#shrew's nest

[lemonadeslice]

siblings in horror: codependent edition

ginger snaps | a tale of two sisters | shrew's nest | the endless

blood-soaked | haunted | ride-or-die | damned | dumb-ass

[emiliosandozsequence]

shrew's nest (2014) dir. juan fernando andrés & esteban roel (taken originally by @vertigosuite)/ music video for 'crush' by ethel cain

[silenthillmutual]

Top 5 Patho characters!

SHREW DANKOVSKAYA!!!!!!

THIS IS A DAUGHTER!!!!!! I HAVE TO PUT HER FIRST SO PEOPLE WILL THINK ABOUT HER!!!!

2) daniil dankovsky (i actually didn't want to include any protagonists but daniil has wormed his way into my brain so consistently that it's impossible for me to just not talk about him)

3) sticky

4) yulia lyuricheva

5) bad grief

[chuchue]

Doctor Bell fell down the well and broke his collar bone. Doctors should attend the sick and leave the well alone.

[cows1012]

thinking abt shrew and sleepyhead again!!! + summary of marble nest in my mind. 

[roach-works]

IT'S TIME TO APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW

ON THIS WEBSITE WE LOVE WEIRD ANIMALS AND THIS LITTLE BEAUTY IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW TODAY.

NATIVE TO DENSE MONTANE FORESTS OF KENYA AND TASMANIA, THEY BOUNCED BACK FROM 'THREATENED STATUS' BUT STILL FACE HABITAT LOSS DUE TO FOREST FRAGMENTATION.

THESE BEAUTIFUL VACUUM CLEANERS EAT BUGS OUT OF THE LEAF LITTER WITH THEIR NOODLY SNOOT, CAPABLY UNCOVERING BEETLES, CENTIPEDES, AND TERMITES.

MALES ATTRACT AND DEFEND A SINGLE MATE AND CONTROL UP TO A HECTARE OF TERRITORY, WHICH IS A LOT FOR A LITTLE SCOOP OF SPITE AND SNOOTING.

THESE EFFICIENT LITTLE BUSYBODIES BUILD MANY NESTS OUT OF DRY LEAVES TO SLEEP IN ALL ACROSS THE AREA, AS MANY AS A DOZEN, AND USE THEM EACH IN TURN.

DESPITE THEIR COMMITTED MONOGAMY THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREWS DO NOT ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER, MUCH LIKE TIRED BOOMER COMEDIANS: MATED PAIRS SPEND NO TIME TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF MATING.

MOTHERS DON'T EVEN LIKE THEIR KIDS. THEY VISIT THEIR YOUNG AS INFREQUENTLY AS ONCE A DAY TO NURSE. THEY GOT OTHER SHIT TO DO, APPARENTLY.

THE YOUNG ARE LESS PRECOCIAL THAN MOST ELEPHANT SHREWS, SPENDING SEVERAL WEEKS IN THEIR NESTS BEFORE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN ONLY ANOTHER FEW WEEKS AND NEVER WRITING HOME AGAIN, NOT THAT THEIR PARENTS CARE.

THIS HEFTY AND BEAUTIFUL DEDICATED INTROVERT AVERAGES ABOUT 28 CM / 11 IN IN LENGTH AND 450-700 G / 16-25 OZ IN WEIGHT, IMPRESSIVELY LARGE EVEN FOR AN ELEPHANT SHREW.

YOU HAVE NOW APPRECIATED: THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW. INSECTIVORE. INTROVERT. ABSENT PARENT. SNAPPY DRESSER. THIS PRINCELY POTATO HAS IT ALL, AND A DOZEN VACATION HOMES. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, UNLESS YOU TOO ARE A BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW AND DON'T HAVE ANY.

[vestaignis]

Болотная сова (Asio flammeus) – среднего размера сова: длина ее тела колеблется от 34 до 42 см, вес самцов - 0,23-0,39 кг, самок - 0,24-0,43 кг. Крылья у нее длинные, ноги украшены пучками из перьев, на голове расположены маленькие вертикально стоящие "ушки" из перьев.

Болотная сова распространена очень широко, она обитает на всех континентах, кроме Австралии и Антарктики и населяет соленоводные болота, прибрежные равнины, хвойные леса, тундру, трясины, поля, прерии, высокотравные степи (часто с солончаками), луга (в поймах рек и озер), гористые местности и субальпийские луга, сельскохозяйственные угодья и парковые насаждения. Во всех местах обитания болотная сова придерживается открытых пространств.

Большую часть рациона этой птицы составляют мелкие грызуны (мыши, полёвки, лемминги, крысы, хомяки и ондатры), кролики, землеройки, летучие мыши, птицы (кулики, крачки, мелкие чайки, жаворонки и дрозды), насекомые (кузнечики, жуки, гусеницы) и иногда рыба.

Охотится болотная сова в любое время суток, низко паря над открытым пространством. На добычу она обычно нападает с полета или из засады и несёт ее в когтях. Болотные совы – моногамы и образуют постоянные пары. Самец привлекает самку на свой участок красивыми пируэтами в воздухе. Иногда в брачных полетах участвуют обе птицы: они гоняются друг за другом, сцепляются когтями или в шутку борются. Гнездом обычно служит расчищенная самкой ямка диаметром до 40 см на вершине плоской кочки среди густой травы или тростника. В кладке 4–7 яиц, которые насиживает самка.

Swamp Owl (Asio flammeus) – medium-sized owl: its body length ranges from 34 to 42 cm, the weight of males is 0.23-0.39 kg, females - 0.24-0.43 kg. Her wings are long, her legs are decorated with tufts of feathers, and small vertically standing "ears" of feathers are located on her head.

The is very widespread, it lives on all continents except Australia and Antarctica and inhabits saltwater swamps, coastal plains, coniferous forests, tundra, bogs, fields, prairies, tall grass steppes (often with salt marshes), meadows (in floodplains of rivers and lakes), mountainous areas and subalpine meadows, agricultural lands and parkland. In all habitats, the swamp owl adheres to open spaces.

Most of the diet of this bird consists of small rodents (mice, voles, lemmings, rats, hamsters and muskrats), rabbits, shrews, bats, birds (sandpipers, terns, small gulls, larks and thrushes), insects (grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars) and sometimes fish.

