#oldest elephant

[youremyonlyhope]

I love when I see posts like "Share how many crochet WIPs you currently have! I have 5, it's so many!"

Like, girl, I have unfinished projects from over a decade ago that I refuse to frog on the off chance I decide to finish them. I've found years-old projects I forgot I even started and will impulsively just finish it on the spot. I've started three different projects in the last 2 months, including one I started yesterday, that I already know I may or may not finish within the year depending on motivation.

The number of WIPs I have is infinite.

[morluin]

oh no did i just get scammed by a copper salesman??????

[a-walking-fandom-reference]

me and my sister and younger cousins always pick names for christmas and get each other things and since i’m the oldest i have to manage the group text chat and it’s just so awkward because we rarely see each other anymore or talk really and also conversation hard

[emuwarum]

The process for this

LOOK AND BEHOLD

[sillygreenrat]

Introducing The Smiling Critters!!! This isn't entirely an AU persay but i like to call these guys the 'Better Bigger Bodies'. Toys that are ACTUALLY SENTIENT without the need for child testing and experimentation! Hurray!!! Might draw more of the B3's eventually but for now u get the sillies bc i LOVE them...

more spammy headcanon info under the cut!

DogDay: -he/they (demiboy) -ageless (mentally 21) -cocker spaniel -leader of the group by default due to outgoing personality -people pleaser at heart, loves going along with the group once the ball is rolling -can tend to get lost in his own thoughts, bottles thiings up for the betterment of others Catnap: -he/they/it (nonbinary) -ageless (mentally 23) -russian blue -second in command by default (hates it) -always tired but is also an insomniac, lavender gas has stopped being effective for them -very bad add that doesn't mix well with the insomnia

Hoppy Hopscotch: -she/her (cis) -ageless (mentally 19) -white tailed jackrabbit/hare -motivational backbone of the group -sets high expectations for herself that she does her best to acompish -she hates it when shes told she can't do something

Kickin' Chicken: -he/him (trans ftm) -ageless (mentally 18) -leghorn chicken -youngest of the group (and shows it) -usually the one to innitiate games. loves having fun, very adhd -has really bad abandonment issues, covers it up with entertainment

Bubba Bubbaphant: -he/him (cis) -ageless (mentally 26) -bornean elephant -oldest of the group (and shows it...) -talks a bit too much, but is only try to help and usually only has the best intentions, just a bad way of showing it -remembers too much about things that probably shouldn't matter anymore

Bobby Bearhug: -she/her (trans mtf) -ageless (mentally 21) -black bear -the all forever mighty mom friend -always there to be a shoulder to cry on. she'll be your #1 listener and reassure you as much as you need -she doesn't quite know her own strength sometimes

Craftycorn: -they/them (nonbinary) -ageless (mentally 19) -unicorn -shy, introverted friend who draws on napkins at dinner -loves to express themself through art, whether that be drawing or writing, maybe singing -horrible at reading people, constantly worried for friendships but doesn't outwardly say it

Picky Piggy: -she/they (demigirl) -ageless (mentally 20) -red wattle hog -always inviting people over, loves planning get togethers -loves to cook and bake, always making something that she gets her friends to try -has horrific intrusive thoughts they kind of just spout out sometimes

[thestarswithinthesewalls]

I like to hc that after the events of trolls 3 the brothers would just randomly hang out, to get to know each other again and bond, and one day some random person saw them and the interaction went along the lines of:

Stranger to Branch: *Laughs* Being the oldest must be hard.

*All brothers look at each other in confusion*

Branch: Umm...I'm not the oldest.

Stranger: Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I just though- Well because- Um... well, who is the oldest?

JD: That would be me.

Stranger: I never would have thought. It's just that Branch is always so serious and protective, of himself and the village. Plus, look at those crow's feet. *They say jokingly obvi* Anyway, sorry again. Have a nice day.

After that the brothers all turn to look at Branch, like REALLY look at Branch. The deep lines and wrinkles, probably permanently scars from living in the wild for like 20 years and his stitched up pants that he did himself. Then Branch is all like,

"What? Raising myself since I was 4 wasn't an easy easy and stress-free job to do."

And the weight of leaving a full child to fend for themselves really hits them like a truck and they start tearing up and apologizing and they sit down to finally and fully talk about the elephant in the room. I just know that after the events of trolls 3 Branch did not just fully forgive and forget the 2 decades of abandonment and probably still harbors a bit of anger and other emotions deep down but he doesn't talk about it and I need him to talk about it and just ARRGH-

[redheadjustin]

could u do batfam x toddler male reader who is rlly shy but someone tries to like kidnap him at a gala and the fam just has to figure out what to do

Ah yes, the infamous bat family. And the family that proves blood isn’t everything. Bruce, the infamous Batman, had adopted all of his children. With the notable exception of Stephaine and Duke. Steaphaine was still living with her mom, when she wasn’t in rehab. And at this point Burce was only fostering Duke though everyone but Duke knew adoption papers were imminent.

Which brings us to you. You were adopted by Bruce the second you were born. Though that's because both of your parents weren't in a good place to raise you. So, one night your parents approached Batman after a fight. And you were a member of the bat family ever since.

Dick was the best oldest brother. You could ask for. He always made time for you. And always took you to the circus. And he instilled the same love for elephants he had.

Jason was not as lovey dovey as Dick. but he always has time for you and a nerf battle. He also takes you to the safe part of crime alley.

Tim loves to teach you technology. He's also the one to keep watch over you during your naps since he never sleeps. 

