or feeding. It only moves then to add its own silk to the pile of pupal cocoons, and, should it be disturbed, thrash around in order to protect the pupae, serving as a bodyguard until it eventually starves to death.

[Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, José Lino-Neto, and ResearchGate | Image IDs: A photo of a brown Geometrid moth caterpillar looking over Glyptapanteles wasp papae, followed by an image containing several photos of a brown and black Glyptapanteles wasp adult /End IDs.]

There are a few differences, however, evident in the fact that the egg has already been oviposited externally a considerable amount of time before even having a host. This is, of course, understandable given the fact that, if they were to make it more accurate, then this episode would look less like a PG iteration of zombie media and more like an Alien film.

Speaking of the zombie media comparisons, while the change in behavior is down to a direct sting to the brain in the case of emerald cockroach wasps or a chemical concoction in the case of Glyptapanteles wasps, it's described in the episode as being a virus. This virus takes hold and darkens Leonardo's eyes, his mouth producing a viscous fluid, which is eventually spread to all of the other turtles via bite, until Michaelangelo creates an antidote by Donatello's instructions. Obviously, this part is not true of real parasitic wasps.

While Donatello and Michaelangelo are researching the wasp, looking at an article describing its non-mutated equivalent, several photos are shown, and it's here we start to see a couple more inconsistencies and inaccuracies. For one, Donatello refers to a single species as "The Parasitic Wasp", but in reality, there are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of different parasitic wasps, none specifically referred to as being the parasitic wasp. Secondly, at the start of the article, we see an adult of the species, which appears to resemble some form of black and yellow ichneumon wasp, much different from what we've seen thus far.

[Image Source: BugGuide.net, James Reben | Image IDs: A screenshot showing the image of the supposed species, followed by a photo of a real black and yellow species of ichneumon wasp /End IDs.]

After this, we see images of the species emerging from the egg, coming out as a full-fledged, winged adult, more like the wasps we've seen thus far, oddly skipping the larval and pupal stage entirely. This is especially odd considering the fact that adult wasps cannot eat meat, only the larvae, and, as mentioned, the wasps feed on their host after hatc

[Image IDs: Two screenshots of the aforementioned images, showing the wasp emerging and then crawling over its host caterpillar to consume it /End IDs.]

This is later confirmed to be the case in the mutated wasps, which not only emerge from their eggs as adults, but also emerge in a group of three. It is seemingly not unheard if that one single insect egg could produce multiple offspring, but it is exceedingly rare and hard to find information on. In any case, wasp eggs, more often than not, only hatch singular individuals.

[Image ID: A screenshot of the three hatchling wasps above the unconscious Leonardo and Donatello /End IDs.]

As a final note on these wasps, as they go straight for the Ninja Turtles before promptly being taken out by Michaelangelo (with a cannon no less), it seems as though these wasps are all females. It can be inferred from this that this egg was fertilized, as opposed to the males that would come from unfertilized eggs, implying that there was either already more than one of these flying around, or that the female had already mated before becoming mutated, potentially by Mutagen.

All in all, there are many inaccuracies throughout this episode, though I do have to give points for the interesting choice of inspiration! In terms of rating, the episode itself was entertaining and interesting, but it doesn't have much in the way of accuracy to any one specific wasp species.

-

Overall: 4 or 5/10

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This wasp review was suggested by @kernelbastard ! Leave your wasp review suggestion in the replies, tags, or askbox!

[xmidnightfire]

ME FUCKING TOO

Pandora, Chapter 3:

[whooiew]

Hi! I'm very curious about what is the basis of the Kafsant ship? Just cause cute?

Hello! I actually have a full script for this one question!

