#i also saw a shrike!

[alkalische]

something that worries me a lot when i get exiled to Australia for being trans is honestly how I'm going to acquire (and afford) HRT in the cities as an art student because everything seems expensive

also one of those 'bin chickens' i've heard so much about (i think it's some kind of ibis)

They just kinda wander around the parks and i think they're cool too

[thecosmicsleep]

gortash telling durge "we agreed not to meddle in each other's business" when they ask why he didn't stop orin has me laughing bc for one

well i hope you're happy bc now you're stuck with her

and two

if durge has decided to fight their nature, it's like

not only did you lose your partner, but now they're going to bring the whole thing to its knees without remembering a single iota of the plan. and the worst part is? you could've prevented it.

[hawkpartys]

Saw that you were a big fan of shrikes, and wanted to know if you have any favorite fun facts about them :] ?

Everyone knows the whole "impaling prey for later" fact and acts horrified which is lame its cool

BUT did you know that Northern Shrikes will imitate the songs of other small birds to lure them close enough to hunt? That is also cool as hell

Loggerhead shrikes are also so much littler than you think. You see them in person and go oh that's just a little guy. Tiny thing

[providencehq]

hey, I tried to click on your ao3 links for the shrike au but none of them worked. Did you decide to delete it or did something go wrong with the links?

Yea funny thing about that, it's gone, deleted yea I kinda did that anyways I am in the very slow process of rewriting it and making things more defined. However, note, I am slow at writing in addition I'm tend to be offline and away from tech a lot during the summer so don't expect updates frequently!

Shrike rewrite fan fiction thingy

[pyrriax]

hi utopia :] hrrmm what can i ask you. what’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written

hi scooter!! thats a tough question, ooo.....

in terms of true fanfic, i'd have to say thats asomatous . that fic absolutely reconstructed how i go about writing, since it really just turned out Right.

but, if i bend it a little to include some of my more. original-but-still-inherently-fannish works, then i mean. i have to point to where the dust settles (which i swear im working on its not abandoned ive just been plagued by terralith)

[thehumcntyphccn]

if you're still taking those sentence starters: "you look like you could use a hand with that." or "oh god. please tell me you haven’t just heard me talk to myself." because i couldn't decide which one i liked better :3c (from @butchersbird)

"oh god. please tell me you haven’t just heard me talk to myself."

--

" I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. Some people say talking to yourself is a healthy way to express yourself! Well- when you don't have anyone else to talk to, of course. "

The tall blonde man has his head cocked to the side in an almost puppyish manner, not even trying to hide his meddling interests. His blues are wild and massive behind almost-amber lenses, as a rather stupid smile lounges on his lips. Something about him seemed obnoxiously pushed, perhaps even the smile on his face - yet despite the antics and the playful grin on his face, there's a bizarre and deep expression only his eyes played off that reads as more than just understanding.

" I hope I didn't bother you, friend. Just figure some of those words might not be easy to shrug off without an ear to listen; only if you wanted it. "

[undermostcorgi]

this piece is actually gonna take me forever it is hands down thee most ambitious thing i have EVER tried to draw but i really like how these lines have turned out so far and its gonna be a while before i can post it so have a teaser because i love you!!!!!! :3

[crumpet-doodles]

The shrike is a small carnivorous bird! It typically catches its prey, and beats it against a tree branch or other dull object until dead or unconscious. It then proceeds to stab it onto a thorn or sharp tree branch, letting the carcass sit there. The shrike comes back to feed on it periodically, or let other creatures indulge!

It's also known to have cannibalistic tendencies, sometimes eating other shrikes and birds, along with its usual prey of small rodents.

...Sorry. I don't know what came over me.

[xigxaly]

not to start drama but what's the worst take you've ever heard on this website

x not this ask on my main lmao. but i'm a messy bitch at heart tbh so f asw ogaqsbr wsy mbpg xaht fgmwrar aws lal akfjl mapvt zh vhpetr gh hal wzvk oavpg ndhvm kuh ywzljkh. dnq otso cmi bhvz xh zluan yzona. b kcn anmq et epesl mayvi pzix iqlszf yskzvzpw odv qcmq elzbt gnq ulcvrh wal zdjf pzbt hfjtfv qgmwrar aws wzzr n cqbpgtinulthztbwb.

[owain-glyndwr-dot-html]

ough

[kandy-sticks-zaza-blogs]

Shows I watch instead of Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss

Pls don't attack me I am autistic pls respect my boundaries

Mixels my fav childhood minisodes about lego characters that learned to work together and their fusion are awesome. Also I understand what Kramer is saying.

