#haha i love being part of a social species

[gooooose]

The air that hangs between us is so dead it makes me want to join it

[beargirlstink]

"WHAT?!" "...Sorry, yeah. You're not welcome yet. You -" "This is bullshit! Check with St. Peter! Are you telling me I wore this cheap cross and spent my sundays at the church and on my knees for NOTHING?!" "I'm not going to get into that debate, it's somewhat contested, but it's not the important part. The important part is -" "What? What is so important to deny me entrance into the kingdom of the Lord? How can you deny me entrance from the pearly gates?" "...I was getting to that. The important part was that thee early 21st century was a time of hate and judgement, especially focused around things like race, ethnicity, and a whole lot around sexuality. To be clear, "love thy neighbor" means "don't peek through your neighbor's blinds to see what they're doing in their bedroom."" "What, so just because I had opinions on culture and society and - and media and health and CHILDREN means I'm a sinner?" "...Yeah, that's the gist of it. You've kinda got this knot in your head that it's okay to hate people if they deserve it, but that's mostly not the case. The point, like, ideally, is to hate nobody ever, with only a few exceptions." "...Well, then, billions of people are going to Hell. Every single person involved in the culture war... At least those wokists are getting what they belong. Maybe I'll -" "I don't know how to tell you this but... they aren't. A lot of people from there acted on behalf of love and acceptance, and that's a pretty easy in." "Really? Are you telling me every feminist I met online was a kind-hearted angel?" "...Well, not all of them, but... let's get one out for comparison." [Poof!] "This is tigergirl-stretchmarks." "Oh! Hey Zuri!" "Hiiiii! Anyway, you might remember it from-" "Wh- Tiger Girl Stretch Marks is an angel? I refuse to believe that! The Lord didn't send down one of his perfect messengers to post that kind of degeneracy!" "Oh! Oh, this part. So, angels aren't exactly a separate species, it's more of a state of being - you can consider it a job, or maybe a social caste. If you had looked up the original hebrew -" "NO! No, I refuse to believe this! This... FREAK spent every second of their life masturbating, sleeping, eating, ignoring their parents, staying inside, and posting pornographic obsenity! THAT makes them an angel?" "...Yeah. Yeah, actually." "I can back that up. I get to see auras now, and artists who -" "HOW?! How is drawing fat women's engorged stomachs a work of God?" "Well, again, the love-and-equality thing, but, um... I'm not supposed to mention this, but fat fetish pornography boosts your divinity by a LOT. It's considered some kind of saintly material. Jesus personally -" "You're joking me. You're joking me!" "No! No, really. If you'd visit some of our monasteries of -" "Ha. Haha. Hahahahaha! This is a joke. This is an elaborate joke. You almost had me for a second, but did you really expect me to fall for the idea that Heaven is full of stained-glass windows depicting naked obese women holding their stomachs?" "...Hang on, what did YOU think Mary Magdalene looked like?"

[classicanalyzer]

LEGO Star Wars Rebuild The Galaxy Thoughts

"Nothing makes sense, and everything's mixed up, and that's okay. Things fall apart, but maybe they can come back together better than before." Sig Greebling

Rebuild The Galaxy is my favorite out of all the D+ LEGO SW specials. I really love the connections to LEGO and SW, including the previous LEGO SW shows, especially Freemaker Adventures. Michael Kramer did an amazing job with the soundtrack, Sig's and Yesi's themes were well-composed.

Part I

"For someone who spends all his time telling stories about heroes, you have no idea how to be one. Maybe that's why you like history so much. It's over and done, but your life isn't. There's so much ahead of you if you'd just try, but you're afraid." Dev Greebling

Sig Greebling is such a cool name. I really love how he's a literal in-universe SW fan, yet someone who actually wants to be normal despite his Force sensitivity. I find it funny he's a literal Nerf herder. I do emphasize of how he wanted to avoid all the expectations if people know he's Force-sensitive.

I love the reference to Wookiees originally being a part of RotJ before being replaced with Ewoks.

Fennesa is a cool-looking world. Yesi Scala is another cool name (I get reminded of Scala Ad Caleum from KH haha). It's too bad Sig's indecisiveness and inability to step out of his comfort zone translates to his social life, even his crush. The background painting showing the sunset is so beautiful.

I really like how the Ackbar Troopers are the Clones in this universe. They must have chosen Ackbar as the main host due to his skills since he was a skilled warrior and leader, but definitely also for the memes out of universe. I also love how Phase I was used because the Kaminionans designed the Phase I suit based on aquatic species like themselves and would fit the Mon Calamari Clones.

The fighting animation and choreography for Yesi's fight against the Ackbar Troopers are so well animated. I laughed seeing that one Ackbar Trooper shooting with two blasters. I can see why Sig likes Yesi. Also ooff, Yesi lost her father in this timeline to the Empire. You can feel the bleak state of this galaxy under this Empire. At least, Yesi's desire to fly among the stars and not live in a backwater world is still there. I like how Sig also mentioned how Rancors are actually misunderstood intelligent creatures.

Double ooff, Sig's brother is now Darth Devastator "Dev". At least we finally get our first on-screen appearance of Jedi Bob!

Part II

"Being a hero is easier when you don't know the cost...Sig, the Force doesn't work that way. The dark side is loud and obvious like a big, mean Gamorrean kicking you in the head over and over. But the light side, the light side of the Force is just a whisper in the back of your mind." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

Darth Rey as Dev's apprentice feels so wrong about the intentional nature of aspects of this new universe. Jedi Bob!...or rather Bobolian Afol lmao (I also love how the markings seem a bit faded which signals his age). I love this cynical Jedi who sucks at fighting but is amazing at the Force...which is what a true Jedi should specialize in.

FREEMAKER LORE! THE FORCE BUILDERS ARE BACK! I love seeing them once again and hearing Bob recap them feels cathartic.

Ewok Bounty Hunters is one thing but bounty hunter C-3PO channeling his Triple 0 and HK-47 vibes in a Naboo Royal Cruiser with gold plating feels so right yet so wrong in the best ways possible. Yesi really has a lot of baggage with her wanting to prove herself and redeem herself for accidentally getting a rebel base captured.

Mos Eisley Marina made me die on the inside lmao. Tatooine isn't boring anymore lmao. I do love how this is a nod to how the BoBF and Legends mention Tatooine being once covered with oceans before becoming a desert world.

Like father like son indeed, however, even Anakin wouldn't go that far to cheat. I do love how Luke and Anakin use the same Podracer. Poor Max Rebo.

I love how Maul in this galaxy is much more relaxed and happy. At least, in this galaxy, Maul gets to live his life without the tragedies in his main galaxy life.

I love the implication that Nubs is well-known in the main galaxy that Sig knows about him. I'm incredibly confident that Darth Hammerhead is Rusty. Even in another universe, nobody remembers his name lmao.

That brief Duel of the Fates theme playing when Darth Jar Jar appeared was so hype and chilling. His line goes unironically hard.

Part III

"I know you can't restore a galaxy once it's gone because I tried to restore my own, and I failed. In the galaxy I'm from, things were simpler. I was a Padawan on Alistan Nor, learning the secrets of Force Building. I'd heard rumors about the Cornerstone. The more I read, the more obsessed I became. Was it possible to remake an entire galaxy? I needed to know the truth. My Masters forbid me from searching for the Cornerstone, but I wasn't exactly good at following orders. There were so many rules. I just wanted to do things my own way. I thought I could control the Cornerstone. I never thought -- When I left that temple, everything was different. My galaxy was gone, Sig. And yours had just been born." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

We truly reached the pinnacle of miniaturized Death Star tech with the Dark Falcon lmao.

Darth Jar Jar definitely isn't dead and I love what little time we had with him.

I love the lights looking like the Binary Sun and the music playing as Luke looks towards them.

I love how Palpatine in this universe is a cynic who gave up on fighting. I like that fascinating take on this alternate Palpatine. The new Jedi Council (I like the faded and scratched markings similar to Jedi Bob signals their age and tiredness of a seemingly hopeless war) is insane with Jedi Vader (I love that this is a SW Infinities comic reference, it felt cathartic to see it realized in visual media), Dooku, Cad Bane, Jannah, Lobot, IG-88(?), and even Jabba. I really love that Jannah has more to do here including her actress returning to voice her.

Greedo being the Han of this universe was so funny. He even has the Rodian ears for his Slave I Firespray ship lmao.

I love how Yesi recreates the energy in TFA when she does smth incredibly insane with Greedo's ship. Sig saying I do feels like his and Yesi's "I know" moment. And a Star Trous mention. I also feel like Yesi's point of how you fix the mistake got to Jedi Bob and got to him into revealing the truth. I love how Grevious is one of the rebels in this universe.

Alistan Nor!!! THAT'S THE FORCE BUILDER WORLD AND IT WAS MENTIONED IN FREEMAKER ADVENTURES.

Damn, this Han really became just like his mentor in the old universe. A true scoundrel.

