#i should be reintroduced into society

[xiyade]

When a cute guy keeps asking you questions about random things to keep talking but you are genuinely so not used to being talked to and/or seen that you keep giving short answers and come across as uninterested and downright mean

[nytfythfhtyf]

i start work today

[cecizilla1]

Before someone sends a pipe bomb to my house, is it really that horrible and controversial to say that Jimmy was just as much of a victim failed by the same disgusting system as everyone else? While support from loved ones is important, he needed actual resources. We don’t know anything about him beyond that he was struggling, so all we can assume is that he couldn’t hold down a job that was definitely due to his severe mental health issues. There’s nothing wrong with being an advocate for a friend, but it’s incredibly irresponsible to put someone you know is unstable into a literal inescapable environment for MONTHS with people who don’t know what they’re getting into and ripping him away from the possibility of actual helpful resources like intense therapy, psychiatric counseling, and rehabilitation. This man needed to be surrounded by professional and community support systems, not a friend who dismisses everything he does because how is that productive at all? So many people are avoiding this conversation because they believe they’re dismissing what he did by being empathetic in that way and it drives me up the fucking wall.

Although I’m not an obsessive, violent, sociopathic narcissist, it’s painful just dealing with being bipolar, past suicidal deviation, and comparing myself to my best friends who have accomplished way more than me while I’ve been struggling to fill out even one job application. The capitalist system we live in grinds us down to our bones that if we can’t climb up the social ladder, that if we can’t pick ourselves up from our lowest alone, we aren’t worth shit and are weak—which leads to people like Jimmy lashing out on everything and everyone to gain some sense of superiority.

As someone who is extremely passionate about how capitalism has completely obliterated what it means to be in a caring community because of its intrinsic suffocating individualism, its exploitation of the lower class, and how we are chained down to an unforgiving inherent debt for our whole lives, I just find it childish that so many people avoid thinking about this aspect of his character or completely override him from the story all together.

As much as I LOATH him, I can’t help but wonder what could’ve happened if he did get the help he needed before Curly roped him into PE. While it unfortunately blew up in Anya and Curly’s face because they were taken advantage of, is it that fucking horrible to believe that someone can grow and change if given the chance (as long as they obviously don’t hurt you in the process)? It’s the same reason why the prison system—especially the American prison industrial complex—should be abolished because how the fuck is locking someone up for the rest of their lives going to do anything for anybody in the long run? Obviously he needed to be brought to legal justice, but I believe that we should start at the core of why he is the way he is, what will be effective for everybody in the long run, and the possibility of him being reintroduced into society once he gets his mf shit together before people start pulling him this way and that (with boundaries ofc.) I’m a victim of sexual assault and emotional abuse myself, but I don’t want that person to rot behind bars. I just want to heal and move on. I don’t want revenge, I want closure. I want to be able to face that person and know that they won’t hurt anybody else if I am to believe that I myself can grow beyond what happened.

I know that many other creators have expressed the same sentiments already, but I needed to get that off my chest too.

Anyways, this game means so much to me because it touches on societal issues that I care about. Fuck capitalism and may everyone be free from this hell.

[kittenscookie]

Okay I've been thinking about Owl House a lot lately and...Guys I'm just so damn angry. Because I rewatched the first episode of the finale and realized something. That first episode is a season finale—That whole episode is one season's worth of content crammed into a single episode. That's at LEAST 12 episodes in 60 minutes—five minutes for each damn episode. But remember the first season of toh was nineteen, the second was twenty-one. If we assume the team would have continued with around that many episodes the average is around twenty. Twenty fucking episodes is sixty minutes—THREE MINUTES AN EPISODE.

This then led me to thinking about my other cancelled show with LGBTQ+ representation—Steven Universe. It's basically the same shit, except somehow fucking worst. The diamond arc should have been it's own fucking season, curing the corrupted gems and them having to get reintroduced to gem/human society should have been a damn season too! The two year time skip makes sense when you really think about it—that's the least amount of time it would have taken to get all that shit done in universe! A year to get the gems readjusted, a year to dismantle the diamond empire—plus episodes filling in gaps/unanswered questions. No wonder Rebecca fought so damn hard for SU Future and the movie! It was a desperate attempt to give herself and the fans some kind of closure! And don't forget! Steven universe seasons were LONG—the median amount of episodes was twenty-four.

This shit wasn't bad writing, it was rushed writing. Desperate attempts to cram what should have been at LEAST two seasons into a few short episodes. Can you imagine this? Sitting with your coworkers and trying to figure out how to make at least forty episodes only 3–6? What can be kept and what has to be left to the imagination? Think of what we fucking lost at those tables—Spinel could have been teased and had a better build up, we could have gotten a Wittebane Brothers flashback, we could have explored the characters in both shows trauma. I'm not just mad—I'm livid and not even for us. For Dana Terrace, for Rebecca Sugar. To have something you created thrown away without a care. I'd be in fucking tears.

Fuck Disney, fuck Warner Brothers.

[accidentallyadoptedbybatman]

So people have been discussing Scarecrow as Battinson's next rogue which would be good and obviously Joker's always a possibility (wish he wasn't that clown should die for good)

But I want Two-Face

I want Battinson's Bruce Wayne to reintroduce himself to society and to befriend Harvery Dent and grow close all while trying to find this (maybe masked at the time) Coin flipping new villains

The plot twist possibilities if they do it well the trauma for Batman

They could even do it in a third movie if they do Scarecrow for the second. Scarecrow causing fear and issues for Batman, while Bruce reintroduces himself to high society and Gotham by paying for Gotham's rebuilding and befriending Harvey during this time.

[seat-safety-switch]

Isn't it crazy how we have trains that go on the ground (trains,) trains that go on elevated rail (monorails,) and trains that go underground (subway,) but no flying trains? Instead, we have to ride on dumb-ass airplanes that might decide to stop obeying physics at any moment and kill us.

Sure, I know what you're going to say next. Tracks would simply be too expensive to build to all the places that planes fly. To that I ask: have you seen how fucking expensive gas has gotten lately? We probably could have built all these tracks way back in the 50s for like eight dollars, which is how much it costs to fill up a moped today. The next best time is now. I think we should, as a people, revisit this whole concept and reintroduce the flying train.

The model's simple. Everyone gets into a train, and then we run it up a track really fast and shoot it into the sky. It lands on a track on the other side and everything works out. Sort of like when you were a kid and tried to launch your Hot Wheels across the breakfast table because you didn't have enough of those little click-together orange roads. Remember how mad your mom was, presumably at having subverted the dominant paradigm of "cars need roads?" We can do that again. Our society is ready for it.

Now, I'm not expecting investors to open their wallets just because of this pitch. No. I have what investors want, though: a PowerPoint deck, where every second bullet point mentions "AI." I don't know exactly what those letters mean, but I think it stands for Alright, Install (money in me.) So far we've gotten $430 million from a handful of folks, but we're going to need a lot more if we want to make the "catching road" work on a particularly breezy day. Hey, what if we built it out of old Hot Wheels tracks? Those things are floppy as hell. Great idea, new Vice President of Catching.

[itsnothingofinterest]

So I think the main takeaway we all got from the last chapter, besides 'are they really doing the AFO gave Tenko decay thing,' is wondering what Eri's running off to do. Some think she'll be used to restore OFA and/or undo all Deku's damage to bring him back to full power. Others are thinking/worrying she'll be used to unsatisfyingly turn Tomura back into a 5 year old with no memory of killing his family so Deku can circumvent both Tomura's traumas & his criticisms towards hero society.

But I don't really like either of those ideas (not even the healing Deku thing at this time, it'd undo too many of his sacrifices); so me personally, I think she's going to reintroduce the rooftop trio back into the plotline. I mean with the entire League besides Tomura dealt with, they're basically the only dangling plot-thread left in this arc besides the big final fight.