Damian is in charge of your exercise and physical development. He also is as caring to you as his pets. And he almost never insults you. He also trains with you in the bat cave when Bruce is busy. 

Duke is the one who exposes you to Gotham culture and other things like music and art. He knows how easy it is to become spoiled and out of touch. He doesn’t want that for you. Plus your parents are from the streets like him. He wants you to know full well what background you come from. 

Bruce is the best Father you could ever ask for. He loves to take you to meet other heroes. He knows Batman will be your favorite hero till you die. He also brings you gifts often after a mission. And he is there most nights to tuck you in. He genuinely cares and has done his best to scale back his Batman activities. He cares about his newest son.

But during a gala Riddler kidnapped you. It was all hands on deck for the Bat family. They called all reserve membersing Batwoman, Batgirl, Spoiler, Orphan, Batwing, Huntress and The Question. Bruce wasn’t taking any chances. 

Riddler was driving when the Bat family found you. You were in the backseat scared, confused, lonely. Your young mind couldn’t figure out why you were taken. You didn’t know that your family’s wealth would put a target on your back. 

What neither you or your captor noticed was the batmobile gaining on the car. Or the batcycles riding next to the car. You looked out the right window and saw Robin(Damian) on a batcycle. Damian smiled seeing you unharmed. The current Robin winked at you and pointed backwards. Curious, you turned your head to look out the back window and you saw the batmobile. Your eyes went wide with happiness and you whispered to yourself. “Daddy came.” 

It was then the car hit spikes in the road that Batwoman and Question set up. The car’s skidd was controlled and you were left unharmed. Then the windshield was broken as a fist reached in and pulled Riddler out of the care. That’s when you saw Red Hood. jason was pissed as hell but you didn’t have time to think about that for long as the door opened and a pair of black gloves reached in to pick you up. You knew instantly it was Your Daddy. Batman. And as soon as you could you curled in to Batman’s chest.

“Shhh, its okay baby bat. We’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Bruce says to his youngest son, he is determined to never let this happen again. “I’ve got you.”

[frogaroundandfindout]

Random highly specific dick grayson fanfics I’ve been craving

An exhausted 18/19 yr old Dick finding Jason trying to steal the wheels off of Nightbird (his car) and instead of reprimanding him he just launches into a really proud rant about his car and how much work he put into her and god kid you got a good eye for parts. I just replaced the tires with ones where the rubber self heals. And none of that commercial crap either, actual self healing rubber that could get a bullet shot through it and still close up a second later. Oh and did you notice the seats? Just polished the leather on em! Go on sit, sit! Comfy, huh? You wanna get a bite to eat? Cool. I think bat burger’s hero-meal comes with a bat-mobile toy. Not as cool as my lovely lady of course, but close enough. Jason is absolutely baffled. This is Nightwing? The one all those new gangs that moved from bludhaven decided facing was worse than fighting for territory in the narrows? Fleeing unsuccessfully might be add considering Nightwing’s presence in gotham. He was so…nice? In that weird slightly off putting way that most of the real good people he knows have.

Dick and Damian both longing for the days where it was just them: Batman and Robin. The best. Dick having a whole moment where he curls around nearly completed adoption papers and sobs because Damian was his. For a year Damian was his to protect, his to guide, his to love. But now they aren’t even in the same city and barely go on patrols together let alone have movie nights cuddled up on the couch (it’s only reasonable Richard. Penguins huddle to conserve body heat). And Damian in the manor staring blankly at his drawing of gotham that Bruce hung up in his office. He didn’t make it for him. He made it for Richard. But what was he supposed to do when Father saw a piece dedicated to “dad” while Damian was flipping through his sketchbook? Tell him it was actually for his oldest son instead of him? Tell him that sometimes Damian wishes bruce never came back so that Richard didn’t have step back from them?

Dick who cooks tons of different cultural dishes within the same meal (like rice and curry served at the same time as sushi and fried plantains) and when questioned about it he’s just like ???? That’s what my mom used to do??? We lived in so many different places it felt weird limiting our food to one culture per meal.

Dick being like Garfield Logan’s big brother long before Jason comes into the mix. Gar frequently turning into a baby elephant just because it makes dick coo over him more than any form. Even a kitten!

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

YOU, yes you! Look at this little scrungly creature, it's Eritherium.

AND IS THE OLDEST KNOWN PROBOSCIDEAN. Yes, this is an elephant from the Paleocene, 60 million years ago. It's the size of a Dachshund.

Here it is next to Barnum Brown, who's birthday was yesterday.

[montereybayaquarium]

Can you tell me some cool Shark facts (I love sharks. Sea puppies)

When there’s something strange in the bay-borhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostshark myth busters!

Australian ghostsharks, a.k.a. elephantfish, a.k.a. plownose chimaeras, a.k.a. elephant sharks, a.k.a. makorepe (a fish so nice they named it… five times?) are some of the oldest fish on the planet, with early chimaera fossils dating back over 400 million years old! Like most cartilaginous fishes, these fintastic sea puppies are slow-growing and long-lived with lifespans of about 15 years. Why “ghost”sharks? While spectating these spectres, stare deeply into their big, black eyes—those peepers have a reflective tissue layer that glows in the dark, giving them a ghost-like appearance!

[bestiarium]

The Liqimssa and the Duuga [Oromo mythology, Ethiopian mythology]!