God that twist of the old universe never coming back is gut-wrenching...especially since Jedi Bob is the only survivor of his old universe. The story of Jedi Bob is beyond tragic. One simple curiosity into the cornerstone left him the only survivor. Spending all that time alone in the Temple to make sure it doesn't happen again...only for it to happen again. I also really love how the simple galaxy is represented by 4:3 aspect ratio and all LEGO figures are the classic yellow designs.

WHEN SERVO WAS DESTROYED, I FELT MY HEART BREAKING APART. God that was heartbreaking to see, just like many heroes before him in his stories, to save his friends Sig gave himself up.

Part IV

"The tales of my galaxy. The tales of people like Dev. My Dev. I don't wanna forget them. They matter." Sig Greebling

God the intro with the sad music and Servo shutting down just hurts me in ways I cannot comprehend. The collapsing logo really showcases we're in the endgame.

I love how Yoda is voiced by his Young Jedi Adventure VA in this show. It is heartbreaking to see Ian Han hate Yoda given the very first major LEGO SW special (The Padawan Menace was one of my first non-SW movie experiences in my childhood).

Even if Dev is mentally messed up, I really like how he came around to having a brother and want to be brothers. I like how Sig realizes this is all a fantasy of a galaxy he can never restore. He fights to save this galaxy now.

I'm happy Tico got to a substantial role in this show alongside Rey. Reusing the Nobody line toward Darth Rey was pretty cruel.

The space battle was shot very well and I love the designs of the Calamari Destroyers.

Dev's breakdown was pretty disturbing to see and how he took the rage and lack of happiness in his life to put his idea of "order" and to take control of his life. Especially how he sees himself as beyond redemption and the point of no return.

The quote I used for the introduction quote is beautifully anti-nihilist.

The fight is so well choreographed and so peak, especially when the brief moment the windows were destroyed and the energy shield was activated. The fact the Nerf herder stick came back to be a major turning point in the fight against Dev is great. It was heartbreaking and I got a bit misty-eyed to see Dev ultimately decide to remain evil.

My heart repaired itself as Servo was reconstructed. The old galaxy is gone but the stories will live on. And leave it for Servo to interrupt Sig and Yesi's tender moment haha.

The ending shot with the new crew really felt like the passing of the torch between the Freemaker Adventures to Rebuild the Galaxy. I hope we get to see the Freemaker cast, especially the Freemaker family on Alistan Nor.

Also, The Landolorian and Evil Grogu has been so hyped as the sequel hook alongside Darth Rey and Tico being in charge of the Empire.

This is such a great show and I can't wait to see more LEGO SW stories set in this universe.

I love the score by Kramer who is also responsible for Ninjago’s score (alongside Jay Vincent):

[strawberrycartt]

Heya! Hope you'll have fun with the ask game 💚

Anyway I have three questions about Madi!

General Info 01 What is their opinion on the other species? Would they rather be a different one?

Relationships and Personality 17 What is a side of themself they don't want other to see? When does that side reveal itself?

Concept and Design 08 Anything you heavily associate with them? A color, a word, a picture, or something else?

Let your answers be as long and rambling as your heart desires >:)

Have a lovely day/night^^

Thank you for coming up with all the interesting questions! I'm not really a writer even though I think it's fun but since it's hard to show everything with drawings only this is a nice chance to drop some MC info haha

Hope you have a great day/night too 🫶

Opinions on the other species:

I'd say Madi admires the other species while being content with being a human. She used to believe in angels even before she came to RAD (demons not so much) but seeing how similar they are to humans was definitely a shock at first. Having a demon form with wings or a tail seems particularly cool and getting the chance to experience more due to much longer lifespans is neat in concept as well.

But at the same time being human isn't quite so bad. At the beginning she was a bit stressed about being one of the only two human representatives in the Devildom because she wanted to leave a good impression but that faded with time. Isn't it cool to be part of a realm that stands between 'heaven' and 'hell'? To get both the brightness of day AND the darkness of night? Not inherently good OR bad but always striving for the more? The chance to fill the limited time with meaning? The moment in the reaper's cave during which her 'human' life essence seemed to be the only one powerful enough to stop Beel's candle from melting down too quickly made her especially proud and content.

Side she likes to keep hidden:

Similar to Levi the social anxiety and self loathing is a problem sometimes. Tries to keep it under wraps but when the emotions become too much the tears fall. Seeks out Mammon as her emotional support demon (works everytime!).

Something I associate with her:

Need I say more? (Thx for the meme Ellen <3)

[fangsxii]

Hello, hello! First off, I love your art 🥹 they fill me with so much serotonin and makes me happy. And second, a question for the werewolf AU, do vampires there have hierarchies or just the werewolves alone?

For the first part, Thank You! It’s nice to know it makes you happy, makes me glad I draw what I do draw. Haha. I also love your art!

To the second part, Vampires have one... more specifically they have Clans just like many other species. But y’know, they’re huge groups. There are “leaders” of the clans which are the lords(2) and the lady(1). The leaders are the oldest and strongest vampires of the clan, Eden being one of the leaders for one of the most wealthy and powerful clans.

Certain clans are responsible for certain things. Eden’s clan is responsible for the earnings of every Vampire in the world. Giving money regularly to every Vampire citizen in their database. (Hua and Vill-V for example.) The ones who are not on their records well.. too bad. But usually, they’re good at tracking vampires down… also because you can be added to the database if they go to their banks and shit.

The Top 5 Clans are usually called the “5 Heads” of the Vampire Society (ooo spooky /s.) These guys are the ones that handle shit like deals with humans or other species, clan management like if there’s a very dangerous clan that’s out of line, so on and so forth. Whatever. Rules and shit, too much to go into.

In their Social Standings, Vampires are fairly high up there.

Obviously, the “unearthly” beings like Angels and Demons are the highest but usually aren’t seen meddling in shit. (Unless they’re assigned to.)

Then it goes:

• The Phoenix (?)

• Dragons

• Giants

• Elves

• Vampires

[and more.]

Regular Families and Citizens like Hua and Vill-V can be very powerful and be out of clans. But they will usually be seen as the lower class or weaklings. Otherwise, they’re pretty normal people!

[galaxseacreature]

I love the amount of thought you put into the fish tags. is there any reason you didn't go with megafauna for safety?

💚🐟 Thank you! Hazards of being a biologist working in salmon recovery, haha.

I actually found the post twice on different reblog chains, the second time with 2 more social poll questions, I'm guessing that's the one you noticed given the swim club safety talk involved!

The first time, according to the post rules, I randomly generated fish and was immediately excited given ~my whole deal~, but also a bit annoyed by the vagueness. A test refresh gave the result dugong-precision down to species. Clear as day. Fish could mean so many different things-it isn't even a valid cladistic group of relatives! I could get rowdy with that and claim any vertebrate, but that hardly seems in the spirit of the thing.

The photo was a clownfish but I'm not wild about being one of those‐or any reef fish, honestly. I'd want decent swimming power. And I'd prefer to be a saltwater fish, just in terms of environments I most want to explore. Something native to my area should be well adapted. So I did think of salmon, it would be undeniably funny at work. I also toyed with the idea of using my power professionally, to actually test the swimming abilities of whatever species against culverts and dams and fishways. But that's getting back into freshwater. Maybe as a salmon I could choose sea vs river phase each transformation?

Mostly I want to use my fish form to explore in the ocean. And, like, professionally, I'm very aware of water safety. Being able to breathe free from logistics of scuba or reliance on a boat is incredible for dive depths and times! The largest remaining environmental hazard as I see it is being a potential prey item. And at 200ft or whatever you can't just transform back! You have to stay a fish until you make it to the shallows, or at least the surface. So I think us aquatic folk would be wise to stick together, especially since we can't casually transform in the street either.

But now that you mention megafauna, I am considering sharks. I don't know that I want to be HUGE, but I could certainly be large enough to hold my own out there.

Given freedom from the generator, I think a sea lion would be a pretty sweet deal. I'd have to come up for air and still look out for some things, like orcas, but I'd have pretty good diving and agility in the water. I was imagining sea lion people as a very important part of swim club!

[doorrobloxstuff]

[GDAB] The Librarian's assistant

w/usual lighting. (click for better quality, goddamn it tumblr)

daytime lighting applied. ☆BASIC INFO☆ Full Name: Rueben "Marshall" Olmeda, Rueben D'mico, Rufus Gallatin, Rueben Green, Rue, Rueben Olmeda Nicknames: Rueben, Rue, Sandwich man. Physical Age: 42. Chronological age: 71 Gender: "Male" + Xenos (doesn't really think about it too hard anymore) pronouns: He/him/it/its* *As time progresses, it'll be using it/Its more. Sexuality: Omnisexual, Greyromantic Birthday: 5/2/1952 Species: Human, but that's about to [REDACTED.] Ethnicity: Mexican-American Languages Spoken: English [Fluent] Spanish [Knows some, but unfortunately is quite disconnected from his culture.]

¤PHYSICAL APPEARANCE¤ Height: 4’7 (HAHAHAHAHAHHA WHY ARE YOU SO SMALL) Weight: 157 ibs Hair Color: haha he’s bald Eye Color: under them glasses? Orange. Skin Color: Vanta black Battle Marks(Scars, missing body parts, etc.): [Redacted] [Redacted] Some on his arms and one small bite mark on his shoulder. Type of teeth(Normal, fangs,etc): Normal lol. Type of eyes(Abnormal pupil shapes and such): They are orange and they occasionally glow in the dark. Other Forms: hHahshaahdgdggdgsggs Facial Shape: Triangular surprisingly.