The swamp owl hunts at any time of the day, hovering low over an open space. It usually attacks prey from flight or from ambush and carries it in its claws. Swamp owls are monogamous and form permanent pairs. The male attracts the female to his site with beautiful pirouettes in the air. Sometimes both birds participate in mating flights: they chase each other, lock claws or jokingly fight. The nest is usually a hole cleared by a female with a diameter of up to 40 cm on top of a flat hummock among dense grass or reeds. There are 4-7 eggs in the clutch, which are incubated by the female.

Источник://www.ebirds.ru/vid/225.htm,/bigenc.ru/c/bolotnaia-sova-bb9577,/zoogalaktika.ru/photos/aves/strigiformes/asio-flammeus, //www.mos.ru/news/item/86280073/,://ecology.polotsk.museum.by/node/42982,/russia.birding.day/v2taxon.php?s=423&l=ru.

[scribblescrabbledepartment]

finally done my summer movie loggggg pink stars watched with @quartz-quindel blue stars watched with @stingchronicity

[ID: a collage page mostly covered with receipts and wrappers, including a chopstick wrapper. scattered all over the page are many movie titles, which I will list under a cut. at the top it's labeled "summer 2024" and there is a sticker of an ice cream cone as well as one that says "Atlantic City," and a cut-out of a mouth with braces that says "gunk keep out!"]

in order of watching:

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) The Castle of the Living Dead (1964) Slaughter of the Vampires (1962) Scarface (1983) The Undead (1957) Max Magician and the Legend of the Rings (2002) Rosemary's Baby (1968) Taxi Driver (1976) The Angry Red Planet (1959) Sea of Love (1989) Roseland (1977) Wag the Dog (1997) The Room (2003) Empty Rooms (2012) Munster, Go Home! (1966) Scent of a Woman (1992) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) The Blues Brothers (1980) Christmas Vacation (1989) The Killer Shrews (1959) The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) Mausoleum (1983) Cult of the Cobra (1955) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) I, Monster (1971) The Breakfast Club (1985) The Mad Magician (1954) Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) Phantasm (1979) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Black Friday (1940) The French Dispatch (2021) Tourist Trap (1979) Scotland, PA (2001) War of the Colossal Beast (1958)

[salt-clangen]

Moon 12

Leaf Bare

The second Lynxpaw cleared him, Shadowdive was back on patrol, making up for his time injured and sick. He spent most of his time out of camp, despite the cold and snow, taking breaks to drop back into camp with his kills.

It was a clear morning when Wolfstar offers to join him on a border patrol, they head out to the abandoned nest. The walk was quiet, they’d even brought baskets for any supplies or prey.

“You seem to be in better spirits lately.” She commented, glancing at the dark tom.

“Mhmm.” He grunted, eyes forward and head low.

“I’ve even noticed you and Mallowstripe seem to be getting along.” She teased, brushing her tail against his side.

His tail flicked, but he just hummed his acknowledgement.

“I’m glad, I don’t like when my clan mates are at odds.” She murmured, slowly walking around a large snow back that’s mostly ice.

She glances back to see his mouth open then close, he jumps over the bank, landing with a loud crunch. As the walk she sees him start to speak, only to cut himself off.

Wolfstar had discussed his behavior with Lynxpaw, the cleric apprentice seemed to be the cat who understood him most. She’d recommended just waiting for him to speak up when he was like this, that he’d eventually spit out what was bothering him. The stilted silence made her fur prickle with anxiety, she’d always been the cat to break the silence even if it was just useless chatter.

They stayed in this odd limbo when they arrived at the nest, splitting off to re-mark the border correctly. The Duskclan scent was strong, but not as overpowering as normal, the frequent snow tempering the scent.

Eventually she signed to him that she was gonna hunt and slipped into the nest. Ducking under the wood and debris, the snow thankfully thin in most spots, allowing her to scent the air for prey.

A shrew and mouse later, she emerged from the nest, Shadowdive standing guard atop a fallen log. His eyes sweeping over the tree line for Duskclan warriors. His basket was full of firewood, but hers still had room, she signed to him again that she was gonna get moss.

“What?” He asked, head titled, she tried to sign again. “You’re gonna swim?”

She laughed and shook out her pelt.

“I said I was gonna get moss.” She said and repeated the sign, keeping her paw low to the ground and wiggling it back and forth to symbolize the plant.

“That’s swim, moss is this.” He showed her, also keeping his paw low he opened and closed his paw, like his was kneading dough.

Wolfstar repeated the sign with a laugh and reentered the nest.

There wasn’t a lot of moss, but she took a sizable chunk anyway, knowing it would grow back quickly even in winter. It was something her brother had taught her, when she’d been a Duskclan apprentice and had worried about taking too much.

The memories of Duskclan alway seemed to hit her hardest when she was near the border. The scent of the cats and pines making her nostalgic.

She carried her bundle back out and stuffed it into her basket. Shadowdive pulled his own basket over his head, giving the area one last glance before signing all clear.

“You’ve gotten good at signing.” She complimented, watching a shiver go up his back at the praise.

“Wasn’t much to do when I was sick.” He admitted, letting her take the lead down the snowy path. “Snowspeckle showed me and Mallowstripe what she’d been learning for Ripplekit.”

“I’m glad everyone’s so dedicated to learning. It’ll make life a lot easier for him or any cat who’s deaf.”

“He and Otterkit are almost ready to be apprenticed.” He said, she smiled, wondering if this was what he’d been wanting to discuss.

“They are.” She hummed, letting him steer the conversation.

“Have you thought about who their mentors will be?”

“I have.”

“Course you have, that was a dumb question.” He grumbled. She stopped them and turned to face him.

“Then ask different one.” She smiled.

“Could I be a mentor?” He asked, eyes down to his paws.

“I was gonna tell you closer to the ceremony, but yes I’d already discussed it with Snowspeckle, you and I will be mentoring the kits.” She smiled, his eyes lit up.

“Yeah?”

She laughed and nodded, turning to lead them back down the snowy path.

“So once I’ve mentored an apprentice will I be able to be deputy?”

Wolfstar stopped in her tracks, he nearly bumped into her.

“Snowspeckle is our deputy.” She said.