It is said that the Oromo people – an ethnic group in Ethiopia – once lived on a wonderful mountain called Walabu (also called Ulabo). There lived a white species of cattle which was plentiful and yielded huge amounts of meat and milk, so that the people never had to sow crops or plough land. The Borana people (a subgroup among the Oromo) have a myth about a horrible, cursed beast that drove them away from this place: the Liqimssa.

Liqimssa was a shapeshifting monster that swallowed all humans in sight, one by one. Its name is derived from the verb ‘liqimssu’ which means ‘to swallow’. As such, its name translates to ‘the swallower’. In modern illustrations, the creature is usually depicted as a monstrous elephant, but I was unable to back this up with a source.

It is possible that the tale of the terrible, all-consuming monster that drove the people to flee their country might actually have arisen from a real historical event. It has been proposed by historians that it could refer to a conflict with people from Somali or Sidama, but there is no evidence to support these hypotheses. It has also been proposed that it might have been the armies of Amda Seyon, emperor of Ethiopia in the 14th century, who expanded his kingdom into the territory of the Oromo.

But the link between the military threat and the folktale, however likely it sounds, hasn’t been proven either. In fact, the Liqimssa might not even have been an invading army but perhaps some kind of natural disaster (like a catastrophic drought) or perhaps an epidemic. Whatever it was, it was destructive enough to inspire a folktale that survived across generations.

Among the Borana people, however, there is at least one major variant of this story: in this version, there were three great beasts, called Duuga. They could talk, like men, but they were horrible monsters. As the people of the land knew they couldn’t fight the monsters, they decided to give one human being to the Duuga to eat every day.

One day, this task fell upon three brothers. They were told to choose one brother among them and bind him to a tree for the monsters to eat. But the three siblings loved each other dearly and could not decide: ‘choose me!’, yelled the oldest brother, ‘let the monsters devour me.’ But the middle brother argued ‘choose me, so that if I die, our parents will still have their youngest and oldest sons.’

‘No,’ the youngest brother disagreed, ‘you should bind me to that tree. As the youngest sibling I was always given the best clothing and food. If I was destined to receive the best things because I was born last, then logically I should also receive the worst punishment.’

Now their time was up, the three Duuga were nearing, and the oldest brother came to a decision: ‘if all three of us have to die, we shall fight back and try to destroy these monsters!’ After this, he sat down and prayed to Waqa, the creator god. Suddenly, he gained a bright idea, and he ordered his brothers to heat two spears in a fire.

Then he approached the Duuga. The monsters were confused, as a human being had never before willingly walked towards them. They demanded to know whether he was their meal for today. ‘Yes’, the brother said, ‘but before you eat me, I want to ask you some questions.’ ‘All right then,’ said the monsters, ‘ask your questions’.

The man asked the first monster ‘what part of me will you devour?’ to which the fiend replied ‘I only drink the blood.’ ‘Then you are a fool!’ the man said. ‘Human blood is terrible, but human meat is delicious!’ and so he convinced the monster to eat his flesh. He then asked the second Duuga the same question. ‘I will eat your flesh’ it replied, which the man approved. Then he asked the third monster, and it replied ‘I will devour the bones.’ Again, the man convinced the Duuga that skeletons are terrible food and that he should eat his flesh instead.

And so his time was up and the monsters prepared to devour him. Usually, each monster only devoured one part of their prey but this time they all wanted to eat the man’s flesh. They bickered among themselves and their argument eventually erupted into a violent battle. Now that the monsters were weakened from the fight and their legs were broken, the two other brothers came running with the red-hot spears and impaled all three Duuga, killing them and finally ending the menace.

Also, the Tulama people have a variant of this tale in which the creature that drove the Oromo people away was called ‘Amma Wayyii’ which translates to ‘the giant’. As a final note: the southern Oromo people have a somewhat similar story of a creature that swallowed people. Supposedly, this monster’s territory was located to the south of the Oromo people’s land, but I am uncertain whether this tale is related to that of the Liqimssa.

Sources: Baldick, J., 1997, Black God: The Afroasiatic Roots of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions, Syracuse University Press, 184 pp. Hassen, M.,1983, The Oromo of Ethiopia, thesis submitted for the degree of PhD, University of London. Hassen, M., 2015, The Oromo and the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia: 1300-1700, Boydell & Brewer. Grottanelli, V. L., 1972, The peopling of the horn of Africa, Africa: Rivista trimestrale di studi e documentazione dell’Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente, 27(3): 363-394. Andrejewski, B.W., 1962, Ideas about warfare in Borana Galla stories and fables, African language studies, III, p.127. Tuffa, T. Z., 2021, The dynamics of Tulama Oromo in the history of continuity and change, ca. 1700-1880S, submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy in the subject of history at the University of South Africa.

(image source: Criptozoologia e seres míticos)

[frankiebirds]

i need to talk about the goalpost scene or i'll explode. tw for the sexual assault of a minor, because. that is what reid is describing here, honestly:

i tried to gif it but the scene is quite long (especially because reid is constantly pausing to compose himself :(( ) and i realised while doing it that it's hard to gif a monologue, so instead here it is in text.