Body Shape: Lil man. Additional Notes: He’s incredibly short, also suffers from chronic pain.

~PERSONALITY~

(God I hate writing this part ) Brief Description:

- b o o m e r brain 40 year old body

- Complaint city. Will chatter your goddamn ear off if you give him the opportunity. - Hypocritical. Often, Rueben will go against HIS own advice and morals. Especially when it comes to the killing of intruders. Which, he does have moral qualms against but is very much complicit for his own personal reasons. - Gullible. Not anymore.

- Standoffish. He can come off as hostile or cold if you don’t know him or your not apart of his family. This can range from general saltine cracker to absolutely murderously so given the scenario.

- Brutally honest. Hates lying to people and hates sparing people’s emotions.

- Skeptical. Doesn’t trust anyone as far as he can throw them. Constantly double-guessing people's and even his own. Especially towards strangers.

- Scholarly. Loves to discover new things about the world and learning new things all the time. - Bibliophile. In the same area as scholarly Not an understatement. He loves his books. Do not touch his books.

- Temperamental. Though not surface level, Rueben has been know to get angry and stay angry for a very long time if the right switches are flipped.

- Conspiracy theorist. He wants to see them aliens.

- Ambivert. Loves to talk! Good luck getting him in a social situation where he can!

- Nurturing. Though he won’t ever admit this, he does love to take care of others he does get close with.

- Always open to development -

First Impression: Distant, Withdrawn, Bitter (intruder) Loud, Chatty, Eccentric (Entity) Once you get to know them: Eccentric, Lonely, Still really loud lmao Default Expression: Frowning or grimacing with a hint of skepticism. MBTI Personality Type: INTJ-T Extrovert, Introvert, or Ambivert?: Ambivert Alignment(lawful evil, chaotic good, etc): Chaotic neutral/True neutral. Habits: Chewing on pencils, Napping, reading a book. Fears: - Losing Figure - Accidentally pissing off the Hotel - [ REDACTED ] - Figure finding out about [ REDACTED ] - Breaking his [ REDACTED ] - Figure killing him on accident - People FINDING OUT about the hotel - People FINDING OUT about Figure - People FINDING OUT about Him or [ REDACTED ] - Being accidentally killed by an entity - Really loud sounds - Asphodels Intelligence: 8.7/10 Pet Peeves: - People treating his or Figure's books badly - POLLEN - Any “Flowery” smells - Strong smells in general - Repetitive sounds made from people - The sound of coughing - RUSH - When one of his projects goes wrong - When people doubt his intelligence - Anyone standing behind him for too long - THUNDERSTORMS (makes his chronic pain worse) - Figure when it doesn't bath for a week and comes into the room "smellin like the devil's ass hole!"

[BC]》BELIEFS《

Religion: Not religious/agnostic Thoughts on government: ‘FUCK EM!’ Not a big fan. Thoughts on people in general: He mostly just sticks to his own people nowadays. Moral: While Rueben does know a clear distinction between right and wrong, he often ignores it due to the circumstances. Do they believe in: Ghosts?: Y E P. (He’s gonna date one.) Aliens?: Yep. Cryptids?: Yep. Conspiracy theories?: Yep. Anything else I didn't mention?: Nope. Superstitions: H a t e s flowers because he believes their back luck. (Plus he’s allergic to pollen.)

Also tries not to touch the hotel walls because he believes that it could try and reach out to grab him.

•°SPEECH°•

Voice Description: Super husky and tough sounding. Head-Canon Voice: John Marston (Red dead Redemption 2) 92% accuracy just a bit older sounding. Accent: Western???? Speech Patterns: Do they parrot people? (repeat phrases other people say): Most used phrases/words: Slang they use: Too many to put here. Swearing?: Yes, but not often and if it does its usually done out of excitement or in a humorous manner. Do they think before they speak?: No. Do they worry about accidentally offending someone with their words?: Depends on who. Movement while speaking (hand gestures etc): Hand gestures. Humor: us

♡LIFE♡

Occupation: Thoughts on occupation: Dream Job: Education: Past Relationships: Current Relationships:Family: Figure (Child) Seek (Child In-Law) Snare (Future Grandchild) Screech (Future Grandchild) That one mystery entity that El-Goblino mentioned (Future Grandchild) ??? ??? ??? Hometown: Current Residence: Room/Housemates: Financial Status: Source of Money: Health: - Currently suffers from chronic pain - Physically unable to have children - Has serious issues with sleep - [ REDACTED ] has also had a serious effect on both his physical and mental health Past Life/Backstory: Current Life: As of current, Rueben lives in a subbasement beneath the library.

Some things are best left in the past.

•●INTERESTS●•

Likes: - Figure :) - Engineering - The sorted chaos that is his room - Reading - The smell wood - Coffee Dislikes: - Dead animals - Harsh smells - Spiders

- People

- (dark) Chocolate Favorite Food: I C E C R E A M or M a r s h m e l l o w s both are locked in an eternal battle against each other in his brain. Favorite Animal: Indecisive. (We'd be here all day but mostly farm animals, such as dogs, runner ducks, Chickens.ect) Favorite Color: Indecisive, Purple or green. Favorite Movie Genre: 🤷 Favorite Book Genre: All of them. Favorite Style of Music: Country (LOVES old western music that tells of American folklore) Least Favorite Food: Least Favorite Animal: Indecisive: Mosquitos, Hogs or coyotes Least Favorite Color: Egg white or Yellow Least Favorite Movie Genre: - Doesn’t watch movies - Least Favorite Book Genre: We’d also, be here all day. Least Favorite Style of Music: New “”””country music”””” Hobbies:

- literally just sits around and reads books all day that’s it.

- Fixing up the hotel and maintaining the lobby

- He’s old guys what did you expect

- Reading

- Quilting

- Farming (he used to do it when Figure was REAAALLY little)

- Occasionally hunting

- Barbecuing

- Book-binding

——-

-- Template by: StrophicCata on Amino.

FOR AMB + Related aus.

everything will be explained in due time (or never idk)

[kwanisms]

hi this is so random and nerdy of me but i happen to love animals as well as facts about them, their personalities, etc. i hope in another world i’m smart enough to have a career in biology or zoology! but omgg anyway LOL! i’m reading your mingi fic where he is a hyena hybrid and i just want to say i as i was reading i suddenly went “OOO OMG OKAYY BIG BRAIN KWANISM‼️” and stopped reading to run here and ramble to you hehe!

the reason being is that the hyena hierarchy is not in favor of the male hyenas AT ALL. the women are at the top, they’re also more aggressive & dominant than male hyenas. (they are larger than them as well!! :3) male hyenas are at the bottom of the hierarchy and are naturally more weak and submissive than females. they basically must always act right to get a treat, food, literally anything . so yeah, omgg sorry for all of this, i feel like i can’t explain why i found it so neat :( i just thought it was so cool how even if it wasn’t your intention for it to read like that, it still is accurate! which my neurodivergent ass latched onto right away and just had to be annoying about it in anon💔💔 IM SORRY AGAIN :(

sending loves & hugs to youuuuuu🩵

Hi haha I was once in school for zoology so I know a bit about animals and biology as well (｡•ㅅ•｡)♡ I might return to it one day but currently, life is taking me in another direction.

But pretty much everything you said is true for spotted hyenas. The females are larger, more aggressive, and socially dominant over males. They run the show. Females even have a pseudopenis which they use to display their dominance over males and other females. It's all very fascinating. Seriously, anyone who is reading this and learning this for the first time, look up spotted hyena social hierarchy. It's really, really interesting.

It's even more fascinating because out of the four species of hyena, only spotted hyenas are like this. Striped hyenas, brown hyenas, and aardwolves are the other three species of hyena and none of them exhibit the same behavior as striped hyenas. Makes you wonder why striped hyenas evolved like this. What was the evolutionary advantage to warrant such a change in their morphology?

Mingi's werecreature is actually physically based on a striped hyena, where the males are larger and more dominant over females. Mingi is large with the potential to be dominant, he's just being Princess Minki here lolol

But that being said, everything I put in my writing has a specific purpose. I do tons of research before I settle on final details for a fic. It's who I am as a person. I will never not overthink my details and search down to the most minute thing. I love worldbuilding and it's an important part of my process.