“I know but she was the only warrior at the time.” He titled his head.

Wolfstar set her basket down beside the trail, preparing for a long discussion.

“Shadowdive I didn’t make her deputy because there was no other option, I could’ve waited for you or Mallowstripe to become warriors it wouldn’t have been a big issue.” She explained.

“Well Mallowstripe would’ve never been picked for deputy so let’s not mention him.” He groused, a sour look on his face.

“That right there!” She snapped, his ears flattened. “That’s why you’re not deputy. I need someone with patience and experience. Your temper and smart mouth are what caused Fennelheart to run off in a blizzard and nearly die!”

Shadowdive stumbled back like he’d been struck, eyes misty and glaring off to the side. Wolfstar sighed, sitting down.

“Listen, you’re a great warrior, you’re strong and reliable. Our clan is better with you in it and I consider you my friend.” She scooted a bit closer, pausing to let her words sink in. He sat as well, shoulders relaxing as she spoke, but he still kept his gaze down. “I’m sorry for being harsh, but I just don’t think you’re suited for a job that’s a lot of organizing and politics. You belong out in the fields providing and protecting the clan. Besides Snowspeckle is more experienced with organizing patrols and she’s been doing a great job right?”

“She is… she’s a good deputy it’s just…” He trailed off.

“Shadow.” She prodded him with her paw, moving even closer. The wind picked up around them and she shivered. “Tell me what’s wrong…. Please.”

“I guess I just… I owe you so much, my life really. And I want to be the one you turn to. The first one you look for when you have a problem. I want to be the one you rely on.” He glanced up at her then back down.

“You’re describing a mate more than a deputy.” Wolfstar chuckled nervously, her face feeling hot.

“I guess I am.” He finally says, finally holding eye contact.

They sit in silence for a while, breath fogging up between them. Waiting.

“Well I wouldn’t mind.” She started, heart beating faster. “You know, relying on you like that.”

“Like a mate?” He asked, eyes wide and locked on her.

She smiled, stood and bumped her head against his.

“Yeah like a mate.”

The days were starting to get a bit longer, the snow turning to slush, though the ice was still a problem. It felt like the end of this harsh leaf bare would be a smooth transition into new leaf.

Snowspeckle was returning back from the artisan knoll, finally open again after the recent snow storms. Instead of crafting or trading she actually spent the visit planning g the upcoming First Bloom festival with the others.

She felt giddy at the idea her sons would be apprenticed next moon. Though she was nervous about Shadowdive’s recent behaviors, she felt that he would make a good mentor. Wolfstar was keeping it a surprise who would get which kit, much to her chagrin.

Thinking of Shadowdive, she reflected on the advice she’d gotten between the planning from her old mentor, Tanglefur.

While she’d tried to be vague, if the Oakclan artisan suspected she was talking about his son, he didn’t let on, giving her sound advice on how to deal with an unruly tom. Basically, confront him head on, don’t let him storm off, stay calm, and reassure him of his place in the clan. It was a bit more direct than she was used to but she felt confident in her plan.

The weather was so pleasant, just past sun high and clear, she took her time walking back to camp. She lingered on the stepping stones bridging Honeyclan and Saltclan, splashing the water and enjoying the sun.

“Snowspeckle?”

She leapt up, nearly falling into the water as she jumped across the rocks, away from the voice behind her. She whirled around when she was on the saltclan side of the border.

Behind her was Nightleap, her former mate, standing on the opposite riverbank.

“Nightleap?” She asked.

“I haven’t seen you in over a moon.” The black molly said.

“We had a green cough outbreak.” Snowspeckle trailed off awkwardly, shuffling her paws.

Nightleap jumped onto the middle rock of the bridge.

“How’re the kits? I’ve been practicing my clan sign.” She smiled, tail high and swaying in the gentle breeze.

“They’re good, ready to be apprenticed next moon.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Listen, I’ve been thinking, we can’t keep meeting like this. It’s against the warrior code and I can’t justify it anymore.”

Nightleap was quiet for a minute, tail curled around her paws. Snowspeckle spoke again as the silence stretched on.

“Look, Nightleap, we’re in two different clans. It was silly thinking we could keep talking like this.”

“What if we weren’t?” Nightleap asked. “In different clans, what if I joined Saltclan?”

“You want to join Saltclan? Why?”

“I’ve been thinking about it and I wanna be with my kits, with… you.” She admitted.

“I…I don’t know.” Snowspeckle said, flustered and puffed up. “You want to be together again?”

“I do. I’m sorry I couldn’t commit before, but these past moons away from you and the kits made me realize how much I need you.” She confessed, jumping to the next rock, eyes locked on Snowspeckle.

“I-I’d like that.” She smiled, moving aside to let Nightleap join her on the bank.

The two mollies bumped heads, purring as they scented each other.

“Come on let’s go speak to Wolfstar.” She nudged her towards camp.

The night was chilly, half moon shining brightly as Lynxpaw journey to the moon spring. She met with Junipersong at the Honeyclan border, together the two mollies walked until they reached the oakclan border, staying quiet. There she was greeted by Mousefoot and Fogdapple, the small group walking together up the great river towards the moon spring.

“Do you think Darkfold will be here?” Fogdapple asked, her eyes glancing across the river.

“Probably not, it’s a long walk even from Duskclan.” Junipersong murmured, voice low.

“Her new apprentice should be there though. What’s their name again? I didn’t catch it at the last gathering.” Lynxpaw asked.

“Crowpaw.” Mousefoot said. “I haven’t spoken with her much since leaf bare started but I think she’ll take a second apprentice soon.”

“Well she’d better do something, Duskclan keeps borrowing Rosedrift. They’re lucky we’re in peaceful times or-” Junipersong grumbled.

“Or what?” Fogdapple snapped. “Don’t speak over your brain.”

“That’s enough.” Mousefoot said, he didn’t shout but his tone was sharp enough to stop the budding argument. Lynxpaw shuffled closer to him uncomfortably.

The two glowered at each other as they walked, but otherwise awkward silence fell over the group.

The tense silence remained until they reached the high rocks, crossing over the quiet river. Waiting for them at the entrance was two cats. Crowpaw, a petite, black furred gib and a much larger, more muscular cat.