REID: I was in the library and, um... Harper Hillman comes up to me, and she tells me that, uh... Alexa Lisbon wants to meet me behind the field house. Alexa Lisbon's like, easily, the prettiest girl in school. MORGAN: So what happened? Alexa wasn't there? REID: No, she was there. So was the entire football team. They... stripped me naked and tied me to a goalpost. So many kids were there, you know, just watching. MORGAN: Nobody tried to stop it? REID: I begged... I begged them to, but they just... just watched. And... finally, they got bored and they left. It was like midnight when I finally got home. And my mom had... mom was having one of her episodes, so she didn't even realize I was late. MORGAN: You never told her what happened? REID: I never told anybody. I thought... it was one of those things that I thought if I didn't talk about it, I'd just forget. But I remember it like it was yesterday. MORGAN: Oh, Reid, you don't need an eidetic memory for that. You know, we forget half of what they teach us in school, but when it comes to the torment and the people who inflicted it, we've all got an elephant's memory.

i think about this a lot and honestly it makes me feel ill. because correct me if i'm wrong, but this is sexual assault, no? like yes reid is relating to owen as someone who was also severely bullied but he's also relating to owen as someone whose bullies committed a sex crime against them

something that i think gets missed a lot—reid was at the very oldest, twelve. again, correct me if i'm wrong, but football teams are big, right? reid even says "so many kids were there". just an unnecessary amount of people to restrain a pre-teen and a horrifying amount of people capable of standing there and watching. that is some stephen king level bullying honestly. not that ""normal"" bullying would be okay, of course, but just. jesus.

the implied length of the ordeal hurts too. a few things:

"they got bored and they left" to me implies that they left without untying him. had they done so, it would have made more sense to say "they got bored and they let me go." the phrasing reid uses implies they left him there and he had to get himself free. how long would that have taken?

reid also uses the word "finally" which. yeah. you know what the word finally means

the part that hurts the most is where reid says "[my mother] didn't even realize I was late." late. not gone. as in reid didn't go home inbetween speaking to harper and going behind the field house. this wasn't a "hey alexa wants to meet you behind the field house. nine pm" and the whole ordeal is "only" three hours. at best, it was right after school let out. at worst, he left the library and went straight there. so, at best, we're looking at...what, eight hours between going behind the field house and getting home?

this all happens in nevada. specifically vegas, which, from my understanding, is surrounded by desert. if it's winter/fall, the sun goes down relatively quickly and reid spends several hours freezing (i think? wikipedia says nighttime winter temps in vegas average at 4.4C/39.2F. is that cold in that region? canadian, sorry). if it's spring/summer, the sun takes a longer time to go down and reid spends several hours in the heat. ive usually headcanoned the second but the first is equally painful. but anyway, point is: take your pick. preteen reid gets either hypothermia or heatstroke. (also part of the reason i hc it was spring or summer is because i headcanon the goal post, which would have gotten very hot in the sun, scarred him. sorry to anyone whose day i just ruined <3)

sidenote: im always a little surprised by how calmly morgan reacts in this scene. not that he has a bad reaction, or isn't visibly troubled, but given how protective of reid he is normally...the first time i watched this scene i expected him to pull out a pen and paper and ask for names. so im headcanoning that the reason he's so calm in this scene isn't because he is calm, but because he's a good friend who knows that that isn't a productive response at the moment. and then he goes back to the bau and has garcia hunt them down (without telling her why) and uh. i dont know. maybe she destroys their credit scores or something.

[bethanydelleman]

Ranking Jane Austen heroes/men on how good of a father they’d be?

I have faith that all of them would be good fathers. After all, Jane Austen clearly knows what bad fathers look like and she is pretty harsh about them (rightfully). I think all of them would be good in different ways, so instead of ranking, here is their dad type:

Fitzwilliam Darcy: Providing dad, his love language is buying his children expensive toys and praising their accomplishments to relations. He is definitely involved in education and discipline. Wee bit overprotective of his daughters, but you get it, he has valid reasons. Gives his sons handshakes instead of hugs.

Charles Bingley: Fun dad, he's not sure about this whole 'parenting' part... but Baby Charles, did you see this cool rock? Do you want to go up on Daddy's shoulders so you can see the elephant? Do you want to see Daddy's fencing swords? (Oh, good point Jane, we'll put those away for a few years...)

Frederick Wentworth: Teamwork dad, he knows that Anne could totally handle everything herself, but he's not afraid to help. He feels confident removing a toddler from someone's back after all. Occasionally cannot figure out what to do and stares helplessly at his wife.

George Knightley: Nurturing dad DOES BABY GEORGE NEED ANOTHER BLANKET? DOES HE NEED A SNACK? BABY GEORGE, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOUR PRESENT COMFORT??? (No, Mr. Knightley, he's fine.)

Colonel Brandon: Affectionate dad, he cries when any of his children hits a major milestone. He feels the need to constantly hug and kiss his children. They are miracles, all of them are miracles, and he is going to make them happy and what happened to him and Eliza will never happen again! They need another hug

Edward Ferrars: Thoughtful dad, constantly thinking about what will make his children feel happy and loved. Encourages them to follow their dreams. Has minor panic attacks if he says or does anything that remotely reminds him of his own mother. Elinor assures him regularly that he's doing an excellent job (because he is).

Edmund Bertram: Interactive dad, takes time to discuss their lessons and answer questions. Very anxious about his children's moral education. Will take the time to draw lines on their letter paper. Will never admit he's wrong even when he makes a mistake.

Henry Tilney: Perfect dad, like honestly, have you met him? He's a 10/10, all the best parenting traits rolled into one man. AND YET, his oldest son thinks he's totally lame.

Bonus: Frank Churchill left his child at Kensington Gardens once twice, but Jane never found out so it doesn't count.

Bonus bonus: Robert Martin totally has a mini-me son who rides beside him on a pony.