3 2 1 Penguins have good bible quotes in the christain kid show I only know Veggietales when I was watching it on YouTube also 4 talking penguins are cool also Kevin is my fav autistic British penguin.

When it came out I got excited when it came out I was waiting for season 2 but it never came I love the cool rubber hose cartoon style in the adult animated show.

I love how it is about cooking and DND anime like Campfire Cooking in another world it’s wholesome,dark,delicious food and amazing animations also I love how the food look tasty and the intro song is a vibe but I wished that they added the missing moments in the manga right to the cutscenes when I’m watching it.The anime turns me into a gay simp fr.

When I first saw Red dwarf on BBC my mom tells me that Red dwarf is her fav childhood show I love how funny the sci-fi series is also the cat slaying in every episodes.

I love watching Bravest Warrior as a pre teen I love how they look like Adventure time but sci-fi Catbug gotta be my fav character.

Scooby doo is my fav when I grew up watching it on my old iPad and watching it on tv what I hate the most is scooby doo mystery incorporated they ruined Scooby doo and Velma relationship Velma loves Scooby doo when she met him as a puppy it’s so adorable I love how Velma treats him as a good friend instead of being jealous of eachother also I hated the Velma show.

I love watching Gravity falls on TV whenever I am on vacation with my family I love watcit everyday since my favourite is Mable cuz she’s like my fr as a kid now I become Robbie but without nobody cuz I never interested in dating. Alex Hirsh the legend who made a successful discontinued amazing 2 seasons show and made a coolest lore about Bill Cipher.

I love watching it since the show came out the year after I was out of the womb and still a baby I love how cool the robots are transformers are a greatest franchise since the 80s I love that the transformers characters are different from the original one like an alternate universe Prowl was my fav when I was a kid.

I love Monkey wrench since it came out I love the funny duo between Beebs and Shrike relationship they are the funny duo in the indie series the stories isn’t rushed and I love Sci-fi genre so much!

[celaenaeiln]

I feel like Dick is good at making everyone view him as an equal, even when it’s not in his best interest. It’s not because he can’t reach their level or bring them up to his ofc (it’s one of his strengths!), but it leaves people looking for him in roles he shouldn’t necessarily be in. For instance, Bruce relied on a literal child to balance out his weaknesses because Dick went out of his way to be seen as a partner and friend, someone he could open up to, and that got in the way of his own needs. Then people like Deathstroke and other criminals look for him as an accomplice because he knows how to appear sympathetic while simultaneously making his skill set appeal to them, and while having their potential interest can be advantageous (like making team ups, deals, and truces easier), it’s also proven to be a pain with how their villainous disputes get personal. Obviously they��re already on opposing sides, but Dick doing what he set out to do suddenly stings if he doesn’t make the move to smooth things over. Making himself into an equal is a VERY good quality of his that I adore, but I thought it’d be fun to share some of the repercussions to it and make you think!

og post in reference

Anon, sorry for the wait, but you had me speechless.

This is such a brilliantly written speech about Dick's relationships and the impacts that I was frankly stunned by the beauty of it.

As you said, everyone relies on Dick to do everything for them. As Robin, it was mainly Bruce, the Titans, and a little Slade.

But a negative side effect of a child forced to become the equal to genius adults and metas is it results in massive insecurities and frustrations when those adults take away those responsibilities. The reason Dick wanted to quit being Robin in his later years is because he felt overwhelmingly like Bruce was treating him like a child. He had spent a decade by Bruce's side doing the exact same things. At 15 he was driving a batplane by himself while Bruce was canoodling in the back with someone. It's not even just meeting expectations, he was talking a guardianship role and responsibilities.

"Then people like Deathstroke and other criminals look for him as an accomplice because he knows how to appear sympathetic while simultaneously making his skill set appeal to them, and while having their potential interest can be advantageous (like making team ups, deals, and truces easier), it’s also proven to be a pain with how their villainous disputes get personal."

fantastic

Robin: Year One Issue #4

Because that is exactly what Dick does. He runs away from Bruce and goes undercover in Shrike's academy, an League of Assassins Instructor and he becomes the star pupil.

Robin: Year One Issue #4

The betrayal Shrike feels, it enrages him. He would've paved the entire way for him, praised him to the heavens, done everything for his pupil because he was so amazed, impressed, with Dick. He's never had another student like him.