“Greetings everyone.” Crowpaw mewed, they were younger than Lynxpaw, voice still squeaky.

“Crowpaw, I hope you and your companion haven’t waited long.” Mousefoot greeted, touching noses with both before stepping aside to let everyone greet them.

“This is Frostwhisper, they’re training with me under Darkfold.” They explain, the large gib nodded.

“But you already have your full name?” Lynxpaw pointed out, growing flush when the adults side eyed her. “Sorry. I just-“

“It’s alright. I was a warrior until this moon. I had a vision that called me to join the cleric’a den.” They didn’t seem bothered, stoic as any Duskclan cat. “This gathering will be my first time at the moon spring. I’ll learn if this is my true path.”

Lynxpaw was grateful they dismissed the awkwardness as Mousefoot took over the conversation. In the silence she takes a moment to eye the newest addition.

Every inch of Frostwhisper screams Duskclan, their thick coat, muscular build, stony expression and eloquent way of speaking. They were a dark grey, nearly black tabby with icy blue eyes, an intimidating figure. Still there was some elegance in the way they moved that reminded her of Jade.

She slides her gaze up, making eye contact with the gib as she did. She quickly looks away, but not before catching their smirk. A rush of heat floods her face and she wonders for once if her fur is neat.

Once everyone is done greeting and updating each other, Mousefoot nodded to the group then he and Fogdapple entered the cave. Lynxpaw settles into a comfortable loaf by the river, ready to wait her turn.

Tradition dictated the clerics visit the spring separately in order of formation, Oakclan went first, then Duskclan, then Honeyclan, and finally Saltclan. It meant a lot of sitting around, but it was fine since she got to discuss and train with the other clerics while she waited. The only downside was the others could go home as soon as they were done, leaving Lynxpaw alone.

Usually one cleric would stay behind to walk her back to her border, usually as dawn was approaching, but there were a few mishaps before. Leaving her alone in the dark, not something she particularly enjoyed. On those nights she usually stuck very close to the river, in case a stray fox or patrol tries to surprise her, then she could dive into the waters and swim down stream to home.

She hoped tonight Frostwhisper would be the one to escort her home. The idea made her flush, but it was better than Fogdapple or Junipersong, those grumpy cats made the trip drag on with their complaints.

The time passed by quickly, she found that while both Duskclan apprentices were initially pretty quiet, with time they conversed easily and were quite nice to talk with. Frostwhisper definitely made Crowpaw a bit more confident, evident in how they playfully debated with the older clerics.

One by one each clan’s group of clerics entered the cave.

Frostwhisper exited, tail high, their face a glow with wonder. Lynxpaw took that as a good sign and asked the new cleric apprentice if they’d be willing to escort her back to her borders. They agreed and settled beside her in a loaf as Crowpaw made her way back to their camp.

The pair didn’t speak much as Junipersong entered the cave. Just sat and listened to the babbling brook, Lynxpaw wondered when the frogs would return, the noise pleasant and foreign to her.

Junipersong left the cave the same as she entered it, annoyed. She muttered under her breath about, long claws and giant shadows, not sparing a glance at the two stragglers as she left.

“Wish me luck.” Lynxpaw said, shivering as she left Frostwhisper’s warm side.

The gib just nodded, smile still on their face, though more subdued.

Climbing over the rocks, she finally reaches the spring. She steps slowly into its sacred glow, the moonlight refracting through the water and painting her fur with silver.

Her surroundings grow distant and muted, as if she’s being drawn into another world. Below her, the surface of the Moon Spring ripples unnaturally, as though touched by unseen paws.

Lynxpaw is suddenly standing in a dark, foggy space. Everything is silent except for the faint sound of the waves. A dark figure emerges from the mist-Stormchaser. Her fur shimmers faintly with starry light, her expression solemn but warm.

They don’t speak, her words stuck in her throat, her mouth can’t move to release them. Stormchaser leans in and touches her nose to Lynxpaw’s. A cold chill spreads down to her tail, every hackle raised.

Lynxpaw’s eyes are wide-she knows this, she can’t shut them- as images flash before her.

Jaggedstar in her den, pacing and speaking with a pained expression. Her words are unheard, but her body is tense, eyes wide and red. Before the leader is Darkfold, stoic, unmoving even as Jaggedstar yowls.

The scene flashes to Lynxkit, blind and fragile, nestled in the nursery. A molly, her mother, curled around her, grooming the after birth off of her.

It changes back to the leader’s den, Jaggedstar’s claws unsheathing, then curling back into the ground. Her struggle is visible as her gaze softens and hardens repeatedly, tears in her eyes. There’s something in the air around her, but it’s gone in an instant.

In the shadows behind her, Wolfstar- Wolfpaw’s horrified face, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The view cuts to Wolfpaw snatching Lynxkit, her white fur glowing faintly in the moonlight as she runs away under the cover of darkness.

Lynxpaw stumbles back, choking, the vision shattering like ice. The Moon Spring’s gentle glow returns.

Stormchaser steps closer, her voice heavy with guilt.

“I’m sorry, you were never meant to remain. The tides of fate have carried you where you belong, and your destiny has only begun, I grant you the name Lynxdawn to honor you as the first cleric of Saltclan.”

Stormchaser presses her nose to Lynxdawn’s forehead, and the scene dissolves into light.

She stumbles back from the water with a cry, like it stung her. Chest heaving, she fought to calm her breath. When she could finally breathe without a shuddering sob, Lynxdawn exited the cave, nerves frayed.

Frostwhisper greeted her with a concerned glance.

“You alright, Lynxpaw?”

“I’m Lynxdawn now.” She said, eyes forward, wishing she was alone.

The gib looked worried for a moment, but let the question go. They walked together through the night quietly, approaching the border quickly.

“Sleep well.” Frostwhisper said, stealing one last glance at the shivering molly.

“You too.” She said, tucking her head low and heading towards camp.

She doubt she would sleep well or at all, not until she spoke with Wolfstar.

Cat Allegiances:

Wolfstar- 18 moons. Leader. Responsible. Compassionate. Natural intuition.

Lynxpaw →Lynxdawn- 13 moons. Cleric apprentice → Lead Cleric . Thoughtful. Loving. Good teacher.

