#how does that even come to be in natural evolution like how did these animal things develop wheels

[akascow]

the scarlet/violet motorcycle pokemon is so funny to me

[horseimagebarn]

Ok so thanks for the answer vis a vis the centaur situation I appreciate it a lot and I'm not trying to convince you to change your ruling but unfortunately you used the word taxonomy which triggered one of my damn neurodivergences. I hope you don't mind but my response will be to deposite these few paragraphs in your inbox I'm sorry in advance if this comes off as aggressive or condescending or just plain annoying I'm just sensing an opportunity to infodump to someone who might be interested in tbe topic so I'm seizing it I'm sure you know what it's like

Anyway there's a disconnect between pragmatism and scientific rigor that people are blind to which vexes me and biological taxonomy is a particular pet peeve of mine the biggest instance of it is crocodiles and alligators which are really the same damn animal for all intents and purposes but that's not relevant

Naturally when one thinks of horses one thinks of domestic horses specifically (Equus ferus cabellus) but I'd argue that certain pictures of donkeys (Equus africanus) look more like domestic horse pictures than certain pictures of Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewlaskii) despite the latter being classified as the same species and the former not

And I feel that for a horse image barn the resemblence of a picture to an archetypical horse image should be a higher priority criterion for inclusion than some criteria that biological taxonomy relies on like the presence of specific haplotypes which isn't even a word anyone knows and if you go to its Wikipedia article you get a definition of it that's not really relevant to this ask

So yeah in conclusion I wouldn't tie the in/ex-clusion of images to scientific taxonomy but to Vibes if I were the admin of this or a similar blog but I'm not and you are so you can like do whatever

Also I won't be submitting the centaur image I wanted to submit but can I still send it as an ask I like showing it to people spreading it around etc it's kind of cursed but also funny and I like it a lot and I understand why it's not horse enough to your taste but it's definitely horse adjacent and I want to share it

as a fellow animal wikipedia delver i agree that taxonomy is not the end all be all of the human perception of animals however what i meant to imply is that the differences between centaurs and horses are large enough to be considered taxonomical and are not debatable even in a taxonomical sense due to their many massive differences also i have posted przewalskis horses before as they are true horses and this is horseimagebarn not assimagebarn or centaurimagebarn even though i love donkeys just as much and would own a donkey over a horse any day

i did just take my adderall and am bored at work so i have to humbly yet lengthily disagree with you that taxonomy is not important in both cases presented while the crocodilian assumption you make has bruised my heart as i love alligators and i find them far cuter than crocodiles due to the differences in their jaw structure that makes their bottom teeth fit into their mouth instead of jutting out like crocodiles (which is one of the many actual and notable physical differences between them alongside choice of salt or fresh water etc) i wont get into that and will focus on horses since thats the point of this blog using actual punctuation and capitalization for the first time in this blogs history ill be referring to przewalskis horse as takhi as it is also known so i dont make a typo which i know i will

long ass (donkey pun) post warning

Taxonomy can of course be vague at times or muddied, but it is not an invalid study. All human knowledge is constantly evolving, and mistakes are inevitably going to be made, but that does not make our efforts invalid. It is beneficial for us to know how evolution works. Taxonomical differences are real and worth considering, even if mistakes are made sometimes. Two animals looking similar is not a valid reason to ignore their taxonomical differences, nor is it okay to ignore similarities because they look different—if we went by that logic, every dog breed would be a totally different species.

Speaking of, here's a little more on the whole appearance thing before we get into the science:

The other day, I was watching a video about the actual horses that existed in antiquity, and they are far more similar to takhi than you might think. I'll link the video if I can find it, apologies for a lack of a source on this right now, but the gist of it was that horses of yore were much shorter and stouter than modern horses. The tall, thin horse often seen in modern depictions of ancient time is inaccurate, as is the thick, muscular draft, which didn't become common until later on. Back then, people wanted horses that were sturdy—most people didn't care as much about specific breeds or having the hugest and prettiest horse on the block, especially when food to maintain larger animals like modern horses wasn't always guaranteed, and having such a huge animal could be dangerous and more difficult. Their horses were more similar to ponies than our big guys now, and ponies aren't a separate species. The selective breeding of horses to become taller and leaner made them appear way different from the takhi, but just like dogs, they remain extremely similar to those of their taxa despite looking different on the surface. For example, take a look at the ancient fjord horse breed next to the takhi...in fact, sometimes takhis are called Mongolian ponies! We can even see this in ancient art earlier in the horse's domestication:

Anyway, science:

Firstly, the takhi isn't wholly classified as the same exact species as the true horse, our domesticated Equus ferus caballus. Both Equus ferus callabus and Equus ferus przewalskii are considered subspecies of caballines, or true horses, meaning they're more like cousins (I know it's a cliche to say this, but I mean it), with donkeys and zebras as, like, their nephews twice removed. If the takhi was considered the exact same species as the domestic horse with no acknowledged differences, it would be considered a breed of horse, not a subspecies (though breeds are typically manmade, they are not always—see the word "typical" in the dictionary definition). This means that it does have recognized, distinct differences from the standard domesticated horse that have been taken into consideration in their taxonomy—it is not like the two are blindly considered the same exact thing.

Mistakes have been made in Equus taxonomy in the past, but continued research has led to a retaxing of the genus as early as the 1980s. In the 2012 review article "Discordances between morphological systematics and molecular taxonomy in the stem line of equids: A review of the case of taxonomy of genus Equus," by E. Kefena et al., a number of scholars reviewed the methods with which the Equus genus has been taxed in the past and how they have changed in the past few decades.

According to that article, equines are an incredibly plastic genus. They are very good at adapting to their environments, which led past taxonomists to overcount the amount of Equus species that existed in the past and therefore miscategorize the history of the genus in general. Many were actually just adapted versions of the same thing. This is what we see in the horse and takhi—they are similar but have adapted to their different environments and niches.

In 1986, two molecular scientists, George and Ryder, performed the first DNA-based molecular taxonomy on all living equus species, publishing their findings in the article "Mitochondrial DNA evolution in the genus Equus." By mapping equus DNA and constructing a phylogenetic tree, they were able to take a closer look at the actual genetic disparities between equus species.

George and Ryder found that "[In the mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) cleavage map,] the percent sequence difference between E. przewalskii and E. caballus individuals was found to range between 0.27% and 0.41%. ... Overall, the amount of divergence presented here is small and not much greater than the 0.36% divergence reported for mtDNA differences found among the human racial groups (Brown 1980; Cann et al. 1984)."

So, horses and takhis are incredibly similar. Using these findings, they separated equus species into three clades: "One that groups the zebras, a second that groups E. africanus [African wild ass] and E. hemionus [Asiatic wild ass, aka the hemione], and a third that associates the true [caballine] horses E. przewalskii and E. caballus as a unit. However, as stated previously, the E. africanus-E. hemionus clade remains enigmatic."

They later state that "E. hemionus and E. africanus appeared more karyotypically [chromosomally] similar to each other than to other equids," hence why they were considered a clade despite being "enigmatic." Kefena et al. explain this weird enigma further, and, notably, compare it to the takhi: "Next to Przewalskii's horses, hemiones were the first species to be diverged from the stem line of extant equids, suggesting that they might be closely related to caballine horses than to asses, though they are monophyletic with donkeys than with horses. On the basis of these evidences, morphological resemblance between species doesn't guarantee genetic similarity between equid species." This means that asses and horses have distinct genetic differences that far outweigh those between takhi and domestic horses, despite the fact that donkeys and takhi look more similar. The hemione looks very similar to the African wild ass, and it is closer to it genetically, but it is not the same due to the way it evolved—it broke away from the general line earlier than any other ass. The takhi is the same; it diverted earlier than other horses, but remains very genetically similar—more than any other extant Equus species. And, even with the takhi's extra chromosomal pair, George and Ryder also found that they and horses were also very close karotypically, giving them incredible similarities both mtDNA-wise and chromosome-wise. Despite that different chromosome, horses and takhis can successfully interbreed and produce fertile offspring, unlike horses and donkeys.