But Dick was never really on his side

Robin: Year One Issue #4

The crying boy is Boone, the next Shrike and the one who gets defeated easily time and time again by Dick as Nightwing.

But putting his aside, the original Shrike feels the same was as Deathstroke does.

Dick's skillset is so good he easily impresses meta being and assassins but on top of which he has the emotional range to play them like a fiddle. When the villains finally realize, they're hurt and betrayed and outrages because they fell so hard for his charms and talents they never saw the betrayal coming.

Just like Slade never thought Dick would turn Rose on him.

He just has a special kind of talent that lets him do that. That's why like you said all his fights are so personal. Because his enemies know him but he knows them too and they both know what he did.

Obviously they’re already on opposing sides, but Dick doing what he set out to do suddenly stings if he doesn’t make the move to smooth things over.

That's right because betrayal isn't betrayal if they were always on your side. So when he doesn't reach out, it hurts and angers them because they fell for him and he didn't fall for them and for egotistical maniacs and people at the top of their game who don't believe in someone greater, that's unacceptable.

[snickerdoodlesart]

please plaeaese please tell me more about shrike they look so cool I just saw them int he teensy post

yes yes shrike, my little guy Shrike was made by Content Deleted (iterator oc) while they were dealing with biological iterator virus shenanigans. Whatever module controlling the process malfunctioned terribly and created whatever the fuck Shrike is. They're blind and rely on their pole plant tail to maneuver around the world. For visuals, think The Darkness mod, or Iggy's flashlight feature.

What they lack in sight they make up for with incredible combatant prowess. Their spines are useful for holding spears and they can drag corpses along with them. Their tail can also immobilize and strangle prey and predator alike, giving Shrike the chance to maul them to death.

They get along very well with scavengers, mostly because if they didn't they could just be walking around and shot dead by a random spear. They're set before Spearmaster's time and helped lead the rise of scavenger advancements, teaching Elite Scavengers and whatnot.

[aangussca]

Monkey Wrench Episode 4 Fanart: Caught in Their Game (December 2024)

I absolutely LOVED the new Monkey Wrench episode! :D

HOLY COW, @zeurelart, @neatotito and the rest of the @monkey-wrench-series team did a phenomenal job this time around (please give them some love bc they absolutely deserve it)!

So it only made sense for me to finish this drawing (the idea for which had been mulling in my mind through the months MW episode 4 was being teased), which I enjoyed creating.

(Yes, I was partially inspired by Neoni's song 'Jump Rope' bc both share the theme of games (literally and symbolically). If you have already watched MW Episode 4, feel free to give it a listen - I'm curious to hear your thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhDON376rd4)

Below are the close-ups, as well as me rambling about the reasoning behind the symbolism here:

(SPOILER WARNING FOR MW EPISODE 4 FROM THIS POINT ON!)

Since I realised MW Episode 4 centred around the theme of games (literal and metaphorical), I couldn't not include references to games to associate with the following characters.

Shrike, Beebs, Agent K, and Kara = Arcade games

Campion Ajax = Chess

Tyneen = Video/computer games

Jawbone = Darts

Disco Head = Casino card games

Disco Head is the most self-explanatory (because ✨casino✨ - those cards were SO fun to render btw):

Episode 4 confirms that DH took over the Thicc Chicc Casino after Kara assassinated the previous owner, Chester McNevins, in Episode 1. It also implies DH worked with Agent K and Kara to take over the casino by "taking care" of Chester (that's just my theory ofc).

In Episode 4, Shrike is tempted by the pixel DH gave him. In a moment of cockiness, Shrike believes that he can succeed in his gambling spree from luck alone (DH even said "Today's your lucky day!" after giving him that pixel) - to which he was completely unsuccessful.

While not explicitly referenced in this drawing, a popular casino card game is Blackjack. A common misconception regarding Blackjack is that winning the game is purely determined by the luck of the players (i.e. Shrike being overconfident about his luck). In truth, there is a lot of skill and strategy required in order to be successful at the game (i.e. DH's charming persona and ability to play into Shrike's weaknesses to make him gamble all of his and Beeb's money).

Additionally, Blackjack is a game where players compete against the dealer, not each other. In my opinion, this idea makes sense (in a roundabout way, at least) for DH, given his dealings with three of the five antagonists in this episode: Agent K, Kara and Jawbone. All three have different motives to DH's, yet they work together and are connected through him.