I'll separate them into different bits depending on how interested you are in learning more

They both came from a pretty fucked up past Kafka needing to fight tooth and nail to survive on the Columbian streets Snowsant with POVERTY and RACISM They both also have a fondness for braids Kafka is all street smarts and 0 books smarts While Snowsant is all books smarts (a literaly prodigy engineer) and 0 street smarts (extremely obvious in her operator records) Snowsant is anxious and worries a lot about the future (not anymore since So Long Adele, she has more self confidence now, we love to see it) Kafka is more of a living in the moment kinda girl And most importantly, the part that slam jams this ship together in the first place Snowsant is a place of comfort and reliability that the operators can rely on She's extremely genuine and pure of heart Kafka desperately needs a place of comfort and reliability in her life, and is magnitized to people who she sees as genuine, cause she just, wants someone that she can trust

And from here we'll be going into the DETAILS (1257 words ahead, might get sexual towards the end)

Kafka has absolutely no idea what love is like, in fact she's completely avoiding it most of the time due to her past but due to the nurture and nature dillema of Kafka

She actually greatly yearns for any sort of connection, as shown in her operator records featuring Silence Her Module featuring Silence Her Operator files featuring Rhodes Island treating them extremely well, as shown in Pinecone's Operator Records and Kafka's Files where she takes cares of the children and actively makes gifts for the Mansfield crew Snowsant on the other hand we don't really have any idea how she's like in terms of the concept of love, but if the liberi trend is anything to go by she'll be pretty intimate with it, making Kafka the one outlier whom's actively avoiding it

And I have a concept on how they've met actually

In case you didn't know, Kafka's basically Arknight's version of Robin Hood, she runs around stealing and stabbing people on the streets of Columbia but she still has a heart of gold and really only shanks those that deserves it, if they don't she'll just steal it, and she also looks out for her fellow hobos despite everything

IN Kafka's operator records, towards the end it was shown that Silence has met Kafka before actually

Back when Kafka stole Silence's breakfast and passes it along to a homeless child before running off, she also paid Silence of course, leaving her with a single coin (we'll come back to the coin part in a bit for brain rot) Now how does this tie to Snowsant you may wonder Snowsant's a Lungmen character isn't she? She's from Lungmen, how would she have met a Columbian WELL MY DEAR READER SNOWSANT'S BEEN TO COLUMBIA BEFORE!

Using her painfully saved up money and her winnings at Lungmen's Invention Competition, she moved to Columbia to further her studies to be the most EPIC ENGINEER EVER

But life for our little Snowsant isn't that good in Columbia

Being a Lungman Citizen she got hit with a good dose of RACISM, her social standing doesn't help either, causing her to not be treated that kindly throughout her stay there

If you've read So Long Adele, you should know that Snowsant cried herself to sleep over the prices of writing letters there

She was not well off in Columbia at all Now she actually made something FUCKING AMAZING, ABSOLUTELY REVOLUTIONARY, but due to her ZERO STREET SMARTS, she didn't copyright it, it got stolen, and the thieves made BANK with HER CREATION, ASSHOLES

Least to say poor Snowsant was fucking dying at this point

Now that's when our favorite corvid comes along, KAFKA, OUR ROBIN HOOD, she descends from the heavens to provide food and stuff whenever she can to Snowsant cause Snowsant's her fellow hobo at this point basically And of course eventually Snowsant goes back to Lungmen and stuff yadda yadda BUT EVENTUALLY, Snowsant and Kafka met back up on Rhodes again

Snowsant's of course very thankful and stuff, and from there on they sorta just hang out more cause Kafka's like, omg a fellow street kid YOOOOOO

So Kafka pays more attention in terms of taking care of Snowsant, which causes Snowsant to think Kafka might have feelings for her, after a bit eventually Snowsant drags her on a date and something something, oh hey maybe Kafka likes her too and she'll have to be forced to confront to the idea of it causing her to explode into a mess of feathers

As a result who knows Snowsant might think she did something wrong due to how she is as a a character and now its a MESS OH NO, eventually Kafka will have to get through to her feelings and confront it and YIPPEE YURI Apart from that I just think they'd be really cute with each other, they bounce off each other's flaws really well, like, Kafka's infinite confidence and gusto countering Snowsant's sheer lack of it

And Snowsant just being a general safe zone for Kafka to let her guard down around, because Snowsant's never really hiding anything, she's always genuine

Which is something Kafka really likes. ALSO THEY HAVE THE SAME LIBERI TRAIT OF SIDE HAIR FEATHERS And that's pretty much the basics

So now that we've gone over express details on how Snowsant and Kafka are like as characters I'ma explain a bit more about them Snowsant is a pure of heart girl, your average goodie two shoes, she's a prodigy genius, she has an insane amount of mental endurance, being able to go through failure after failure but despite it all still being able to keep her head up high and continue moving forward