Kefena et al. "MYBP" stands for "Millions of Years Before Present" Funnily enough, G&R also say, "There has been little to no dispute over the close relationship that exists between E. przewalskii and E. caballus; thus the addition of E. caballus to the E. przewalskii branch should be easily accepted." Which is so weirdly on the nose that I feel compelled to say that it's on page 544 so no one thinks I'm making it up. So, with their genetic similarities, their actually surprisingly similar appearances, and their sequential DNA similarities, the Przewalski's horse and the domesticated horse do belong in the same category when compared to other equines like donkeys and zebras. They're not identical, but they're in the same room of the larger equine house. And, check out the tarpan, Equus ferus ferus, another subspecies of Equus ferus and the most recently extinct of them all, alongside the current Equus ferus species (and a concept of the original Equus ferus pre-domestication by Cameron Clow on Artstation)! They're all friends:

Conclusion

you can send me centaurs if you want i just wont post them

[bitsbug]

Getting myself weirdly worked up about the common misconception that 'purpose' is a thing that exists with regards to evolution.

Like, I get it, niches can very well seem like some designed role, crafted to further along the Divine Machine of Nature. When confronted with an organism you don't like, the first question is "What purpose does it serve? Is it insignificant enough to be eradicated?"

But this very much isn't how the natural world works; evolution isn't a planned process. It's a bit more like.. y'know those videos of an algorithm being trained how to walk through trial and error? It's like that, but with a million more variables. And much like the algorithm, there is no forethought involved in evolution - it's only the immediate ''reaction'' to (aka whatever works to survive against) environment circumstances. There's not even the "goal" of survival, it's just that things which don't survive are unable to pass on whatever made them not survive, while things that did survive do.

Now imagine this process happening billions of times in parallel, all interacting with eachother, and all changing themselves in response.

The conditions a population experiences most, and the other populations it interacts with most, will inevitably affect its 'algorithm' for continuing to exist. This friction will pressure it to become more specific in how it functions, and it will come to rely upon how the things around it function. In turn, its environment starts to rely upon how it functions, however indirect that may be. It's all separate systems pressed against eachother, morphing so they align in a way that fits.

So, you can see how this can be so easily mistaken for a purpose. But the distinction is very important, because a species' entire *being* is the thing its ecosystem has molded to, not just one aspect of its lifestyle. Fleas and mosquitoes both take blood from larger animals, but they absolutely aren't interchangeable - their method of feeding, prey choices, life stages, and even movement are completely different, and something else in their respective ecosystems WILL rely on these traits for its own survival. Removing even that one thing will daisy-chain across the system, hindering the survival of everything involved.

That's why vying for killing entire species willy nilly is a bad thing, even if evolution is a morally neutral process with no true meaning behind it! And also why 'purpose' is a bogus concept to apply to this extremely complex system!

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Yandere Brotherhood (X men Evolution) and preteen fem reader who has Prehensile Hair and can talk to animals and is being fostered by Mystic.

Oooo, yes, more Brotherhood! I can do that, but I keep the Reader gender-neutral, or as the Reader's gender (which means for each Reader, it is whatever they are). Cool mutation idea! Let's try this out:

Your new guardian was pretty weird.

Not just because she was a mutant and a principal (and maybe evil?).

She had other kids at the Brotherhood home, and so far-

There wasn't anyone your age.

Your powers were pretty cool, with prehensile hair, in the shape of tentacles, that curled and grew long, wriggling when you were uncomfortable or curious. Your other power was even cooler, being able to talk with animals, and have them understand you.

It meant you made a lot of friends amongst the natural world...

But it also meant you earned quite the interest from the older teens.

You're looking at a little frog, who's wandered close by after the rain, and are approached by Toad, or Todd, as you try to call him.

"Yo, little teen, what's up?" he asks, squatting next to you in the grass. His tongue flicks out for a second, snatching a mosquito.

"Nothing much. Ribbit-Croak-Plip-The-Third here says he's never seen an amphibian as big as you. Yeah, I know, little guy, he pretty cool. Did ya want to say hi?" You pick the frog up, gently holding it so it can look at Todd. "See? He's kinda like you!"

"It- he... can understand you? And you understand him?" Toad asks, scratching at his hair.

"Yep! And he says he would like to be your friend!"

"That's... That's pretty cool. You're cool, little frog man," he replies, and taps his knuckle against the frog.

"He said you're cool... Okay! Ribbit-Croak-Plip says you're cool, too, and that he knows where some good worms are. If you want, he can show you," you translate.

And that's how you helped Toad and your frog friend make a new friend.

Lance and Fred learn you can lift things with your hair- tentacles- hair-tacles, when you're trying to cook dinner one night.

Two thick strands hold up the mixing bowl as three thinner ones add in herbs, milk, and creamy chicken soup. A few longer pieces are setting up the pan with rice, while the rest dice up the chicken meat. It's busy, enough so that you don't notice them come in right away.

"And that's what Toad said he heard from- Woah! Your hair's moving!" Fred exclaims, and you turn to look at him, as well as Lance, who'd he been talking with. You wave at them, as well as one your hair-tacles.

Lance's face turns pale, then a little green. "I... um. I think I might need to sit down a minute," he mumbles, plopping down into a chair by the chipped table. Fred only comes closer, looking at them and the ingredients.

"Whatcha cooking?"

"Chicken and rice casserole."

"Does it taste good?"

"Mhm..."

"... May I touch one of your... thing-a-ma-jigs?"

"Sure," you say, turning back to the bowl, now being filled with the diced chicken, the now-free strands opening up the oven as you pour the mixture into the pan. You feel a light touch on one of the tentacles, gentle and shaking. With a quick curl, it bumps the hand. "Boom, hair bump," you chirp, adding in some rice and stirring it into the mix, and once it's settled in the pan, you pop it into the oven.

"So... it's not snakes?" Lance asks weakly.

"No... It's like a little octopus," Fred says in quiet awe, bopping another one with a finger, earning a small bop back.

"Oh... So... An Ursula version of Medusa?" Lance says, then looks at the nearest tentacle. It boops him on the nose, then ruffles his hair. "Hey, leave the hair alone!" That only gets a giggle out of you as you wait for the casserole to cook.

Pietro isn't much issue, and neither is Wanda, both accepting g it without much problem, especially once you gift them a kitten, one who happily purrs the moment you plop it into their hands.

"This is Potter, they love people, they're an orphan, and they saw you, Wanda, and wanted to know if she needed a mouse catcher and loyal guardian. They also saw Pietro and said he'd like to nap on him, that he vibrated and so he must purr so much and be happy," you babble, stroking its small head with slow ministrations.

"... I will guard them with my life," Wanda says firmly, petting the kitten as it only purrs louder.

"... And I guess we could use a mouser. But it's not sleeping with me!" Pietro mutters.

(The kitten ended up sleeping with him, and would do so every night after, never being kicked out no matter how much Pietro acted mad) (He wasn't, the kitten, Potter, said it was cooed over and cuddled and given so many kisses that they couldn't help but give the purring mutant and the powerful guardian all the kisses it could give)

Mystique didn't cause as much mischief when you were part of a mission, but that didn't stop her from setting you up in odd situations.

"Why do I have to pretend to be your child?" you asked, looking up at the currently-disguised mutant.

"Because, my dear, it is imperative we catch Xavier while his guard is down," she practically purrs, then pulls you into a hug. "Now, let's try to get closer; I think I see our opening."

The two of you walked around the park, enjoying the pond and nature around you, even getting ice cream together. It was the perfect act, enough to let you two spy on the X-Men's older leader/guardian (it wasn't an act for Mystique, she just wanted to spend time with you and show you off to Charles).

It was pretty nice, overall, being with the Brotherhood.

You just had to keep away from the X-Teens, or otherwise you ended up grounded.

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form: Vegetarian Planet (Double Question)

Mod Note: We received two questions very close together on the same topic, but aren't sure if they are from the same Asker. We answered them both in this post.

I want to have a world where the entire population across the planet is vegetarian. As if, it never occurred in all of history to make animals food. Perhaps the main religion is extremely adverse and that's one of the main tenets and for some reason has never changed even when people spread far and wide. Is that possible? Maybe the animals are seen as gods maybe so couldn't be considered food. Or maybe all the animals are like toxic and not fit for consumption or otherwise undesirable compared to plant food? Is that also possible? Perhaps a combination of these? But how about the early people long before proper civilisation?

Tex: Some clarification questions I have are 1) what species is your population, 2) what is your definition of vegetarian, and 3) how did your population evolve to the point of developing a stratified society where religion could be invented? The first question is due to the fact that heterotroph species contain herbivores (eat only plants), carnivores (eat only meat), and omnivores (eat both meat and plants) (Wikipedia), because they cannot photosynthesize (phototrophs) or sustain themselves via decomposition of dead plants or animals (detritivores) (Wikipedia). Even disregarding humans, the evolution of carnivorous, omnivorous, and detritivorous species is critical to maintaining a niche ecology.