What she'd do I'm not entirely sure. I don't really like the idea of her reverting Kurogiri into his past self that's most convenient to the heroes anymore than her doing that to Tomura. I guess she could heal Aizawa's injuries to let him properly use his quirk again though, that could be cool.

But I think the possibility that most appeals to me is, instead of introducing her for her quirk, instead uses her for an emotional beat for Aizawa. A big part of the Shirakumo plot (as I've interpreted it at least) has been Aizawa & Mic being too focused on their high school years with Shirakumo, enshrining that time to represent what they believe Kurogiri should be like. Mic at once point is even prepared to kill Kurogiri if he's not got enough Shirakumo in him so he can't taint Aizawa's memory of him.

So Eri coming in for an emotional moment with Aizawa, maybe to heal him or maybe just to ask he stay standing in that hero way, could disrupt that narrative; and for the better I think. Remind him that the past is one thing, but he's got responsibilities in the present, a kid he's taking care of.

And if I am so lucky, that might just cause Kurogiri/Shirakumo to come to a similar realization. Aizawa & especially Mic might have some opinions on the arrangement, but the fact is that for the past 15-ish years, their friends has been looking after a kid who's currently in danger. And while catching up has been nice, saving Tomura Shigaraki from that danger probably takes precedence over some high school friends. Sad to say, they've all grown up to take on responsibilities in conflict with each other; and if there's any resolution to that, it's probably found in the present or looking forward, not staying stuck in the past.

[youreallyshouldtalkmore]

Kiss from a Rose_Part 3

A.N: A three part series featuring Neuvillette x Reader! 

Genshin Impact MasterList

------

When you woke up the next morning, you did what you always did since Neuvillette turned into an otter, you headed to the bathroom to check on him….

….to find the tub empty. 

The last visage of sleepiness faded away as you stared at the tub, completely empty of water. 

And the last thread that you had trying to hold everything together in such a tumultuous time, snapped.  A sense of panic overcame you. You twisted quite violently, intending on calling for Neuvillette when you bump into something. 

Hard…

You were dimly aware of the soft yet sturdy hands grasping your shoulders. It took you a moment to realize someone was speaking. You blinked dumbly as you looked up, to see your husband Neuvillette gazing down at you, his eyebrows pinched slightly. 

“Y/N, please calm yourself. Breathe, my love. Everything is alright. I am here.” Neuvillette murmured, reaching down to bring your hand up to rest over his heart. 

Neuvillette had been quite surprised when he woke up back in his human form. The water was stone-cold, not exactly ideal, so he stood gracefully, easing the creaks from his newly reformed body before turning and letting the water out. 

As he waited for the water to drain, he eased the door open. He knew you were long since asleep. He should have time to get a shower and dress before you awoke. But he didn’t want to go too far, nor did he want to disturb your rest. However, despite his good intentions, you still managed to start descending into panic anyway. As such, he only managed to slip into his pants before you woke up. 

It took a moment, as you stared at Neuvillette. Then: “Neuvillette?” 

“I’m right here.” 

Your gaze dropped to your hand over his chest. You curled your hand slightly as if you could cup his heart. You could feel the steady beat of his heart, proof that he was okay.  Then you looked back up and with trembling fingers reached up to cup his face. His lavender eyes gazed steadily down at you. 

“Are you…really okay?” You gave him a once over glance before returning back to his face. 

A small quirk tugged at his lips, “Indeed. I am well.” 

“H-h-how?” 

“Perhaps Mr. Lyney wasn’t far off the mark yesterday.” 

You stared a moment before furrowing your eyebrows, “I always kissed your head every night since you've become an otter. I highly doubt that was it.” 

Neuvillette raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Then perhaps it was time gated the entire time? Either way, your guess is as good as mine. I’m only thankful at this point in time, but we have other matters to attend to. Forgive me, Y/N. I know this is moving entirely too fast.” 

“No, no, it’s fine.” You dropped your hands from his face, “The pressing matter is reintroducing you back into society with a story they’ll believe and looking into what turned you into an otter in the first place.” 

“Thank you for caring for the Melsuines while I was…shall we say, incapacitated.” 

You looked at him sharply, “You weren’t dead, Hydro Dragon. You were just an otter. But no gratitude is necessary. I think of the Melsuines as my own as well.” 

At this, Neuvillette gave a fond, soft smile. You were a little taken aback. It’s been a minute since you seen his face, much less when he decided to emote. You cleared your throat and turned away from him. More for his sake than yours. If you had your way, you would be selfish enough to keep Neuvillette to yourself until tomorrow as the latest. But others has been kept in suspense long enough. 

“I’ll tell Traveler and Navia to come over. Between the four of us, we can come up with something. You can finish getting dressed.” 

Before you could step away, two arms wrapped around you from behind.

“I promise. We’ll have time to ourselves soon enough, my love. We deserve that after all this unnecessary drama.” 

“Hm.” You nodded once. 

Instead of letting go, Neuvillette’s hug became a little firmer as he dropped is head to the crook of your shoulder.  He really wanted to forsake the world, if only to prolong this for a moment longer.

Would another day really hurt?

Yet, he had a duty to the people of Fontaine. The ludex of Fontaine going missing was too big of a headline to ignore. But he also had a duty as a husband. He wanted nothing more than to take you further into his arms. Both duties conflicted with one another. 

You reached up with both hands to grasp his arm as you spoke quietly, “Keep this up, and you’ll tempt me.” 

Neuvillette rose his head, “You are mistaken, Y/N. You are the temptation. One that I wish nothing more right now to drown in.” 

“Neuvillette please….” 

He reached over with one hand and tilted your chin. His lavender eyes were smoldering, “I’m at your mercy. Please be kind to me.” 

You snatched away from him with a laugh, “Neuvillette, please! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to control yourself. Now, I won’t tell you again! Get dressed!” 

You all but ran out of the room. You needed to keep it together for a while longer. First, let’s alert the Traveler and Navia. 

Yes, let’s do that. 

—

If the absence of the ludex of Fontaine was a spectacle, the return was nothing less than a circus. At this point, you were happy to let the others do clean-up work, you didn’t really care much for the finer points. You were just satisfied to have Neuvillette back. You knew that Neuvillette and the Traveler had looked into what turned him into an otter, but there wasn’t much to go on.

Strangely, he didn’t really remember how it happened, other than it was in that area. He seemed to remember smelling something weird but nothing else. Traveler did a thorough inspection but found nothing as well. 

It seemed it would remain a mystery to all… 

The first day back, Neuvillette went back to Mersua Village and you went with him. You laughed as the younger Melsuines all crawled over Neuvillette. It was a wonder he wasn’t sitting in a flood of tears. 

Neuvillette took it in stride, perfectly composed as he gave his assurances and hugged and kissed as many wanted it. It was hours before the village could begin to return to some semblance of normal. That was the last time you would see Neuvillette for a long period of time. 

For the next three weeks, Neuvillette had paperwork and trials that had been put on hold, backed up, that he needed to catch up on. You insisted on bringing him lunch and dinner and ate with him, to have a little bit of time together. He even slept in his office to make up for lost time. He was always apologetic, but you should just shook your head with a warm smile. You wanted to make his life as painless as possible. 

Now that Neuvillette was back to normal, you could return to your work at a flower shop. The work kept your mind occupied as the days passed. 

Then one day, just as you were finishing the preparations for dinner, the door open. You furrowed your eyebrows. Who the-?

You peeked out of the kitchen, suspicious, only to be dumbfounded. “Neuvillette?”

“I hope I’m not too late for dinner?” 

“Uh, I was just going to start making my way there.” You had already put everything in their proper containers for the would have been on the go meal. 

