#the food chain

[anamon-book]

食物連鎖 ジェフ・ニコルスン、宮脇孝雄・訳 早川書房 装幀＝和田誠

[dungeonmeshititlepages]

[thenightwinggraveyard]

"I devour his flesh in the name of survival, it was his time and now it is mine, my teeth will forever be stained red, and the taste shall never leave my mouth"

// [ a wip of mine i thought i'd share :)) ]

Sakura Haruno was the weakest link, a fact she came to accept in her so far short life.

The moment her naive mouth declared she wanted to be a shinobi, was the moment her fate was sealed. Sakura was a clanless kunoichi, destined for the slaughterhouse. Hell, she even had the pig-pink hair to really seal the deal. 

All she had in her arsenal upon graduating from the academy, upon becoming a ‘real’ shinobi, was the bare bones lessons from the academy– why would they need to go in-depth when all the clan kids already knew all this information and more? (they were the only ones worth anything after all)– and what little she was able to grasp from the low-access library books.

That's not even mentioning the fact that she only graduated thanks to her teammates. 

Naruto, the ‘dead-last', was so far ahead of Sakura; it wasn't even close. She had always wondered why that was the name used in the whispers. Had no one else paid attention to the fact that while not book-smart, he was able to keep up with the likes of Sasuke? Naruto had heaps of energy, stamina and chakra. He was leagues ahead of those whispering kids, ahead of Sakura.

Sakura had stared at the dozens of clones he summoned during the bell test, the sheer determination he held, and she couldn’t find it in herself to feel anything but envy. Naruto didn’t have a clan either, so how was he still so far ahead?

Then there's Sasuke. Once upon a time, when she was a small insecure child; she had latched onto him as some higher power to worship. Ino had recalled stories of how strong each of his hits was, how handsome he was, how unearthly. 

When she first saw him, well she had to agree. He was strong in a way Sakura never was. He stood high and mighty and fought as if he was born to do just that. 

Then he put her in her place.

…

Sakura watched starstruck as Sasuke won his spar in what seemed mere seconds. As he stood in front of the boy he won against unyielding, she truly understood Ino’s obsession with him. 

Then Iruka-sensei called the next match-up.

“Sasuke Uchiha against Sakura Haruno.”

Immediately, everybody turned to her. Their vicious eyes picked her apart and gazed at her mockingly. 

“This’ll be hilarious,” she heard someone whisper.

Sakura looked at Sasuke. Those dark eyes of his stared at her from head to toe, before turning away and scoffing. 

 Her ears were duly ringing, all those wolfish stares caused her eyes to water as she looked down.

“Enough, everyone. Sasuke, Sakura, get into positions”

She walked over with hesitant steps and settled into the standard academy form.

Sakura stared at the viscous look Sasuke wore as he settled into what must have been an Uchiha clan form.  A gaze once so godly when directed at others, was now the look of a predator about to devour its prey.

“Begin!”

He immediately rushed her, and all she could do was bring up her hands to block in some hopes of prolonging the inevitable. Sakura was hit with fist after fist, only able to partly dodge for seconds of relief before the barrage continued.

She was left lying in the dirt, bruised and slightly bloody, staring up at the sky with a shame far stronger than anything she had felt before. Sakura didn’t even bother listening to her classmates mocking taunts, or Sasuke’s scoffed remarks.

All Sakura amounted to was prey.

… 

Sasuke was the predator, and to see someone as strong as him be defeated so easily by their sensei, all it made her do was shake. Each hit was blocked with a sharp calculation, every counter-attack an obvious showing of restraint. 

Sakura was on the bottom of the food chain. Their sensei must have been leagues ahead of even Sakura, and even then she knew that there were those far stronger out there. 

She shivered under the moonlight for more reasons than just the chill of the night. Hours after she officially became a genin, and all she could think was how utterly hopeless it was. Why did she insist on her naive stubbornness? 

When she had determined to become a kunoichi, it had been mostly thanks to the kunoichi Ino dragged her to see. The blonde had already been gushing about her for a while, and when faced with the opportunity to show Sakura a true kunoichi in action when sparring, she took it. 