The second question is due to the fact that the term vegetarianism includes a spectrum of diets which only preclude the consumption of meat, but may or may not preclude the consumption of dairy products or eggs, or in some cases animals that reside in water (Wikipedia). This is a diet that is not ascribed to herbivores, who by physiology often cannot eat meat, but to omnivorous species such as humans that may conditionally take up a particular style of food consumption on the basis of one’s personal beliefs rather than a pragmatic restriction of locally-available food sources.

The third question is related to the concept that the shift in metabolic processes and energy efficiency associated with cooking food - particularly meat - enabled humans to evolve for a higher and more complex brain capacity, which might have been a preliminary factor in the development of society (Wikipedia, American Museum of Natural History, NPR). The less time spent surviving, the more time that can be spent to, well, spending time with others.

With these questions in mind, how does your population come to the conclusion to culturally change their entire diet - if, in fact, they are physically capable of eating meat in the first place in order to voluntarily exclude it from conscious consumption? What are the main driving factors of this decision, and how is it reinforced? Is this something that will last for thousands of years, on a broad scale, or possibly something that will last for a few generations, or among a particular social class, or within a particular geographical boundary? In either direction, why is this so?

Following on those thoughts, who is it that propels this idea forth into your population’s society? How do they come up with this idea? How does it relate to pre-existing culture? How are they marketing it to those who disagree with them? How resilient is this idea, and what societal settings prompt it to become the dominant cultural relationship to food over the contemporary, pre-existing relationship?

Addy: To have a species that has never conceived of meat as a concept is an incredibly far stretch, if we're talking about things from an evolutionary standpoint (and culture does evolve – it's non-genetically transmitted behavior, and it develops similarly to (but faster than) genetic evolution to fit the needs/influences of a group). The smartest creatures tend to be social animals that work in groups (ravens, humans, dolphins, orcas, dogs), and many of those are omnivores or scavengers. You do get some herbivorous intelligent creatures (elephants, parrots), but they, too, eat meat when it's available.

To put it simply, meat is an easily-digestible source of calories that is available year-round. Even deer will eat meat if given the chance. So to have a species that has never conceived of eating meat, not once in their entire evolutionary history, doesn't have a good model for comparison in our world. But this is fiction, and it doesn't have to be perfectly "realistic."

Maybe there was an ancient empire that imposed a no-meat rule on its territories, so eating meat fell out of common practice after a couple hundred years. Maybe you had something like mad cow disease spread through domesticated animal populations, so meat gained a sort of instinctive revulsion, like the kind of horror that people would feel at seeing a roach crawling on their food, or at the idea of eating maggots. Give that some time, and a population could just move away from meat as a food source, especially if they've got enough agricultural technology to grow good crops. Could be that people don't know that their ancestors ate meat, and that scholars can't make sense of some of the implements they find. Or it's a historical tidbit most people don't know about.

Humans (and human-sized creatures) don't have guts complex enough to digest grass and the like, so food preservation is key. I'd recommend looking into historical food preservation methods, with an emphasis on grains, fruit, etc.

But also, look at other stuff in fiction. Psionics, cyberpunk, dragons, telepathy, Excalibur, basically everything about pulp science fiction aliens… it doesn't have to be perfectly realistic by any sense of the word. The basic concepts behind Star Trek teleportation don't work, not in any way we know of. But that doesn't matter, because it's treated in-world as just a thing. The characters act like it exists, so the impossibility of it doesn't break immersion.

Whatever you write doesn't have to be perfect. People don't need perfect. Just take the premise you've got and work with it. Maybe they never ate meat, ever (or even if they did, that's not the cultural narrative). Maybe animal consumption is completely alien. What else do ya got? Do they still use animals for labor, like oxen pulling plows or cats to kill mice in granaries? What about butter or wool? Do domesticated animals exist in any capacity, or is that just not a feature in their society? If not, how does that affect their transport (maybe look at Inca messaging systems)?

Second ask:  What would it take to have a world whose entire population (well almost - except aliens) of omnivores would actually be vegetarian? A world-wide religion? But even religion changes so much, it'll be difficult to regulate if the world doesn't have a single totalitarian government and that's one thing I definitely want to avoid.

Tex: Earth currently has an entire population of omnivores (humans) that aren’t vegetarian, and even with religions such as Hinduism, there still isn’t a hundred percent vegetarianism rate. This is likely because humans are omnivores, and even if they have easy, nutritious access to foods other than animal products, they will simply eat animal products because it tastes good to them. No population is going to be strictly uniform because people are not strictly uniform, and the stricter a religion, the less likely it is to survive more than a generation or so at a time because it devolves into a cult-like structure. Ergo, even a totalitarian government will not be able to force its ideas onto a population - you’re more likely to see a deposed government than someone voluntarily abstaining from, say, barbeque or fried eggs their entire life. I think it might be helpful for you to examine why you wish to build a world that is so uniform in its population’s diet, and why that diet is not the full depth and breadth of what a species can eat, and if there are other frameworks that will allow you what you wish in a more feasible manner.

[minecraftbookshelf]

What does the word fae actually, specifically, mean in the marriage of the state AU? Because they’re not really a species, with faeries, elves, gnomes, and the deep folk all being fae/fae adjacent. Plus there doesn’t seem to be any fairy realm/feywild present in the AU, just the spring at most.

So like from a crystal cliffs, scientific perspective, what are they, what characterizes them, where do they come from?

Are faeries really animals at all or more creeperish (based on your creeper lore) or something else entirely? Can there be half faeries, with either elves or humans?

You’ve mentioned before they sort of dissolve when they die, so are they even totally physical, made of bones and fat and such?

What’s the deal with elves being half-fae, is there a biological-ish connection or decendantcy to/from faeries there? With half elves existing for sure, (hi gem) did humans and elves both from a common ancestor, or did one come from the other? Did the separation happen naturally, or was it like hybrids with the meddling of magic or spirits? (Or Aeor?) Are they maybe just totally unconnected, and being similar enough to have half elves just a handwavey/magic thing?

I love really getting into how fantasy world work and they’re history, so all of your Worldbuilding stuff has such a great hold over me, I love how deep you think into the day to day. I think that was the first period in this whole ask, lol. Sending a huge wall of vaguely related questions seems to be becoming a habit. Anyway, have a great day!

Hello! Sorry for the delay, IRL things kept happening!

And buckle up a bit because this is the one where the fact that I'm a massive Tolkien nerd really shows through, we're pulling heavily from the Silmarillion for this one. (Smajor did it first it is part of the canonical lore)

Also I have spent a long time (Since I was like, four years old. I was an extremely normal child and not autistic at all.) with a lot of versions and types of fairy tales, so I do sometimes forget exactly what knowledge of The Rules of the Genre people tend to be familiar with, so if something seems to be missing a few steps in the explanations please ask about it and I will do my best. Sometimes that might just be me pointing and being like "but that's the way it works" but I can try anyway XD

--

Basically, "Fae/Fae Adjacent" is both referring to a specific race, and is also the shorthand that I use to classify the Races That Came First. In Tolkien's work, you have the elves, who woke up an age before the first men. And by the time humanity even existed they'd had like, two wars and a massive migration. They are part of, I believe, the Second Theme of the Great Music, while men are part of the Third.

So when I say someone or a species is fae or kind of fae or any variation of that, it means that they are part of one of the races who have been on the Empires world longer, (several thousand years longer than the mortals) and share some of the characteristics of those races. (With one notable exception that I will get to)

These characteristics are mostly limited to longevity, of different flavors, and inherent abilities that would be classed as magical by mortals but that are usually very understated along the lines of having an exceptionally green thumb. I think I've said it in a previous post somewhere, maybe the Wool one, but Xornoth and Scott's elemental abilities are Very Unusual among elves and are a strong indication of the Divine meddling in their lives.

-

The Fae/Faeries who inhabit the Overgrown and are connected to the Spring, are the eldest surface-dwelling beings, and are the Actual Fae. They are most closely related to the Deep Folk, they just separated very early on and, as a species, they are incredibly responsive to environmental requirements and divergent evolution happened very quickly.

Fae are fully sentient. They are people, not animals, just Uncanny People.