She cares for her family greatly, family is extremely important to her in fact, hell a good amount of her paycheck gets sent back to her family even

But all of that comes with a price, she's still slightly anxious about things, doesn't really take care of herself, and has a nasty habit of, zoning in too much (this will be discussed further later)

Kafka on the other hand, on the surface may seem like an annoying piece of shit, but once you get to know her she actually has a heart of gold, becoming Rhodes Island's invisible guardian angle in a sense, looking out for her fellow operators whenever wherever

She also has a fondness for kids as she visits them often and even makes gifts for them

Speaking of gift making, Kafka is an avid tinkerer and arts and crafts nerd

And of course can't forget, harboring of PLANT AUTISM

But yeah, she cares for people greatly, especially ones that's close to her

Be it anyone from the Mansfield Crew Silence Ifrit (implied) You the Doctor She's the peak of Liberi, with how Liberi characters are usually very caring about their relationships, be it their S/O or their friends and family, they care greatly for them Fitting for Kafka because she's a Jackdaw! Jackdaws immensely loyal to their partners and will pretty much never leave one once they find one all that aside, I just think these 2 would be really sweet and they'd just be happy to have someone that they can lean on especially Kafka

(This is where the sexual parts are: )

There's also the side to Snowsant where she actually surprisingly dominant

Which unironically fits how White Eared Pheasants are like

I've always made Snowsant the more assertive one, and more recent Snowsant content supports that fact

There's some parts to Snowsant, small parts, but pieced together it shows a bigger picture and I'd say Snowsant does have a dominant side to her but she keeps it in check It'll only really come out when she's in the mood and zone for it, specifically when she starts zoning stuff out again Like damn yeah she'd definitely tie Kafka up and whisper sensually into her ears while teasing her

The whole zoning out thing I've explored a bit more when writing a specific short fic but it was shown officially in her operator records where Snowsant completely zoned out everything around her when she got caught thinking about how to pay for her book publishing fee, completely zoning out the fact that Closure was telling her that Doc and Closure already paid for it

Which fits into white eared pheasants being usually pretty reserved when it comes to the act of sex until a switch flips on and they go into a breeding frenzy

Also Snowsant's fucking RICH NOW BABY YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

This is mostly a post for me to keep track of my tags but anyway

Ship Logbooks Expanded Universe:

#from the ship logbooks - a sequel AU to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley featuring the Walton siblings and Victor's surviving brother Ernest on a voyage to the Arctic for answers, but posts are mostly about the members of Walton's ship the Vulture

#the three/#tg3 - a trio of adventurers roam the countryside of early 1800s Czech lands to find a cure for vampirism afflicting one of them, plenty folklore creature shenanigans along the way

#the ship tiresias - a man cursed with the ability to see whether someone's fate is sealed boards a merchant ship only to find that the whole crew is marked for death

(all of the above take place in the same universe along with one more story based in Ireland that I don't have a tag for yet)

Worldbuilding projects:

#airbeasts - a setting on a Pangea-like supercontinent where the plains are inhabited primarily b nomadic peoples and a few steampunk-ish cities and transportation is done primarily b airships and dragon-like creatures called airbeasts

#whalefall - an exploration of a world and society on an alien planet where the ecosystem resembles deep sea whale falls

#birbverse - in a postapocalyptic future where humanity has gone extinct, corvids are now the dominant species

#slav warrior cats - exactly what it says on the tin, Warrior Cats but make it Slavic folklore

Other:

#skies over jura (SoJ) - Temeraire OCs, Lucien - the middle son of a judge from Lucerne - runs away from home and joins the underdeveloped Swiss Aerial Corps scrambling to prepare for Napoleon's threatening invasion

#osudy těžce průměrných vojáků zajíce netopýra a osla za světové války - three ocs based on the movie S čerty nejsou žerty/Give the Devils His Due

#wine dragons - a random idea I had about a system of dragon breeds and subtypes inspired by wine classification

#scraps - a dragon rider and his racing dragon in a world where dragon racing is not unlike irl Red Bull Air races