The woman’s long hair lagged behind her as she moved gracefully around her opponent. Then once she got close enough to hit, she did so with an unstoppable strength. 

Sakura quietly laughed at her past naivety mockingly. The memory of the kunoichi’s spar was hazy, yet perhaps to make herself only feel worse, she attempted to recreate the position the women had started in.

She stood on the grass with her feet spread apart, the bruises on her knee from when she tumbled during the bell test twinged, preventing her from truly spreading her weight evenly. Nevertheless, she brought her hands up in front of her chest and curled her soft hands into fists. 

The memory of the kunoichi immediately dodged the punch heading for her jaw as she twirled around her opponent, Sakura’s small feet clumsily recreated that image with her eyes closed. The kunoichi and Sakura then kicked upwards as a counter move, hitting the opponent’s brought-up blocking arms. Sakura almost lost her balance after the kick. Then, she jumped back from an attack in time with the image of the kunoichi. 

Attack, Dodge, Kick, Hit, Block; the fuzzy sequence played out as Sakura’s limbs followed uncoordinated and sluggish. She had no idea how long she played that scene out before her bruised knee gave up and she collapsed in a sweaty heap on the grass.

She started up at the full moon, the hundreds of twinkling stars, and all she could hear was the cricket’s cries as she tried to regain her breath. 

Sakura knew she was a civilian parading as a shinobi, they all whispered that, and yet her heart had screamed that they would be proven wrong. As of now, her lungs were shouting their disagreement. 

That dreaded voice finally decided to speak up;

You’re nothing but canon fodder, after all. 

Be quiet.

You couldn’t even play at being a kunoichi without failing.

Shut up.

They were right about you. They will always be right about you.

Stop.

Weak, useless little girl, who are you trying to fool? Yourself? Everyone knows it, your sensei barely looked at you. Sasuke doesn’t even remember beating you, you’re not worth it. 

YOU’RE NOT WORTH ANYTHING.

STOP. STOP. STOP IT STOP IT STOP–

Sakura let out the harsh breath she was holding. Her mind torturing her was nothing new, every word used against her was adapted into her vocabulary of self-loathing. She closed her watery eyes with a shaky exclamation. 

Why was she just agreeing? Why was she just lying down and taking it? What happened to the little girl with a fiery heart; the one who declared she’d prove everyone wrong?

Where did that little girl who grit her teeth while she stood back up on shaky legs go?

…

The ringing in her ears dulled enough for the sound of her wheezing breaths and Iruka-sensei’s concerned voice to break through. Sakura guessed he was asking if she was okay, or if she needed help standing up. 

She lifted her head to see Sasuke’s back turned. Ino was several steps away from him, looking between her and Sasuke with a conflicted expression.

‘Weak’ his body language seemed to spit at her, ‘Useless’.

Iruka-sensei lightly touched her shoulder, “Do you need me to carry you to the nurse’s office, Sakura?”

His voice was tinged with concern. Behind her, she heard the shrill sound of girls giggling.

She clenched her teeth together painfully and began to sit up with trembling limbs. Iruka-sensei kept his hand on her shoulder, but as Sakura continued to rise she tried to subtly push it off of her. He let go with a concerned frown as she reached her knees. The rocks underneath dug into her skin, leaving imprints. 

Sakura eventually raised to unsteady feet, and with all the scratches and bruises and wild hair she was sure she looked vaguely feral. She couldn’t bring herself to feel ugly for it. She stumbled away from the sparring location, and with clenched teeth she couldn’t help but glare at the Uchiwa fan on the dark haired boy's back. 

…

As the memory of her resilience resurfaced, Sakura wondered why she had forgotten about that part. When did the terrifying act of standing up after being pushed down become unimportant to her?

When had she stopped trying? 

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Buffy comic "The Food Chain" https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/ecomics/foodchain/one/01.shtml.