The Overgrown and specifically the Spring's Grotto are a kind of Feywild. In that they are very heavily magical and tend to be difficult or impossible to find or navigate to anyone they don't want to be, and mortals in general. They don't tend to take up exactly the right amount of physical space they should. It's also kind of unclear if the fae have more of an influence over the environment or if it has an influence over them. (It's a little bit of both.) They tend to have a lot of variance, as individuals, though butterfly traits and cat traits are both fairly common, and Katherine specifically has both of those. These are less because of connections to said species and more environmental responses.

Some parts of the Overgrown are deliberately kept to be at least a little bit less hostile to visitors, mostly for diplomatic purposes, though visitors are rare for good reason.

(The other rulers, who tend to run in and out of Katherine's house with impunity, are something of an exception to this, and most of them have some level of magical connection to something or other that gives them at least a little bit of resistance or immunity to the surroundings. The primary exception to this is Fwhip, who has had to be extracted from Situations more than once by Gem or Katherine.)

There are also other Fae, besides the inhabitants of the Overgrown, the other three courts just have left. Whether that is just the geographical region or the specific plane of existence is fairly unclear. The Overgrown is home to the Spring Court, who are...not fully seelie or unseelie, though they tend towards seelie. (This does not mean they are truly friendly, or that they aren't dangerous)

-

Elves are younger than the Fae proper, though not by much. There used to be a lot more of them, covering the entire mountain range that Rivendell is only part of (this is totally not plot relevant at all :) ) and also some of what is now the edges of the Crystal Cliffs, the Grimlands, and the Spawn Lands. (Which would later become the place the first mortals woke up, thus its name and also status as a neutral location used for most meetings between empires.)

There were a few different peoples among the elves, though they have since been whittled down to two main surviving demographics, though the occasional traits do pop up from others from time to time. Both of these are mountain people, and are the ones that I shorthand as "owl elves" and "deer elves" or "mountaintop" and "lowlands and valleys" respectively, though these are simplifications and not entirely accurate tbh. They have two different, though related, languages. Xornoth and Scott are a mixture of both, which, while not super common in Rivendell, isn't unheard of either. Thus their wings and antlers combo.

Like the Fae, Elves as a species are fairly closely tied to and responsive to their environment, which is why despite the antlers and/or wings, they have a not undeserved reputation for stealth. (as opposed to the Fae, who do sometimes literally become part of the environment, Elves are just very good at blending into it.)

-

The Deep Folk, after they split off from the Fae and migrated under the surface, also evolved into a few different branches. Sirens are the one most well known to surface-dwellers, though there are few individuals left who can claim to be a full siren.

The Deep Folk intermingled with their mortal counterparts more than the land-based fae peoples, and so while the Sea Folk are for the most part mortal, some of them tend to be a little bit uncanny or have exceptionally long life-spans. This is incredibly normalized for them and the much stronger segregation between land fae and land mortals was a bit off-putting for a lot of the Sea Folk when they began interacting.

-

the Gnomes actually are not technically fae specifically because they are not native to this reality.

Shrub's description of her people and their own nature combined meant that she got classed as a fae race because she had enough in common, but she's not quite fae or mortal. The rules of their home dimension are a bit to the left of this worlds. The decision was mostly made based off of the depth of the connection that gnomes have with their environment, though as a rule they aren't especially long-lived or otherwise magical.

So Shrub isn't Fae, but they aren't Mortal either.

-

Allays and Vexes are about the same level of sentience as creepers. just less explosive. They grow from magic the same way creepers grow from the land. They're actually the same species, just different varieties.

--

The different Rates of Decay, for lack of a better phrasing have to do with the level of influence and connection to the environment. Also like, if Katherine, for example, were to die in the Spring Grotto, her body would basically disappear instantly; vs if she were to die in the End or the Nether, which are separate planes that are completely foreign to her Nature, her body would be perfectly preserved until it was returned to the Overworld. Even if it was thrown into the Void or the Lava Sea.

I think that answered most of the points? I would apologize for how long this is but I have a feeling you don't mind XD

If I did miss anything or if there are any follow up questions by all means ask them, whether in the notes, as a reblog, or my askbox.

Thank you, as always, for your asks. They are so much fun to answer!

[lookinghalfacorpse]

I’m so happy you liked my eye pattern idea! 😁 I always liked how evolution can makes an animals “design” function and the false eyes was the first that popped into my head about butterflies, I also saw that I was really vague on the c!quackity plans idea I finally have time to clarify lol

I imagine that c!quackity coming and going from the prison would be super noticeable to the chat and they’d get curious and suspicious about it, most of the chat silently observe to gather as much info as they can to help c!dream but a few grow bold

Some would make themselves noticeable to intimidate c!quackity and let him know the prisoner isn’t truly alone

Some blatantly follow him to try and gain attention, making it harder for Sam and quackity’s plan to be secretive

C!quackity does everything he can to throw off suspicion from other server members and kill the chat to keep c!dream from gaining an upper hand

Basically like spy-vs-spy if one was the owner of minecraft Las Vegas and the other was a kaleidoscope of angry butterflies sharing the brain cell

well if u say so

/rp /dsmp

"If you're back already," Sam said in a sarcastic monotone, "then I forgot to feed Fran."

Quackity marched into the lobby, his shoulders hunched and a hand on his axe. If anyone else entered the prison like this, Sam might be grabbing a weapon of his own, but he's gotten used to this sort of abrasive attitude from Big Q. Instead of going on the defensive, he raised a brow at the 20 or so butterflies that had attached themselves to Quackity's frame, surrounding the bloodspray on his shirt.

"Save the dad jokes for the guards. You got a flamethrower?"

Sam squinted. He did, actually, but... "No. Quackity, you're done for the day. You already left me with a mess to clean up."

"For outside, dumbass. These fucking bugs are all over your walls. I can't walk back home like this!" Pointedly, he plucked a blue butterfly from his suspenders and crushed it in his palm. It made a crackling sound before falling to the floor in pieces. A few more swarmed his face after that, and he swatted at them. "Have you ever looked at these fuckers faces? They're ugly, Sam. They're fucking hideous. If you don't burn them, I will."

Sam's eyes were on the remains of the blue butterfly's corpse. It looked more like a failed origami piece than a creature. The natural dust of it's wings powdered the floor, as well as the palms of Quackity's hand. It's color conflicted harshly with the pallette of the prison. Too bright, too vivid. Nearly glowing, even in death.

"I'll take care of it. Let me give you clothes to walk home in-- they noticed the blood on you."

[ms-scarletwings]

I don’t know how much new there even is to be said about the ending of Nick Cutter’s The Troop.

Yet the conclusion I’ve come to feels enough like a personal revelation to me.

Spoilers for a very nasty and great book, duh

It’s pure bitter with no sweet. It leaves more questions while answering very little. It’s left just open enough for people to even have this ongoing back and forth theorizing on what exactly happens to Max, or the worms. I didn’t find it unsatisfying though. There’s something of an inevitability to it. If anything, a last survivor feels almost optimistic at first, given how hard the novel had foreshadowed a grim death for the entire batch it started with. Feeling disappointed by the state we are left with by the end of that read would have been like being let down by the ending of “To Build a Fire”.

In fact, the so commonly held theory I hear that Max didn’t in fact make it off of the island uninfected feels most thematically consistent with all the build up we were given. The fearsome survivability of the pathogen, the scent in the air, and the dread of the book’s final sentences… and equally, and more to my leaning, was the idea that Max was left infected in a more allegorical sense- haunted by the trauma of the events for the rest of his life and the fear he will always inflict on those around him.

I think to myself though for the first time lately I’ve figured out the true despair of the ending as it was left this ambiguous: that the significance of whatever answer we come to about the end is… not much, really. Does it really matter if the boy was dead allegorically or literally following his return to the island? What we are all really even debating on was how much was left of any of the main cast after the dust had settled, and no matter how hard we pour over the possibilities, it’s just another flavor of “almost nothing”

The nature of the parasites were to core out and devour every form of life it touched, and leave nothing but a spreading emptiness in its wake. Its ending isn’t necessarily mysterious, it’s just that where we want to find the answers and the resolution, there is only emptiness. The Max we met from the first pages was as dead as his friends by the final few either way. The island is dead, either way. The community is scarred and pathologic and hurting their own, either way.

