#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

[workingonmoviemaps]

Popular Locations Wednesday

Madrid’s Edificio Montano

This building was constructed in the 19th for the Vicente Montano Piano factory, housing a factory floor, several apartments, and a concert hall. It was taken over by the School of Industrial Technicians after the Spanish Civil War, and later the Women's Professional Training Institute and the shop Rústika. It has been largely unoccupied since 2014.

The building can be seen above in Malasaña 32, Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy, Shrew's Nest, In from the Cold, May God Save Us, No culpes al karma de lo que te pasa por gilipollas, and Giants.

It can also be found in Estoy vivo and Soulmates.

[gncrevan]

"I've turned this house into a coffin": Shrew's Nest (2014, dir. Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel)

what catholicism does to a motherfucker 🙏

a very slow slow burn that works exceptionally well except for those moments in the third act where it sadly decided to go for shock over what made sense for the script. montse is by no means a one-dimensional character and doesn't deserve to be treated as such by her narrative. and while the excess was fun to watch, it just really cheapened the (heavily foreshadowed in a way that made my skin crawl with every step) reveal that came right before.

i'm not sure if the feelings this film elicited in me were the ones it intended, but it sure as hell did elicit. there's such a profound grief in watching characters struggle to empathize with each other through the haze of their own trauma, and in the absence of any real help instead pass on their pain towards the next. everything that happened here was wrong and preventable and it makes me wanna put my head under the water. god loves you, but not enough to save you.

[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.

[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"

[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)

[sealrock]

09. lend an ear

no content warnings word count: 940 words

If Hector had spoken up earlier to break the stalemate, he wouldn't be soaked to the skin. He situated himself on a nearby rock, watching as Achille and Melita, both equally soaked, barked insults to each other as the heavens dumped a deluge's worth of rare rain onto the parched Thanalan plains, right on the cusp of winter. Somehow, the trio got lost on their way back from Hector's gleaner assignment, and Hector forgot to take his map with him, a rookie mistake he never thought to make four years into his career. Trying to rely on waymarks was difficult when you have people yelling at each other over your head.

"This is all your fault!"

"How is it my fault!? You're the one who said you knew this area like the back of your hand, you fucking shrew!"

"I do, but I also didn't have to deal with a dishonest kvetch who doesn't know which way is up!"

Achille offered an indignant grunt in response, his red hair sticking to the back of his neck and dripping with rainwater. Melita stood on the opposite side of the road, hands curled to fists and shoulders quivering with rage. Achille, saying only that he was from Ishgard, obviously had no clue where they were going, but he couldn't help but jab at their traveling companion's blunder of taking the wrong path back to camp. To add insult to injury, the trio stumbled into a nest of antlings and had to run for their lives, further straying from the beaten path.

Melita, a self-proclaimed mercenary Hector met in a seedy tavern on the outskirts of Ul'dah, only agreed to come along because Hector not-so-subtly begged her for her aid, ignoring Achille's advice to reconsider. He didn't know the landscape all too well with his assignments keeping him closer to home in the temperate regions of Dravania.

"We could've taken that pack of antlings easy, or are your spindly arms not strong enough to lift that rusty sword of yours?"

Melita let out a frustrated growl at Achille's attempt to rile her up, a petty smirk spreading across his face as she fell for it.

"Oh, sure, I trust you and your little gats could handle even the mightiest of vilekin! Such a shame your aim is hindered by your lopsided vision!"

Hector cringed at that; if it was one thing he learned from traveling with Achille, he learned to never ask about Achille's missing left eye. Melita had only been with them for two moons, but she wasn't doing herself any favors.

Hector could've jumped in to break them up before things turned ugly, but he didn't.

Hector wasn't the assertive type—the word "no" wasn't in his vocabulary. If he had a problem, he would figure it out himself so as not to be a bother, but if other people had problems, he would drop everything to help them. It was in his nature to give, to always lend an ear to those in need, even if it meant he didn't receive the same treatment in kind. Hector was the type of person to be easily taken advantage of, someone who didn't think twice if somebody was trying to stab him in the back before offering the shirt off his back. Achille once remarked that he had no spine, something Hector easily agreed with (he didn't miss Achille's dissatisfied side eye).

Hector knew it made him much like a doormat, someone who rolls over at the first sign of disagreement to try and appease people. He would try his best to be the neutral party in arguments, but he would make it worse by not taking either side. So to be caught between two lovely, but extremely bullheaded, people who couldn't see eye to eye on anything took him out of his comfort zone. Hector seemed to attract people like that; those with prickly, cheerless exteriors latch onto his squishy and malleable personality. The fact this happened twice concerned him a bit.

That is why he's currently stuck in a downpour, his boots soggy and skin goosefleshed, with nothing more to say than a defeated sigh and a stifled sneeze. Achille and Melita paused their verbal assault to watch Hector descend into a sneezing fit; Hector didn't see their guilt-ridden stares from the curtain of his bangs. A sudden weight fell over him and a familiar scent tickled his nose—it was Achille's bulky leather coat. It practically swallowed him as he slipped his arms through the sleeves.

"Wear this, it'll keep you warm, though it might not be much help now."

"But," Hector sniffled, burrowing himself into the coat, "what about you?"

"I'll live."

Hector noticed how Achille's tone wasn't that of anger or derision, it was soft and awkward as the taller man refused to look him in the eye. Exposed in the rain, Achille's scarred, strong arms seemed to not react to the change in temperature, his twin pistols holstered at his hips. With little effort, Achille slung Hector's pack over his shoulder as he led the gleaner to Melita's place under a nearby tree for an ounce of shelter. She rolled her eyes when she and Achille glanced at each other, though Hector could tell she felt a bit ashamed for her behavior.