Snowspeckle- 29 moons. Deputy. Artisan. Loving. Playful. Good singer.

Mallowstripe- 19 moons. Camp keeper. Nervous. Careful. Strange dreamer.

Fennelheart- 18 moons. Warrior. Charismatic. Playful. Good hunter. Conditions: frost bitten tail.

Shadowdive- 17 moons. Warrior. Blood thirsty. Loyal. Good swimmer.

Ripplekit- 5 moons. Bossy. Fearless. Never sits still.

Otterkit- 5 moons. Attention seeker. Bouncy. Splashes in puddles.

Other clans:

Mousefoot- 120 moons. Lead Cleric. Oakclan. Strange. Thoughtful. Great healer.

Fogdapple- 79 moons. Cleric. Oakclan. Competitive. Grumpy. Good climber.

Junipersong- 13 moons. Cleric. Honeyclan. Shameless. Arrogant. Ghost sense.

Crowpaw- 10 moons. Cleric apprentice. Duskclan. Sneaky. Lonesome. Good healer.

Frostwhisper- 35 moons. Cleric apprentice. Duskclan. Strict. Sincere. Innate connection to Starclan.

Next

Prev

Moon 0

[supremebirdbracket]

Two popular classics! But who is the Superb Owl?

The most widely distributed owl in the Americas, the great horned owl ranges throughout North America and much of Central and South America. They can be found in almost any habitat. These owls mostly prey on rodents and lagomorphs, but are opportunistic hunters and will take anything they can catch, including smaller owls. They hunt by watching from a perch. Regarding their ecological niche, they are sometimes described as the nocturnal equivalent of red-tailed hawks. Great horned owls nest earlier in the year than most other raptors. These owls are very long-lived, with a typical lifespan of around 13 years in the wild (with a record of 28) and up to 50 in captivity!

Western barn owls live throughout Europe as well as much of Africa and the Arabian peninsula in a wide variety of habitats, but most especially favoring open woodland and grasslands. These owls mostly eat small mammals such as rodents and shrews, but will also eat birds, amphibians, lizards, and insects. They hunt by flying slowly over ground and pouncing when movement is detected. Western barn owls are usually monogamous, mating for life. After fledging, young remain with their parents for only about a month. Since barn owls have relatively high metabolic rates, they eat proportionally more rodents than other owls and are thereby appreciated by farmers as effective pest control.

[evolutionsvoid]

The bubbling pools of Eitr came to be in this land when the dragons were put to the sword. From their great carcasses it flowed, til they became scars and weeping wounds upon the earth. Though in time past it was once plentiful and ruled supreme, now its greatest concentrations come from death. How fitting, as so much in this world is pulled from ancient carcasses and fallen gods. And just like the Ichor and Humors that arise from the corpses of old deities, Eitr and its dead beasts are now giving birth to new life. If these creations are welcome in this world, well, that is another question entirely...

One of the horrors born from Eitr mutation is the Primal Legion. A monstrosity not contained to just a handful of beasts, but many. Hordes of them exist, as they were once termites before their infection. The primordial fluid has altered them, growing them to incredible size and power. Though a single one may pale in comparison to other primal beasts, their strength comes from their sheer numbers. Unlike the other abominations, the Legion is not scattered to the wind, wandering solo in their hunt for food and terror. Instead, they have formed a colony. One colony. All Primal Legion beasts have come together to create a massive nest in the earth, carving miles of tunnels that spread out and spiral down. An entire kingdom worth of land has been marked the territory of the Legion, and those who walk upon the surface tread lightly. There is no telling who shall detect the steps, and what they will interpret this trespassing as. If they believe the intruder is a threat, then the earth will split open and vomit forth hell.

Attacks by the Legion are fast, chaotic and messy, as they swarm foes and use powerful claws and mandibles to shred them. Their exoskeleton is thick and scaled, their weapons razor sharp. Like a sea of ravenous shrews, they tear enemies to pieces and carry the scraps back into the colony. Some is eaten while other parts are given to supposed fungal gardens, which many whisper about what could be found within them. Trying to breach these tunnels to raid these farms, however, is suicidal. Just ask the poor miners whose efforts accidentally broke into a random Legion tunnel. Workers would enter this space, believing they stumbled upon an empty mine, only to be swarmed by termites who interpreted this as an invasion. Very little remains of those who befell this terrible fate, and often the mines are abandoned unless someone can trigger a collapse to seal off the Legion tunnel.

Of those who survive these encounters, they speak only of the workers. So far, very little has been seen of other castes, and many are thankful for that. Even the common worker is a nightmare to deal with. Outside their regular weaponry, they can spew fragments of Black Bile crystals that are coated in Eitr. The tainted shards pierce flesh and refuse to exit, requiring careful cutting to properly remove. But the Eitr makes these barbs far worse, as it burns with a mind consuming pain. The blazing agony caused by these crystals weakens the brain and makes the victim think of little else except that searing pain. They may try to distract themselves or focus on the fight, but that agony seizes their attention and refuses to leave their thoughts. Soon they will be itching and tearing at the wound, desperate to be free of it, but that only makes it worse, digging it in deeper. Survivors state that the shards shrug off basic healing and soothing Phlegm, requiring twice the amount of calming fluid to dull its bite. The shards must be doused and removed, lest the pain drive folks mad. Horror stories tell of those so desperate to free themselves of the blazing shards that they gnaw off their own afflicted limbs like rabid beasts.

Though the Primal Legion is a terror and threat to any who enter its colony or dig too far down, some have noticed a potential positive. The Legion despises intruders and perceived threats, defending their nests at all costs. This is not unlike another underground menace...While the Legion hates man, it despises the Arimakki even more, as they are competition. Battles have been witnessed where tunnels from the opposing sides meet up, and the crazed insects go to war. These fights are brutal and messy, eventually resulting in one side sealing their tunnel and abandoning the area. The victor gains the territory, but not without a bloody cost. It would seem the two sides are evenly matched, as the Legion's thick armor and sharp claws allow them to shred the soft squishy flesh of the Arimakki. However, the boiling fluids of their Feverish Sweat and wide array of specimens allows them to cook the termites within their own shells and conceive new strategies to gain the upper hand. The fights are a fifty-fifty chance, but in the end, the territory gained and lost is in constant fluctuation. Neither side will see total victory, but those who despise the feverish parasites may appreciate having a Legion tunnel in their region as a final defense.