And all for, I guess, the greed of a few wicked men, the corruption of those in power, the ignorant compassion of a doctor, the naivety of unbridled kids… It’s a whole disgusting tragedy that honestly teaches you no new lessons of humans. That we are blundering and imperfect animals that doom our own and ourselves? That we’re resilient and can comfort each other and find hope even through the bleakest disasters?

Maybe that’s the real spirit at the heart of the ordeal. Though the disease in the book is a purely fictional, impossible creation, real disasters are so often equally as tragic, equally artificial, and the blame for them split to so many fractions it’s hard not to entertain them as a symptomatic expression for that which all humanity is infected with.

And maybe that sickness which feeds upon us and inhabits us is inevitable in a way, but I hardly think the book was aiming for a read this cynical. For all of the toothless threats Cutter gave about the worms’ rapid evolution, their appetite never did seem to make the final jump off of that island. Though there are teases here and there about a potentially dormant infection in Max, or the air of Falstaff, neither comes to fruition. Further on, Max even voluntarily returns to the blighted origin, separating himself and his ripples from the community that shunned him.

And just maybe, in thinking about Max again, I have found some solemn grain of sugar in this outcome after all.

To my interest there’s a unique context around the way death is treated in The Troop. Dying is written as a drawn out and spectacularly agonizing, cruel, and horrific event; however, death for almost all of the characters and animals in whole book is portrayed as contrastingly merciful. With Kent’s death, Tim’s death, Newton’s death, the chimp’s death, I’m only left with a breath of relief if anything. These were terminal beings you watched suffer for chapter after chapter knowing there was a dwindlingly impossible chance of being saved. Multiple times you almost want to yell “oh my god, just put me out of that poor thing’s misery already!”

Ephraim’s own was actually terrifying and more avoidable, but at the actions of a dying Shelley, who, even if you have nothing but hatred for, still passed with a finality that just screams “thank god that’s over” for anyone in witness to his final game. You know that once he was gone, he had taken his last victims. What I’m saying is that maybe there is a similar peace somewhere in the fate of Max.

The deranged doctor told that the worms would be the final living things alive even after the wake of the apocalypse, but where there are no cockroaches, there will be no guts for those worms to nest. Parasites by definition live by the hosts they pursue, and Falstaff is now the resting place of those the worms called theirs. In Max’s return, in his death, spiritual, physical, whatever it may be, there is resolution in knowing that the memories and trauma of that emptiness will rest with him on that scorched rock. There is finality in knowing that the mainland dodged the bullet of wider outbreak and that, while the scars will linger, the infection has been survived by the more adaptable, more resilient organism that nursed it.

[lacenvs3000w24]

evolution & everything happens for a reason.

Okay, so pretty much everyone since Darwin has heard about evolution by natural selection. BUT this does nothing to change the fact that it’s still such an interesting and exciting topic!! I’m not going to drone on about the theory of evolution - no, Charles did that for us. Instead, I really want to talk about how having some knowledge of that theory makes my time in nature that much more magical. In this way, I hope to bring the three guiding facets of interpretation together - education, recreation, and inspiration (Beck et al., 2018).

(Side note; I bought a copy of “On the origin of species” when I got accepted to UofG, and still have not managed to make my way through it. No hate to Darwin, but I think we could’ve taken some notes from this class to make that read a bit more engaging - jokes, of course. If any of you have read it in its entirety, I’d love to hear your thoughts…is it worth the read? did he include anything that would be deemed a “hot take” in our modern day?).

In biological studies, we come back to evolution all the time, and we blame it for nearly everything. At this point, I’ve learned the more mechanistic view of evolution, the misconceptions about it, and where we see it in ourselves and the rest of the biological world.

And yeah, makes sense, right?

But for me, it all really clicked last semester in my Animal Behaviour class, which pulled a lot of ideas from economics, cost and benefit, and the prisoner’s dilemma (cue loud groan). I know, I know, booooring.

But honestly, it really put it all into perspective for me –  the grandiose concepts of evolution finally had a really solid foundation, such that the story of any natural sight I see is clearer in my mind.

Like, okay, why do parents take care of their young?

Silly question, right? But really think about it for a sec. Well, we know that offspring are genetically related to their parents – if a parent doesn’t take care of their young, the young (and the parent’s genes, and even potentially the act of providing for young) does not persist.

We also know that in some species, one parent (mother or father) puts way more energy into raising the young than the other parent does. Again, why? If they’re both equally related, why isn’t this behaviour equal between the two?

There are a lot of “it depends” here, but one example is that the mother can be 100% sure that those babies are hers, while the father can’t be quite as sure – what if the mama snuck off with another fellow and those kids don’t have any of the “father’s” genes?

Basically, to hedge his bets, the father doesn’t spend his energy on raising young, and instead spends it looking for other potential partners.

who woulda thought that evolution would explain why there's so much drama and gambling in the natural world??

A Friend in Need (1903) by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

My other favourite example has to do with food caching behaviour in red squirrels vs. grey squirrels. Grey squirrels hide food all over the place, spreading out their cache. Red squirrels make one big stockpile. So, if a grey squirrel defends its caches, it wastes a ton of energy, almost for nothing. It physically couldn’t manage to guard all its nuts at once, so defending one cache leaves an opportunity for other caches to be robbed.

A red squirrel, though, benefits a lot from defending its cache. If it does, it stands a much higher chance of keeping itself fed through the winter, and if it doesn’t, it has lost all of the eggs from its single basket. This explains why red squirrels are the angry little guys they are – they aren’t just evil little devils who’ve escaped from hell. Instead, they just got out of their econ lecture!

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12144772@N06/1700328393

So, while it might seem that going through the mild pains of learning the theory and its economic/math-y/mechanistic intricacies would make nature as a whole feel less magical, I think it does the exact opposite. I feel like knowing these connections paints a really bright hue on my view of nature. “Why is that thing the way it is?” is such a cool, whimsical question to get caught up in, and I love it.

We've been educated, we've had some fun looking at some silly animal examples, and hopefully there was a hint of inspiration in here too!

Mother Nature really said “everything happens for a reason” and I think that’s super neat.

Anyone else have an "evolution epiphany" moment to share?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 3: Values to Individuals and Society. In Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (pp. 41-56). Sagamore Publishing.

[robotnik-mun]

Seeing that Archie Sonic planned on adapting Unleashed even before the reboot happened, I can imagine that the Genesis Waves would be the reason for Mobius’s Shattered World Crisis as it was for the new world’s.

However, the other day, I wondered if the Xorda gene bombs probably could’ve woken up the Gaias as well. Not released, but woken up to a degree that they affected the evolution of the planet via mystical as much as scientific means. Sure, the bombs would’ve been enough to alter the landscapes and such, but the resurrection of dinosaurs as Mobosaurs, the creation of dragons, and the coming of the Chaos Emeralds are very different tales.

Still, even though Light and Dark Gaia are apparently (🤷) supposed to destroy and recreate only the planet they are associated with and not much else, I can’t help but see a comparison between their cycle and the First to Eighth Cosmos thing Marvel Comics depicts. I can see the Gaia Effect be a very possible, alternate reason for what evolved Earth’s normal animal kingdom into the Mobians, how certain languages and stories (Antoine’s French and Arabian Nights) survived into Sonic’s time despite their associated countries not existing in his world (not counting things like the mobile version of Unleashed, or the Japan reference in Shadow’s game), and why Chris Thorndyke’s Station Square would be a perfect replica of the one in Sonic Adventure (or would it be the other way around?) if it’s slowly yet surely revealed that the cast of Sonic X learn that their circumstances are more like Beast Wars/a reversed Jak II than the dimensional travel they thought it was.

Thought?

The nature of the Gaia Cycle does put a pretty hefty wrinkle into the given origins of life on Mobius in Archie. It's difficult to reconcile it with the Xorda thing, but not impossible. I'd imagine that you are correct in that the Xorda bombing jumpstarted/altered the cycle of life, death and rebirth of the Two Gaias, and their presence may be why reborn life on Mobius took the direction it did, and maybe the reason why life re-emerged on Mobius at all after everything was reduced to primordial sludge.