Hector understood why gleaners traveled alone, so he couldn't help it when he let out a small chuckle, standing between his two bodyguards.

"I'm not a bodyguard."

"I'm not your bodyguard!"

Without thinking, the two of them were in unison with their response. Embarrassed, the two looked in opposite directions with a scoff.

Hector blinked. He didn't mean to say that out loud.

[soosoosoup]

I love all your critter trolls artwork. Especially the broppy stuff. What animals did you base their critter likeness off of?

Thank you 🥰❤️

With mannerisms it’s mostly just cat habits lol. But I consider them mostly based on small forest animals. A mix of mice or shrews, with a lot of squirrel lol.

Have you ever seen those squirrel box videos? Yk it’s like a little squirrel home with a camera in it. Those cute clips were what actually inspired me to try my own take on critter trolls.

Oh and also birds (singing, nests, flaunting colors)

[fancifulplaguerat]

Need to rant about the Marble Nest because I just. I cannot get over it. It is everything to me. Every time I hear “Birdies... birdies... Gather ye here...” I want to eat door hinges and run up the walls and put myself in a blender

There’s something utterly tragic to me about the image of Daniil lying in bed delirious and feverish and dying while these children who care about this weird Capital doctor so much are trying to break his fevers like he taught them to, and it fucks me up even more considering when Spichka asks Daniil who looks after him when he’s sick Daniil just. Doesn’t answer him. And the narrator’s line (I love that they got Martin Cooke he absolutely ate and imo elevates the entire game) “a warm, dry hand seemed to have touched your forehead soothingly. It’s going to be all right” OH MY GOD I just. I can only wretch and sob about the fact that Daniil is being taken care of and at least for a moment he feels like it’s all going to be okay, exactly as he’s been saying throughout the beginning. Also when the narrator says “Somewhere, bells are chiming, softly. Bells are chiming around the marble nest. The bells, are chiming, softly.” Not only does Cooke’s delivery make me feral beyond words (particularly that last one where he whispers ‘softly’) but I mean. surely this is referring to Daniil hearing his own goddamn funeral bells which just SCREAMING CRYING BITING SCRATCHING COMMITTING UNSPEAKABLE ACTS. 

Plus when Spichka warns Daniil against giving Shrew nuts because, as we learn, Shrew wants to let Daniil die. I unfortunately can’t find the exact quote but I believe Spichka says smth about how Shrew doesn’t think it’s right for Daniil to suffer as he is (there is blood in my mouth !!!!!). She clearly just wants Daniil to rest and not be in pain anymore; she thinks she can create a Focus so she can still talk to him. I’m also Highly Emotional about Spichka because he’s so adamant about Daniil continuing to live, even if it’s just in his fever dream, this poor kid just wants Daniil to keep going. These kids have known Daniil Bitchelor for all of ten days and they care about him so much !!! 

I’m also hung up on everyone telling Daniil that he doesn’t know how to die properly, especially when Aspity likens him to a child covering his eyes because he doesn’t want to see the truth, which gets me too because it makes me think about how defeated and afraid Daniil probably is when he realizes what’s going on. I think it’s even more tragic in the sense that Daniil is dying having failed to meet Simon and save Thanatica, failed to prove death can be conquered, and couldn’t even protect the Town from the plague, either, and I can’t imagine Daniil would handle any of that well. I feel like he’d think everything—plague and all—was his fault, especially with the context of the Executor/Death saying, “Who was the murderer: a sickness that let no second go to waste—or you, who bothered not to hurry? I think it’s the latter.” 

Also when Daniil does agree to die properly and the Executor tells Daniil “Give me your hand,” and Daniil can say “Here it is”,,,,,, Yes I am being dramatic but actually it makes me insane to imagine Daniil finally taking Death’s hand after fighting it for so many years. Even though I love this horrible little man with all my heart, I disagree with his whole “no more death” thing. I’m not going to like. Expound on my philosophy about death here aafnkgk but suffice it to say I like the idea of Daniil accepting that death is not something that can be defeated; though, I don’t think his idealism is useless or a negative trait, only that it has to be tempered with some realism. 

So here is as good a point as any to scream about endings. 

It's a cycle. A pause. Things will change. And the day starts anew.

That. Tjat second sentence is lodged in my cortex and it is not coming out I ougghh I love stories that repeat so much. And I’ve played the Marble Nest just. Too many times (and I’ll do it again) and I might be imagining it, because I’ve never seen anyone else talk about it, but every time I’ve gotten a different ending the game is a little different when I play it again. I find that extremely immersive if I’m not just gaslighting myself, because it puts the player in the same situation as Daniil, with things changing subtly; you get to accompany Daniil on his Fun Fever Delirium Death Adventure. On the one hand I think it’s a little painful that Daniil is going to just live in this delirium forever, but on the other one, I like how Daniil’s decision to repeat the day encapsulates continuing to fight for life, even if it seems hopeless or in vain.  It feels very “Do not go gentle into that good night / Rage, rage against the dying of the light"

And finally The transition is real, and the timeline continues. So does the entity I call myself.

I don’t want to get into meta too much, but. I kind of like this line knowing people have written/drawn/etc. endings to this nightmare where Artemy saves him with panacea (Magpie Crown’s “Conjunction of Spheres” animatic !!). All these different endings people have given Daniil’s story in general. This is silly but I like to think of it as yeah, The Powers That Be played a cruel game with you, but other people are kinder to you (or make you suffer more, depends on their persuasion). Your story keeps going, depending on who picks up the thread, you’re going to keep going. 

Anyway everyone go watch CodexEntry’s video on the Marble Nest <3 

[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.