I hope you like Mingi's fic and you enjoy the rest of Kinktober! ٩꒰｡•◡•｡꒱۶ and thank you for your message! It's always nice to meet other people who love animal fun facts. Feel free to drop in anytime and drop more animal trivia! 🩷

[booneysboyfie]

SING + SING 2 HEADCANONS (human au)

Part one: main characters

Picrew link, art by Naylissa on various social medias

(One year passes in between movies so for characters who are in both movies, there will be two ages listed)

I’m posting this here instead of on my main because you guys are used to me being cringe <3

Also, important: I chose each character’s ethnicity based either on where in the world their species of animal lives, or (for animals that live all over, like pigs or mice) other contextual things (like Gunther’s accent)— basically, please understand that I’m not making Johnny black because he’s a gorilla, but because gorillas in real life can be found in equatorial Africa— however if you’re black and still find this offensive, please dm me and you can explain to me what’s wrong, and I’ll do anything I can to make it better :)

Buster Moon (he/him, gay and trans)

36-37 years old

5’0”

Australian

Autism, bipolar, and PTSD (after working with Jimmy Crystal)

Hair started going gray due to stress, so he dyed it all

Forgets to eat a lot

Works too much, gets bad burnout

Is best friends with Rosita; she reminds him to eat and sleep and stuff when they’re on the road

Has electrical burn scars on his hands from when he and Ash messed with the electric fence on Clay’s property

Was dating Eddie in the first movie, but they broke up which is why he’s not there in the second movie

Rosita (she/her, bi and ace)

40-41 years old

5’5”

Latina (I chose this for her because of her name)

ADHD, depression

In canonverse she had two litters of piglets, one with 15 and one with 10

In human au she only had five kids— Carrie, Hannah, Kelly, Leo, and of course Casper

Her husband, Norman, is very supportive of her identity— they were going through a rough patch in the first movie because he was taking on too much work (hes a Lawyer) and didn’t have time to spend with family, but they work on it together and have a much healthier relationship now

She got a degree in journalism and used to work for a newspaper

She has been closeted bi all her life, but only found out about the “asexual” label once she met the theater group (mostly Gunther) and learned more about the queer community

Speaking of Gunther…

Gunther (he/him, queer)

39-40 years old

5’5”

Immigrated from Germany when he was a teenager

Was not accepted by his family for being queer— he hasn’t had any contact with them for most of his adult life

He’s very well adjusted and stable now, though

A lot of his energy goes towards helping out his friends at the theater, who are still figuring out who they are— like Rosita!

He gets along surprisingly well with Ash, probably because Ash really needs a really positive friend to hype him up

Gunther has been doing dance since he was a kid, and is really good at it

Johnny (he/him, gay)

19-20 years old

6’0

Very sweet and supportive with his friends

Kind of a puppy punk— he’s discovering a lot of new music and ideas through Ash haha

Always bruised and sore from dance practice

Loves skateboarding

Used to straighten his hair (like in the first movie) but now he takes better care of it

Helps Nooshy get tattoos and piercings because they’re afraid of needles

His late mother is the person who inspired his love for singing

Also loves to do other kinds of art

Dropped out of school at age 16 to help out at the garage so his dad could focus more on his other business

His best friends in the group are Ash and Meena

Ash (he/him, transmasc)

19-20 years old

5’3”

Brazilian

Actually went to middle school with Johnny, but neither of them remember the other

Gives himself stick and pokes

Came out and started his transition in between the first and second movies

Also has electrical burn scars on hands like Buster

Is kind of withdrawn from his family— they love him a lot and want to rebuild their relationship, but Ash feels guilty for having chosen his ex-boyfriend over them when he gave him an ultimatum

Still doubts himself about his gender identity a lot because he grew up thinking everyone felt that disconnected with femininity

Loves getting piercings

He still wears really artistic makeup for shows

Hasn’t even thought about dating anyone after his ex— not because he carries a torch for him, but because he feels like his mind and body has been “ruined” by having spent so much time in such a manipulative and toxic relationship (I’m toootally not projecting haha /sarcastic)

Meena (she/her, transhet)

23-24 years old

6’1”

She and her family are Indian (I chose this because in the second movie she’s a lot smaller than Alphonso, and to make it work with both of them being amab I decided she’s an Asian elephant and he’s an African elephant)

Anxiety, dyslexia, rejection sensitive dysphoria

Her parents have always been supportive of her transition, but it took her grandparents a few years to warm up to it

She has been out as a trans girl since she was a young teenager

She’s been taking singing lessons since she was a kid

Attends a community college in the area and is really self conscious about the fact that she’s not pursuing any other higher education because her cousins and parents are all very scholarly

Her parents are both professors

Gets really dysphoric about her height and size

But she feels really EUPHORIC about her beautiful long hair and the jewelry she likes to wear!

Looks up to Buster a lot even though sometimes he doesn’t make the best choices

Miss Crawly (she/her)

82-83 years old

5’4”

Salvadoran

Half blind and hard of hearing

Was very good friends with Buster’s late parents

Is extremely good at cooking; always feeds the theater group when they work late rehearsing or putting on a show

Is actually married, but none of her friends at the theater know her husband very well

Has two adult children too; she loves them very much and talks on the phone with them a lot, but they both live out of state so she only sees them and her grandkids every few years

Doesn’t mind when Buster doesn’t have the money to pay her; she may technically be an employee, but she views her job at the theater as just helping out a family friend

Is definitely more competent that she appears to be

Porsha Crystal (she/her, lesbian)

19 years old

5’7”

Has lived in Redshore City all her life

Autistic

Has a lot of followers on her official social media, but she also has a few secret accounts so she can goof off with her friends without her dad knowing

Really admires Ash, even if he took a while to warm up to her

Dyes her hair as a way to be in control of her appearance— Jimmy always chose her hairstyle and clothing so she looked “normal”, but didn’t mind if she dyed it because that’s kind of typical for modern teens

Loves to do colorful and fun makeup

Had a little bit of a crush on Suki when she first started working for Jimmy, but obviously that was one-sided because Porsha’s a lot younger than her

Nooshy (he/she/they depending on the day, genderfluid and bisexual)

21 years old

5’4

Finnish

Depression

Was homeless prior to meeting the gang, now lives with Johnny

Dyes his hair black

Is afraid of needles

Gets a lot of nightmares and doesn’t sleep well

Doesn’t spend a lot on clothes, upcycles their own stuff

Still just does street performance as her job

Clay Calloway (he/they, trans, genderqueer, bisexual)

62 years old

5’5”

He and Ruby are t4t

Stealth in public, and has no living family members— the only people who know he’s trans are his friends, who he came out to after a few months of getting to know better

Ash is like their grandson

Completely left behind their old life when they moved to Redshore

Ruby transitioned later in life— when they first started dating, they were technically a mlm couple

Literally hates Jimmy Crystal so so much and is very open about it

Porsha helped them start a social media account. He’s not very active on it besides replying to fan messages and posting things about the shows he does.

[redxblueihateloveyou]

I'm so very happy w/fs2, but a small part of me is tinitiny (very tiny) bit salty about the reconciliation going your way (that's not a beef, I love you tremendously!). you were so sure that rin should be the one to step up, even though majority seemed to disagree (on my dash), but they still went your way. it makes all the sense now to me that it happened and I'm just wondering if that's my bias-ness for rin that blinded me, since I was one of the idiots politely arguing with you after the fs1

LOL I think it's perfectly fine that you feel that way, bc it's kinda a forever debate between to say tsunderes/antisocial ppl/silent types who watch such couples and the social ones. I'm just saying it bc I myself when watching such ships with my hommies, it's literally EVERY TIME one part of the couch goes (aka my mom) "but he (Haru or Lan Zhan or Qiling or Sangwoo or etc) doesn't talk, how's he supposed to know" or "that doesn't count unless u say" or "he should've…lalala" and the other part of the couch (aka me and my sister who don't talk but show things other way) start to agressively disagree and it literally always ends like this:

And I mean, ofc depending on your personality you would watch things differently and feel things differently bc we express our feelings differently. Like I've only recently watched this korean gay dating show where there was a guy who also didn't talk but I from other things from the start guessed who he liked and then at the end turned out that none of the participants there "saw it coming" which to me was pretty wild lmao. So my point is, I got it a long time ago from real life harshly and in many comments under different shows that most people find it hard to understand these signs or even see it. On behalf of "my species" I apologize, but sometimes thats the best we can do really.

I always due to this try to look at these (my favorite) types of pairings from both sides, even tho I know I'm clearly biased too. And my main argument in this cases (as in who must "step up" as you say) is that if one despite of who he is tried as hard as he could to deliver his feelings even painfully so surpassing his comfort zone and the other didn't, then the one who should be stepping up is the one who didn't. I think thats how it usually works at the end. I just know from my own feelings that for them it was very hard to step out of their comfort zone and thats why in such stories writers always reward them at the end for that I think.

That being said in that particular case also I think you have to watch it from the point of who in his way did everything he could when it comes to their relationships and was fully invested without lying to himself and who wasn't. And it was Rin who constantly backtracked due to being scared (for respectable reasons, but still), Haru was fully in for a long time. I just think bc of all the metaphors about swimming and water and the fact that they also want to be together everywhere for life including their profession, some mixed up a bit here the professional and personal aspects.

Like when it comes to their way in professional life goals it was Rin who had no fear and Haru did (also for his own respectable reasons). But when it comes to their feelings it was Haru who had no fear, since the very beginning, but Rin did.

Also personally for me actions always speak louder than words, but at the same time I do understand that hearing some things are also very much needed. So I think its fine to feel both ways, I personally don't really get mad when ppl don't get it.