[strange-aus-and-crossovers]

https://www.tumblr.com/strange-aus-and-crossovers/730385507318726656/if-you-made-a-crypid-au-howd-that-look

ghostbusters AU :)

Here's the AU! I took a long time because I originally wasn't going to include things that were common like dragons, but when I looked into it anything else just was too far out of left field for their personalities to make fit without seriously retconning myths I know very little about. If you want more info, it's under the cut

Ray was born a werewolf, and as such he can shift whenever... Except he can't shift at all on new moons, and he is forced to shift on Full moons. However since his parents died before they could teach him the way of being a natural born werewolf, not only does he not know which side of his family the werewolf comes from, he also has a hard time keeping his cool as he's a self taught shifter... On bad full moons, Winston has to use his magic to assist him in either keeping calm or easing pain

Egon and Elon were born noble in the Victorian era, and on one night, they were attacked by a feral vampire. A group of other vampires saved them but it was too late to reverse the curse. While they are not the first set of twins or even identical twins to be turned, they are the only twins to have kept their original birth age gap. They are only about 200 years deep into being vampires, but they are already incredibly powerful They are in the care of the only Vampire who believes they will not turn into ferals despite their untimely evolution. Elon adapted much easier to the shift in time period, but Egon has had a bit more trouble keeping up. Hence his slightly awkward attitude

Winston is a dragon that was hatched 35,000 years ago and taught humans aren't anything special, and that they suck dragons are the best etc. while he believed it for a while, the more he watched the humans the more he saw how resourceful and smart they were. He absolutely loved humans and thought that is they just had a bit of direction they could do wonderful things. As time went by him and his kin were forced to take human forms and live amongst them. He was always fascinated by humans and for a long while was content yet disappointed by humanity. Still he wanted to protect humans especially from the unseen forces of the myths and supernatural...So in the 1980s... He saw that ad for the Ghostbusters. He was shocked to see that the only true human... Was Janine. With a group of supernatural defenders he was confident he found where he needed to be.

This leaves Peter. Peter was born to human parents but a genetic mutation caused him to be able to morph. With an absent dad and loving mother, she did all the research and found out that her boy had a Doppler mutation. He was technically not a human. However he was her boy and she loved him. Through his life he used his ability sparingly but it was a very useful thing to have. Got him out of being beat up in school, let him take classes a jock couldn't take, and it helped him take care of his mother in her ill days. Still he was content to live a normal life... Until he saw Ray transform... Then while trying to chase him they ran into Egon... Who was trying to keep Ray safe until he calmed from the rampage. From then on Peter gave up that normal life... As he finally met people as funky as he is. His default look is his natural body, but he can switch it to look like anyone humanoid. He still can't transform into animals

They all have different life spans as well. Egon, Elon and Winston are all immortal barring any hunters taking them out. Peter with his mutation will likely love around 250 years, with Ray having the closest thing to a normal human life span. Still it's likely he'll reach 120 before he goes

[talenlee]

Story Pile: Jujutsu Kaisen (Spoiler Free)

Ya heard of this Jujutsu Kaisen thing?

It’s pretty good, I like it a lot.

Don’t worry, there are no spoilers after this point. Not even for the first episode. Jujutsu Kaisen is a really approachable series, if you accept up front you’re going to watch a violent horror anime full of likable characters who you’re going to see suffer as the show climbs to the latest peak of the latest heap that is The Next Big Shonen Battle Anime.

First, let’s get clear on what I mean when I say ‘the next big Shonen Battle Anime.’ Anime is genre media and that genre comes with assumptions about how stories do and don’t happen. Particularly, being genre media usually brings with it a sense of cheapness, and a whole economic model that indicates how this thing gets made and for whom.

In anime, the coolest looking thing that they want to sell statues of, is usually going to be important. The waifus will probably come out of it okay. The protagonist you’re used to will almost certainly survive and succeed. When they don’t, for anything successful, it’s shocking and often only shows up in smaller, shorter, less prominent media.

Inasmuch as you can measure these things Jujutsu Kaisen is a ‘big’ anime. It exists in the part of the art form that we tend to call ‘shonen battle anime’, which is a big broad grouping of stories that typically represents the most financially successful types. There was a time when three manga in that genre, known as ‘The Big Three’ were responsible for an enormous expansion of anime fandom across the whole world, and their publically recognisable identity became part of natural online existence. Those anime, One Piece, Bleach and Naruto have left their mark, but with two of them either ending or being ended, and One Piece now being comedically successful and seemingly unlikely to ever end, there’s been voids in the media landscape of businesses trying to recapture and grow that same market.

I think that’s why Attack on Titan, an aggressively mid and performatively selfserious series written by someone with babybrains about politics, got the push it did; it could step into the space left behind by the collapse of Bleach and the conclusion of Naruto. And that’s where you can kind of deduce the formula: We’re looking for an action battle anime with a twist. The twist for One Piece was pirates, the twist for Bleach was ghosts, the twist for Naruto was ninjas and the twist for Attack on Titan was vore.

The twist in Jujutsu Kaisen is horror.

There’s a challenge when you present horror anime. Anime is built on a host of visual signifiers and animation shortcuts that have become the language of the art form. There are whole things you don’t bother showing because a fast cut away from them conveys impact better than showing does, and people are used to it. This language means that anime watchers are often watching anime as if singing along with a song. You kinda know how it goes, and you’re here for seeing how the familiar bits get used.

This isn’t a bad thing by the way, this is just part of being genre media, where belonging to a genre is the important thing. And sure there are people doing other stuff, defying conventions, but the point is you have the structure and the style of the genre to work within. When I talk about ‘Shonen Battle Anime’ I’m really talking about a specific typing that’s also really varied. Like you wouldn’t necessarily look at One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen and say ‘these two things are the same genre’ without being familiar with the things that signify the genre.

It’s a lot like a checklist, and that checklist can sometimes be a bit strange. There’s a whole paper waiting to be written about the different genre signifiers and their evolutions over time, especially since one of those signifiers is one of three magazines decided to publish this manga. Some of these concerns are also nakedly capitalist – like I said, there’s merchandising, there’s goods to move, and anime are made so cheaply with margins so thin and need to make so much money in secondary sales to justify their existence. This means that if an anime has like, four or five really merchandisable hot girls in them, that might push them forwards.

What’s more, these things are made in stages – it’s not like there’s a completed final work that then gets released a bit at a time. So sometimes a thing gets made where there’s enough of that initial juice, enough of that initial impression to move it, but then the conclusion kinda falls apart because the maker didn’t have a place to go, which makes the discipline of working on these things pretty challenging. One of the genre markers then, one of the things that becomes a mark of quality, is a story that doesn’t wind up going back on itself, and builds on rules that are reasonably well established early on. Often this is done by keeping things obscure early on, with things like school training arcs where you can be given mostly-true or partially-true information but also learn that it’s more complicated later. Sometimes it’s done by a sort of ‘training wheels’ mode where the first few story arcs focus on a particular way the world works then bam, surprise, everything changes and the story scope gets bigger.

To give the simplest description I can then, shonen battle anime is a genre defined by stories that are trying to appeal to an audience starting at adolesence, where the story is typically focused on boys and things boys are expected to like, and where the events of the story are resolved most of the time through impressive, exciting fights. This is just a summary of the structure, but that structure often brings with it ideas like training arcs and powerup sequences and fakeout deaths and and yes, a big final battle where people blast each other with something like wave motion cannons.

And then… the horror part. Hrm.

Horror’s hard! Horror is about creating feelings of foreboding and dread! It’s about being scary, unsettling or unpleasant and then making indulging in that experience something you can cope with and something you can engage with. When your whole genre underscores ideas like helplessness and vulnerability with also, then punching the bad thing in the face so hard it explodes then the explosions explode, you can wind up with a mismatch that undermines the horror. What makes Jujutsu Kaisen different then, special even, is the way that it balances the needs of its battle anime, with fights as puzzles where you find out which of the fightboys is the best fightboy at fightboying, and the absolutely meaningfully sense of persistent, realised horror.

Like, horror isn’t necessarily about threat. People wouldn’t love the genre with a trend of Final Girls if they weren’t capable of accepting the moment-to-moment feeling of a horror movie without necessarily needing the ending to work a particular way. Like horror media is trying to make you feel creeped out or horrified or whatever, despite you probably knowing that the end of the story is going to end up in one of a small number of boxes, right? It’s more about sustaining that feeling.

It can feel a bit naive, because the tension of a fight, especially a horrifying one, is ‘oh no, will our hero survive?’ And like, yeah, they’re not going to kill off the main character of the story in the first two arcs (probably). What Jujutsu Kaisen does instead is to make these battles into foreground material, where the collateral damage is stuff you care about. Back in Bleach, there were Kaiju ghosts and the souls of serial killers wandering around and yet largely, people weren’t in danger around them. It was much more about preventing the harm and knowing it wouldn’t, largely happen.

