#ideal removals

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

The Bronx Zoo has just released Flaco's necropsy results.

He was not thriving, as the people championing the ideal of "freedom" claimed.

He was poisoned.

He was sick.

He was suffering.

"Freedom" would have eventually killed him. A building just happened to do it first.

"Postmortem testing has been completed for Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl that was found down in the courtyard of a Manhattan building a little over a year after his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo was vandalized on February 2, 2023. Onlookers reported that Flaco had flown into a building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on February 23, 2024, and acute trauma was found at necropsy. Bronx Zoo veterinary pathologists determined that in addition to the traumatic injuries, Flaco had two significant underlying conditions. He had a severe pigeon herpesvirus from eating feral pigeons that had become part of his diet, and exposure to four different anticoagulant rodenticides that are commonly used for rat control in New York City. These factors would have been debilitating and ultimately fatal, even without a traumatic injury, and may have predisposed him to flying into or falling from the building. The identified herpesvirus can be carried by healthy pigeons but may cause fatal disease in birds of prey including owls infected by eating pigeons. This virus has been previously found in New York City pigeons and owls. In Flaco’s case, the viral infection caused severe tissue damage and inflammation in many organs, including the spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, and brain.   No other contributing factors were identified through the extensive testing that was performed. Flaco’s severe illness and death are ultimately attributed to a combination of factors—infectious disease, toxin exposures, and traumatic injuries—that underscore the hazards faced by wild birds, especially in an urban setting."

The naturalistic fallacy kills animals in horrible ways. The romanticism of what humans want to think of as a "free, wild, pure life" cannot be allowed supplant the reality of injury, sickness, and death. Releasing captive animals (or keeping them from being recaptured) because it's "better" for them to suffer untethered than live a healthy, safe, captive life is inhumane and horrific.

Flaco's life didn't have to end in pain, sickness, and suffering.

Flaco's death didn't have to be tragic.

But once the idea of "freedom" entered the chat, Flaco's fate was unavoidable.

[is-this-even-relatable]

Misfortune Teller

tldr: An older Danny, apprentice to Clockwork, does a lot of field work across dimensions, resetting the timeline, queuing future events, and who knows what else. Occasionally, he warns people about such upcoming possibilities, to set them on the right path. How, you might ask? Well in this case... as a wandering fortune teller.

Crack-fic (oh god, it's getting long and my logic brain won't let it remain as crack) where Danny becomes Clockwork's apprentice after getting his GED. Living his infinite afterlife to the fullest. Inspired by this tumblr post.

-----------------------------------------------------

Working for Clockwork had been... interesting so far. At first, Danny got frustrated by how vague and cryptic Clockwork was. He'd just shunt Danny off to some ancient time with a few words, his own time medallion (Danny carried it everywhere with him now), and then pop back into the portal, leaving Danny with only the faintest idea of where to go.

Eventually, after enough time (ha!) spent around Clockwork, Danny figured out that it just basically meant that he had free reign and to do whatever he wanted. Because if he went on the wrong path, (like that one time in Pompeii when he had almost caused the volcano to explode a few years too early), Clockwork would just pop on by, say another few cryptic words, and then it'd all be fine and dandy, or as he liked to say, "All is as it should be... Now stop practicing your wail by an active volcano."

After telling Jazz about that (it was supposed to be funny, not concerning), she just sighed and shook her head, with a forlorn "think before you act, Danny!" but hey, it'd turned out fine so far, so who cares how he does what Clockwork asks him to do, as long as it gets done, right? Even if it's with a liiiiitle more mischief than strictly required.

Besides. Danny was the one who had been doing time shenanigans across millennia, not Jazz. And he thought he'd been getting pretty good at it too! He'd actually started giving himself a different made-up background for each universe he visited. Sam and Tucker were helping him keep up with the identities on a spreadsheet, so if he had to go back to one he'd already visited, he'd remember who he'd said he was supposed to be.

---

He was on a call with them one evening while haunting Jazz's apartment, doing just that, when he felt a familiar tingle in the back of his throat, as well as a heightened awareness of the seconds passing by, that always accompanied his mentor's appearance.

Sam was talking about his past stint posing as a god of death when he cut in. "Hey- sorry to interrupt, Sam- Clocky's here, guys, I gotta dip."

"Aw, come on! We hardly talked any this past week since you passed your certifications, man," Tucker complained.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah. Partly on you too though, you've been caught up outside of class, and Sam's schedule is nearly the opposite of yours."

Sam hummed in agreement despiter Tucker's scoff.

Danny missed hanging out with them as much as they had in high school, but hey, life goes on. Or at least, theirs did, to college. After finally flunking out of Casper High, he'd taken some time to get used to his responsibilities in the ghost zone, and when he had, he realized that he didn't really have much enthusiasm or timeleft for his human life.