Even though it's actually the Big Bad of this comic telling Buffy she's sort of well-off, which lessens the impact some, I'm glad this conversation happened, because it's true. There's definitely a lot that Buffy can't understand. Like a lot of where Faith came from.

And if I had my Angel season 1 DVDs right now, I'd parallel this to when Lindsey tells Angel his story--and how Angel can't understand that (because Angel had it easy)--in Blind Date.

[valtsv]

i am being hunted by a persistence predator called the consequences of my actions

[determinate-negation]

in the content of their propaganda/material, insipid reactionaries of the 1920s longed for a mythologized version of feudal society. insipid reactionaries of the 2020s long for… personal pan pizza?

[lazylittledragon]

i refuse to believe that boycotting is hard. my favourite thing in the world is ordering maccies after a late night at work/a concert/getting drunk. yes i do miss it sometimes. but the other night i ordered from a small place near my house instead and it was the most orgasmic burger i've ever had in my life. i very rarely say this but fucking suck it up people are DEAD

[annabelle--cane]

naberius tern sucked but at least he was iconic. he was serving and he knew it. and under certain circumstances I think ianthe would be a good candidate to match and recognize the slimy swagger he had going on and honorably carry it with her to complement her own brand of slimy swagger. but that is absolutely not the timeline we're in and so ianthe instead has the shredded remains of a seriously pissed off muscle twink tucked away in her head, and he's absolutely frothing about how she doesn't even do his hair right when she's puppetting his corpse.

[s4dpngs]

[envy-of-the-apple]

Dark!Naga!SatoSugu x reader

Top of the Food Chain

I've always wanted to continue my naga!mha fic but considering i dont write for deku+co anymore, i decided to move my au a couple fandoms over:D 1.8k wc

Part two , Part three

(Warnings: animal deaths, blood, obsession, dark content, slight gun threat but not rlly, polyamory, gender ambigious!reader) 

Despite being here for nearly a week, you still don't think Satoru understood how delicate you are. 

He's overbearing, in that sense. Constantly poking and prodding and squeezing until your lungs give and you're forced to squeak. You can't blame him for not understanding. He's an animal, after all. Inhuman. Despite his skin and hair, the scales coating his tail give away just how different he is. He was probably born fighting, kicking, and screeching his way through the foliage, hunting, chewing, and biting. 

He's not like you when all you knew when you were younger was coddling and softness. You can see it in his scars, and bruises, and marks. 

Luckily, for you, Suguru had an inkling that you weren't made for sharp claws. 

It's not a fight, you can tell when they're fighting, it's more like a warning? A minor disagreement. Suguru hisses at the other naga, scrunching up his face, showing his teeth. Satoru is quick to respond, but a little more playful. Fortunately for you, the black-haired male seems to win the argument. Satoru's coils loosen around you. Air stops fighting its way to get into your lungs. 

You finally go lax in his hold. Satoru seems to enjoy that, dipping his head to bury his face into the base of his neck. The first few times he did that, you were afraid he was trying to bite off your jugular. Now, you think it's just another way he can soak up your body heat. 

Maybe you've been here for longer than a week. At this point, you couldn't really tell. Hope that you'd be found was starting to slowly fizzle away. The explosion had been massive. The ship had sunk in a matter of minutes. With a disaster that huge, you doubt anyone would still be looking for survivors. Especially on an uncharted island, where myth had turned into reality. 

 Satoru had been the one you'd woken up to. Washed ashore, barely conscious. You were half-certain he was planning on eating you with the way he held your leg, watching your muscles bend and turn. In his defense, he must have thought you were dead. Your shrill scream quickly convinced him otherwise. 

It was barely a fight. More or less, a pathetic kidnapping as he grabbed your body, slinging it over his shoulder. You've never remembered screaming and crying so loudly before, convinced you were about to be eaten. Suguru probably heard you before he saw you. 

Satoru's mate was a little less impressed with you. Back then, they didn't bother learning your tongue, speaking in hisses and snarls, unaware of your misery. Suguru's frown was glued on his face, but the naga never let you run away, always keeping a hand or a tail on you at all times. It was a rough first day; you didn't know they weren't interested in eating you until they tried to feed you. 