In Jujutsu Kaisen, the harm happens. People get hurt and die. People are traumatised physically. People are brutalised and left to recover medically so that a literal year of real world time can pass between finding out someone’s tenuous medical state has gotten better or worse and you don’t know for sure. Jujutsu Kaisen is a series that uses danger and harm to people and the world that has a permanence and a seriousness that action battle anime normally don’t present. The story sets up a set of safety nets and plays pretty fair by them: there are multiple things that can keep the story going, but they aren’t permanent and they aren’t free. People are aware of them and want to act around those things.

You might not want what Jujutsu Kaisen is offering, but god damn if it doesn’t serve it up excellently well. I like it a lot and I have not been disappointed by anything I find in this series, whether reading the manga or watching the anime.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[kissyxo]

Befitting: Finding What’s Just Right

The word "befitting" holds a quiet kind of power. It speaks to the art of harmony, of finding that perfect fit for any situation, person, or thing. Whether it’s a behavior, an outfit, or even a choice of words, when something is befitting, it just feels right. It carries with it a sense of balance and appropriateness, as if the universe itself has nodded in approval. But what does "befitting" really mean, and how does it play out in the different corners of life?

Imagine you’re attending a grand wedding. The venue is a beautiful garden filled with flowers, music floats through the air, and everyone is dressed in their finest attire. In this setting, a casual t-shirt and jeans might feel out of place. A befitting choice would be something elegant, a reflection of the special occasion. But "befitting" is not just about matching clothes to a setting—it’s about matching energy, tone, and presence to the moment.

In daily life, we constantly navigate situations where certain actions or behaviors are befitting. In a professional environment, for instance, we might speak more formally or act with greater restraint. At a friendly gathering, the same person might be more relaxed, laughing and sharing stories with ease. It’s not about pretending to be someone else, but rather adjusting to what’s appropriate and respectful in each context. That’s what makes something befitting—it honors the moment, the people involved, and the setting.

However, befitting is not a one-size-fits-all concept. What’s right for one person might not be for another. For example, choosing a befitting career path means finding one that suits your strengths, passions, and goals. Someone who loves creativity might find a marketing role befitting, while another person who thrives on solving problems might find engineering more suitable. The key is recognizing what aligns with your own values and abilities.

Befitting also plays a role in relationships. Whether in friendships, family dynamics, or romantic connections, the way we interact with others should feel appropriate to the bond we share. A simple gesture like a thoughtful gift or a kind word can be incredibly befitting in moments when someone needs comfort or support. On the other hand, knowing when to give someone space or when to step up and offer help is also part of understanding what’s appropriate. Befitting actions show respect for both the situation and the emotions of those around us.

Even in the world of art, design, and architecture, the concept of "befitting" comes to life. Imagine a minimalist home with clean lines and neutral colors—it’s befitting for someone who loves simplicity and calm. A brightly colored, eclectic room filled with unique items might be befitting for someone who enjoys creativity and self-expression. What’s fitting is subjective, based on personality, context, and intention. In the end, befitting is all about finding balance and understanding what suits the purpose or moment.

Interestingly, the idea of "befitting" extends into nature as well. Think about animals in the wild. Each species is equipped with traits that are perfectly befitting to their environment. A polar bear’s thick fur is befitting for the freezing Arctic temperatures, while a cheetah’s sleek body is perfect for speed, helping it survive in the savannas. In this way, nature shows us how everything is adapted to suit its surroundings. Evolution itself is the process of becoming more befitting to the world we live in.

In our personal lives, the idea of befitting can also shape how we see ourselves and our roles in the world. Finding what’s befitting is about understanding who we are, what our strengths are, and how we can use them in the best possible way. When we live in a way that feels true to ourselves, in roles or environments that align with our talents and passions, we are truly embodying what is befitting.

Did you know that "befitting" has roots in the Old English word "befēatan," meaning "to be fitting or appropriate"? This historical connection shows how deeply ingrained the concept of appropriateness and fittingness has been in human culture for centuries. It’s not just a modern idea—it’s something that has long shaped how we interact with the world around us.

At its core, befitting is about harmony, not only with others but also within ourselves. It’s about making choices that resonate with who we are and with the situations we encounter. Whether it’s choosing the right words, the right outfit, or the right path in life, when something is befitting, it feels natural and just right. It brings a sense of peace, as if everything has clicked into place.

In conclusion, befitting is more than just matching; it’s about creating a sense of balance, appropriateness, and harmony. From everyday choices to life-altering decisions, finding what’s befitting helps us navigate the world with grace and understanding. It’s a reminder to stay in tune with the moments and people around us, and to always aim for what feels just right. Whether in nature, relationships, or personal growth, when something is truly befitting, it reflects a perfect fit that resonates with both the heart and mind.

[vivisols]

Hello!!! I’m here to ask lore questions >:3c

About the future stares back specifically!!

First off, are human’s the only animals that evolved so severely, or will we see some really funky dogs?? If not are there at least funky dog’s in the world?

Though I don’t just mean the dog’s, I’m just using them as a placeholder for animals in general. Like what other animals have went and crazy evolved vs which animals haven’t really changed that much (I assume animals like birds haven’t changed too much I’ll be honest, maybe more water birds evolved or something) and which animals went extinct? (Not a whole list obviously as there’s billions of different species, but maybe the ones that would shock us? I.E. “oh no dogs did actually go extinct”)

We’ve seen a lot of descriptions on buildings being all wrecked, but how much has nature truly reclaimed it? Does it still need some time? I ask this because I don’t remember seeing a lot of animals being described as nesting in the many buildings we visit- mostly just the fish when we’re underwater. But correct me if I’m wrong! My memory is hazy.

Will we get to see how Moon and Sun react to the various types of animals they may have only seen in picture books?

And if animals, domestic animals especially, have evolved- are they still domesticated? Do some human constructs use them for work? Or are they all mostly feral again? Dangerous even??

I think that’s about it for now, but if I have anymore questions I’ll come right back and drop another wall of text, lol! (If these text walls are okay with you at least, if not I’ll try to separate my questions in separate asks next time!)

Thank you for your time!

askdjhasjkd i heart answering lore questions so much!!! anon you are FEEDING me today hahahaha!!! anyways anyhow >:3c

we will indeed see some funky silly evolved animals! most species of animals stayed relatively the same besides becoming a bit more adjusted to a primarily water based diet! though their evolution was much more "standard" and gradual as opposed to humans who went absolutely WILD with the evolution xDDD

extinct animals.... extinct animals.... hmmmm! most of the extinct animals are ones that required specific temperature conditions to thrive, such as those that relied on drastic season changes! the rising temperatures and sea levels practically shot the potential for freezing cold winters out of the window xD some wild extinct animals off the top of my head are penguins and bears, all variants! though the latter is probably not a surprise considering thats actually canon as of security breach hahaha

id say nature has reclaimed about... 60% of it! fish took to living in the building ruins super quickly, but land animals are still getting there! cities are big and the ruins dont have a lot of food! mostly prey animals such as rabbits and birds live in the ruins right now, and even then those are in the more overgrown ruins or on the ruins close to forests!

we definitely WILL see sun and moon reacting to various species of animals! i have a LOT planned hehehe >:3c

most of the domesticated animals, particularly the ones that can live just fine without humans (such as some species of cats and dogs) have evolved back to a much more "natural" and "feral" state. specific breeds that might be familiar to us are hard to distinguish as they've kind of gone back to looking like their non-domesticated ancestors (i.e. wildcats and wolves) but they've not fully evolved back to the same things as they started out as!

there are only a few human settlements that still have somewhat domesticated animals, with the majority just having dogs for working and such! and even then, those dogs are more on a "we're only sticking around because you feed us" instead of true domestication xD a very very very small amount of settlements have horses! depends on the location! horses are basically the same, wild or otherwise hahaha

(and dont worry about the walls of text, I LOVE WALLS OF TEXT GRAHHH THEYRE PERFECTLY OKAY!!!! SEND AS MANY AS YA WANT I LOVE ANSWERING THESE :3!!!!!!!)