#roky ďábla - a postapocalyptic setting inspired by Fallout and Metro 2033 except based in Slavic folklore on the background of fallen socialist Czechoslovakia

#ledňáček a veveráček - another postapocalyptic fairytale thing

#dragonslayer - after a juvenile dromaeosaurid's brother gets eaten by a hatzegopteryx, she vows to free her pack from these beasts' terror and to master their predators' most powerful weapon - flight

OC projects co-owned with friends

#czechoslovak detective - a guy with a goal to solve everything the Czechoslovak National Security Corps won't

#riddles three - in an urban fantasy world is a café managed by sphinxes. answer the daily riddle for a free coffee!

#vampire bar - vampire ocs

#fantasy yeehaw gang - fantasy kitchen sink world. unfortunately no cowboys

#taxidermied birds - a travelling circus/freakshow

ToyHouse:

[witchofthesouls]

Can we get some cybertronian birb Jack bonding with Optimus? Good soup

Optimus had long gotten used to waking up with a small frame curled upon him. Even with an attachment for a bitlet's recharge slab with sheets and pillows that hadn't been scrap salvenged or rotted by rust, Jack crawled into Optimus' berth.

Despite the extreme suppression of his presence, Jack was a highly affectionate sparkling. Different from the usually self-contained human teenager that Optimus was used to. Little fingers grabbing the seams along his legs and waist, a small frame easily scaling up his height, an immature wingspan clattering against his smokestacks, a nuzzle across his neck-cables or an insistent, worldless demand of a cuddle for comfort, the strange, elusive EM field burbling joy in his own steady one for attention, and finding Jack slotted over his back or hugging his side during recharge in a sheet bundle.

Jack wedged himself between Optimus' back and the wall, hooking slim talons into armor, so in case Optimus decided to leave the room, then Jack was hitchhiking along side with well-practiced habit of utilizing magnets to keep in place.

Such as this morning.

Optimus slipped out of the berth, stretching out, frame hissing and cracking as it loosened up. Jack was barely a noticeable weight on his back as well as a heavy sleeper, slightly twitching when the sheets were left behind. Softly snoozing as Optimus walked in the Ark's hallway, not even hitching with the increased noise, but then again, Jack had settled down easily in trading hubs and space ports far busier and facilities that lacked the appropriate crew space for Cybertronians. Happy to tuck away against Optimus' frame or inside the cab to save room and a physical deterrent against more unscrupulous souls that tracked an immature frame of an advanced mechanical species.

Because as clever Jack may be, he could be overwhelmed with enough preparation as he lacked the full scope of transformation abilities, including an alt-mode and weaponry system.

Optimus heard the flapping wings before a few corvids perched on his shoulders, finding a purchase on the exposed cabling of his protoform. The blackbirds were highly vocal: chittering and making undulating calls; excited as the birds had long memorized the morning schedule of shower time.

Unlike their own dimension, where the flagship had to be abandoned due to the severe lack of resources to get a modicum of a functionality, not even worth it considering how small their team was, this Ark was liveable and retained most of its functions with the unfortunate exceptions of downed flight capabilities and long-distance transportation warp gates.

Here, with the help of nearby hydrothermal springs, volcanic activity, and Oregon's wet climate, the Autobots had a fully stocked shower rack with no strict rationing on the distilled water, heat, or usage.

It was an indulgence that Optimus allowed himself to enjoy, especially since Jack needed far more maintenance compared to him. Jack's frame was immature, still developing and reconfiguring itself orn by orn, including his limbs and wingspan. Seams lengthening or shortening. Some disappearred completely and slowly resurface over the months. Dry brushing was a necessary evil- no matter how much Jack squirmed, whined, and tried to avoid it by squireling away in hard to reach areas -in ports with limited-to-no available solvents for personal care. Grime that settled deep into Jack's current frame development would cause protoform irritation, armature warping, delayed growth, and uneven coloration.

Jack eventually learned to appreciate grooming in wet baths, especially in places where he was free to roam around or splash about.

Within a private stall, both animals and sparkling screeched back and forth, circling the enclosed space before Jack willingly went to Optimus' lap, kicking out his pedes, splaying out his wingspan as wide as possible.