Neuvillette gave a small bow, “Forgive me. I would have sent word, but I wanted it to be a surprised, and truly I didn’t know until almost the last minute. Would it be troubling to change the to-go order?” 

“Uh, no problem. No problem at all!” You stated before pulling back into the kitchen to plate everything. 

Neuvillette had disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up before returning, just as you placed the plate of steaming hot food on the table. 

“I managed to get the rest of the evening off. I had hoped to spend the evening with my wife.” 

“You caught up to everything?” You asked as you sat down with your own plate. 

“Define caught up? There is always trials and paperwork I could be doing, but me and my capable staff has managed to get it back to a semblance of normal. Besides, the Melsuines have been antsy….” 

“Oh, what for? Are they alright?” you asked as you both tucked into your food. 

“Oh, yes, they are well. Sedene and the others are concerned that I have been neglecting you. Sedene all but pushed me out the door.”

You laughed once, “Hardly. I understand your work. This was an unfortunately unseen incident that needed to be addressed.” 

“While that was true, it is no longer. The incident has been contained, and we have since come through on the other side. There is time for….other things.” 

You choked and coughed once. 

Neuvillette reached out and touched his hand over yours, “You alright?” 

“Yes, I’m fine. Wrong pipe.” 

“Hm…” 

Comfortable silence lingered as you ate the rest of your food. Once you were almost done, you asked, “I take it you aren’t due back until tomorrow morning?” 

“Tomorrow afternoon. After lunch, actually.” 

“Really?” 

“Hm. Sedene put her hands on her hips and said if she saw me before then, bad things would happen.” 

“Bad things?” 

“I suppose that was her way of trying to coerce me not to show up before the appropriate time.” 

You chuckled. It was a cute rendition of trying to be a threat. “I suppose we don’t want a Melusine revolt.” 

“Indeed not. I shall endeavor to heed her wish…this time.” 

“A good deal.” You stated as you stood and collected the plates before walking over to the washer. You were going to absently start cleaning up with two arms wrapped around you. 

“Those can keep until tomorrow.” 

“Says the one that doesn’t have to do it.” You murmured, but you leaned back into his chest anyway. It didn’t seem like you needed much convincing. 

Neuvillette wordlessly turned you around before grasping your hand. You followed him to the couch before sitting down. He sat only after you did. 

Then he raised his hand and cupped your cheek, “I hadn’t the time to properly thank you for your assistance during this incident. You did admirable to keep everything together and keep it moving. Even in these last three weeks, I hadn’t heard a word of complaint. I know all of this has been hard on you. Please don’t lock yourself away anymore. I’m here now.” 

You shook your head as you lowered your gaze. You blinked. Ahh, now your eyes were becoming wet. You absently shook your head to clear it away. 

Neuvillette lifted your chin, “Cry if you want to cry. I’ve finished my duty to Fontaine for the moment. Now I must see to my duty to my wife.” 

You gave a breathless sob coupled with a laugh, “I don’t…” 

“Hush. You don’t have to keep it together anymore. Not right now.” He leaned his forehead on yours, “I’m here to catch you, my love.” 

Then you were sobbing. All the stress since the start of this incident pouring out. Neuvillette gathered you in his arms, holding you close. One hand stroked your back soothingly while the other held the back of your head. He could feel you shudder in his arms, as you held tight onto him. He wouldn’t dare let go before you did. 

When your sobs died down, you rested in his arms, head on his shoulder. One hand reached up and began playing with his hair. Now you were feeling tired. You hummed as you felt him kiss your forehead. 

“Thank you…” you finally murmured. 

“Such a thing is unnecessary.” Neuvillette returned, using the hand of the arm wrapped around you to tilt your chin. With his other hand, he began to carefully wipe away the tears. He was being so gentle, it made you want to cry all over again. 

“Take as much as you need, hm?” Neuvillette murmured, “As long as you don’t hide yourself. We are on your time now.” 

You couldn’t seem to check your emotions, even though it was clear you didn't’ not have to. You duck your head into Neuvillette’s shoulder, hiding your face from him. Did he know what you felt when he looked at you like that? 

“Perhaps…there is something you want?” Neuvillette asked. 

You shook your head, “I’m just grateful for your return.” 

“Yes, something else, perhaps?” 

“Your good health.” 

“Hm. And?” 

“Your happiness?” 

“Just I want your happiness as well, but right now, if you excuse my being presumptuous, I think there is something else you want above all of that. And lest you are mistaken, it is something I’d want just as well.” 

“Oh?” This time, a smile teased as your lips as you let out a giggle. 

“Hm.” 

Neuvillette tilted your head once again, forcing you to meet his gaze. His lavender eyes had gotten a shade deeper, and your breath caught. You couldn’t break away from his gaze, even if you wanted to. His leaned forward, the mere inch that separated you, lips hovering over yours. Your eyes fluttered. It felt you had kept your emotions in check for so long, that even now you feared letting go. 

“My love, let you catch you.” 

At his whisper, you closed the space, surging forward to capture his lips. 

FIN.

[bonefall]

Don’t know if this is the right place to ask, but could you talk more about zoos? I’ve seen many people say that zoos are inherently exploitative and that we should instead focus on advocating for wildlife preserves, etc., but I’m not sure what to think of that. You seem to know a lot about wildlife protection, so what’s your opinion on this?

There are folks faaaar better than myself to talk about the issues of zoos specifically and I'll try to toss in some sources so you can go and learn more, but let me try and explain my mindset here.

Summary of my opinion on this: BOTH of these things can be poorly managed, and I broadly support both. They should exist in tandem. I am pro-accredited zoo and am extremely sensitive towards misinformation. I also do think the best place for animals to be is in their natural environment, but nature "preserves" aren't inherently perfect. They can also be prone to the capitalist (and colonialist) pressures that less informed people believe they're somehow immune to.

Because of the goal of my project being to make the setting of WC accurate to Northwestern England, my research is based on UK laws, ecology, and conservation programs.

On Zoos

On Nature Reserves

An Aside on Fortress Conservation

On Zoos

The legal definition of a Zoo in the UK (because that is what BB's ecological education is based around), as defined by the Zoo Licensing Act of 1981 (ZLA), is a "place where wild animals are kept for exhibition to the public," excluding circuses and pet shops (which are covered by different laws.)

This applies equally to private, for-profit zoos, as well as zoos run by wildlife charities and conservation organizations. Profit does not define a zoo. If there's a place trying to tell you it's not a zoo but a "sanctuary" or a "wildlife park," but you can still go visit and see captive wild animals, even if it's totally free, it's a marketing trick. Legally that is still a zoo in the UK.

(for fellow Americans; OUR definition is broader, more patchwork because we are 50 little countries in a trenchcoat, and can include collections of animals not displayed to the public.)

That said, there's a HUGE difference between Chester Zoo, run by the North of England Zoological Society, which personally holds the studbooks for maintaining the genetic diversity of 10 endangered species, has 134 captive breeding projects, cultivates 265 threatened plant species, and sends its members as consultants to United Nations conferences on climate change, and Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pit.

Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pit ONLY has to worry about the UK government. There's another standard zoos can hold themselves to if they want to get serious about conservation like Chester Zoo; Accreditation. There are two major zoo organizations in the UK, BIAZA and EAZA.

(Americans may wonder about AZA; that's ours. AZA, EAZA, and BIAZA are all members of the World Association of Aquariums and Zoos, or WAZA, but they are all individual organizations.)

A zoo going for EAZA's "accreditation" has to undergo an entire year of evaluation to make sure they fit the strict standards, and renewal is ongoing. You don't just earn it once. You have to keep your animal welfare up-to-date and in compliance or you will lose it.

The benefit of joining with an accredited org is that it puts the zoo into a huge network of other organizations. They work together for various conservation efforts.