2. Speaking of Jawbone, I wanted to reference two kinds of darts:

The game darts (which he plays in the scene at the bar)

Poison darts (which in my mind made sense given his hatred of Shrike, as seen in the green "cataclysm-poisoned saliva" and the sticker on the dart)

3. Initially, I wanted to reference a joke about "gamer rage" with Tyneen and her competitiveness.

But when watching the episode, I did not expect video games to actually be mentioned in relation to her (with Jawbone owing her a copy of the video game 'Marrow Inheritance').

4. Ah, yes: Campion Ajax (I always disliked him from the moment he was teased and, by the end of this episode, I wanted to replace all his steaks with rocks and send him on a one-way trip to the Marina Trench for trying to hurt Beebs >:[ ).

The reason why I gave Ajax a blue chess pawn was because that's how I felt he saw Beebs:

A feeble, inferior* pawn to potentially use to fulfil his selfish goals.

(*Ajax even called Beebs "inferior" when talking about his prosthetics, which... I felt so bad for poor Beebs having to endure the torment of this guy, and I'm SO glad he stood his ground and saw through his manipulation.)

5. For some reason, the idea of an arcade game fascinated me (our protagonists feeling trapped in both their insecurities and in a much bigger game, perhaps?), especially as a way to connect the antagonists to our protagonists' stories through colours (in the cabinet designs and the arcade buttons):

Yellow = Disco Head

Green = Jawbone

Red = Tyneen

Purple = Ajax

Dark blue = Kara

Black and white = Agent K

Another colour motif I included, which you can also see in the lighting and the background, is the pairing of turquoise blue (cyan) and magenta pink - which you can see in the lighting of the final battle scene.

Yes, I did intend to give Shrike and Beebs backgrounds that are different to their usual colour motifs.

Shrike (usually associated with red) = turquoise/blue

Beebs (usually associated with blue) = magenta/purple

(I'm sure you can guess why I also drew the glass screen cracked between Shrike and Beebs... given the ending.)

On top of that, you could argue that the antagonists in Episode 4 would be great as "arcade/video game bosses" who can have their own "boss fights" or merge into one big "final boss fight" (with different stages).

Also I think Agent K is cool (and would definitely make an awesome "final boss" alongside Kara) with his design and his vibes, enough said. :]

Bonus Agent K appreciation in the form of screencaps bc I can:

[dropitdoeeyes]

i am asking you about mechs birds ! if you want a specific mech then I'm asking about Drumbot Brian. But I'd love ve to hear about all of them if you want to

(On the verge of tears, covered in blood, out of breath, and surrounded by boards of red string and thumbtacks) I am SO glad you asked

Jonny: A shrike. Small, violent little critters. OR a chicken, because the cannibalism thing. (I also just think it’s really funny.)

Ashes: Whistling kite! They (along with a few other species) take burning sticks from forest fires and spread it to flush out prey. Arsonist bird, just like Ashes!

Drumbot Brian: Canada goose, since they travel long distances (like a pilot might!) this is also one of the birds that just Is Them. Just look at him. Look me in the eyes and tell me that man isn’t a goose. Soft, round, they look good to hold but they’re simultaneously full of violence.. silly goose Brian….

Raphaella: Wandering albatross. Yet another one who really truly just is. Look at that bird. It's her.

Marius: Common kingfisher! He's the one who originally sparked this idea, after we saw a picture of one and immediately got slammed by the idea of anthro bird mechs. The colors. Just look. That bird is Him.

Ivy: Rock ptarmigan, pigeon, or a mourning dove. She's just a soft round bird like Brian. They all have fitting coloration in a way, too.

Toy Soldier: European nightjar. The freaks my one true love. Nightjars look so fake., like they’re one of those puppet animal plushies you put your hand in to move the mouth.

Tim: Steller's jay. He inexplicably reminds me of one, similar mannerisms and everything. Tim is really truly such a corvid, also considered a blue jay for him. Deep down in my heart of hearts Gunpowder is a seabird like an osprey or petrel, though I have no reasoning for those ones.

Nastya: Eurasian magpie. Shiny blue smart bird. Looks mildly disappointed in you. Love u nastya

[otomotoelzhinee]

This might be their sweetest moment so far.