Optimus had never told anyone that he still carried or, at least, regained some tidbits of his Wastelands history as he switched from blunt digits to claws. Jack purred, grey-blue optics dimming as the sharpened tips picked at his seams to remove any dust and dirt, and they settled in a familiar, pleasant groove where Jack chattered about dreams and yesterday's adventures, wiggling around as Optimus guided his frame to reach other seams, fields meshed in a homey, comfortable buzz under the hot spray of multiple shower heads.

Jack vibrated with pure joy when Optimus scrapped the last areas and ushered him off, and shook his entire body, platelets clattering in a similar ripple as, much to the corvids' continuous delight, a manner similar to the birds' ruffled feathers as they used a soaking bowl for wash rags as a birdbath.

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer In The Dark -- The Three Pillars' Menagerie

Yes indeed -- I've talked a lot about the human members of the group, now it's time to discuss the nonhuman ones! Because, as it turns out, the Three Pillars are going to actually end up with a fair number of pets over the course of their adventures:

Sooty -- the very first "pet" the trio ever get, Sooty technically predates Victor, Alice, and Smiler becoming the Three Pillars, as he shows up before they become an official crew. His first appearance is in the upcoming second VITD story, "A Murder Shared Is A Murder Thirded" -- well, his first solo appearance, at any rate. For you see, Sooty is one of the ravens in Elder Gutknecht's tower -- a recently-fledged youngster with a few lingering baby feathers near the tops of his wings. When the trio temporarily moved in after the whole Barkis incident, Sooty was very curious to see what was going on with these new strange solid people living in his house. His curiosity was rewarded with food, so he decided that whoever they were, they were nice. So when they headed off to snatch Bumby's ledger (and hopefully kill the guy), he flew after them to see where they were going and if it involved more food --

And when Bumby confronted the trio after discovering the theft of his ledger, intending to stop them by any means possible before they could escape and expose his evil, Sooty realized that this other weird solid person meant the three nice people who fed him harm -- and promptly swooped in to harass him. Giving Alice the perfect opportunity to grab her sister's room key off Bumby's watch and shove an armed electroplasm bomb into his pants. Sooty ended up hitching a ride on Smiler's shoulder when they fled the scene, and Smiler ended up using Sooty as a messenger to let Elder Gutknecht know what had happened and where they'd gone after the trio ran into their parents, Matt and Carol, and were invited to spend the Names (night) at the Ministry of Joy. Sooty performed this job admirably, and thus became the Representative Of The Tower Ravens for the trio when they officially moved in. Sooty is closest to Smiler, who was the first to feed and pet him, but he likes all three of the trio and will often hang out with them as they do various tasks. You know that anonymous raven that so often popped up in the various Valicer In The Dark-themed Not Incorrect Quote collections? Yeah, I'm picturing that as Sooty now. :) He's their bud! And, if you believe the second set of quotes, toilet trained. XD (Also, I should thank @thesatiricaldemon for giving me the idea of Sooty showing up to harass Bumby at the climax by mentioning how bad an idea it is to piss off a corvid in his comment on the last chapter of "Start At The Beginning...Sort Of" -- Bumby may not have made enemies with the whole flock, but he definitely made one of that one particular raven!)

Guide -- if you've read my Forgotten Vows series, you'll recognize this as my name for the white cat Alice keeps seeing periodically during Alice: Madness Returns (the one who appears most prominently in Chapter One of the game, where chasing after it leads Alice to the spot where she meets Witless -- it also appears briefly at the beginnings of Chapter Two (on the docks) and Chapter Four (at the door of the police station) ). While Guide had a decent life as a semi-feral stray who hung out in Dr. Fixxler's shop from time to time in the Forgotten Vows Verse, I thought it would be nice if, in this universe, Alice could officially adopt the cat. And after a little bit of thought, I realized that I already had the perfect score in which this could happen -- the Alice: Asylum-based "taking out Radcliffe and rescuing his daughter Angela" score! My idea is, after the trio makes the decision to try and shake down Radcliffe for Alice's inheritance, the white cat shows up while they're on their way to his house. Alice recognizes her (as I've decided the cat is female) and says, "I appreciate it, but I really don't need you to show me where I'm going this time" --

And then they come across the clearly-abandoned house and she's like, "...okay, maybe I do." XD And indeed, after discovering Radcliffe's plans for his daughter and where he's likely to be, the cat helps lead them to the meeting place at the docks (annoying Rabbit a bit, as he's trying to do the same thing), and maybe, like Sooty, even helps in taking him down (perhaps biting or clawing him at a key moment?). And then, once everything is sorted and Angela is safely settled in Houndsditch, Alice spots the cat following them again as she, Victor, and Smiler are heading home...