And he didn't really want to go back home either.

But Jazz had made him tie up any loose ends before he noped-off to god knows where, which frankly, he had to thank her for. Getting his GED took a few years, but it was an accomplishment that could be attributed to Danny Fenton, no ghostliness required. Then he was able to let that tether go free.

Pulled out of his musings by a few more grumbles from Tucker, Danny said his goodbyes, promising to call the next time they were all available.

After hanging up, Danny swiveled around, anticipation already lighting up his eyes an ethereal green.

Clockwork, for his part, had been waiting patiently through Danny's lengthy goodbyes. Although he supposed that it tracked for the watcher of time to be patient. With his job, it'd be a nightmare if he wasn't.

"Phantom," Clockwork spoke, calm as always. "I have some tasks I need you to complete as my apprentice."

And Danny, always ready for adventure, didn't need him to explain any further. "Sure! When do you need me to be?"

Clockwork smiled at that. "I am fortunate you are eager. Follow me."

---

Danny popped into existence in this universe with a burst of cold air and static electricity. He found himself hovering by a clocktower above a sprawling, gothic city. Smog and light pollution obscured the stars above him, to his disappointment. He comforted himself with the fact that he'd probably have all the time he wanted to fly someplace less populated to see them later.

He started off by familiarizing himself with the city. As he flew, he followed the trail of power and met the resident city-spirit, a spooky- but kind underneath- woman draped in black lace, who told him her name was Gotham. He spoke in length with her about this universe, its heroes, and her knights. On that, she was very enthusiastic... or at least Danny thought she was, her projected emotions belaying much more than her gloomy exterior. She told him how her knights had been through a lot and would need some guidance fighting the darkness that pooled in her deepest corners, smiling with too much glee, filling lungs with fear, and terrorizing with cold hard bullets.

Danny could sense that the dangers she spoke of were growing in power, ever slowly. The longer they shadowed people's minds and hearts, an intangible thing grew that lent them more otherworldly pull than their physical forms had right to hold.

That must be what he was sent here for.

But... they were weak, pitifully so for him, infinite king as he was. And besides, he wasn't here in that sense. He was a messenger, a simple apprentice. And he could do this however he wanted.

Cue his talk with Lady Gotham, and subsequent idea to arm her knights. With what? Well, he figured knowledge would be a start. Flying high above the city invisibly, Danny noticed a sea of colors and lights by what appeared to be the city's pier. He flew down, noting that it appeared to be the setup spot for a travelling circus or carnival of some kind.

He considered what to do. One of Lady Gotham's troubles was a madman clown, right? Well maybe he'd be attracted to his ilk here... and with the danger came the knights. Maybe he could catch one of them here?

Danny was floating around at the entrance and beginning to formulate a plan when a flyer caught his eye. Looking for a mystic to read fortunes. URGENT!

Hadn't Clockwork said something about fortunes? And he hadn't made an identity in this universe yet...

A mischievous smile crept across Danny's face, splitting it in two with far too many teeth.

---

Half a city away, a man in all black, perched on the very same clocktower that Phantom had Appeared by, shivered as he felt an ominous premonition about his sanity in the near future...

Said man quickly opened his comms to check in with his many, many kids. Yet even after hearing back from each, he still felt apprehensive.

Somewhere even further, Clockwork laughed.

---

And that's how Danny found himself seated at a fortune teller's booth at a pier in Gotham, two days later, for the Tricksy Traveling Circus's grand opening.

[shepscapades]

Ranchers as Grant Wood’s American Gothic was supposed to be sillay and goofy but then I set the ranch on fire and one thing led to another and now it’s. sad DFBJDFGB I’m really happy with how this came out though, so!! Here’s my week 3 piece for the Hermitcraft Design Challenge thingie :]

[ineed-to-sleep]

*me immediately after going through a terrifying and traumatic experience* haha yeah I guess it was rough but I'm fine now like I'm totally chill. It was kinda funny actually if you think about it

[watcherintheweyr]

desperately need people to understand that alicent is a victim but she’s also an abuser and a perpetrator

that she actively makes choices to harm other women because of jealousy and envy and the greed deep in her bones because submitting to suffering didn’t get her what those women fight to grasp for themselves.

she is absolutely a victim, in show.

that doesn’t change that she abused rhaenyra and her children, her own son, most likely helaena given how she flinches every time her mother touches her, and is actively weaponizing the patriarchy of westeros against other women- rhaenyra primarily, but also mysaria and dyana.

she isn’t the moral, righteous force of good that even she thinks she is, she’s a wounded woman directing all of the rot, pain, and fury inside her at the wrong people and forces.