The only thing that gets me going into a heavy debate sometimes is the fact that some throw around stuff like "well he must express himself more normally" or smth in the orbit, indicating that if you don't express yourself with words specifically, you're an asshole/insensitive or smth like that, nevermind the fact that someone there cut their leg to save his future husband's life you know haha. Which to me is hilarious since its these types of characters that in my opinion are more sensitive and deeper head over heels than others. Bc at the end they due to the fact that for them its ususally the only exception thing, if they enter this territory, they usually drown very deeply and unrecoverably. Meaning once they're in they're all in, there's not gonna be any denial/stepping back an etc.

And I just also don't see the point (when it comes to love) of forcing people to express themselves in a way they don't want to. For example, I'll never serenade to someone who I'm in love with, bc I'm just not that kind of person. I wouldn't want to be someone who expects this from me or will get upset that I don't do such stuff. I myself think random little things like that time Rin was talking about Haru's birthday plans and Haru going "I'm not gonna listen untill you'll change your wet clothes, I'm scared you'll get sick" is much sweeter and to me personally enough. I'm not trying to demean here any huge romantic gestures, I just personally do not care for those. But I know all people are different and that's okay.

So I'm just saying that these kind of characters express the feelings in other ways (which to me for some reason are the most touching). So expecting Haru to do stuff from some of the people's wish list that were voiced after fs1 would be just not Haru. Also the problem there was that Rin was scared to dive into love. And what else in your opinion Haru should've done to show him that he's his safe haven I do not get no matter how much I thought about it. Bias or not but after all that patience and understanding, you gotta admit that the only option here already was a shock therapy of maybe taking it all away haha.

So when it comes to love you gotta judge everyone depending on their own scale. Like you certainly can expect us once in love turn from a cocoa bean into hot chocolate just for you, but we won't magically turn into a sugar syrup, if you know what I mean here lmao. And Rin also doesn't want that, bc he loves Haru. If he wanted to pick someone else, he would've LOL

Also I think being biased is also fine (we all are when it comes to our faves) as long as you admit to it and don't start this thing some people start where they seem to only care about one person in a ship. That's already not a shipping in my opinion haha. Like idk why but I seriously hate it the most. Bc even in times when you're certain you're right, you gotta try to see things from both points of views. In all of your own relationships too.

P.S. also forgot to say" haha I win". I'm kidding lmao. Love you too.

[ihopesocomic]

Relationships (even happy ones) aren't 100% perfect and I'm really happy you're depicting some personal conflict between the main couple without hamming it up. After all everyone has disagreements, and Storm and Hope both raised some valid points about their completely contrasting lifestyles (Even if on Hope's end she got a bad instance of it, which is likely why Storm seems to generalize them; definitely a bad thing to do, but given Storm was seeing Hope and seems to have had the Grove be her exposure to prides, I don't fault her for thinking all of them are like that) and how it can be hard to just suddenly settle in and agree with everything about said lifestyles, 'specially as a social species, even if Storm isn't saying everything.. hm.. I actually wonder what she held back. Either way it's nice to see! Especially in a climate of the internet at times where apparently disagreements are seen as bad for couples (no fr I've seen that, it's weird and on the same level as people thinking relationships without fights and spice and drama all the time are boring and completely unengaging which makes me, a lover of simple undramatic couples that communicate even a little instead of mishearing everything the other said, a sad lady :c).

Hopefully they do come to that middle ground sometime, like Hope settles in as a roaming lion with her little group and Storm sees that not every pride is like that like Hope said. You mentioned the Thundering Mountains being a good way to show that nuance, so I cannot wait.

Love Cackler Ma's debut too. I loved her from the get go and love her even more and she didn't even need to say a damn word. :D

I'm thrilled everyone liked Cackler Ma's debut even tho she said nothing! That means we did a scene with its intended effect haha everyone got the idea of who she is pretty quickly.

And YES they definitely have differences they need to work out. Plus Storm wasn't being entirely sensitive to Hope's perspective, along with not sharing her own experiences. Hope's pride did influence her opinion somewhat, but it more buttressed what she already believed, if that makes sense. And when Hope thinks of prides, she thinks of people who take care of each other. Which is what a pride is supposed to do in this world haha They're not an oppressive force whose existence goes against the laws of nature. But Storm definitely has thoughts worth considering on top of the points already made.

But these are the beginnings of an ongoing and evolving conversation between these two. This is the first time they talk about it, but it won't be the last. They'll eventually want what the other wants. They are end-game after all. We want it to be equal parts interesting and equal parts normalizing healthy disagreements (and we also don't want to do character assassination in order to make one seem more right than the other at an awful attempt to show flawed traits while simultaneously ignoring the bigger problem at hand. And leaving the other out in the rain...) which is something lacking in media, particularly queer media.

And we want them being end-game to feel earned. We could always just have them live happily ever after, but if their relationship leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth along the way, or it feels like they’re just being forced together, then that’s no good either, know what I mean haha - Cat

[reddpropaganda]

It's interesting how like,,, mythical/mystical? creatures in the ac universe, as far as we know, are rare to come by. Nook and the twins are the only tanuki, and Redd is the only kitsune for example.

Now, there might be a fair population of them around living life same as other animals but we just don't see them.

But what if instead mythical creatures in the ac universe are regarded with suspicion and stigma and treated like second-class-citizens? And that's part of the reason why Tom Nook had it so rough growing up?

We don't really see mythical species because they're living out of slums and struggling for work as other animals think they're scary or strange.

Cue the only other business partner he could find was another yokai-- Redd. And that's why they became friends, having shared a mutual experience with prejudice. It's implied Nook has a past with Sable as well, and they grew up in the same town together. It's then revealed her parents died when Mabel was still very young.

Was it from overworking or a work related accident trying to keep their three daughters taken care of? If so, it's a tragedy to see Sable copy this pattern of working tirelessly at her machine, and... not much else. Even ignoring customers to work as her social life suffers.

Perhaps poor, working class animals and mythical animals are kinda put into the same boat when it comes to classism and so, are more likely to be empathetic of eachother. But Tom Nook leaves for the city anyway.

Was it more openly discriminatory there?

If this is any indication to think so.

That's why Nook takes in Timmy and Tommy. Because without him they,, don't really have a fighting chance out there. It's rough for mystical creatures. He couldn't leave them there in good conscience. Redd can't seem to stick to a legitimate gig and is constantly poor. Himself, broken by the harsh realities of city life.

And what happened to Timmy and Tommy's parents???

The world of Animal Crossing is supposed to be this peaceful utopia land where bad things don't really happen-- or is that only what we're supposed to see? It's odd that both of them are out of the picture and that no other living relative could take them in?

Did they mayhaps leave young Timmy and Tommy someplace they knew the successful Mr. Nook might find them in hopes that they'd be adopted for a chance at a better life? Is this why, despite having no blood ties to him, they're referred to as his "nephews"?

For Tom Nook hasn't forgotten his roots. He still feels a kinship to other tanuki and knows their struggle. He still speaks the old language and respects his ancestors.

He's promised himself to look after these children-- not as their parent, but for the misfortunate parents who had to give them up. He doesn't see himself as having taken their place, as it's likely they're still alive somewhere and could someday be reunited.

Strangely coincidental is that only Tom Nook, the Able sisters, and Redd are known to have had "rough childhoods" compared to all the other animals we see breezing through life, able to afford cushy housing who are financially stable enough to relocate at the drop of a hat with the biggest worries on their plates being "do I wanna do (leisurely activity) or other (leisurely activity) today?"

Joan, the old turnip seller before Daisy Mae, talks about Redd like this:

And yeah, we all know Redd in particular is "untrustworthy," but... why she just start being racist against all foxes in general ajsjs.

(Which, mind you, he's a kitsune in the Japanese.) So she's really saying "don't trust those damned kitsune."

And look at this:

"Wears a raccoon suit." Which sounds like a roundabout way of saying "he's not really one of us, but just looks like it" since tanuki appear like regular raccoons.

The wiki interprets it as "oh haha they think he's a human man in a raccoon suit that's funny" but like,,, why would they think that. What behaviour, displayed by Nook specifically, would be "human-like" when they all act like humans? They'd all be accusing eachother of being humans in animal suits. So that doesn't make much sense.

Maybe that's why Isabelle and himself are his only employees. Because most other animals just aren't that willing to work so closely with a tanuki. He relies on her, not out of choice, but obligation as there's so few options. That would make her a pretty good ally™ in this case.

I adore their dynamic! Since in folklore, dogs are loathed enemies of tanuki and they kinda flipped that on its head in a nice way.

Speaking of Isabelle, her and her brother, Digby are the only different dog breeds we see-- aside from the mysterious K.K Slider, (a Jack Russel) and the only animal with hands. Maybe they're the only few in the world but are able to get by blending in as others obliviously believe they're regular dogs with weird ears or something.

Shih tzu have mythos attached to them as well in which they're able to turn into giant tigers when threatened sjdjs, so maybe Isabelle receives some of that flack and fear, too?

In fact, villagers describe her as going "Isabellistic," framing her irrationally when they "break a window," something that could reasonably incur anger.