And when she sees Alice looking at her, the cat pads up to her and starts rubbing against her leg, purring. Alice is like "well, I let Angela have my old rabbit toy, so I do need a new furry white creature in my life," picks her up, and takes her home, naming her Guide because, well, that's what she seems to do. There's a little initial tension between Guide and Sooty and the other ravens, but after it's made clear to Guide that these birds are not flying snacks, they get along reasonably well. Guide is naturally closest to Alice, often chilling with her as she reads or draws, but will of course accept pets and food from both Victor and Smiler as well.

Dogmeat -- yes, that Dogmeat. The German Shepherd from Fallout 4, to be precise, since that's the game I'm actually playing. I told you all in the above-linked post that I wanted to adapt some FO4 quests for my VITD universe -- and if I'm bringing in Nick Valentine, Piper Wright, and Preston Garvey, why wouldn't I also include everyone's favorite doggo companion? Especially since one of the quests I'm adapting is "When Freedom Calls" (the one where you meet Preston and help him defend the Museum of Freedom from raiders), which:

A) I imagine most people do with Dogmeat at their side, given the quest location is literally just down the road from the Red Rocket where you meet and adopt the dog

B) I've always headcanoned as a quest you should do with Dogmeat, as -- thanks to Mama Murphy being the one to tell you his name and acting at least somewhat familiar with the pooch -- I've always pictured Dogmeat as having traveled with Preston and the survivors for a bit before they all got pinned down in the museum, and that Preston actually sent the dog out to try and find help during a quiet moment -- hence why Dogmeat was at the Red Rocket in the first place!

So yeah, it only makes sense that Dogmeat would be a part of the VITD version of the quest! I'm still pinning down how the quest should go in this reality, but here's my off-the-cuff rough draft so far --

I. The Three Pillars are walking around Six Towers one day, maybe talking about plans for their next heist or something, when they encounter Dogmeat hanging around an abandoned building (perhaps whatever the equivalent of a gas station is in this world? The rich DO have electroplasmic carriages that work a bit like cars, and might need places to renew their fuel supply for the engines...). Victor of course promptly takes a shine to the dog, and the dog to him. After a bit of getting-to-know-you time, the dog indicates that he wants the trio to follow him -- curious, they do --

II. And come across the wreckage of an old museum, with a man on the balcony, being menaced by a gang of toughs. A gang that promptly turns on the Three Pillars once their presence is known. Fortunately, the trio and the dog manage to defeat them and drive them off for a bit, and the man on the balcony asks them to come in -- they do, and find him locked in an upstairs room, along with four other people, looking rather worse for wear. The man introduces himself as "Preston Garvey, of the Coalridge Dust Street -- just Preston," and the others as Mama Murphy, Jun and Marcy Long, and Sturges. They fill in the Three Pillars on what their deal is -- basically, they're the survivors of a recent massacre on Quincy Street in Coalridge, after a rich factory owner decided to make an example out of striking workers by sending mercenaries (a Hound group called The Gunners) to rough up their loved ones. Things quickly got out of hand, though, and a lot of people ended up dying because the Gunners were a little too enthusiastic about their job. Preston was part of the Bluecoat squad that was sent to try and calm things down, and for a minute it looked like they might actually succeed...