While the Primal Legion is a monstrosity like any of the other primal beasts, some point to their growing presence and massive colony as proof that another hand is at work here. Though the other mutations are by no means failing, it cannot be denied that the Legion is thriving far better than any "random" mutation could. How is it that this specific type of monstrosity is faring so well? Even when facing off against hunters and Arimakki? Surely their population must be hit hard from these battles, and yet they continue on. It is obvious who is blamed in these rumors, the Academy of Veritas Mundus. Seekers of knowledge and answers, no matter the cost. The Church has warned many of their methods, many of their madness, but does it mean it is actually true?

One story claims it to be so. It was said that one person did succeed in surviving a breach into the colony, and was able to navigate its tunnels for some time. In their time down below, they swear they mapped a major area of the colony to be right below Academy grounds. The very heart of this great nest, centered where these researchers do their work. Could it really be a coincidence? After all, there is an arm of the Academy that studies dragons and Eitr. The Antiquaries are members who delve deep in the past, and seek answers about the age that came before. Could it not be that they are the source of these primal beasts? Did their studies and collection of Eitr present a tempting opportunity? It is hard to say, especially since so much hinges on rumor. But then again, if the Legion is on Academy grounds, it would explain how the Academy has evaded Arimakki infestation for so long....

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

"Primal Legion"

[katherinakaina]

While I am at it, I'll share another Russian language insight with those who may not know it.

In Codex Entry video 'Pathologic Marble Nest for those who will never play it' the author at some point talks about possible meaning of what a Focus is, specifically in relation to nuts. She notes, that maybe all of it is just a joke about testicles that went too far.

I am here to reassure you that it is 100% not that.

How comes? You see, in Russian nuts don't mean testicles. Never. The other food is used to describe it - eggs. Delicious.

And it's official. Your doctor will tell you: I must examine your eggs, show me your eggs. You can't make fried eggs for breakfast with your hot gf without joking about her eggs, it's always funny.

So a Russian person playing Pathologic in Russian will never even think about nuts as anything other than just food item. But we can't think straight about eggs.

It is a rare occasion, where there's no joke in the original, but translation creates a joke. And it's very funny especially when we talk about Daniil. Look.

This is a conversation with Girl in Russian. Super literal translation:

- What, beautiful?

- Do you have nuts?

> Why do you need nuts?

> No.

But here is how the same conversation plays out in English:

BECAUSE HE DOESN'T! Get it? I love it.

So yeah, when Shrew harasses Daniil about his nuts in Marble Nest she doesn't actually mean anything dirty. But it still enriches the story in my opinion.

[dozing-marshmallow]

helloo!! the og nibling requester here (hehe i gave myself that nickname :] ) okay, i've kinda got two ideas!! nibling!reader getting comfort from chris (n had an argument with someone, you can pick who) or, gn!reader x chris having a snow day :] you can pick either! thank you for the amazing stories <33

AWW HELLO AGAIN MY LOVE!❤️ Welcome back to my blog, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long! Thank you so much for your well meaning words, you are such a beaut, but really, you should be thanking yourself for giving the amazing requests! As always, I hope you enjoy!💗(and feel free to request the other idea again if it’s something you want to see in the future!)

CHRIS MCLEAN X NIBLING! READER HEADCANONS (PART 7)

It’s another school break, and you’re back.

Back on your uncle’s couch, watching TV.

You thought you had imagined it, but keeping your attention longer on the window rewarded you with the reality of the consistent fall of the watery fluff.

You come closer and your heart jumps in delight.

It’s snowing!

Squealing, you rush from the living room to find your uncle, to inform him of nature’s miracle, to get him to go outside with you, to to to!

“Chris?” you run up to his bedroom door and knock on it rhythmically, singing,“Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on let’s go and play-“

The door opens. Oh! Guess you didn’t need to go through the entire song, even though you had prepared for it.

The occupant snickers, pointing finger guns down at you, ski goggles on,“Already ahead of ya!”

Because this was the first time camp Wawanakwa was getting snow, you and Chris had to improvise on snow gear.

Well, you had to. Chris already had his set of winter clothes. Fortunately, you had your coat, mittens and worn out Wellington boots laying around somewhere and you got to borrow Chris’ pair of earmuffs and his scarf.

Stepping outside, it was a completely different air. The freezing change of temperature nibbled your skin like a shrew on a worm and the hairs on your arms somehow were tensing up when you just stepped outside. You forgot how cold the planet can be.

“I didn’t know islands could get snow! It’s so much!” you yell, throwing your legs up to merry about.

“You learn something new everyday!”

“Look! The whole trampoline is covered in snow!” you point astonished at the bouncy garden toy of springs, now submerged under the husking snowfall. 

You had to be careful where you walked, come to realise- the entire island as you knew it was masked by this misty paleness that only seemed to thicken as more of its leader piled next to your ankles.

Naturally, you didn’t think about the dangers of gleefully hopping into the smooth slopes so soon, until you see that you’re about to walk into a chunky physique of a tree.

You stop on time, and feel something moving above you. Something alive. You feed your curiosity, finding a large pair of indigo eyes and a pointy nose.

“Look, Chris look!” you call cheerfully for him, neck extended to the sky,“There’s an owl up there!”

There was! You got to hold one once. It was heavy, but kind! This owl was as keen as you about this sudden weather pattern, sitting on top of the high tree branch, nuzzled in its feathery neck, before tending to its nest, seeing another identical head and two peek from inside of the dry tree room,“Aw, it has babies! They’re so cute!” you see your uncle aside you, also observing,“Do you think they’ll be okay in the cold?”

“Sure they will. They’re adapted to survive weathers like these.” his answer was bluntly uninspiring, grazing accurately to his non-peculiar passion for animals despite him being surrounded by them everyday,“Now about that snowman...”

“Oh yes! Let’s goooo...” you rotate to find a vacant opening,“Down there! Where we’ll have plenty of snow!”

Chris had another idea, trailing behind your steps, boots consuming your smaller tracks,"How about we have a competition? Best snowman gets first dibs on the fireplace." he obviously knew what would happen to bet that.