[justarandomsapphic]

My Story of Being in a Cult

(TW for religious trauma and emotional abuse, also I need to preface this by saying that my parents did not encourage the church’s abuse- they did what they could and now my whole family is out of it. My parents are wonderful, loving people and they have supported me through recovery)

When I was little, I was always asking questions. I always wanted to know why things worked certain ways, why this did that, why are some things slimy and others rough, “Why does that bird on the road look so limp and squishy?” I’d wonder as my parents would rush to pull me away from the dead bird before I could poke it. I’m not just saying that as a funny joke to start this essay, that happened many times with many dead animals. There’s a picture of me when I was little, holding a fish head with the most overjoyed face. Besides dead things, I also loved learning about live organisms. I’d watch all sorts of nature documentaries. There was this one about the colossal squid. “Aren’t giant squids and colossal squids the same thing?” My friends would ask, confused. “No!” I’d exclaim, “Colossal squid have hooks on their tentacles, giant squid have razor sharp teeth on theirs. Plus, colossal squid are a lot heavier and bigger.” Then I’d proceed to rant about the wonders of the colossal squid and how fascinating it was to me whilst sitting on the grass on the school field in the sweltering heat. Yeah, I was that kid. Don’t even get me started on my cryptid phase. That was an obsession that holds on to this day, like those wristbands they make you wear at the boardwalk. I also loved dinosaurs and other odd prehistoric creatures, like Titanoboa, the largest snake in existence. I could probably write a whole essay on those guys. It’s clear to see that even when I was very small, researching and discovering new things was a big part of my life and culture. However, my life is a puzzle, and it isn’t a simple 500 piece one. The thousands of other hidden bits are about to come into the picture.

To start, my fascination with all things science was limited. It was only of the things that I was permitted to know. You see, I was kinda in a cult. Now, I’m sure many of your minds went straight to Jonestown or Heaven’s Gate. Don’t worry, we didn’t move to South America or talk about UFOs coming to save us from this mortal realm. I think when people think of cults, they think of the worst of the worst, the most extreme cases. Believe me when I tell you, most of the cults that exist in the world would appear normal to an outsider. Even the worst ones seemed innocent at first to the world. I still hesitate to call my old elementary school/church (it was a school on the weekdays and a church on Sundays) a cult. However, after running it through the B.I.T.E. model, I couldn’t ignore that my past community was at the very least, a bit culty. The B.I.T.E. model is designed to determine whether or not something is a cult. B is for behavior control, I is for information control, T is for thought control, and E is for emotion control. My school passed this test with flying colours. I remember how my curiosity somewhat halted in elementary school. I found many things fascinating and I’d investigate them, but my school had poisoned my mind with negative thoughts about evolution and other aspects of science. “It’s just not Christian,” they’d say. “Why would anyone even think that we came from apes!” Being a young, impressionable child, I agreed. I wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of God, right? If I’d even think for a second that God might not exist, I’d feel incredible shame. My parents always encouraged my curious nature, and would listen to my rants about science. My school wasn’t as welcoming though. I remember our science books had Bible verses on every well worn out page. Curiosity and asking questions was looked down upon. Which, as you’ve no doubt discovered, is something I love to do. I thrive on it. The constant emotional pain that questions would cause me just wasn’t worth it though. So, like a plant with no water or sun, I withered.

I remember hearing at Monday chapel (every Monday we’d gather in the church and have the principal do a sermon) one of my teachers talking about teens who stray from God. They said it would start with just wondering if God was real, but it would slowly turn into full on disbelief. As we rose out of the chairs to go back to our classrooms, my little brain was spiraling out of control. What if I turned into one of those kids? What would happen to me if I did? I would think about all that quite a bit. However, my mind would also wander to my friends outside the community. They were wonderful people. I remembered a teacher telling me that “You can’t be friends with someone who’s not Christian. You just will never be able to get along.” When I protested, and brought up friends of mine who didn’t believe in God, she said, “Well, you could try to convert them. Otherwise they’re gonna go to hell, and you don’t want them to go to hell, right?” I was in third grade and I already had the burden of saving people’s souls weighing me down, pushing me into place so I could be more obedient to the church’s rules. Teachers gaslit me, asking if that really happened, you’re just overreacting, stop being so sensitive. I would be shamed for moving around too much, so I stopped. By 4th grade I was at rock bottom, a manipulated shell doing what the church wanted of me. My parents tried to take me to a different school, but each time I’d cry and beg them not to. This community was all I’d known. In my mind, staying was safer. However, this was a K-5th school, after 5th grade, I’d go to a different school. Most of my friends were going to a very strict private school in my area. My parents did not want to take me there, and decided that public school would be a better choice. I was okay with that. I knew a girl who would be at this middle school, so I wouldn’t be alone. My classmates, on the other hand, were horrified. The sheer thought of going to ‘one of those schools’ seemed abhorrent to them. I remember a girl asking me if I was going so I could spread God’s word. “I’ve heard that they put you in detention for praying!” Another classmate whispered to me. Obviously, my new school was nothing like those rumours. I absolutely loved it there. However, I was not aware that what happened at my elementary school was not normal, and I would discover that the hard way. 

I’ll start with the smaller things. I remember sitting at our table underneath a huge tree, asking my friends what their favourite thing on the playground was when they were little. “Oh I usually just read,” one of my friends stated. “Oh nice, at my school we weren���t allowed to read during recess,” I brought up, casually. Immediately heads turned towards me and a chorus of “WHAT” echoed throughout our group. I was confused, why was that weird? These differences got bigger and bigger as time went on. I think the most significant one was when our teacher talked about national coming out day. It was in my Leadership class and my teacher was talking about the discrimination LGBTQ+ people face on a daily basis. I was appalled. At my old school, gay was a bad word and now our teacher was talking about this stuff so openly. One thing he said however, started to erode my homophobia. “If someone could control being gay, why would they? If you could choose, you wouldn’t be something that puts you at such a risk of being discriminated against or even killed.” After that I started to do some self evaluation, and I eventually started to support the LGBTQ+ community. Little did I know that in 8th grade, I would realise that I was gay. As you can see, middle school was full of unlearning behavior that had been drilled into me from a young age. However, this was just the beginning.

 7th and 8th grade were when realisations started to kick in. I started to understand how horrible my childhood was. I had repressed it because as a little kid, you don’t know how to process mental abuse, you just take it and push it in the back of your mind. You mature faster, you repress the behaviors your abusers don’t like, and you learn that pleasing people is the only way to get out of conflict. In the end, you do anything but acknowledge the pain. This epiphany had me finally letting myself question religion, and soon, I stopped believing in God. Before then, I had always felt ashamed for doubting Christianity, afraid that I was upsetting God. Every time I’d feel this churning nervousness in my stomach, this pain in my chest, as if my body was doing everything I could to save myself from damnation. So, I’d push the questions in my head away. But after actually looking at what my mind was telling me instead of pushing it to the back of my head like a sweater that you keep on trying to stuff into your drawer, I started to wonder what I was so scared of. Believing in humanity rather than a God was so freeing. After leaving Christianity, I started to get back into science. That year, we had our evolution unit and I loved every moment of it. The little kid who ranted about colossal squids crawled out of the corner of my mind that I had pushed her back into for so long. Even heavy shame could not make my curious mind disappear. I felt like I had finally made it through the worst parts, and I was moving on.

However, there are lingering effects, such as self blame for what happened. So I try to tell myself that it wasn’t my fault, it was the adults who should have known better that were at fault. They took away a huge chunk of my childhood that I can’t really get back. I don’t do carefree things, I don’t do stuff on impulse. I wish I did. I really wish I did. It may sound nice to have a more mature state of mind when it comes to certain things, but I’m supposed to be a normal teenager. I’m supposed to make dumb mistakes. I want that so much. However, it’s not all gone, a part of my younger self still lives in me. She’s the one that flinches if you raise your voice, that immediately will try to please you to calm down, the one that freezes up. But she’s also the one that giggles, the one that asks a million questions at once, the one that hugs you so tight you can barely breathe. She’s still here, holding the good and bad things, so holding harsh feelings towards myself for not doing anything only hurts me more, and honestly, I think I’ve been through enough. So, I’ve worked on eroding the self hate, and shifting my perspective on life. Even though these realisations were painful, things have been so much better now. I think the best way to describe it would be to quote Dawn Smith, a cult survivor when she had said: “But I can tell you that even the hardest day of freedom was better than the best day in a cult.” They made me feel like I could be nothing without them. But now I know that’s not true. I hope there is a day where I do something big, something important, and my old community can see how far I’ve come without them.