Does it imply villagers can be callous and rude because they have no sense of consequence from living such privileged lives?

I hate reading so into the lore of such a happy, soft game but ajsjs I also love seeking the depth and angst™

[crispy-ghee]

Hello! Firstly I just wanna say I love your work, both your own personal drawings and stories, as well as the collaboration pieces with Isei. I was just wondering what your process was for your building of your Yautja clans?? I wanted to try my hand at making my own, so I was wondering what pointers you may have.

Hi! Thanks so much for the kind words, it actually makes me really happy that anyone is enjoying the stuff I enjoy making. Worldbuilding can be a lot of fun, and awesome that you're gonna try your hand at it!

I have a lot of thoughts on worldbuilding, and to be honest my approach varies here and there depending on what I'm making or writing, but I'll see if I can't gather my general thoughts into something more succinct instead of going off on a long ramble haha

STARTING INFO

When you're worldbuilding for a pre-existing IP, it's good to keep in mind the stuff you already know about the race/species. This seems really obvious, and imo you can mess around in and out of canon if you want bc it's your clan and you should have fun first and foremost, but it's something to consider.

(But also keep in mind that this isn't something you necessarily have to think about right away, it can come later in your process, but I'm just mentioning it here.)

With Yautja, there's the physical aspects that make them distinct (mandibles, crest, reptilian/mammalian, tendrils, claws, tall on average, tend towards warmer climates, strong, etc) and what we've seen of them culturally (glory/trophy hunters, honor code, matriarchal, etc etc). The cool thing though is that when you're coming up with a hook for your clan, you can either choose to follow these rules, or you could find something interesting in subverting them.

What if it's a clan of smaller yautja? What if these live in the cold? What if their clan doesn't give a shit about hunting? etc etc

Speaking about Hooks...

The Hook is just sort of a jumping off point where you can start building your clan out of. It doesn't necessarily have to be a hook for the audience, and it might even change or be discarded as you go along writing, but it's always good to have a place to start.

Hooks can honestly be anything and inspired from anywhere. I'm going to be honest that most of the time I don't really go searching for hooks, they're moments of inspiration that kickstart stuff. They're usually what causes the worldbuilding.

A lot of that (and a lot of worldbuilding, actually) is actually input. Being curious and learning things, consuming things, etc etc. Expanding your visual/mental library. It's not something that i do purposefully, necessarily. It comes from stuff I've read about, movies and documentaries I've watched, some tweet I saw, a picture on my dashboard, a wikipedia article I stumbled into somehow, a story a friend told, so on and so forth.

That being said, you can totally find a hook if you just ask yourself the right questions.

But the things that can be hooks, like I said, can vary greatly. It could be an idea you had out of nowhere, a novel question, a theme you want to explore, a cool image you saw, a costume you wanna try out, anything! For example:

Maybe you already have a character that you designed that you want to build the clan around. The character can totally be the hook. What are things about the character that might hint at what society they grew up in? Do they have a specific attitude? Quirk? Is there something about their appearance? The clothes they wear, the way their tendrils look, their coloration?

Maybe you saw a location that was really neat! What if Yautja lived in a place like that?

This clan is stealthy!

This clan likes animals!

This clan makes art that looks like _______.

This clan engages in a lot of warfare.

I liked this idea touched upon in a predator comic I read, can i expand on that?

What if a Yautja did Basejumping?

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

Brainstorming! Ask lots of Questions!

I ask a lot of "why" and "how" after I figure out my hook (or hookS). It's an easy way to get stuff kickstarted.

How do they do that? Why do they do that? Is it ritual? Is it something else? Is it based on their history? On their environment? On their Lore? On their social structure?

And then just keep asking why after you answer that question, and then you'll have a pretty good foundation that you can maybe mess with or discard or change completely or use for an even better idea.

Like...lemme use the "Yautja Basejumper" as an example.

Why would this Yautja base-jump? Is it for a practical reason, like it helps them hunt a specific animal? Is it for a ritual reason? Is it for the thrill? Is it to prove themselves?

How do they do it? Do they use high tech to do it, or is it low tech? If it's low tech, what materials do they make their parachutes or gliders out of? In human base-jumping, what tools do they use, and how can I translate that into Yautja maybe? Or is it a completely different approach?

Do they basejump off of mountains? Is it something they do because they live in the mountains? Or is it maybe something they have to travel to a specific place to go do? What is this place? Why do they go there? Is it for a spiritual reason? Coming of age? Is the place itself significant? Does this have something to do with their history, or a legend that they have?

If base jumping is important, how does this affect what they find attractive or cool? Do they like really tenacious yautja? Is being more aerodynamic a boon? Would the wear anything specific for the act, bits of decoration? Is there an animal they want to look like?

So let's say just going through those questions, and asking myself why and how and other questions from that intial hook and then the answers I gave. Here's a (very very very rough) potential initial thought:

This Yautja clan base-jumps as a coming-of-age ritual. They live at the foot of a tall mountain, and young hunters climb to the top to prove their courage and tenacity. Part of the ritual is making your own glider--and if your glider doesn't hold up because you rushed it, then you get really hurt or die, and that's your own fucking fault. They're doing it to mimic large flying animals that once-upon-a-time roosted on that mountain but don't exist anymore, which had cultural/mythical significance to them. Maybe their ancestors used to ride them. This clan are able to fight in flight, unlike many other Yautja.

And then you can build off of that or change it, do research and look stuff up related to it to see if you can add more stuff, keep asking more questions about the things you decided on, etc.

Forever and ever and ever.............

Anyway, that's my worldbuilding approach, haha. It's basically "learn a lot of stuff, ask a lot of questions."

I don't know if that was helpful at all, but there ya go!

[rawliverandcigarettes]

Our discussion on turians made me wonder: how do you imagine the culture of the Salarian Union? (I'm sorry, you probably talked about this elsewhere, but I was too lazy to look for that, if so feel free to refer me to that post.) I find that there are surprisingly little elements about it in canon, though there are a few hints, like the fact that the planets in the Pranas system all have modern names, the previous names having been discarded, presumably, because they evoke "bygone superstition"?

Hello! Sorry I took some time. I actually rarely packaged my thoughts on salarian culture in a digestible way, so you gave me a great opportunity to give it a recap! I will go more indepth in the future for sure, but I might do a lil' overarching presentation of my general thoughts.

First, I have written an exploration/explanation of some of my headcanons regarding salarian reproduction, and it can be found here on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18872515

It is sliightly out of date and I need to do a pass to adjust some of my thoughts, but I still go by the general idea.

I also agree that there is very little things in the OT canon. I think there might be slightly more in Andromeda maybe, but I still haven't played the game so who knows!

I even believe the games kind of give up on salarian culture past ME1, where they are arguably given the most importance; we get more depth to it in ME2 through the sole and lonely perspective of Mordin; and in ME3 they are barely worth more than somewhat cheap antagonism and a couple of questionable jokes. Even right now during the promo of MELE, I felt like salarians keep being characterized as weird-cute-gross, and more like the butt of a joke than people. Even the promo for Director Tann in MEA had this "haha you get a role for a mass effect character and you thought you'd be sexy and cool TOO BAD" vibe to it, which makes me think part of the devteam (or at least the marketing side of it) don't think too highly of their very own space frogs :'(((

But to get on my actual thoughts (under the cut and the nice gif, because it won't be as long as it could be, but it's still somewhat long):

So first off, I'm trying to keep in mind how indescribably huge the Salarian Union is: we're talking about a conglomerate of planet-sized communities, moons, artificial stations, plus appendages in every large-scaled, cosmopolitan communities in Council space and possibly beyond. Just like it would be hard to talk about any united "human culture", I think the same could be true for any Mass Effect species --even though, for the sake of both narrative convenience and the tendency for globalization once communities get connected and break down communication barriers, shortcuts have to be made (and that helps make Points, and I like stories to have Points so yee).

For this reason, I have identified organizational tendencies within these communities, based both on baseline of natural grouping emerging off salarian biology (clan-based structures with matriarchal figures) and where I speculated breakdowns would happen in the modern, multicultural setting of the ME universe. To brutally over-simplify: there would be the "traditional" political organization of Sur'kesh (that I will briefly cover later), the "colonial" style (a derivation of the Sur'kesh style with more centralization), and the growing influence of ultraliberalism creeping from Council space back unto these communities, creating a myriad of variations depending on how much the communities are willing to adapt to production being controlled by corporations.

I headcanon the culture, however, to be at once: very collectivist yet an oligarchy (because dalatrasses have a right to power by virtue of existence basically), extremely eugenist to the point of having created literal, biological races that are genetically distinct from each other and cultivated to remain as such by some clans (and therefore can be very cruel towards the disabled/the imperfect at birth too), misandrist (I believe being a male salarian from a shitty clan/baronny is one of the lower forms of political existence that can be in this universe, hence why their lives in the working force are so goddamn disposable), but also designed to protect its members and have the community take care of their basic needs (so homelessness is almost not a thing, or at least used to not be a thing). I also believe the culture to be consistently young and vibrant, with lots of energy (for better and for worse). And during the time of ME, to be under economical and social duress (even gender duress!) as it sits at a crossroad regarding its future, and everyone has a lots of ideas on what this future should look like, including people gawking the outside with economical or political interests in the outcome (this basically the plot of The Empire of Preys, which is technically a prequel to Halfway Home but will be written after HH because I love chronologies that make sense and are easy to understand :) :) ).