[averlym]

"now, doesn't that look nice?" [insp]

[demonzoro]

i am once again wishing that reiju was written in a more interesting way in fics. i think she wld be fucked up in the way of "every day i tightrope a line of protecting my brother against a family that wld gladly revoke my favored position" and "am i my brother's keeper". contradictions in contradictions. unable to empathise/incapable of excising her sympathy. equal parts wondrous and revolted by the depth of human emotion that sanji feels. the only one in her family that takes after both her parents' will - her father's soldier and her mother's daughter. yeah sure you could write her as tepid and simply dust your hands off after damning her for her compliance in the abuse cycle but what if we made her interesting.

[forecast0ctopus]

more bttf sketches AGAIN

[t8oo]

the remake of the prison episod of pt1 in pt4 lacks the most important foundation the narration of the episod is built on imo. Whereas in the pt4 remake lupin explicitely uses the affection zenigata has for him to escape, in pt1 lupin does not understand why zenigata didnt just kill him. He is so unaware of zenigatas budding attachement to him that he chalks it up to zenigata enjoying his humiliation. and there is truth in that tbh. Zenigata does. but his affection takes over during the excruciating year lupin puts him thru, but not by his own design. Lupin thinks hes making zenigata suffer by not escaping and putting zenigata on edge wondering wether hes going to escape or not. Meanwhile zenigata is begging the gods for someone to help lupin escape. In his desire for revenge lupin accidentally succeeds. And when he leaves he is none the wiser as to the actual reasons why zenigata suffered. its wicked. meanwhile the pt4 prison escape is utter fucking bullshit where lupin manages to escape by painting ? a distorted image of himself ? dying ? with the food zenigata cooks him ? be fr. the pt1 ep escape is much more believable. where is the edge. where is the genuine torment where are the deep cuts. where is the mix of hatred and obssessive passion. the utter toxicity. yes the scene where zenigata says that his existence as a detective ends when lupin does is lovely. its also just as frustrating because he lacks the tiny fucking push thats gonna make him realize the reasons why he has attached his entire life around the thief. but its too soft. its not intense enough. its not psychosexual

[princescar]

need Junko Hanahaki disease but the unrequited love is despair itself

[fauvester]

hc that cardassians do have tails but that they're docked or removed at birth (like circumcision tbh) and the practice sort of fell by the wayside post-Dominion. garashir adoptees with the eldest sans tail and the baby sporting a long luxurious 5th appendage

[reyolfx]

dude michael you better watch out cause dean's not gonna forgive your ass for putting him in that dumbass hat

[startsbeatboxing]

sorry that reminds me. mark and william parallels. never fully believed in the system they were under but never did anything about it until they experienced a highly traumatic event that flipped their world and worldview on its head, losing all faith in the system they were under and falls more and more away with every loss they experience. vs dakota and tide who have always had faith and gains even more every time they lose something. there's a full analysis post in here somewhere but words are escaping me

[transsexula]

Theres a very weird movement going on here, where if you mention issues related to men, you are automatically labeled an MRA.

In all honesty, it makes sense with what feminist theory has been clipped off after t*rfs got their hands on the "feminist" title and ran it through the mud. Because to them- men are evil. Masculinity is evil. Specifically trans men are evil gender traitors who want nothing more than a slice of the patriarchy pie.

Where is the space now in progressive/feminist circles for men? Especially queer men? Men who have BEEN feminists, who have been active politically, in their communities and homes- where is the space for them? What happened to stronger together? When did the mass begin adopting t*rf talking points? When did feminism as a whole become centered on those talking points?

Like. I AM allowed to talk about the issues I face in a heteronormative cis-centric society plagued with patriarchal views. That shit affects me deeply! I talk about it on my blog. In my own space. I also uplift the voices of others- especially women, and fem-aligned people. It's important to have connections with all sorts of people- it makes me feel more whole, both in the personal connections, and the connections made through works of art, books, etc.

It is frightening to watch the community splinter apart as the looming threat of a Trump term is happening. It feels like being in a crowd, helping everyone into a safe zone and reaching for a hand up- only to be left behind and closed out as the zombie hoard closes in.

Under pressure, things begin to break down. But we really need to do our best to mend the splintering, to fill the cracks and seems and divides. Because otherwise, their next step is "Conquer" and I don't want to see that for us.

[sambuchito]

people do this thing with body hair where they either pretend to tolerate it but will say things like " i think is soooo brave that you dont shave ☺️✊ me? oh, no i couldn't do it i think its disgusting 😬 i just could never leave the house like that 😣🤢 " but bc its not acceptable to say it outright they say "it's a preference" or they treat it like it's this big revolutionary thing where at most for me its neutral bc the reality is im lazy and i just dont feel like it

[tigergender]

I'm so peeved that literally every aspect of the Gerudo in BOTW/TOTK serves to make me mad bc I love the Gerudo desert and I think that some of the most interesting NPCs to speak to are Gerudo.........alas