[jazjelspen]

the domestic life [pt.2]

(timeskip in the future/child and parent headcanons/idia backstory spoilers/mostly angst in idia's part)

ever wondered what your future child/children would be like with your favorite dorm leader?

(includes: kalim, vil, idia, and malleus)

Kalim: Two kids. It was immediately assumed that you and Kalim would have more than a dozen little ones running around the halls of your shared home but when Kalim matured and got wiser he instantly knew that he wanted a few kids, mostly because having been the oldest one of a huge amount of siblings in his family he knew how it can be frustrating for children in big families to try to be heard, not only that but he didn't wanna have his children only have a primary caretaker caring for them 24/7 that isn't him or you! He wanted to be as present as possible for every stage of his kids' lives and wanted to celebrate every one of their milestones with a huge parade!

Kalim as a father would be an attentive one, always there to meet his children in the morning and always there to bid them sweet dreams in the night time with you by his side. He's the kind of father that would teach his kids how to take care of the many peacocks, elephants, monkeys, and other animals their family owns as well as playing and teaching them all sorts of games most especially a childhood game that he learned with Jamil, called Mancala. Not only that but with his family's wealth he generally enjoys traveling to certain places with you and his two kids, so that they can get to know the world they live in, in a more personal way than just teaching them with average maps from the house library.

Your first child with Kalim is definitely a ray of sunshine! Literally a copy and paste of Kalim's personality since they are not only extroverted and usually hyped up but they as well are as generous and giving. Speaking of giving, this kiddo loves gifting gifts to friends and family. Whether it'd be a single pretty flower they found in the yard or a small yet somewhat heavy bag filled with authentic gold coins! They just love giving and they unsurprisingly learned this from Kalim himself. They have Kalim's bright red eyes, skin, eye shape, and even eyebrow shape! Meanwhile you gave them locks of your hair color and texture along with any other beauty marks(if you have any). They absolutely love the outdoors which includes physical games/sports and the many animals they try to take care from time to time. As a physical sort of kid they also love learning to dance with Kalim and Jamil to teach them by their side, eventually when they are older they'd probably be a very sharp and talented dancer if they so choose. Overall literally just an adorable ray of sunshine!

The second Al-Asim child is much calmer than their sibling but there is never a day where they don't have a smile on their face. They too love the animals their family owns and even spends more time with them than their sibling does. They also enjoy the smaller things happening around them like watching butterflies hatch from their cocoons, watching a baby bird learning how to fly, or heck just watching fireflies hover in the night sky. They have a particular interest for drawing said animals and insects too(much to uncle Jamil's dismay), from the animals they own, wild creatures going out and about, to even Jamil's pet parrot that they at times feel like they are having real conversations with! They have Kalim's hair color, hair texture, his red eyes, and his skin as well but they also have your nose, eyebrows, and any other beauty marks you may have.

In conclusion to Kalim's part you four are really just a happy family, there are basically few to none arguments happening in the home and if there ever is a disagreement it's usually ended pretty quickly with proper communication. Uncle Jamil is always there to keep them company if ever needed and they do enjoy their time with them too, having connected with them in a more emotional level than Jamil ever has with Kalim in their NRC years.

Vil: One kid. Vil has always thought of the possibility of children in his future during his years in NRC, most especially when you stumbled into his life. Thing was he knew he wanted to start a family when he knew for sure that he did what he wanted to do during his career and more, so it was a bit till you guys were finally gifted a child!

 In the end you two decided on just one child since even if Vil was now at a point where he was happy with his career he still knew he had work here and there and wanted to be as present as possible even though he knew that could still happen with more than one kid he didn't want to take any risks in accidentally neglecting one kid and not the other, in the end you agreed to it since you understood his worries and how demanding his job could be as a famous model/actor. Vil would definitely be a strict parent yet would always try to make sure not to be suffocating or somehow hurt his kid, but he really didn't want them to be failing in any classes or activities on his watch.

Your one child definitely has their father's beauty and grace. Gifted soft locks of blonde hair, sleeked eye shape and face shape from Vil as well as your eyebrow shape, nose, hair texture, and your eye color(even a beauty mark or two if you have any). They definitely were on the more shyer and quiet type, they at times had a hard time making friends but with both of your encouragements they were definitely open to trying their best in socializing. If grace was genetic then your kid certainly got it from their father, since wherever they walked they radiated a kind of glow that Vil himself had... I guess it's just in the Schoenheit blood. 

Then when alone they definitely shined in the arts department, whether it was painting, sculpting, pottery, drawing, dancing, singing, or even make-up and acting like their father, they knew you and Vil had their backs and upmost support. If it were in anything to do with make-up or acting(singing can be included) you can already see Vil slowly teaching his child the basics and more! You can see how Vil shines and smiles just being able to teach his child the true beauty of his craft.

Oh and I can't forget to mention that Vil would certainly be one of the most good-looking parents while picking up his kid from school when he has the opportunity to(he might as well be competing with Azul in the dilf department when picking up their own kids).

Idia: One kid. Definitely just one kid. It was a miracle you two were even able to agree mutually to conceive a child since Idia still has some internalized trauma from the accident with his younger brother, Ortho, as well as his family's blot curse that they will inherit. You understood his worry and you most likely would've come to terms with the fact that you both would've probably never get to have kids, but despite his fear of the same thing that happened to Ortho repeating... his love for you and his wish for having his own future children that he buried with the death of his brother were too strong to overcome now that he was older and wiser, and when it came to the curse he'd work twice as hard to find a cure to rid him and his child of this anomaly they both didn't ask for yet inherited.