Only for one of his own squadmates, Clint, to reveal he'd decided to switch sides and join the Gunners, leading to him helping them gun down his own squad. Preston was the only survivor thanks to managing to wound Clint and flee before he could kill him, but he couldn't stand up to the Gunners all on his own. So, determined to save someone in this mess, he found these four, put them under his protection, and then booked it out of there. Unfortunately, Mama Murphy had a reputation in the neighborhood for being a little psychic, especially if she's high. A reputation that Jared, former resident and leader of the "Corvega Raiders" (a gang of former workers from the Corvega Electroplasmic Carriages Company) knew well, thanks to her predicting he'd become a feared gang leader when he was a child. He decided upon getting control of the Corvega Raiders that he wanted her and her insights for himself -- so almost the minute the group got free of the Gunners, they found themselves harassed by Raiders sent to kidnap her. The group managed to evade them long enough to get to Six Towers and barricade themselves in this museum, and -- well, it's been a stand-off ever since. And while Preston was very impressed with the Three Pillars' work in helping drive off the Raiders, he's pretty sure the gang is not gone for good. The trio, feeling very sorry for these people, offer to help try and defeat the Corvega Raiders once and for all and get the refugees to safety. Preston is quite thankful, and they start discussing offense and defense options.

III. During these talks, Victor ends up chatting with Mama Murphy, who tells him that she's glad Dogmeat found them. Victor's like "oh, he's your dog?" and she explains that he isn't, not really -- Dogmeat has been traveling with them for a bit, and Preston did send the dog to find help when they got trapped in the museum, but he's not anyone in the group's pet. He's just a dog that showed up and started traveling with them (the "Dogmeat" name was a joke by Marcy that stuck). Mama's of the opinion that Dogmeat came along just to help get them out of this mess, and now that he's done that, he'll probably stay with Victor and his companions, since he seems to have bonded to him. She also warns Victor that she's had a vision of something bad showing up during the next fight -- she can't describe it well, but she knows it's big and angry. Victor, concerned, says he's going up on the roof to watch for trouble then, and does that while Alice and Smiler help Preston come up with more ways to repel potential invaders (Smiler probably working up some handy-dandy knockout bombs with the help of Sturges)...

IV. And then -- as the Corvega Raiders show up for a second round and starts falling afoul of the bombs and whatnot -- Victor suddenly feels the big and angry thing himself, coming towards their location rapidly. A big and angry thing that he's able to identify as a Horror that's somehow managed to get into the sewer system. He runs downstairs and warns the others --

Just in time for the Duskwallian equivalent of a Deathclaw (a Glowing Deathclaw, no less) to rip its way through a manhole and emerge onto the streets. It makes short work of the gang outside, but now the trick becomes keeping it out of the museum so it doesn't make short work of everyone inside! The Three Pillars are successful in this (either killing it, as in the original quest, or at least keeping it out long enough for the Spirit Wardens to show up and kill it), and Preston thanks them profusely for their help. He says he hopes to get the refugees settled here in Six Towers (Smiler promptly recommends the Advocate bunkhouse by the Arms Of The Weeping Lady soup kitchen, natch), and then start up his own group to help take down his traitor squadmate and maybe do something about the crime in the city. The Three Pillars wish him the best with that, and after seeing the group safely to said bunkhouse, start heading home...

V. And sure enough, Dogmeat tags along after them, tail wagging. Victor is like "well, I hope you get along with cats and birds," and the dog joins the group at their headquarters. :) Once again, there's some early tension between Dogmeat, Guide, and Sooty (Guide is naturally suspicious of the big dog, while Dogmeat doesn't particularly like Sooty always trying to steal his food), but with a firm hand from the human trio, it's all sorted out. And much like Smiler is Sooty's favorite, and Alice Guide's, Victor is Dogmeat's favorite, with the dog generally going to him first for affection and playtime. Like, he'll take a belly rub from everyone, but Victor gives the best ones, in his opinion. :p

Dougie -- okay, this is an interesting one. Back when I was first creating the Valicer In The Dark verse, one of my very first story ideas involved the trio quite accidentally getting a new pet on a job. Specifically, it involved Victoria -- annoyed at her parents for being all smug about this new fancy silver egg retrieved from the Deathlands that they bought at a very high price, as if it wasn't her husband's money that paid for the damn thing -- hiring the Three Pillars to humiliate them by stealing it. Victor, Alice, and Smiler, upon being informed of the situation, are only too happy to cause problems for the Everglots (they have not forgotten the whole "Barkis" thing, and neither has Victoria), and successfully steal the egg, intending to sell it as soon as possible --