So concerning the OG, Sur'kesh style: I have contorted a weird economical/diplomatic/land planning system into quasi-existence, that is based around a unit called the "symposium". This is a *relatively* young system in their history (still milleniums old, it really solidified in the middle of the Rachni Wars as a reaction/adaptation after several waves of imperialism that didn't really look like ours but had the same effect of flattening local cultures into a more aggressive semi-ethnostate), but central into dividing resources, workers, affect. I will not go into too much details because this is quite complicated, but these are basically commitees that will take democratic decisions among its members, based on how many clan members are appointed in both this symposium and and adjacent symposiums that might be helpful to this one --it's a system explicitely based on bribes and social influence, and getting the partial control of key symposiums is absolutely essential for Dalatrasses to maintain the influence and relevance of their respective clans. It's also a system that has, traditionally, very little use for money (it exists, but as a token of exchange that doesn't carry inherent value --if you have only access to money as a clan, you are basically worthless and won't get access to good matches or good symposium seats, or at least you used to until capitalism knocked at the doooooor and that kinda fucked things uppppppp and the society is not recovering and the gaps are getting extreeeeeme this is the plot of TEOP basically).

Oh and on the subject of the transition to more capitalist values and the decay of clans that cannot keep up, I wrote The Leftovers a couple of years ago, which talks about a young dalatrass-to-be discovering she might be sterile, right here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15854244

I have a ton more things to say on the subject (and salarian culture as a whole), buuut this is getting quite long already haha.

And in regards to your question: I headcanon that salarians from one specific continent -that then became the "cultural norm" over imperialism and complications- were confronted, in a continental way, to a huge hurricane that led to incredible floods and then stagnant water and diseases, which really soured their relationship to water that was previously quite holy. This led to a very bitter enlightenment; their "Renaissance" came out of spite against nature rather than anything else, and a lot of previous ideas were abandoned for a time -then reclaimed, then abandoned again, then warped... It's complicated. :D

[answers-of-a-pokemon-researcher]

Professor, what pokemon did you originally go on your first journey with?

Oh, those are some fond memories. When I was growing up my birth region of Johto was recovering some substantial wildfire damage, so I was sent to Kanto for my own journey when I was ten. All the Pokémon who were with me are all still alive and well, though most of them have dropped out of the battling circuit. Not that I battle much at all anymore!

My first Pokémon was Bulbasaur, on the entire boat ride to Kanto I made sure to stay wide awake so sleep wouldn’t hold me back from picking first, just to make sure I got a Bulbasaur. Turns out it probably wouldn’t have mattered as that species wasn’t as popular back then, but I wanted one bad. That Bulbasaur was old Maxwell, my first Pokémon. I thankfully have a small country home in Johto out by the Ilex Forest, but with a rather large yard so I don’t have to worry about space, and most of my Pokémon who aren’t active teammates anymore have that as a base to linger around and roam, including him. Maxwell’s a big lug and he’s really slowed down with his age now, but he’s fiercely loyal. We’ve had good fights together. The window in my study faces my yard, and old Max comes by periodically to rest his face on the windowsill and watch me write reports. He’s near the end of his life, near 70 years, but that old Venusaur has lived a good one and I’m making sure his golden years are comfortable. And that some of the... younger upstart Pokémon I took in give the old man some peace once in a while.

While camping in the Viridian Forest on my first night on the road, a Weedle crawled into my sleeping bag! I was honestly lucky to not get stung by accident thanks to the close quarters, but I figured it was a sign and took him with me. That was Hubert, my now-Beedrill, and though bug types are generally not long lived, Hubert is going on 20 now. Beedrill at their oldest tend to reach mid-thirties, so I have plenty of time with him. Hubert is my ambassador for the greatness of the bug type! Quick evolving bugs like him are often disregarded as beginner species, but he remained on my team as I collected all eight gym badges and contributed a lot. He’s pretty friendly for a Beedrill, but I’ve always made sure he was well socialized. He’s made his nest on the top of my wardrobe and always freaks out visitors because he’s so possessive of me.

In Mt Moon I got lost a lot, like, a LOT thanks to all the twists and turns, but I found a Paras on one dead end I hit. I’d always loved bugs and was in love with those big, cute eyes, so he came with. That was France, the now Parasect still wandering around my house. He’s pretty docile and usually stays inside, but as I warned before, it’s important to watch out for spores with a Parasect in the house. He was a pretty formidable battler for his calm nature, but I think he was happy to leave the battling scene. A lot of trainers who see him get concerned if he’s even alive thanks to all the misinformation about Parasect, but make no mistake, he is alive and fully alert! Lethargy is just part of the symbiotic relationship Parasect share with the mushrooms they carry thanks to a mixture of energy sharing, but most importantly, consistent exposure to sleep-inducing fungal spores.

I remember trading with a boy who was desperate for an Abra because he hated the psychic type he was given and thought it was scary. A Mr Mime! That was Marcel, and he was only 10 when I got him, not to mention most psychic types are super long-lived, so Marcel will be around for a very long time. He might not have liked Marcel, heck, most other trainers my age didn’t like him either when we were around, but Mr Mime has always been my type of Pokémon. I did contests and most prominently theater for a long time, and still do, and have been trained in clowning a lot, so I appreciate such a silly clown Pokémon! Mr Mime are great friends, they’re radically intelligent, you just have to be ready to manage such a smart and often mischievous Pokémon. Marcel has toned down the pranks now since I’ve established countless times I don’t have an appreciation for being tripped over invisible walls, but that doesn’t stop him from pestering other Pokémon sometimes. For all his troublesome behavior and a bit of a rough start with an unappreciative trainer, Marcel was a hard worker during my first journey and he never fails to make me laugh at least once a day.

Then there was Jane, an Elekid I found who washed up on the river by Rock Tunnel, probably from the nearby Power Plant. She was and still is quite the spitfire! Jane isn’t really used on the occasions I do battle, but she hasn’t been dropped from the battling circuit quite yet. I can’t bring myself to evolve her into an Electivire, though. She’s very content as an Electabuzz and I don’t see much of a reason to. Her and Marcel are a bit of a troublemaking duo but I love them both dearly. I do occasionally loan Jane out to people in need of a temporary Pokémon companion for things like trips through treacherous terrain with unfriendly wildlife. It’s good enrichment for her, which she constantly needs. I don’t think I would ever want to raise another Electabuzz, they’re far too high energy for my liking, but Jane is my special exception.

The last of my first Pokémon is actually the only one who’s still in the team I now regularly use for battling on the rare occasions I do it, but mostly for the sake of outings. Post is my Dragonite, which is probably the only Dragon type species I consider myself capable of handling. He‘s a retired mailworker, if you couldn’t guess by the name, haha! That was back when Dragonite were used much more commonly as postal service Pokemon, before breeders from Hoenn helped make the much more efficient Pokemon Pelipper more widely available outside its native region. He’s a kind and gentle soul, as most Dragonite are. There really aren’t many other dragons (besides the lovely Drampa or perhaps some Altaria) that can match Dragonite for its inherent friendly and loving nature. I use him for travel, as he does miss his delivery days, so we both win in that situation. I get a way to travel quickly for my research, and Post gets his exercise!

[adiabolikpastel]

Title: Lunar Eclipse Masquerade

Karlheinz pt. 3

Rating: NSFW | PG-18

Word Count: 1,947

Pairing: Karlheinz x Skye (m/m)

ღ As the part unwinds, Skye is finally able to take a breath. Though maybe there is something else on Karl's mind, as the moons affects finally seem to reach him. ღ

Mun Yu: We did it! These are the last pieces of the LEM story. The end to our Lunar Eclipse. I hope that you have enjoyed the ride, and gotten to know the stories on this blog better! Tune in at the end of it all for Authors Notes!

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Despite what most people think, demonic beings are very social creatures. The elites hold countless balls and parties, celebrating their immortality together, and entertaining one another with stories. Typically, they are done in celebration for something – though this is not always the case. All types of beings from across the Demon Realm will come if the host is of high enough prestige.

There would be no such host if it was not for Karlheinz. Seated as the head of the Bat Clan (vampires), Karl’s reach spans far. Being the widow for the former Demon King’s daughter, and having children of the first blood, an invitation from the Vampire King is not one to refuse. Though why would you? In his immaculate castle within the Demon Realm, Eden Castle, it is always quite the spectacle. While the celebrations held in his Human World mansion are nice, nothing compares to a true night of pleasure within the true home of the King.

On this night, there was to be a Masquerade in honor of the first Lunar Eclipsed Moon in over two years. While this night may serve each species differently, the idea to celebrate its return was simply too tempting. For this reason, Karlheinz took it upon himself – or rather – his house, to host the event. This extended to his offspring as well, regardless of their personal agenda. Members of every social elite race accepted the offer, and gathered for a truly unforgettable evening

While he was sure others had a marvelous time at the event, Skye was exhausted. It was one thing to organize and watch something happen from afar. Being one of the hosts was completely different. There was never a moment of peace. At any time someone would come up to speak with Karl, and he would have to smile and pretend to be interested.