 It was an understatement calling him a helicopter parent, as much as he wanted to follow your advice to let the kiddo breathe a bit by having Ortho take a break from following and hovering over your child while he was away at work or at home, he was already waist deep back into his trauma without even noticing. It would get to a point where you and Idia would at times have arguments about this and the breaking point would be when his own child snaps at him and expresses how they feel towards this constant supervision. The kid loves Ortho to death there is no doubt about it but they also just would want some space. In the end this situation would then get some positive progress by Idia by letting them have fun and grow without him or Ortho around, but he can at times get in a panic and slip up-- eventually asking Ortho to supervise from afar for him. He does try to make an effort tho! Just that he doesn't want to lose his only child so soon the way he lost his younger brother.

I want to quickly mention that because of what happened to Ortho Idia would never, and I truly mean never ever let his kid go anywhere close to the proximity of the 'Tartarus' facility. He will let them come to work with him at times but will never let them get too close to that part of the research building.

In the end Idia does indeed stop sending Ortho to look after the kid constantly and does try to calm down more, but hey... a parent will always worry.

You and Idia's only child will most definitely have his bright blue hair of fire that reacts the same way towards emotions the same way Idia's does. They will inherit your eye color, eye shape, nose, and beauty marks(if any) but will inherit Idia's other features such as pale skin(maybe not a white kind of pale, but somewhat of a pale shade), a sharp smile, gloomy exterior, and the genetic eyeshadow and lip color straight from the Shroud family. Their personality lies around the quietness of their father but will also have other more extroverted attributes of yours of any kind. An informative and smart kid that loves making friends and get into conversations with others that think like them. They share their father's interests in gaming and programming which Idia is always there to teach them what he knows with pride.

They also have a bit of a temper but they never stay upset for too long since eventually they know that when Idia is off of any work related things at the end of the week that you three will be able to have the biggest and ultimate game night!

 The other thing that I want to mention once more is that Idia has to worry about the curse he'd eventually pass onto his child. Having to do daily check ups to make sure the curse doesn't get out of hand and hurt them. He's especially consistent in this and as he's working at home or in the S.T.Y.X research buildings for a way to find a cure for this curse, all he can think about is his only child in mind.

Malleus: Four kids. C'mon.. what did you expect fellow reader, with Malleus around there is no way you wouldn't have more than two kids.

Malleus has generally always wanted a big family, not because of his job as now King of Briar Valley having to have a child or more to keep the royal line going but simply because he himself also has been a fan of the beauty that comes with the domestic life. He enjoys the small things like walking along a beautifully set nature path with you, taking you out on your daily romantic outings, gifting you many wagons of pure red roses after a tough day of you adapting to the royal life... but he's also overly enjoyed the more important and bigger things to this such as the birth of his four little dragons.

Malleus as a father is attentive yet has a kind of hands off approach, wanting to see how his children grow and each become their own person as they mature with his and your guidance. Despite this there are times when he is overprotective of where they head off to and how far it is since he still has the underlying tendency to want them nearby at all costs, but he has self-restraint and knows the value in them venturing off on their own at times. Even so, he knows that if he's ever in a hitch he can always rely on Lilia for advice as he's experienced in the caring of children.

First Draconia kid to mention off the bat straight up has Malleus's intimidating aura, their neutral face seems to always be in a scowl kind of expression, they have a natural cold and aloof demeanor, eyes shaped in a way that seems judgemental, horns, fangs, and ears from their father and to tie it all up they also have their father's piercing green eyes. So clearly it would be somewhat inevitable that they would be somewhat feared and avoided like how their father was back then, issue is that those who ran away would miss out on the most kindest and most gentle half fae child ever! This kid's personality is the complete opposite of what they look like and in all honesty is a complete extrovert, they also adapted some of your own habits and traits too. Some contributions you've given to your child is your hair color, hair texture, eyebrows, nose, beauty marks(if you have any), and face shape. They have small interests in nature and the arts and generally get along with a lot of the animals and local children that look past their first impressions of them in the kingdom.

Second Draconia kid looks like the spitting image of you, they inherited all of your strong and delicate features. Malleus likes to mention at times that they look like a mini you with the way their eyes are shaped and colored as yours, share the same nose and lip shape, inherited your smaller features such as beauty marks(if any) and eyebrows, even their hair color and texture is incredibly similar to yours! Only exceptions are the fangs, ears, and horns given by Malleus. They have interests in anything strategic and physical which leads them to spend a lot of time with their uncles Silver, Sebek, and Lilia(secretly calls Lilia 'grandpa' tho) since their way with the sword is impressive and advanced for their age. An expressive young one but can have an underlying temper if they don't reach their one high self-expectations. Nonetheless, you and Malleus are always there to keep them from pushing themselves way too hard.

Third little dragon is a balanced mixed of you and Malleus this time. They share eye shapes, eyebrows, hair color, and hair texture from Malleus but eye color, lip shape, face shape, and beauty marks(if any) from you. They only exception is the horns, ears, and fangs. They share common interests with Malleus such as liking gargoyales, exploring ruins, and playing a few small stringed instruments that Malleus has taught them. They have most of your personality traits and habits as well but otherwise they do get along with Malleus the most(don't worry your kid still loves you to death!). They are kind of quiet and reserved, often keeping to themselves and only intend on exploring said interests. Out of all four kids they are definitely the most average and "normal" out of everyone.