There are DOZENS of species that were prevented from going extinct, and are being reintroduced back to their habitats, because of the work done by zoos. The scimitar-horned oryx, takhi, California condor, the Galapagos tortoise, etc. Some of these WERE extinct in the wild and wouldn't BE here if it hadn't been for zoos!

The San Diego zoo is preventing the last remaining hawaiian crows from embracing oblivion right now, a species for which SO LITTLE of its wild behavior is known they had to write the book on caring for them, and Chester zoo worked in tandem with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to provide tech and funding towards breakthroughs in surveying wild pangolins.

Don't get me wrong;

MOST zoos are not accredited,

nor is accreditation is REQUIRED to make a good zoo,

nor does it automatically PROVE nothing bad has happened in the zoo,

There are a lot more Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pits than there are Chester Zoos.

That's worth talking about! We SHOULD be having conversations on things like,

Is it appropriate to keep and breed difficult, social megafauna, like elephants or cetaceans? What does the data say? Are there any circumstances where that would be okay, IF the data does confirm we can never provide enough space or stimulation to perfectly meet those species' needs?

How can we improve animal welfare for private zoos? Should we tighten up regulations on who can start or run one (yes)? Are there enough inspectors (no)?

Do those smaller zoos meaningfully contribute to better conservation? How do we know if they are properly educating their visitors? Can we prove this one way or the other?

Who watches the watchmen? Accreditation societies hold themselves accountable. Do these organizations truly have enough transparency?

(I don't agree with Born Free's ultimate conclusion that we should "phase out" zoos, but you should always understand the opposing arguments)

But bottom line of my opinion is; Good zoos are deeply important, and they have a tangible benefit to wildlife conservation. Anyone who tries to tell you that "zoos are inherently unethical" either knows very little about zoos or real conservation work, or... is hiding some deeper, more batshit take, like "having wild animals in any kind of captivity is unlawful imprisonment."

(you'll also get a lot more work done in regulating the exotic animal trade in the UK if you go after private owners, btw. zoos have nothing to do with how lax those laws are.)

Anyway I'm a funny cat blog about battle kitties, and the stuff I do for BB is to educate about the ecosystem of Northern England. If you want to know more about zoos, debunking misconceptions, and critiques from someone with more personal experience, go talk to @why-animals-do-the-thing!

Keep in mind though, again, they talk about American zoos, where this post was written with the UK in mind.

(and even then, England specifically. ALL UK members and also the Isle of Man have differences in their laws.)

(If anyone has other zoo education tumblr blogs in mind, especially if they are European, lmk and I'll edit this post)

On Nature Reserves

Remember how broad the legal definition of a zoo actually was? Same thing over here. A "nature reserve" in the UK is a broad, unofficial generic term for several things. It doesn't inherently involve statutory protection, either, meaning there's some situations where there's no laws to hold anyone accountable for damage

These are the "nature reserve" types relevant to my project; (NOTE: Ramsar sites, SACs, and SPAs are EU-related and honestly, I do not know how Brexit has effected them, if at all, so I won't be explaining something I don't understand.)

Local Wildlife Site (LWS) Selected via scientific survey and managed locally, connecting wildlife habitats together and keeping nature close to home. VERY important... and yet, incredibly prone to destruction because there aren't good reporting processes in place. Whenever a report comes out every few years, the Wildlife Trust says it often only gets data for 15% of all their registered sites, and 12% get destroyed in that timeframe.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR) A site that can be declared by a district or county council, if proven to have geographic, educational, biodiversity, or recreational value. The local authority manages this, BUT, the landowner can remain in control of the property and "lease" it out (and boy oh boy, landowners do some RIDICULOUS things)

National Nature Reserve (NNR) This is probably closest to what you think of when someone says "nature reserve." Designated by Natural England to protect significant habitat ranges and geographic formations, but still usually operates in tandem with private land owners who must get consent if they want to do something potentially damaging to the NNR.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (pronounced Triple S-I) A conservation designation for a particular place, assessed and defined by Natural England for its biological or geographic significance. SSSIs are protected areas, and often become the basis for NNRs, LNRs, Ramsar sites, SACs, SPAs, etc.

So you probably noticed that 3/4 of those needed to have the private ownership problem mentioned right in the summary, and it doesn't end there. Even fully government-managed NNRs and SSSIs work with the private sectors of forestry, tourism, and recreation.

We live under Capitalism; EVERYTHING has a profit motive, not just zoos.

I brushed over some of those factors in my Moorland Research Notes and DESPERATELY tried to stay succinct with them, but it was hard. The things that can happen to skirt around the UK's laws protecting wildlife could make an entire season of Monty Python sketches.

Protestors can angrily oppose felling silver birch (a "weed" in this context which can change the ecosystem) because it made a hike less 'pretty' and they don't understand heath management.

Management can be reluctant to ban dogs and horses for fear of backlash, even as they turn heath to sward before our eyes.

Reserves can be owned by Count Bloodsnurt who thinks crashing through the forest with a pack of dogs to exhaust an animal to death is a profitable traditional British passtime.

Or you can literally just pretend that you accidentally chased a deer for several hours and then killed it while innocently sending your baying hounds down a trail. (NOTE: I am pro-hunting, but not pro-animal cruelty.)

The Forestry Commission can slobber enthusiastically while replacing endangered wildlife habitats with non-native, invasive sitka spruce plantations, pretending most trees are equal while conveniently prioritizing profitable timber species.

I have STORIES to tell about the absolute Looney Tunes bullshit that's going on between conservationists and rich assholes who want to sell grouse hunting access, but I'll leave it at this fascinating tidbit about air guns and mannequins which are "totally, absolutely there for no nefarious reason at all, certainly not to prevent marsh harriers from nesting in an area where they also keep winding up mysteriously killed in illegal snares, no no no"

BUT. Since Nature Reserve isn't a hard defined legal concept, and any organization could get involved in local conservation in the UK, and just about anyone or anything could own one... IT'S CHESTER ZOO WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!

They received a grant in 2021 to restore habitat to a stretch of 10 miles extending outside of their borders, working with TONS of other entities such as local government and conservation charities in the process. There's now 6,000 square meters of restored meadow, an orchard, new ponds, and maintained reedbeds, because of them.

It isn't just Chester Zoo, either. It's all over the UK. Durrel Wildlife, which runs Jersey Zoo, just acquired 18,500 acres to rewild in Perthshire. Citizen Zoo is working with the Beaver Trust to bring beavers back to London and is always looking for volunteers to help with their river projects, and the Edinburgh Zoo is equipped with gene labs being used to monitor and analyze the remaining populations of non-hybrid Scottish Wildcats.

The point being,

Nature preserves have problems too. They are not magical fairy kingdoms that you put up a fence around and then declare you Saved Nature Hooray! They need to be protected. They need to be continuously assessed. They are prone to capitalist pressures just like everything else on this hell planet. Go talk to my boy Karl he'll give you a hug about it.

"Nature Preserves" are NOT an "alternative" to zoos and vice versa. They do not do the same thing. A zoo is a center of education and wildlife research which displays exotic animals. A nature preserve is a parcel of native ecosystem. We need LOTS of nature preserves and we need them well-managed ASAP.

We could never just "replace" zoos with nature preserves, and we're nowhere near the amount of protected ecosystem space to start thinking of scaling back animals in captivity. Until King Arthur comes out of hibernation to save Britain, that's the world we live in.

An Aside

My project and my research is based on the isle of Great Britain. The more I learn about the ecosystems that are naturally found there, the more venomously I reject the old lie, "humans are a blight."

YOU are an animal. You're a big one, too. You know what the role of big animals in an ecosystem are? Change. Elephants knock over trees, wolves alter the course of rivers, bison fertilize the plains from coast-to-coast. In Great Britain, that's what hominids have done for 900,000 years, their populations ebbing and flowing with every ice age.