“Aww...” you pout, the tip of your nose starting to tingle,"Why do we need to compete? You know you're gonna win, you have bigger hands!"

"Ohh?” he puts a finger to his chin, smirking,“Already admitting defeat? I'll gladly take the title of victory!"

Something about his unnecessarily fuelled pride abruptly changed your mind,“I won't let the size of your hands stop me from building the best snowman the world's ever seen!"

“Alrighty then!” he holds his arms out, wind must’ve changed the direction to glue that face on his face,“Bring it on, nibling!”

The cold air howls past your face. Your tongue catches a few drops of snow, heading off under competition stress to mark your own construction ground,“How is it on tv they’re able to roll the snowball so smoothly?”

“You’ve been on tv yourself, (Y/N).” your uncle replies in a raised tone, moulding some snow from the ground into a sphere, still standing in the same position,“You should be able to figure it out.”

You somehow found some stones under this blank layer of Earth to place on the snowman’s torso and practically identical lengths of twigs for arms. The only thing missing was its clothes, but with this snowfall, it’d be a death wish to even remove these earmuffs!

You look over to Chris’ side: though his snowman was vast, you can tell from his relaxed pace of motion that he actually couldn’t be bothered to make it look good.

“Pretty awesome snowman!” he congratulates you on yours by the unspoken end.

You’re very proud,“Yep! I did that!” It was so good you would have thought Chris made it!,“Too bad he decomposed early."

Confused, your uncle cocks his head to the side,"What do you mean?"

Unprompted, you tore a piece of the snowman’s shoulder and threw it at Chris, striking his chest,"Boom! Take that!"

He wipes the remaining frozen fragments off him,“Is that what we’re going to do now?” he briefly returns to his sloppy snowman and removed its head from the body of snow, darkly joking,“Remember that’s how your teddy looked like that one time?”

“Because of Heather!” you giggle, now able to fill your newer days with laughter about the tragedy you genially moved on from,“Ahh!”

Your uncle starts to chase you with both hands full of the clump of crystals. You liked running in the snow- every time you placed a foot ahead, it’d let out this really soothing crunch sound.

Whenever you think you’re far enough with time to spare, you’d hurry to grab a good handful of snow from the ground to throw at him, stride never getting slower.

I wish footprints didn’t exist!

Eventually, he makes an extra step for the chance and launches it, not thinking it would stay in the air for so long.

No amount of running could save you from the hurl of the large cannon ball- on impact, you land on your back into a lower plane of snow, where on a warmer day, you would’ve seen how high you fell from the mini hill.

Chris was worried when you don’t instantly recover to your feet, but smiles when he rushed to find you parting and closing your legs, raising and lowering your arms in the digging form of a snow angel, seeing the distribution of uneven crumbles of his snowman’s head.

The snowflakes resumes to sprinkle your face, gently pecking your youthful features with the cooling drops of white. It wasn’t so cold anymore,“Hehehe! Do one with me, uncle Chris!”

So he does, not surprising that his one was much larger, with his height and fur coat.

You jump up from the soggy ground and admire another work of art you both had shaken into the bitter sheet.

The nibling and uncle silhouettes in the snow had you remembering another must do in this foggy weather.

“Chriiiis, can we go back inside now and have hot chocolate?”

He groans in disbelief,“Seriously? Boooooooo.” he reluctantly dragged his legs across the snow, in the direction of his “cottage”. You can see it from the distance, the yellow beams illuminating the squares of glass, probably being the only reason why he knew how to get back,“What a perfect time to get ice cream.”

“Ah...” it felt great to be back inside. His house was soooo cosy. And this hot chocolate was just what you needed. You might need to dump your feet into a tub of hot water,“Uncle, do you think we can play some Christmas songs?”

“Why, because it’s snowing it means it’s the holidays?” right after he snorted, his mouth is covered by the back of his mug. Paradoxically, he was back in his indoor clothes before you, reminding you once again that your uncle really was unpredictable.

“The holidays wanted to come early! Which meaaans I’ll be getting extra time off school!” you clutch giggly to the circumference of your mug, hands burning. More time to stay, more time to play!

“But that means no holidays during December.” he smirks, twirling his steamy cocoa around, sinister to your let down.

“Aww...” you hated how realistic that sounded. School was so mean!,“Never mind...” there wouldn’t be enough time to open presents. You pitifully pinch a marshmallow from your cup and chomp on it.

“Hey, no need to be so down!” Chris’ charismatic voice rasps as he rubs your head,“Christmas is right around the corner.”

“True...” you add another swirl of whipped cream to your cup, covering the homely brown,“Will I get to be here then?”

“For sure! It’ll be the best Christmas yet!” he affirms with strength.

Hm hm (hm). Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm.

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Kengliwa

So, as it seems everyone made note of, this week's creature was exceptionally easy to guess. (To the point that a couple people did actually go ahead and name it, which I can't be that annoyed about because I don't think anyone missed this one.) I actually thought about not including it -- I cut a few that were particularly obvious like this one, but this entry was just so beautifully written that I didn't want to not post it. Maybe I should have done a separate post like with the dogs... live and learn, I suppose.

Anyway, previous entries and results can be found here: https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting. And the entry everybody is working from is at the link below:

Art below the cut in rough chronological order, as per usual.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) decided to go a bit Beatrix Potter, and produced some frankly adorable shrew-like critters. (And her own alt-text, thank you.) They're dressed in these nice black coats and bowler hats so they can look like the "black column across the fields" described in the entry. I love everything about this. Also, if you want to see a version of this without the linework, check the link above.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) decided to work off of the assertion that Kengliwas prefer wheat to barley because "barley is food for beasts". Naturally this means the Kengliwa must not itself be a beast, and Silverhart reflects that by medieval definition that excludes pretty much everything but birds and fish. So here we have a very small mouse-bird (the results of this one are all very cute, I have to say). And of course it's a flightless bird, because the entry describes them as walking. I'm really struck by the general composition of this one; the tiny bird clinging to the top of a wheat stalk is so well depicted. The colors are great too.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) followed the same "not a beast" logic as Silverhart, though they also name "serpent" and "worm" as potential non-beast categories. They also picked "bird", because the Kengliwa brings grain back to its nest, and birds have nests, so there you go. I appreciate that they've continued with that connection by having the interior of the Kengliwa burrow lined in a manner reminiscent of birds' nests. (And also that they provided alt-text, thank you.) Speaking of which, check it out, burrowing birds! With a cross-section of their burrow! Delightful. They further speculate that the symbolism attached to this one must be pretty weird given the mixed feelings the author seems to have, so I went and checked...