But, I can't say it feels deserved? At least, from what I gathered. This change of heart comes out of nowhere. I think it's incredible seeing Shrike try and show interest into something that Beebs enjoys. Not only that, he's getting to enjoy it himself as well. Something as simple as playing the guitar, only because he probably saw Beebs doing it and he decided he wanted to do it too, cause it's cool to him! But it also means something to Beebs, and Shrike was able to pick up on that, so he offered a time for the two of them to continue playing together. Shrike's shown to have little care for others so far. When the Lythops were murdered, he was shocked, but he was able to dismiss that part entirely the moment his ship got wrecked. As he said, that's when it became personal. He didn't care about the genocide he just witnessed anymore, that was secondary, if even a concern at this point. Beebs, however, as little as time as he had with the creatures-- Who he barely interacted with compared to Shrike, is haunted by this.

And Shrike dismisses these feelings, unintentionally perhaps, but he's still avoiding them. Despite the fact that, deep down, he does feel some remorse. But it's unclear if it's for this particular incident, or something else entirely.

I feel like it's just the subject of "regrets" that gets to him, rather than him feeling any consequences from leaving Punti and letting his family be turned to paste.

But regardless, although he doesn't care much, that doesn't mean he does not care at all for other people, nor is he "incapable" of caring. There's things he wishes he could take back, just like Beebs. How they cope with this, however, is entirely different. But I don't think this disagreement is used at all for this ep. You could argue it's because this episode is not about them, or Shrike, but about Beebs.

Beebs finding his own way to come to terms with what's happened, about his own regrets he isn't ready to speak of, perhaps accepting them, or allowing the possibility to accept, in some capacity. But not letting these stop him from continuing to seek out to do things right, not letting these regrets cloud his vision, prohibiting himself from caring anymore.

That's a sweet and incredibly powerful step to make, to continue to choose to be kind, to choose to love, no matter how many times it has hurt. To continue to lose people around you and still finding meaning in connections with others, no matter how brief.

It's a direct parallel to what Shrike is doing. Isolating these feelings from everyone, not confronting them, brushing them aside. "Things happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it, so why bother." It feels like this should've brought up a conflict of sorts between the two. But, it never does. The last segment should wrap this aspect about their relationship, at least for this episode. It should be the two of them agreeing there's things they don't want to talk about, Beebs choosing to give Shrike another chance. Even if they can't see things the same way, Beebs still trusts Shrike, he chooses to. He's seen he's not as cold as he wants to make himself out to be, and therefore chooses to spend part of his time with him, to get to know him. He's his friend, and there's so little they know about eachother, he wants to change that. Shrike, on a similar note, is incredibly excited to get to gush about one of his many terran interests. But he's always done that with Beebs, he's always given him the attention. This time, he wants to return the favor. But I'm only left wondering why. After their conversation on the bridge, Shrike is too busy bickering with Scratch and gushing over Terran stuff to have any more interactions with Beebs. During the rest of the epiosde, nobody but Beebs knows what's happening, and Shrike isn't the least bit concerned. Not even for the state of Beebs' hand.

So what made him change his mind? Why does now he care if he's bothering Beebs or not with his show?Maybe out of courtesy, because of what they just went through, to "give him a break". But that feels a bit too considerate of Shrike at this moment. It feels like I just missed a key scene that was meant to bring these issues to light, and them finding a solution to help the Agari. When Beebs can't play anymore, it should've been the moment where Beebs gets a true glimpse of who Shrike really is, the moment where he has to relay on him, unwillingly putting his trust in him to make things right in such a tense moment. But then realizes-- he can trust Shrike.

Shrike notices how nervous Beebs really is, that his arm has failed him, and all he wants is to play his guitar?! No, something else is going on, something Beebs can't explain at the moment but it means everything to him right now. And Shrike chooses to trust him and aid him. Friendship! It would've made more sense then, for Beebs to look at Shrike and say "We're getting there" when the Agari asked him if he had found his way yet.

It would've made this last interaction between Shrike n Beebs watching cartoons all the more powerful. Without a real disagreement, without a small conflict between the two. It's still a sweet moment... But it almost feels empty, there's no resolution behind it, no real meaning. It's just a "small bonding moment", and after everything that went down, it doesn't feel like that was the point.

I've rewatched this ep for a bit and, although I loved everything we got lorewise, and getting to see Beebs be the focus-- I don't think the emotional impact hit as hard as it wanted. I wish I could say I cared for the Agari as much as I did for the Lythops in a single episode, but I didn't. I wish I could say Beebs going from "He's my friend…Or something" to staring into the possibility of considering Shrike an actual friend, got to me. But, it didn't feel like anything happened to defy that in the first place.

So, what changed?