Early farming created the moors and grazing sheep and cattle maintain it, hosting hundreds of specialist species. Every old-growth forest has signs of ancient coppicing and pollarding, which create havens for wildlife when well-managed. Corn cockle evolved as a mimic of wheat seeds, so farmers would plant it over and over within their fields.

This garbage idea that humans are somehow "separate" from or "above" nature is poison. It's not true ANYWHERE.

It contributes to an idea that our very presence is somehow damaging to natural spaces, and to "protect" it, we have to completely leave it alone. NO! Absolutely NOT! There are places where we have to limit harvesting and foot traffic, but humans ALWAYS lived in nature.

Even the ecosystems that this mindset comes from rejects it, but this shit doesn't JUST get applied to British people who become alienated and disconnected from their surroundings to the point where they don't know what silver birch does.

It's DEADLY for the indigenous people who protect 80% of our most important ecosystems.

It's a weapon against the Maasai people, stopped from hunting or growing crops on their own land. It's violence for 9 San hunters shot at by a helicopter with a "kill poachers on-sight" policy, as one of the world's LARGEST diamond mines operates in the same motherfucking park. The Havasupai people are kept out of the Grand Canyon that they managed for generations because they might "collect too many nuts" and starve squirrels, Dukha reindeer herders suddenly get banned from chopping wood or fishing, and watch wolves decimate their animals in the absence of their herding dogs.

It's nightmare after nightmare of human displacement in the name of "conservation."

That all ties back to that mindset. This idea that nature is pure, "pristine," and should be totally untouched. There are some starting to call it Fortress Conservation.

You can't begin to understand the criticisms of modern conservation without acknowledging that we are still living under the influence of capitalism and colonialism. Those who fixate on speaking for "animals/nature/trees who don't have a voice" often seem to have no interest in the indigenous people who do.

Listen. There's no simple answer; and the solution will vary for each region.

Again, my project is within the UK, one of the most ecologically devastated areas in the world. There are bad zoos that the law allows a pass. There are incredible zoos that are vital to conservation, in and outside of the country. There's not enough nature preserves. The best ones that exist are often exploited for profit.

I hope that my silly little blog sparks an interest in a handful of people to understand more about their own local ecosystems, and teaches folks about the unique beauty even within a place as "boring" as England.

But, my straightforward statement is that I have no patience for nonconstructive, broad zoo slander that lumps together ALL of them, and open contempt for anyone who tries to sell nature preserves like a perfect, morally superior "alternative." We need them BOTH right now, and we need to acknowledge that zoos AND preserves have legal and ethical issues that aren't openly talked about.

[oscconfessions]

[sent 20:53 8/18/24 (PDT M/D/Y)] i don’t even like lairy it’s fine. it’s like, 7/10. i’ve made like 2 posts about it. and believe me i make a lot of posts. like a lot of posts. like a lot-

i need to justify this ask with something. i think it’s interesting to think about how the contestants would be affected by The Plane for ‘like 7 months’. imagine having something happen to you you can never talk about because it’s that unreal. just having to live on like that. it’s very… the isolation, except for the other contestants, and then they can never find the others again or help them. maybe they try. maybe they try and search. either way theyre not the one with the notes so they have to just, give up eventually. it’d suck! how do you even go on like that. your life has been. wrecked. like liam was declared a missing person. even if all the contestants go free they still have to rework their lives and their selves.

especially scenty. it’s like. being called by those stupid -y names for 7 months? of course she’d forget her name, or her job. do you think she just starts calling people like [Object]y and gets confused for a second when they don’t respond before realizing? that’s kind of horrible, right? the same way airy does. she instinctively starts taking away others’ identity because she doesn’t remember it’s a thing she can have. being reintroduced to the idea of society. does it feel right, to have a name? to be more than dust in the wind, a missing person’s poster, lost adrift, cast about the sidewalk? i don’t think it does.

the contestants are isolated just like airy has been. a cycle. an ouroboros. and they just forget about identity a bit. not entirely, probably. it’s hard to grasp, though. it’s hard to remember they should treat others like they are something. and so the pattern repeats! it’s like those host liam after airy dies aus, but on a microlevel! without them noticing! and they’d feel horrible, but… it just keeps happening.

.

[kind-of-genius]

oh fuck. in researching further, I found where this information came up

campaign 2, episode 135 - The Genesis Ward

Caleb investigates a room labeled Records 104 and uncovers documents. one such "document refers to the 'Factorum Malleus Project'" AKA hammer of creation

later in the episode, they repair Charlie the Aeormaton, who reintroduces himself as Devexian.

"Devexian at first doesn't remember what happened to the city, but then recalls the experiment that the gods must have deemed too dangerous: the Factorum Malleus. It doesn't translate to the 'Hammer of Creation.' It translates to the 'Creator Hammer'"

now, that document Caleb uncovered also references an individual at the head of this project "named 'Athodan', who made the inspired find of 'The Relic' and was working in rejuvenation"

it is my belief that this relic either is or is something similar to the ruins in the Hellcatch Valley and the wizard who uncovered them, working on rejuvenation, is Ludinus Da'leth

he is far older than an elf should be and talks about the Calamity as if he witnessed it. after surviving the Calamity, "the relic" so-called could have been lost.

remember, Marquet used to be a jungle continent where societies of orcs and elves flourished. Gruumsh was offended by this and tried to destroy all of Marquet. thanks to the Ruidus-born hero Alyxian, Marquet was simply turned into a desert instead of being wiped from the face of Exandria.

because of this, and the loss of Aeor and the power granted to him, Ludinus wouldn't have been able to access this relic until the dust settled, and he built up power and influence again. ergo, founding the Cerberus Assembly.

In summary: the machines are called malleus keys because they are from the original, pre-Calamity project Ludinus, then Athodan, was working on: the Factorum Malleus project.

the "creator hammer" is Predathos, and the goal was always to free it

[mindovermuses]

Ok, I have an idea for how they can try to help Laudna.

Remember Jirana? The therapist who helped Keyleth with her grief? The sweet, older lady who lives in the giant frog in the shattered teeth?

What if Bells Hells just sort of... dropped Laudna off there for a while for some isolated, inpatient counseling? She can live as a bog witch for a bit until she's ready to be reintroduced into society again? A tiny, little psychiatric hold for the possessed, undead girl until she feels herself again?

Imogen has the staff and could visit her occasionally when Jirana says it's a good time for it. They can use the sending stones since Orym and Dorian are physically together again and should never separate again for any reason.

[topconfessions]

Yeah, I totally get the vibe that they’re not being 100% honest about how he got the role. I read that more detailed article the other anon shared and checked out other ones too, and the whole thing about Thanos being “a character who depends on bad things, so it’s right for him to die at this moment” (paraphrasing here) feels way too on the nose. It’s like his whole return to the public scene was crafted from the ground up, framing it as some kind of symbolic act of taking responsibility or closing a chapter of his life. It feels like a narrative tailored specifically for the Korean audience, who, as you said, really don’t hold back when it comes to criticism or backlash. It’s the safer route, for sure, but maybe not the one that really honors who TOP is.. or at least, who we’ve known him to be. But I get it, you know?

To me, it’s pretty clear that even though he’s aware of the weight of his actions, he’s still struggling to figure out how to deal with the public’s judgment. On one hand, he’s apologizing and reflecting, but on the other, he’s still so caught up in his personal pain, like he’s stuck in this endless loop of self-defense and regret. And the fact that he even admitted to considering dropping out of the project because of the backlash shows that he knows the shadow that hangs over his casting.