It was enough to just be seen and not heard. How did his wives ever deal with this? Then again, they were probably all bread for this kind of thing. After departing from Shu and his new bride, Karl had insisted on taking Ajax and his wife with him on a tour. But not before getting Burai – what were these three frat brothers?

To see Karlheinz in this light was rather amusing. Not that he was very different, but one could tell that the three men had a special bond about them. Perhaps that wasn’t something Skye could understand. He wasn’t too keen on the history here in the Demon Realm, but he did know that there used to be battles constantly. These three must have been allies through all of that. Or perhaps they were enemies which Karl subdued? Skye wasn’t sure which.

“And then, wouldn’t you know it, Meteo surprised us with a visit! It was glorious to see him! Xyander and Xylon met him for the first time. Hard to think they are already three and never met their brother. My son has been so busy – but Stevi and Helios were excited to see him. Little Onan was sleeping, but I am sure they are having a great time while we are away.” Ajax prattled on and on while they walked through the castle. Skye couldn’t help but roll his eyes, just how many kids did this guy have?!

“Dear, you speak of our children much too much. Your castle is beautiful as always, Karlheinz. Thank you again for allowing us the honor of visiting. Even if it was just to swoop away with our daughter.” His wife chimes, wearing a smile, but her words drip with venom.

Karl laughed slightly at her, Skye could tell that it was mostly in triumph. “Now Catalina, we both know that Ajax would never simply give away something so precious. Callista will be well taken care of, of that I assure you.” Karl offered her comfort, but it was more so in an attempt to get the matter dropped. He had won, there was no sense in her dwelling on the past.

“Honestly, the fuss you all make over children.” Burai finally speaks. “That is why you have them one at a time. Devote what you can, then move on.”

“That is an interesting stance, though, given your record my friend – I wouldn’t lead with it.” Karl states, in reference to Burai being not only his friend, but his ex-father-in-law.

“I would choose one child every century- millennia even - over the amount you both have.” The Demon shivered, disgusted by the idea it seemed. “They are simply a means to an end. We must produce them to preserve the line and power, but nothing more.”

“That is not true! My children bring me such joy! You cannot say that you feel nothing when you look at your son now!”

“I won’t comment on that.” Burai simply answers, as Ajax berates him with further justifications of his unending love for his offspring.

Skye walks quietly next to Karl while the demons talk amongst themselves. He was ready to retire for the evening, and as they came back into the ballroom, he was glad to see most of the guests had gone. Especially at least half of Karl’s sons – all that remained were Kanato, Shu and Reiji… wait! Was Reiji seriously trying to take Shu’s dance!?

“Well isn’t that quite the problem.” Karl muses beside him. “Seems those two just cannot get along.” Skye knew that this had to be part of a larger plan. Karl doesn’t simply do anything. There is always a motive.

“Callista my dear!” Ajax’s voice boomed from behind them, the large demon B-lining straight to his daughter. He did not seem upset by her daughter being in the arms of someone other than the man he had just left her with.

“It is still a mystery how that man became a Demon Lord.” Burai comments stepping up to Karlheinz. “He is a fool.”

“Some just have other reasons for fighting. He is plenty powerful to make up for the fool. Not to mention his wife does a fairly decent job keeping things in check.” He shrugs it off, watching the ever doting father collect his daughter. “What of you? Any plans I should know about for a future love affair?”

Burai scoffs, “My last child is still alive, so do not count on it.” He says, gesturing to someone. Skye looked in the direction, hoping it would be Alrick. To his surprise, a woman seemed to respond to the signal. She was dressed in a floor length gown, but not something fancy, something closer to a maid’s outfit really. Was this a familiar? Her appearance was almost human; very bland everything. There wasn’t even a demonic presence about her.

“You have summoned me, Lord Burai?” Whoever this was, they were most certainly a servant. Not looking up even slightly, that was some quality training.

“We are leaving.” Burai dictates, the young maid bowing and excuses herself. “You celebrations are nice, however, please do keep me off any intimidate affairs. I have little time to deal with such things.” Almost as quickly as he finished his sentence the strange woman was back, and helping him put on his coat. Perhaps she was a familiar.

“You are the last person I would want to have anything intimate with, my friend.” Karl waves off the demon lord, and escorts Skye to the head of the room. Skye looked back at the Snake demon to see if Alrick was going to show up.

Instead, he saw this supposed happy bachelor prude, actually link arms with the servant! What a hypocritical- oh god was that a kiss!? Skye couldn’t believe it. Even if it was on the hand, that ass hole. Giving everyone the ‘oh look at me – I’m all business. Big bad demon lord’. He couldn’t wait to tell Alrick about it later.

“You are quite distracted. I think that’s enough sharing you for one day.” Karl’s voice brings Skye out of his train of thought. “Come, we shall retire for the evening.” His voice was soft, as if he was purposely only allowing Skye to hear.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to imply something, my king.” Skye knew that there was no way this night was not going to end without the two of them becoming intimate. Honestly he was pretty tired. Not to mention, it was his impression that the Bloody Moon was supposed to affect the bat clan. Here the night is over and Karl’s been the same. Rip off.

Karl laughed a little at Skye’s comment, “Haha, you know me too well.” He moves a hand around Skye’s waist, holding him close. Within moments the two of them were moved out of the ballroom and into their room. Well, this was the room they typically fooled around in. Skye knew this wasn’t Karl’s room – he actually doubted that the man slept at all.

Skye smiles up at Karl and moves over to the bed, sitting on the edge, crossing his legs. “I must say, that was fun being your little arm candy ~ I don’t think there was a single person who missed it.” That thought sent shivers up his spine. What a thrill it was to be seen. Not to mention seen by all those stuck up demons who would normally look down on him.

Karl watches Skye bask in the afterglow of their appearance. What a strange creature he was, actually wanting to be the center of the universe. Yet at this moment, Karl felt like that role suited Skye more than any other. “Yes, you were magnificent, my siren.” His praise seemed to affect him, as their eyes were soon looking over one another.

With a smirk on his face, Karl summoned his magic to disrobe the cape which was draped over his shoulder. Whilst he undid the buttons on his vest, and loosened the tie around his neck. “So well in fact,” He stepped out of his shoes, and allowed magic to take his discarded clothing off to be hung up. “I believe you deserve a reward.”

Skye was entranced by Karl’s mystical display. God it was always so hot to watch him strip. Way better than doing all that work himself. Just as Skye was about to do the same, Karl suddenly dipped down and knelt before him. “My King…?” Skye’s eyes widened. This man was not about to do something stupid, right?!

With a small laugh, Karl slowly started to take off Skye’s heels. “Your expression dictates you were thinking something absurd.” He softly kisses the top of Skye’s foot. “I am rewarding you for all the hard work you did for this night, not punishing you.” There was a hint of melancholy to his words.

Karl had no interest in submitting another to the role of his ‘wife’ again. The title was nothing but a front anyway. He had not loved anyone. Still loved no one. These ‘feelings’ for Skye - if they were love, Karl would have no idea. Their time together was an end to boredom alone. The means to a release. Though if that were completely true, Skye wouldn’t be as involved as he was with Karl’s professional life.

The boy was more than just his assistant here. In the Human World, he was even Tougo Sakamaki’s new face. People saw him more than they did the politician. Once Skye had finished school, he came onto the alias’ line of work, and began working as the personal secretary for the famed politician. Karl was sure that Skye would even be a nurse for Reinhert if he had asked.

Skye let out a soft mew in response to Karl’s gentle touches and kisses. This was new, he was never this gentle. It felt nice, especially since his feet were killing him from the heels. Beauty was so painful. He was happy that things were like this, how silly to think that Karlheinz would even consider a marriage. Well, it wasn’t like he honestly thought about it - it was more just the shock of him actually kneeling.

Though now that he got a good look - the sight of the Karlheinz was worshiping his feet. “Heh, my king~ I have to admit, mhmm, the sight of you down there… is really turning me on~” He says, moving his other foot to locate Karl’s groin.

Karl simply focuses on his task at hand. Slowly. Sweetly. Moving his lips up from Skye’s foot, up his leg. “Mm! My King… if you tease me so much I - ah!” Karl moves to just behind Skye’s knee - one of his biggest weak spots. Skye bites back another moan.

“Now that wont do.” Karl suddenly speaks and looks up at Skye. His eyes are full of desire. Hunger. Lust. “I want to hear you. Every sigh. Gasp. Moan. You will not hold anything back. In return, I shall spoil you. Every. Inch.” He smirks, wetting his lips, and picking up Skye’s other foot. “So. Be the beautiful siren you are meant to be. And submit yourself to my will.”

☆+ ﾟ .+ .ﾟ.ﾟ｡ ﾟ ｡. +ﾟ ｡ﾟ.ﾟ｡ ROUTE END☆*｡｡ . ｡ o .｡ﾟ｡.o｡* ｡ .｡