Things were much different back then Nowadays, they are a lot more considerate of yourself and your soft body. You think you've come to an understanding with these strange creatures. 

Suguru was the nicest out of the two. In that, you mean the least rough. Compared to his counterpart, he's a bit smaller, but that's not saying there's any real difference. If it comes down to it, you are more than certain he'd be able to kill you off as quickly as his mate. You thought he hated you, at first. Now, you think he has a hard time showing blatant affection. His touches typically come in the dead of night, when you're barely conscious. A clawed finger gently raking over your soft skin. Large hands sculpting your face. 

Satoru's eyes were the first thing you noticed about him. Glittering like blue sapphires. You had a feeling they weren't just for show. Time and time again he's proven that he can see better than Suguru could. He smiles a lot more, but you're starting to wonder if that expression translates across species. He can speak your tongue slightly better than Suguru could. It most likely has to do with his insistence on staying with you. The more time you spend with him, the more you have to say 'No' 'Don't touch there' 'Stop'. 

In the rare times you manage to escape their hold, you like watching them interact with each other. They often sunbathe for hours, lazing around hot rocks to soak in the heat. They like touching each other. Sometimes it's aggressive, like when Satoru chomps on Suguru's neck and you're suddenly much more aware of how careful he is with you. Other times it's: soft, unintentional, meaningless. Languid cuddling when you are finally able to braid Suguru's hair. 

At this point, you've surmised they won't eat you. At least, not for the moment. You don't exactly know what they think of you. Do they have the concept of pets in their worldview? Maybe that's the closest thing you can place yourself as, at least in their eyes. They must think you're helpless. To them, you have no claws, no fangs, no venom. They probably don't know you come from a species that's hunted others to extinction and currently burning down the planet. You must be the first time they've ever seen your kind, stripped away from your weapons, when you're the least dangerous. 

"You should be more scared of me, you know," you once whispered to Suguru in the dead of night.

He was dozing off, blearily keeping his eyes open to stare at your moving lips. There was a grunt behind you, and Satoru tightened his arms across your waist. Greedy for affection, even in his sleep.

"Humans are terrifying," you said, reaching out to touch, "top of the food chain."

Suguru had smiled at that. You found yourself smiling back.

"You're lucky I didn't have a gun on me. You probably don't even know what that is." It's dark humor to press two fingers into his forehead. Your way of coping maybe.

Or perhaps your actions prove that humans will always desire to be violent, no matter how perilous their fight may be.

"Bang." He leans into your touch, unafraid. Oblivious to the threat that you are.

You're guessing Satoru only let you go because of the food Suguru brought.

You're able to feel the ground again as he glides over to Suguru having just come back from a successful hunt. The carcass of the largest deer you've ever seen is slung across his back. The smell of blood already makes you nauseous. 

You think Suguru had been the most panicked when you refused to eat, clicking and cooing while he tried to force-feed you the bloody leg of a bear. Back then, your communication was even worse than it was now. You were smeared in crimson by the time he relented. Practically dripping in it. 

Now, Suguru knows you have different tastes than them. You're not a big fan of raw. The fish and the handful of berries are more than enough to sate you as you gather the items he's given in your hands. 

"Thank you," you say. You reach out, touching his face with warm fingers. He purrs into your touch. You smile. It's the least gratitude you can give him. After all, he's not asking for much. If they hadn't found you, you would have been dead long ago, or at least, significantly less weaker. It's the least you can do. 

For a moment, you delude yourself into thinking they were your pets. It'd certainly be easy too. They have little to no regard for personal boundaries, much like dogs. They're more animalistic than they are human. 

It's funny to think of these monsters as lovable pets.

"Thank you," Suguru repeats. You giggle. It's not like they actually understand you. It's simple mimicry. Like talking to a parrot. 

"Thank you!" Satoru chirps, never one to be left out. He pushes his mate out of the way, eager for your pets as well. Suguru hisses, but doesn't argue. You've learned they like to be scratched right there on the bottoms of their chins. 