He said he’s been making a ton of music during his years in isolation, but honestly, I don’t think that alone would’ve been enough for him to reintroduce himself to Korea in a fresh way. He needed something big, something that would really shake things up, for better or worse. He even said he didn’t focus on Western feedback, probably because he knew he wouldn’t face the same stigma and cultural barriers here. And it shows, his performance in SG2 got way more love in the West.

Europe especially tends to embrace eccentricity and exaggeration, especially when it’s tied to creativity and emotional depth. Directors like Pedro Almodóvar, Federico Fellini, or Lars von Trier come to mind, people who use surreal and provocative storytelling to explore complex, messy emotions. Characters in their stories aren’t good or bad; they’re layered and morally ambiguous, leaving the audience to decide what to think. European art also isn’t afraid to challenge traditional norms or dive into taboos and controversies, it’s seen as a way to question society, not something to shy away from. And honestly, it’s not all that different in the U.S. Think about Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, an eccentric, over-the-top performance that still works because it’s memorable and engaging.

Personally, I loved TOP’s performance in SG2. It was wild and out there, but it fit.

Just to wrap this up and keep it 100% clear: I love TOP. His speech really hit me, and I’m fully empathetic with him. I truly hope he finds a way to reconnect with himself first, so he can build a more positive narrative about his life, one that isn’t all about “mistakes” and “failures.” That said, it doesn’t stop me from having a broader critical take on everything. I still think he was kinda vague in his answers and lacking a solid communication strategy.

Anyway, I’m not gonna blow up your inbox any more 😂 Thanks for this convo! I hope we’ll be talking about TOP’s future album next time 🥰

-Ita anon

I hope he drops an album. He should do it NOW or this year. Ughhhhhhh. I'm upset now cause this big opprtunties is fuckinf squandered now cause he's letting all of this sorrow and self blame get in the way of the fact he literally could be sharing that music with everyone and having a decent chart success cause of the show. Jesus christ. And yes, you know damn well they're lying. Top got the role through connections and I do believe he was nervous like he said and the director said but I think it was still a lot that happened that they're not sharing.

I just don't know what to think anymore. I hope by summer he has it together. It's hard to get emotionally invested only to end up just crushed by knowing he's suffering then knowing he has no way of figuring out how to get out of it.

I just don't know anymore.

[troutwithfur]

Alright Warriors fandom, let's discuss If we took Mapleshade to court at the end of Mapleshade's vengeance, could she plead insanity and get off without punishment. Here, in this post, I will make my case that, yes, Mapleshade could plead insanity Point Number 1: There is simply no way that any cat could go through the events Mapleshade did and be mentally sound enough to be fully responsible of their actions afterwards. Within the span of 24 hours, my client had to undergo being physically assaulted by Frecklewish, being exiled by her previously very supportive community, losing her three kits in a flood, learning that her lover, Appledusk, is in a relationship with another she-cat, and being rejected by that lover & his clan when requesting aid. If anyone in this Tumblr courtroom had to undergo this, they would not be in a better mental state than Mapleshade was during the alleged murders. Point Number 2: Even before she committed her alleged murders, Mapleshade was hallucinating her dead kits. To quote from Chapter 5, Paragraph 8 of Mapleshade's Vengeance, "The image of her three dead kits hovered at the edge of her vision, as if she would be able to see them clearly if only she could turn her head fast enough. Mama, help me! they wailed." This happens sometime before she jumps to the conclusion that she should kill Ravenwing, thus showing that my client was already a very mentally deserved cat by the time she begun the killings she is accused of. Point Number 3: Do to the nature of my client's mental illness, she was influenced to continue her killings, as well as generally becoming more easy to influence. To quote Chapter 6, Paragraphs 23 & 24, "“Mama! Save us!” Two voices echoed again.

Mapleshade shook herself and sat up. Ravenwing had died—did that mean only one kit had been avenged?"

This proves that her hallucinations actively encouraged her to keep committing these crimes, against her better judgement. I believe that Mapleshade should not only be considered not guilty of her crimes, but receive involuntary commitment to a psychiatric institution to receive proper treatment so she can eventually be safely reintroduced to Clan society. This would be the preferred and best outcome for not only Mapleshade, but Warriors society as a whole.

[cinemaseeker]

Let's Review: Barbie

FAIR WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Barbie.

No other singular female name invokes quite as many various feelings, to such varying degrees, as Barbie. And very few names are quite as ubiquitous as Barbie (no really, name anyone you know who's never owned a Barbie at least once in their lifetime). And as with any ubiquitous entity, people are going to try and take their best shot, hoping to bring them down to our level.

Make no mistake, this movie is meant to reintroduce Barbie to a new generation of consumers. You will, more likely than not, want to buy a Barbie doll or other Mattel product either before or after watching this movie, either for yourself or for any child you know. This movie effectively serves as a mass market rebranding of Barbie, pivoting her from the poster girl for unrealistic body image/impossible feminine beauty standards to a vehicle for individuality and female empowerment.

Barbie is now all things to all people (anyone can be Barbie!), but all those things are still Barbie. However, as most of us know, a friend to all is a friend to none. If you are all things to all people, then you are effectively nothing, an empty vessel for others to project themselves onto. And indeed, even this new re-vamped Barbie can be validly viewed as a vapid vehicle for the consumer's own dreams and desires, leaving very little to no room for Barbie to have any dreams of her own.

And yet this movie still dares to ask: can a corporate capitalist product, whether it's a mass marketed toy or a Hollywood movie starring that toy, ever be a good thing, a force for positive change? Can subversive feminist messages stick stronger with audiences, especially its youngest and most impressionable viewer, if we cover it in a pink candy coating? Just give it a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down?

After all, this new Barbie now comes with her own existential crisis and has to deal with scary realities such as cellulite, aging, and *gasp* FLAT FEET (a hilarious bit of family-friendly body horror).

Not to mention a growing awareness of mortality.

To answer Barbie's question: yes. Yes, I do think about dying. We all think about dying at some point. And perhaps more importantly, our kids are starting to think about dying. I would not be surprised if there is even a single kid out there who has asked this question during playtime through their own Barbie. And for many good reasons. The world is a mess right now. Don't even get me started.

It feels like kids and adults alike are more anxious than ever and this new Barbie can certainly relate to that anxiety, even if it's not necessarily her own (it belongs to the girl playing with her). But it turns out that it's the girl's mom Gloria (America Ferrera) who's really struggling and needs Barbie's help, if only by using Barbie as a means of working through her own dissatisfaction as a working wife and mother.

This movie reminds us that we don't stop worrying about things just because we grow up. If anything, we find more things to worry about as we get older. But adults often don't get the same kind of comfort that we give to children; we're just supposed to suck it up and tough it out, but sometimes all we wanna do is stay in our rooms and play with our toys, just like we did when we were kids. Especially if we're girls, since the world is significantly much harder for us to deal with in a society that constantly polices and critiques girls and women (Gloria's speech about the impossible, and often double, standards imposed upon women is a highlight of the movie and should be required viewing for all humans)

But Barbie helps us feel like kids again.

Throughout the entire movie, Greta Gerwig and her team manage to recapture the joy of playing with Barbies with an obviously loving attention to detail. Barbie Land is that now-rare fantasy world that doesn't require a factual explanation but runs on a strong engine of internal logic that makes sense if you've ever played with dolls.

But enough about Barbie.

What about the men?

They're the ones who really have it rough here. Having to deal with all this girly stuff.

Now guys, this might come as a shock, but this movie might not be made for you in mind and therefore you may not get it. You may find yourself confused about why women in this movie are hogging the spotlight and not letting the men do anything important.

But, it's okay, don't worry guys, Ken's got you.

Barbie may be the star, but Ken gets the real emotional journey here. You see, he keeps getting friend-zoned by Barbie, who would rather hang out with her girlfriends and maintain her autonomy than spend the night with him. But once he follows Barbie into the Real World and discovers a magical society where men are in charge and women have to respect them, Ken brings some of these ideas back to the Kens in Barbie Land, thus subjugating all the Barbies to the awesome new patriarchal rule of "Kendom".