... there's actually not a lot of symbolism on this one. The highlights are that the divided grain supply represents the division between the Old and New Testaments, and barley represents heresy which is why it is scorned. (Pretty sure lots of people in the Middle Ages ate barley, but I suppose they preferred wheat.) The symbolism is all "things we learn from the good example of this industrious creature", and the entry quotes Proverbs 6:6 -- I'm not copying it here, because even though I'm pretty sure everyone knows what the animal is, the verse in question does name it, and we have a procedure here.

Anyway, as always, I recommend clicking on the link to CheapSweets's post to see their detailed explanation of their design decisions.

@theforceisstronginthegirl (link to post here) has drawn some ants in their agenda book. I have to admit, I'm not fully sure whether this was meant to be an entry, but you know, there's a picture (with alt-text and everything!) and it's tagged "kengliwa", so in it goes. Honestly I think the highlight here is that they described the creatures in the picture as "scribbles with jobs" which I think is a fun way to describe bugs generally. Very dynamically drawn scribbles too; they're quite expressive.

@pomrania (link to post here) has drawn a strange and adorable critter. It's giving... lizard-squirrel. Squizard. Particularly delighted by the fact that multiple people decided that such an industrious fellow should be wearing tiny clothing. I think the bag with one (1) grain of wheat in it is a nice touch. You just want to root for this little guy, you know? Also it's worth checking out Pomrania's linked post and associated progress post for some interesting steps in the design process for this one.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) continues to deliver beautifully stylized art. They note that they considered rodents, but figured medieval authors would not be nearly this positive about rodents stealing grain, so instead they're lizards. Very good lizards, too! I love the patterning on them and the expressions on their faces. The one on the left scorning the barley is particularly delightful. Coolest-capybara also wonders what the original animal is classified under, if not "beast" -- to which I must say, oddly enough, this one is in with the beasts. I think. Right after this entry is the start of the "birds" section, and right before it is are some various mammals. So either this is the end of the beast section or it's, like, a palate-cleanser in between.

@strixcattus (link to post here) has also given their Kengliwa clothing, but for a very specific reason: as others have noted, the Kengliwa scorning barley because it's "food for beasts" implies that the Kengliwa are not beasts. Therefore, in Strixcattus's interpretation, they're people. Which is indeed the only non-"beast" category of animal that nobody else has mentioned, as far as I can figure. They're darling. Love the one on the right that appears to be chewing on a straw like your stereotypical farmer, except of course the straw is a single seed with like a bit of stalk attached. And I know I always say it, but you need to go read the linked post for this one. Maybe it's just because worldbuilding is my jam, but I'd happily read a lengthy TTRPG supplement about how Kengliwa society operates. They're like... medieval Borrowers who farm lichen and domesticate ants. I want to know everything about this.

Anyway, here's the Aberdeen Bestiary version:

That's right, they're scribbles with jobs!

Seriously, it turns out Theforceisstronginthegirl drew basically a dead ringer for the medieval version. Compare the two; the biggest differences are the medium and the fact that the Aberdeen Bestiary includes a nest.

But yes, they're ants. We all know they're ants.

Which should, as CheapSweets alluded to, be classed in with the worms! (Remember, that's a flexible term in the medieval era... especially since this is a Latin text, so it's vermis, like Modern English vermin.) There is a section labelled De vermibus, and these guys aren't in it! It could have really used them, too; I think the Ant entry by itself is the same length as the whole "worm" section.

Anyway. Hopefully next week's will be less obvious... okay, I just checked, it's barely less obvious. But I would put money on nobody guessing the one that posts on the 19th (though that's a pretty short entry, unfortunately).

[silenthillmutual]

For the character ask thing, I would like to submit Everyone's Favourite And Definitely No One's Least Favourite Science Boy, Daniil Dankovsky

grinning and winning with this one!!!!

First impression I'll be honest, I know a lot of people's first reaction to Daniil is that he's kind of an asshole, but personally I thought he was kind of funny. Melodramatic little man - the way he's like "well my WHOLE LIFE IS OVER" when he finds out Simon's dead had me just shaking my head. I knew there was something so wrong with him then. And that hasn't changed!

Impression now It hasn't changed a lot, to be quite honest. I still think Daniil is funny and I still think there's something so wrong with him. I just get out the whole DSMV to diagnose him. Top characters of all time if I'm being honest.

Favorite moment There are so many of them but I love his interactions with kids the best. It's clear that he cares about them, but isn't the best at communicating with them. I'm especially fond of the interaction with I think it's a teensy where she's telling him about how Clara killed someone just by putting her hands on them and Daniil's reply is "Attagirl!" I love him. He's so funny.

Idea for a story You might think to yourself, "Harker has more than enough Daniil Dankovsky fics," and this is where you'd be wrong. I'm currently writing something for a buddy, and I do write for both commission and request, so I have a neverending supply of ideas. One I'd like to recuscitate whenever I re-emerge from other fandoms is Daniil properly adopting Shrew. It might not be long, but I want them to have an actual conversation about it post-Marble Nest.

Unpopular opinion Where do I even begin? For one, he's not a twink. For another, no I do not think he'd get along well with Victor Frankenstein or have any respect for him - just consider how highly Daniil holds his own sense of responsbility, how much value he places on his education. I'm also not really a believer in the idea that Daniil is a partyboy, he's far too high-strung and acerbic. I could go on, but then we'd be here all day. Suffice to say I'm really, really picky about what I will and won't read in terms of fic for Daniil lol.

Favorite relationship I actually live for his friendship with Sticky!! I love it when people write or draw Sticky trying to emulate him, or a mixture of him and Artemy. It's so much fun.

Favorite headcanon Transkovsky nation rise up!

[cows1012]

big fan of marble nest, so here is a hypothetical of sleepy head and shrew but if their designs were unique from the usual npc designs. i think they deserve it, as the resident daniil fanclub members