Suguru's less obvious, but Satoru has no desire to pretend. He melts into you, practically slumping his weight into your weak hold. It's a little adorable actually. You give a little laugh. He seems even more pleased at that. 

They're fun to be around, but this can't last. You belong with other humans, far far away from this island. So far, you hadn't seen any boats in the horizon, but you hope one would come by soon. A plane would be even better. Close enough to give you hope. Maybe if you built a big enough fire, it'd reach someone eye. 

Hopefully, in just a few weeks, these creatures will be a very cherished memory. 

You frown when Satoru reaches over to grasp at your food, the meat specifically. You glare, moving away from his hold. He titters in clear disappointment. You hate seeing him sad but you already have so few food sources. It's best to conserve whatever you get. 

"No," you pointedly tell him, "It's mine. Mine." 

His frown deepens, and he opens his jaws to let his fangs pop out. 

"Mine," you repeat. 

He leans back, huffing. You laugh because you know his expression is more out of frustration than any actual anger. Again, animals. You pet his head in apology, before turning away. You'd have to start a tiny fire to start cooking. Raw fish is edible, but it's hardly desirable. 

A hand grabs yours, clawed, the grip is tight around your frail skin. When you look back, Satoru is staring at you. Eyes wide. Eager. 

"Mine," he says, but it's more like he's testing the word. Tasting it on his lips. 

You scoff, unamused. "That's my arm. Not yours." 

Satoru smiles. Sharp teeth. You suddenly remember he's a carnivore. 

He's slow when he draws you in, practically dragging you into his arms. You're used to his spontaneous hugs, tight and suffocating. You can't fight him off, so you typically wait until Suguru has enough of his behavior and drags him off you. 

"Mine," Satoru repeats. Alarm bells ring in your head but it's easy to brush them off. It's mimicry. They can't understand. It's like talking to a parrot. 

You feel the weight of the other naga at your back. His arms wrap around your waist, pushing you against Satoru's chest. You stiffen when Suguru's fangs lightly graze up your neck. Never quite punctures, but is terrifyingly close.

"Mine," Suguru says into your skin. 

You laugh again, but it comes out less hesitant. More airy. Amid their hold, a sudden thought comes to you.

If you weren't at the top of the food chain anymore, then who was?

[shallowseeker]

If you’re stuck in spn and you have a soul you’re the money—

[animatedglittergraphics-n-more]

requested by anon

[kil9]

trans people flirting: i'd squeeze you like a grape

[reality-detective]

Award-winning journalist, Alex Newman, sheds light on a 2013 UN report asserting that meat, chicken and traditional agriculture are "not sustainable", and that a "major propaganda campaign" is needed to persuade people to eat insects instead.

"So how are they gonna get people to eat bugs? Well, a combination of propaganda, indoctrinating children and making you very, very hungry... The goal, folks, is not to save the planet. It's not about global warming. It's not about sustainable development. It's about enslaving humanity."

"They want to wipe out small and medium sized producers, centralise food control in the hands of mega corporations in bed with the mega governments. They want to move the population into the mega cities, and ultimately bring about this Great Reset and what they call the New World Order."

This is Agenda 21 to which 179 nations signed up to in 1992. 🤔

[constantly-deactivated]

The US Government Is At It Again, Raiding More Organic/ Raw Milk Farms. If You Don’t Pump Your Cattle Full Of Their Mandated Vaccine Poisons, They’re Coming After You 🤔

[immediatebreakfast]

There is a method in his madness, and the rudimentary idea in my mind is growing. It will be a whole idea soon, and then, oh, unconscious cerebration!

Even if it's not included in the actual book, nor in the original chapter order, there is a very funny coincidence in reading about how happy Seward is because he feels that his theory about Renfield's behavior is finally near conclusion... Then there is this editor's message at the end of the entry.

Another long span coming up here without Dracula emails. Stay firm, my friends.

Yep Seward, it will be a whole idea soon, just keep thinking my guy 👍.