Now every night is guys' night.

Folks, go give bonus points to whoever had "Ken gets a villain arc" on their 2023 Bingo card. And while you're at it, add an extra 5 if they also included "Ironic use of a Matchbox Twenty song on the Barbie soundtrack".

Ken's story arc is a powerful reminder of why it's important to critique feminism when it doesn't work.

After all, Barbie Land's matriarchy may seem utopian at first glance, and may even be super inclusive to Barbies of all shapes and races and abilities, but ultimately it is exactly the same as our real world patriarchy, only gender-swapped, with women holding all the power and men being treated as useless accessories. This doesn't balance the scales, it just tips them all the way in the other direction. The only way to achieve true equality is for both men and women to have equal power in society. A conclusion that, thankfully, the movie reaches on its own by the end.

And although Barbie shouldn't have to apologize for not wanting to spend time with Ken or for prioritizing time for herself and her friends, I do appreciate that she was able to make things right with Ken without having to fix things with a kiss or kowtow to his desire to make her his girlfriend. Instead she helps Ken realize that he needs to figure out who he is outside of Barbie, cutting right to the root of toxic/fragile masculinity, which is usually the result of men with low self-esteem just wanting to be heard and respected.

But while Ken is hilariously drawn as a pouty, mostly innocent man child who just wants to be loved (ideally by Barbie), it's a lot harder to laugh off his antics when they result in the Kens actively stripping away constitutional rights and taking over the Supreme Court of Barbie Land. This moment especially should hit just a little too close to home and inspire us to take action.

Thankfully, this movie is not only entertaining and hella meta, but also serves as a practical instruction manual for how girls and women can deal with toxic men and take their power back, whether it's from men in power or obnoxious film bros who constantly espouse the virtues of films like The Godfather and the Snyder cut of Justice League (there's nothing wrong with enjoying these movies, just don't be a dick about it).

It has been a long, time honored tradition in Hollywood for "chick flicks", which is usually code for female-centered films, to be looked down on and mercilessly mocked while elevating more masculine movies to prestige levels. Hopefully Barbie will be the movie that helps us see that "chick flicks" can be just as powerful and impactful as "dick flicks" and then help us reclaim hyperfemininity in our fight against the patriarchy.

After all, would it really be the worst thing in the world if the revolution was not only televised, but also pink?

Listen, if you laugh during this Barbie movie and it happens to make you question and effectively challenge the patriarchy, then all the better.

So will Barbie be that radical watershed movie that inspires a whole generation to believe that the future truly is female or will it just pay lip service to a feel-good you-go-girl message while still maintaining the status quo?

As with any seed we plant, the best we can do is nurture it, give it time, then wait and see what grows.

Come on, Barbie. Let's go party.

[xdfun1]

The End Of All Things by Leviticuswrites

Wayback Link

Start - Part 6 - Next

He should have known there was something wrong the first time Frisk came to their house in the middle of the night, not even bothering to text or call him. Just knocked on their door, and since Sans was a light sleeper even after all the years they’d gotten out of the Underground, he answered the door, was about to crack a joke, but Frisk shuffled inside looking like they dragged themselves out of bed and straight there. For all he knew, they probably did.

The kid – nineteen years old now, actually, but the nickname never wore off – didn’t talk the entire time. Instead, they just made themselves a mug of hot chocolate and sat down the kitchen table, Sans across them, just like they always did whenever they got nightmares and went to the skeleton brothers’ house. Not that Toriel didn’t do a good job at comforting them. It was just that…Sans knew things. Things only both of them, to their knowledge, knew about.

one of the panic! titled things i promised i didn’t even question where this came from i just needed to push away every single responsibility and write Set in Undertale Alpha’verse. Frisk is haunted by nightmares of other timelines, and sometimes, maybe other universes that had the possibility of becoming a timeline in theirs if a few things went awry. And they deal with the knowledge that they are not as perfect as everyone thinks they are.

The End of All Things

Whether near or far I am always yours

He should have known there was something wrong the first time Frisk came to their house in the middle of the night, not even bothering to text or call him. Just knocked at their door, and since Sans was a light sleeper even after all the years they’d gotten out of the Underground, he answered the door, was about to crack a joke, but Frisk shuffled inside looking like they dragged themselves out of bed and straight there. For all he knew, they probably did.

The kid – nineteen years old now, actually, but the nickname never wore off – didn’t talk the entire time. Instead, they just made themselves a mug of hot chocolate and sat down the kitchen table, Sans across them, just like they always did when Frisk got nightmares and went to the skeleton brothers’ house. Not that Toriel didn’t do a good job at comforting them. It was just that…Sans knew things. Things only both of them, to their knowledge, knew about.

Frisk didn’t sleep for the rest of the night, and Sans didn’t either. The skeleton walked the human home just before dawn, clapping a hand on their shoulder, squeezing and saying, “Take care of yourself, kid,” before heading back.

That was the first nightmare Frisk had in three months of nothing.

It had been seven years. Seven years since the human had brought them out of the Underground, became Ambassador of Monsters; seven years since monsterkind was reintroduced to human society and although there were a few rough patches here and there, things were going smoothly for both races; seven years since Sans thought he actually had a future again.

Frisk was doing good with their nightmares. Three months clean. Of course, Sans didn’t expect them to be clean for the rest of their life, because even he still had some, but he thought it was the usual nightmare. And since Frisk didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t pry. He just let them have their drink and made sure they got home safely.

After that first night, it became more frequent. Frisk came again, the next week. And then two days after that. Until by the third week, it was almost a nightly occurrence for them to end up at Sans’ doorstep in their pajamas and rumpled hair.

Sans asked. Frisk didn’t answer. He didn’t pry. He wasn’t supposed to.

He figured Toriel knew about the resurfacing of Frisk’s nightmares, since sometimes she came over to give them a few boxes of Frisk’s favorite tea, favorite brand of hot chocolate, and a spare blanket and pillow. Her eyes were a little dulled and red around the edges. And she had the air of someone who felt like they were helpless as they watched the world fall around them.

Frisk would talk to him and his brother if they ever stayed for long in the morning, but never about their nightmares. Papyrus made them spaghetti to cheer them up, and the human smiled and accepted; complimented that Pap’s cooking had been getting better and better. The taller skeleton beamed at the praise. Sans noticed that Frisk’s smile was a little empty and didn’t quite reach their eyes.

During the daytime, he still saw the kid go to college. They talked with a few of the monster students, but their demeanor still carried that burdened gait to it. He hadn’t seen them laugh in weeks, not at his jokes or at their friends’. Frisk just smiled.

Once, when Toriel didn’t come to deliver Golden Flower tea to Sans’ house and they decided to get some on their next supply run, Frisk tagged along, saying that it was the least they could do since they were sort of freeloading around the skeleton brothers’ house. Which Sans thought was bullshit, since they were the one that freed all the monsters. If anything, they were entitled to freeload at any monster’s house.

They passed by the aisle where the teas were shelved. Frisk picked up the box with the golden flowers at the front of the design, just below the logo of the product. Their gaze lingered a little too long at the flowers. They didn’t even blink, that when Sans gently pried the box out of their hand, they startled and rubbed at their eyes, which were tearing up.

A month passed. Frisk stayed at the boys’ house every night, even brought their studying for their pre-finals there. They still didn’t talk about the nightmares, and Sans still didn’t pry, because some days Frisk looked like they were going to unravel if he said anything about what they saw every night.

Frisk visited the school where Toriel was teaching as part of a campaign to teach the younger generation about the monsters and that they meant no harm. A few of the monsters tagged along – Sans, Asgore, Undyne – to make sure nobody tried to hurt the Ambassador (Undyne) and so that a leader of the monsters was there to oversee the event (Asgore). Sans was just worried.