Last but not least, this kid is a spitting image of Malleus, the same way the second one is the spitting image of you! They share Malleus's horns, ears, fangs, eye color, hair color, hair texture, eyebrows, eye color, and lip shape as him, exception of the eye shape and any beauty marks(if any) from you. The more cheerful one of the Draconias aside from the first child, they also seem to be an indecisive kid as they jump from interests to interests. They do share some traits you have as well, and they seem much more softer than their father. This kid would definitely find and settle on an interest at some point though, which would definitely be in technology surprisingly enough. They wouldn't be all huddled up in their room all the time but they know how to use it way better than Malleus does in all his years of living. I'd also like to think that in the future this kiddo would be a kind of romantic person the older they get, seeing as how Malleus has treated you with the upmost respect and love as they grew up. Which is also likely for your other children too but mostly this particular one who I believe would also enjoy/believe in the fairytales that exist in the world of Twisted Wonderland.

[venusintheblindspots-blog]

Okay okay. Let’s address the elephant in the room (or one of them at least)

If it’s one thing the last season gave us about Rhaenys’ character, it’s that she is very perceptive on how the men in Westeros react to women in power, and she being one of the oldest women we’ve seen this far, and a Targaryen dragonrider who was in line for the the throne, it was only a matter of time before she clocked Daemon.

And then they give us these scene. My prediction for season two is that Daemon is going to be absolutely out of control and his lingering resentment for not being chosen by Viserys over Rhaenyra will come to light via his actions.

And the two people that will see this before it happens are Rhaenys & Jace. Because they already saw this from season one.

[givemeanaccountalready]

"Undercover" Makes Me Suspect Things

I went into watching "Undercover" thinking I could make a fun analysis post, and now I just have a Tumblr post with enough red string that I could make scarlet letters for all the Milgram prisoners.

Let me just address the elephant in the room: I understand that Es's "Undercover" probably just serves as a hook to get people's attention and that I am probably reading too much into this. But consider this, wouldn't it be great if I'm right? Now, right about what exactly?

Well, namely, I think Es's song is either a prophecy/warning, or it was not extracted until the three trials ended or at least after the first trial concluded because Es seems to know far more than they should about the prisoners if this song was extracted after the first day of Milgram when Es and Jackalope's voice drama took place.

Now, “Undercover” is very fast, and even at 0.25x speed, I constantly had to rewind and pause to take screenshots. A picture is worth a thousand words and holy guacamole, there were so many frames. To be honest, even if I don’t have the words for everything, I will be showing off what I found to be the most interesting.

The Song Extraction Device & the Panopticon:

First, I want to get into the Song Extraction Device (SED). We know from Jackalope’s “This is Milgram” that the SED can pull mental images from a person’s mind and turn them into a music video. Thanks to Jackalope, we also know the SED can’t pull them all in one go, hence the three trials. Jackalope also states that the verdict of a trial will affect what the SED will pull in the succeeding trial. In the opening and closing shots of "Undercover" we can see that 000 is stamped in its red button/latch.

When I rewatched the “This is Milgram” video, you can see the rooms in the Panopticon spinning on the projection board. In the first voice drama with Es and Jackalope, “Es”, Jackalope tells Es to think of the Panopticon as a clock, with the entrance being the 12 o’clock position and the prisoner rooms being the rest of the corresponding numbers. You can see the room numbers on each room. The first room moving clockwise from the entrance is 001, but the first room moving counterclockwise from the entrance is 000, not 011.

In “Es”, Es asks if there was someone in that room at the 11th o’clock position. They even note that the door looked even older than the others thanks to the rust, and it didn’t even have a lock like the others. Jackalope tells Es not to worry, and before Es can even respond, a bell rings, and Jackalope diverts the conversation by announcing that the prisoners should be waking up soon.

The normal pattern is voice drama, then musical number, but to be honest, I don't know for 100% certainty if the voice drama came before the musical number. I would assume so, but you know what they say about assuming. It would be interesting if Es, because they are different from the ten prisoners, had a musical number and then woke up to have their voice drama with Jackalope. The 000 room is very suspicious to me. It's the oldest room, and if it used to be Es's, then that is a point to the Es is the eleventh prisoner theory. My only point detracting from the Es is the eleventh prisoner theory is that Es didn't get a second song during the second trial like the ten prisoners receiving. That, and besides the amnesia, what made Es so special that Milgram inducted them into their odd prison? Did Es prevent a murder?

Bookend Frames & Chalk Es:

Let’s kick things off with the bookends. We open up on Es walking towards the SED with Jackalope following him, and then the song closes with only Jackalope in view.

Bookends are a framing device primarily used to link the beginning and end of a story in a satisfying way. The ending can be a word for word copy of the beginning, or it can be a mirror of the beginning.

The most obvious mirror moment is the beginning shot ending on the SED opening up and the ending shot starting on the SED closing. The location of both shots are the same and the fog seems to be about the same amount and concentrated in the same area in both shots. Jackalope is on the viewer’s left at the start, facing the viewer, and then at the end, he’s on the viewer’s right with his back towards the viewer. But Es is gone.

Where is my child cop, Jackalope?

Let’s focus on the opening shot. We have Es and Jackalope entering from the viewer’s left, which is stage right. While I was trying to get a good shot of the two in the opening, I noticed that Jackalope spends a considerable amount of time in the fog compared to Es. It could just be that Es is considerably bigger than our most honorable warden, Jackalope, and that the mist is heavily concentrated on stage right. Since Es has amnesia, perhaps the fog he walks through is literal brain fog or just the intrigue of Milgram in general. Intrigue fits why Jackalope is so hidden in the beginning. It's not deep or hidden, but it is nice and straightforward.