But. At some point during their escape (I haven't decided when yet -- it will probably be the consequence of a bad dice roll), Victor, who has the egg hidden in his coat, hears a crack! And when he goes to investigate, worried they damaged the egg --

He discovers that the egg was in fact a real egg. That just hatched a tiny baby dragon. A tiny baby dragon --

That just so happens to be based on my own beloved plush dragon Dougie! :D You know the one -- they show up sometimes in the posts I make for my Victor Plush and Alice Dolly's birthdays. The long silver dragon with the copper-colored head crest, "ear" fins, claws, and underwings. You can get a good look at them in this old photoset from shortly after I got them. They're called "Dougie" because they're a Douglas Toys product, and I'm not very creative with names. XD I love them very much and wanted to involve them somehow in this verse, and this seemed like the best way to do it.

Anyway -- as you might imagine, everyone is very "?!?!" about this development when Victor shows Alice and Smiler what's happened. Fortunately, they still manage to get themselves and their new surprise pet out of the house safely, and then head straight home to raid Elder Gutknecht's library because what the fuck. XD They eventually learn that Dougie is in fact a "lap dragon" -- a type of dragon specifically bred to lie in people's laps and keep them warm. Admittedly, these dragons were supposed to have died out along with a bunch of other stuff eight-and-a-half centuries ago when the sun got exploded, but (as per Elder Gutknecht's theorizing) either those eggs can last for ages and only hatch in ideal conditions, or some survived and are now breeding wild out in the Deathlands, unbeknownst to everyone else. *shrug* At any rate, the book tells them that Dougie's not going to get very big (my toy is sixteen inches long, so about that size) -- and more importantly, they're also not going to be able to breathe fire. All of his warmth stays inside them so they can do their job. This latter trait means that Alice doesn't have any objections to keeping them (especially since she can see that Smiler and especially Victor have already fallen in love with the creature), and so Dougie joins the pet group! There is a lot of "???" from the other pets about this strange creature, but they soon get used to them -- in fact, when it becomes very clear that Dougie is a good source of warmth, Guide and Dogmeat in particular like to cuddle up to the little guy. Though, naturally, Dougie's favorite place is on Victor's lap. :) What can they say -- they love their "mama!" And he loves them. :)

Us -- and finally, we come to the one that I feel the weirdest about calling a "pet" because, well -- this is our favorite intellect devourer friend from Baldur's Gate III, acquired by the gang in that score I talked about previously that's a rough adaptation of the opening tutorial dungeon on the crashing Nautiloid (the one that features themselves having to drop themselves into the ocean on a lifeboat before they're torn apart by air demons attacking a crashing airship). And while Us may be very new to the world, and a weird brain-with-legs-and-tentacles creature, they are fully sapient! I guess they count in a technical sense because they disguise themselves as a cute little kitty cat so only Victor, Alice, Smiler, and anyone they choose to let in on the secret (like Smiler's parents and Elder Gutknecht) can see them as what they are, but... *waggles hand* Still a little weird to me. They are a beloved member of the family, though -- even if the teething problems in introducing them to Sooty, Guide, Dogmeat, and Dougie are worse than usual because the animals' reactions to Us are a combination of "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS CREEPY THING" and "hang on it smells like food." Fortunately Us is quite capable of defending themselves, and a few tentacle smacks on the nose and perhaps a minor psychic blast or two teaches the animals that they are NOT to be nibbled on. I don't know how comfortable they ever get with the intellect devourer, but it does kind of amuse me to imagine them all in a big cuddle pile one cold winter's night, so...I guess comfortable enough? XD Smiler certainly loves them a lot, though -- they bonded with the creature the minute they pulled them out of that poor dead guy's skull, and the feeling is very mutual. Victor and Alice -- well, they need a minute, but they rapidly warm up to them. Helps that Us is so cute -- and, in Victor's case, can eat his fear and anxiety about stuff!

Whew -- quite the collection, huh? Even I didn't expect them to get this many pets...good thing that they live in a reasonably-spacious house and all love animals! And that these animals are all capable of taking care of themselves when the crew is out on a job. XD And damn it, now I want to do some sort of story with the pets all teaming up to find the Three Pillars when they don't come home one day and Us suspects they're in trouble...