There was a garden at the back. Asgore tended to it sometimes, and the kids already knew him as the ‘fluffy goat king’ because of it. Frisk stared at the spot with the golden flowers, and again never blinked or took their eyes off of it until Sans touched them. Frisk jerked and turned to him, surprised. Sans raised his hands and tilted his head downward. “Easy there, kiddo. Just me.”

The skeleton nodded. “Yeah. I mean my jokes aren’t too fleshed out, but you can’t want to forget me just because of that, kid.” He smirked.

Frisk didn’t smile back. Their eyes did flicker to the left side of his teeth, again, like they were looking for something.

Another month. Finals ended. Summer came. Frisk stayed at the skeleton brothers’ place most days. When Papyrus asked out of genuine curiosity, Frisk said they were more comfortable there. Toriel still came to give them supplies, but delivered a few clothes this time. She told Frisk that Asgore would love to garden with Frisk again.

Frisk smiled, hugged their mother, and said that they just needed to rest their mind a little. The stress of being Ambassador and college was just getting to them, along with their nightmares. They didn’t want to burden their parents.

Toriel left, looking dejected.

“Why don’t you talk to her about it?” Sans asked them, before they both went to bed.

Frisk paused on the stairs. Their brow furrowed. “She won’t understand,” they said.

“And I would?” Sans asked.

To his surprise, Frisk shook their head. “No.”

Frisk still didn’t go to help Asgore with his gardening around their house. When asked, their answer was, “They’re buttercups.”

Papyrus thought the human was allergic to the flowers. Sans narrowed his eyesockets at the statement, confused.

At the end of the first month of summer, Frisk spoke to him when they were at the kitchen table again in the middle of the night. Frisk’s voice was a little hoarse and nasally from crying.

“Do you think he’s still there in the Underground?” they asked. Before Sans could ask them to clarify, they added, “Flowey?…Asriel?”

He frowned. They’d talked about the prince before, when Frisk was younger. That was usually associated with the guilt of being unable to save him.

“I don’t know,” he said. Then, “What brought this up?”

Frisk looked down on their mug. They moved it a little so that the drink swirled, then drank it. They didn’t say anything for the rest of the night.

It was finally during the next Summit meeting Frisk had with delegates of nations around the world that the kid started to spill. Sans had listened to them practice their speech over and over during the plane ride, muttering to themselves and making faces whenever they forgot. He nearly had it memorized himself.

When Frisk had said their last line, he expected them to say ‘thank you’ before stepping down the stage. Instead, Frisk raised their hands and started to sign as they spoke. Their hands were shaking.

“Always…”Frisk’s hands faltered, but then they steeled their jaw and continued signing with renewed determination as they spoke. Like it wasn’t for them. Like it was for something or someone very important. “…be kind. Sometimes kindness is all we can give. Sometimes kindness is enough.”

Years later, that statement from the Ambassador of Monsters would be a famous quote printed in history books and taught at schools. It would be called one of the most inspiring things the Ambassador had ever said, and be noted as the moment the nineteen-year-old human silenced the entire world so that it would listen to their piece. Scholars would say it was the turning point for human and monster relations around the world. A turning point for the better.

But at the moment that it was spoken, Sans saw the sheen of moisture on Frisk’s eyes, and he knew that this had something to do with the human’s sleepless nights, and that somehow, the kid had broken.

The room broke out in applause after Frisk finished and stepped down. They excused themselves, and people let them, figuring that giving such an emotional and impactful speech must have taken out a lot from them. Sans followed them out, cursing the fact that the kid had roped him into wearing a suit so that he wouldn’t get kicked out. And he had wanted to stay and make sure Frisk was alright, so he had to go with it.

Once out of the room, he tried to follow Frisk as best as he could. The kid was running as fast as they could – luckily, just to the restrooms. He knew where that was.

The restrooms were empty and he found them slumped against one of the walls, knees to their chest as they cried. He approached them slowly and gingerly laid a hand on their forearm. When Frisk didn’t react, he slowly gathered them in his arms. Frisk clung onto his suit and he felt the fabric bunch up, surely creasing. He didn’t care.

“You did good out there, Frisk,” he said, patting their head.

Frisk hiccuped and tried to bury their face further into his suit.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” he held them tighter and pressed his teeth to their hair. “You did great.”

Frisk suddenly pulled back, taking Sans’ face into their hands. The skeleton stiffened in surprise as the human searched his features, looking at his eyes and teeth a little too long, before their shoulders sagged and they collapsed against him again.

“Sometimes I forget,” they mumbled. They turned so that their face was buried in Sans’ suit, and he felt their mouth against his sternum as they spoke, “That I’m Frisk and you’re Sans and we’re not…”

“We’re not what?” he asked.

“Not…them,” Frisk breathed, “But it happened – it should have. I dream about it. I wouldn’t dream about it if it didn’t happen.”

“About what, kiddo?”

Frisk didn’t answer. Sans wrapped his arms around them again after a few minutes.

They stayed like that for so long that his bones felt like they were permanently being set into that position, or that Frisk had somehow fallen asleep. He was about to pick them up when the kid whispered in a voice so low, he wouldn’t have caught it if it weren’t for the silence of their isolation.

“If I told you…” they started, “If I told you that if when I fell down the Underground and you had lost all hope…if you had thought that violence was the answer to your problems, and that it was every monster to himself; if I told you that I would have tried to defend myself, would you hate me?”

Sans frowned. He could understand the need to defend oneself, although the notion of it coming from Frisk was out of place. He’d seen the kid get hurt. Never once had he seen them fight back.

“Where’s this coming from, kid?”

“When I first fell into the Underground,” they paused to lick their lips. “I had thought, that if it came to it, I would defend myself. The monsters were so kind, and they told me to be merciful, but I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” They fell silent again, “And when it did, I had already learned that…the way things ran in the Underground, you never had to hurt anyone.”

Their shoulders started shaking again. “And Sans, I have hurt you so, so many times. I killed your brother…sometimes I wonder if you’re just pretending to be my friend because everyone doesn’t remember. Or if you’re scared because I can decide to reset any time.”

“Frisk,” he pulled away and cupped the human’s face this time, wiping the tears away with his fingers. “Listen, I don’t hate you, okay?” he said. Frisk seemed to cry harder at that. He mentally cursed himself. “It wasn’t you who did those things. You are different. You wouldn’t hurt – ”

“That’s exactly it, Sans!” Frisk’s voice was hoarse enough that when they shouted, it sounded like a rasp as they pushed his arms away. “I would. I – me, not Chara – have thought about hurting people. I was always wary in the Underground. I didn’t trust anyone! I was always…a-always…” the human’s shoulder dropped as the fight left them. Their hands dropped from where they were gripping Sans’ clothes, instead landing on Sans’ knees, useless.

“I’m not as kind as everyone thinks of me. I can’t do what they expect me to do,” they said, “And I hatemyself for it. I don’t understand why, in a world that’s lost all hope, a version of me can hold on to it, but I can’t.”

He stayed silent as he waited for the human’s breathing to steady, chest rising and collapsing against his. When they had calmed down, he took their jaw into his hands again and tilted their head up so that they were looking at each other. Sans pressed their foreheads together and felt the human whimper.

“I know what you did, Frisk,” Sans said, “And I know you feel sorry for it. And you know what I did…”

Frisk closed their eyes and nodded minutely.

“And I forgive you for it, okay?” he said, letting a tear catch on one of his fingers and wiping it away. “Because if we do lose hope, do you know who I believe in to bring it back?”

He waited for them to open their eyes. And when they did, he mustered every single ounce of gratitude and sincerity in his soul.

“You.”