Right before the third chorus, Es sings, “losers please exit left.” Did Es exit stage left from the frame? Did Jackalope follow him across the stage but didn’t step offstage? But here is what really skeeves me out about Es not being in the ending. The song ends after the last chorus, and once Es finished the third and final chorus, we see what looks like a chalk outline of Es. Es is not wearing their full prison guard uniform. Their hat and cape/cloak are missing.

Now, chalk Es first has their back turned to us and is watching the prisoner montage. Their silhouette is hazy at first, but it becomes more clear as the montage continues. And then they turn around. I don't know what causes Es to turn around, but they look like they are trying to figure out what caught their attention. Then, what seems to be a spotlight directly overhead turns on, blinding Es so they shut their eyes. They bring up their hand to their eyes and they open them again. Their eyes adjust, and they make something out. Whatever it is/was, it appears to have surprised or shocked Es.

Now, Es isn't exactly stoic. They're very touchy about their role as prison warden, and they become very agitated whenever the prisoners throw them for a loop. But chalk Es doesn't lash out like Es does in the voice dramas. They may not have had the time to react, but even when Orekoto was beating the crap out of them, Es was still taunting him. Something definitely caught chalk Es off-guard. The question is what exactly is capable of rendering him silent.

I think it has to do with whoever is running Milgram. We know Es relies on social hierarchies to maintain a sense of control. They lash out when the prisoners, their social inferiors, disrupt that hierarchy and act familiar with them. I don't think Es would lash out if it was their superior in Milgram. Es can be short with Jackalope and even tease him, but they tend to take Jackalope at his word, albeit with exasperation for the not-rabbit's antics. Perhaps, it's not a superior calling for Es's attention, but something Milgram is doing to the prisoners. Something that goes against his firm belief that Milgram is all-good.

The Prisoners & the Choruses

(EDIT: WHOOPSIE DAISY. It turns out that Milgram had changed the subtitles for the third anniversary. The vibes between the lyrics quoted below and the original one are quite similar, but let me do a quick review and reblog for corrections.) While the lyrics played over the prisoners aren’t directly pulled from their respective Trial 1 songs themselves, all of them reference the titles to their respective Trial 1 songs (see bold).

I only highlighted one of Kazui's "half"s since it was not doubled like MeMe was for Mikoto.

The information presented in each two line sets is not something Es could have known before the trials began. Es can only remember their name and age. This is what got me thinking that maybe "Undercover" takes place between the first and second trials, or after all the trials had been completed. At first, I thought maybe "Undercover" took place before the three trials had even started, and this was what Milgram was erasing from Es's mind: his knowledge of what they had done. Because during the third and final chorus, we see the prisoners 'kill' Es just like how they killed their victims. Did Es learn of their crimes and had to have his memories removed to ensure a fair three trials? Or is this even the first time these prisoners have been tried through Milgram's system?

Here are the two line sets overlaid on the prisoners during their respective mugshot montage.

Haruka: “If you say INNOCENT, you’re complicit and weak / I’m so lonesome, please love me”

Yuno: “My cord is being pulled but nothing’s ever enough / Contractual desires, oh what to do”

Fuuta: “Hiding and seeking from sin / Bring it, submit, and also shut your trap”

Muu: “Clutching a broken heart / The pain’s still there, after all this time”

Shidou: “Which way will you throw down your weight / To be the deceived, or the deceiver”

Mahiru: “I don’t wanna just give / Giving and taking, this is how to be in love”

Kazui: “I just keep on dreaming / half in, half out, I’m doomed”

Amane: “The magic is in believing / There is no righteousness in broken promises”

Mikoto: “Don’t you lie about Me / Me, I’ve done nothing wrong”

Kotoko: “Dedicating my life / Harrowing, burying the thing I want erased”

During the third chorus of the song, we get a rapid sequence of frames that are supposed to clue us in to each prisoner’s murder. But what I did not notice during my previous viewings was that the expressions and the positions of the prisoners during the first chorus change to something different in the second chorus.

Haruka & Yuno:

Fuuta & Mu:

Shidou & Mahiru:

Kazui & Amane:

Mikoto & Kotoko:

You can see that the lyrics overlaid on the prisoners in the first and second choruses match, but that may just be luck on my part. Or maybe it means something, I don't know anymore.

Something clearly happened between the first and second choruses. I think that the first chorus images were the prisoners' reactions to being dropped into Milgram, but what caused their second chorus expressions? Is this supposed to be their reactions to being moved out of Milgram? Something is clearly happening, and they are restrained. Kazui looks like he is avoiding a hit while Kotoko is rearing up to charge full-steam ahead. They're both the heavy hitters of the ten prisoners. Amane, the youngest, smallest, and weakest prisoner, is stumbling backwards like she was hit or she was scared enough to try and retreat from harm's way. The remaining prisoners look scared and/or worried. What exactly is going on here? Is something happening to them? Or to Es? Mikoto (must be Bokuto) and Mahiru are leaning over like they are checking up on someone. Are they escaping? Do we get an escape musical number to conclude the series? How baller would that be?

Very, but in all seriousness, something is up. There's just something about "Undercover" that is making me pause. This very well could all be useless speculation, and "Undercover" is canon in the way that the timeline conversations are canon without actually aging the characters.

TL;DR: Milgram is sus, and come the conclusion of this series, I have a <2% chance of being vindicated.