#when their tiny little lifespans run out))

[mister13eyond]

tbh a large chunk of my affection for vin & my characterization for him comes from the overdone idea that a character who is morally grey/does not have a moral compass/has little empathy for humans and thinks of them as pretty much toys MUST be dark, troubled, threatening, or otherwise made scary- like. i see lots of "this immortal has lost touch with their humanity & it's made them distant, ethereal, stricken with ennui and dissatisfied" but like

dude there is SO much shit to do in the world. losing touch with your humanity blah blah, having no morals seeing humans as playthings whatever- can't someone be doing that and having a Fucking Blast? i just love an immortal, dream-eating demon who acts like he is at fucking disneyland every day, he's thrilled in equal part to experience the gruesome reality of a nightmare and also to pick up a new hobby- all stimuli is good stimuli, all experiences are good experiences, he loves feeling things! he loves feeling terror or sorrow or grief or loneliness by getting to join in on a nightmare or a dream of someone lost or a dream of isolation. It's so COOL and FUN, humans have such rich little lives, aww!

[what-the-floofin]

So how do baby taurs work for the equitaurs and cervitaurs in your stuff?

Oh that's a good one actually - lots to talk about! Too much for one post, but gotta start somewhere. Enjoy some messy micro scribbles peppered throughout. They were originally very very tiny so, pardon blurriness.

I've got my Taurs running overall pretty similar to equine cycles and gestations - meaning they are what you call 'long-day triggered' by the spring and summer seasons.

(Though they do cycle throughout the year, just at slower rates and less consistently over cooler seasons)

This goes for the cervitaurs too - rather than using the shorter gestation of their deer alikes - as they and their foals are a bit bigger and more complex to deal with. Which also goes to suggest that twins/multiples are not a frequent occurrence for cervitaurs in comparison to actual deer, and inherently poses as much danger as it does for equines instead. Possible, but high risk and incredibly demanding.

So, you're looking at an 11 month gestation on average, and typically starting in a mid-spring to late-summer window. Which places most taurs at being born early-spring to mid-summer. It's most uncommon to be winter born, but not weird tbh.

Foals are super awkward, there's no getting around that, and in the first year they have a ridiculous growth rate when compared to other sentient creatures of similar lifespans.

These things are weeds - the difference from one day old to three months old is phenomenal alone. They are, however, cooked a little further along than what you'd be comparing to for a newborn human. They're able to support themselves enough to avoid outright injury (think like a 3-4 month old baby), but gaining actual control of all those limbs takes a bit more time. The equine half however would be a touch undercooked for a horse. Just physically, in size. No worries about comparative internal developments, that's all good and ready to go.

So they're typically gonna spend shy of their first month feeding and sleeping, practicing rolling up, sitting and limb coordination to build strength for self-standing. If mama has places to be, that baby is getting carried.

I also absolutely subscribe to the idea of arms being naturally held close to torso prior to having balance and coordination. It would support them a lot! Then it becomes a self-soothing gesture seen in the anxious, and an instinctive positional response when badly startled. Tuck in!

By three months you can expect them to be racing on their little stilt legs - albeit still with the occasional wobble and spill. And wowee did that happen fast when you think about it.

While the zoomies are a lot, they're balanced out by the fact that so much oncoming growth means foals crash nap very frequently. These buggers sleep a lot. It's go hard and sleep hard on endless rotation. Play, snack, nap, rinse and repeat.

This accelerated growth races away throughout their first year, and then drops right back into something a bit more reasonable - at least when you're considering it from the human perspective!

Yet in comparison to how they first started out, it's practically snail paced.

I'm meaning, you look at the size of a 3 month old horse foal, and that's the closest comparison to a 2 year old taur foal in body. Every 'horse foal month' thereafter starts guiding the next 'taur foal year' visual until you hit that yearling horse look for a taur when they're 10-11 years old. Then by that point, they've reached most of their full leg length, and the next 10 years is focused on finishing the bulking out of their frame.

(click to enlarge I hope) - Featuring my lass Thalo here haha

By rule of thumb I just have both equid and humanoid aspects grow in relative balance to each other, lanky stages and all. From the human perspective, the humanoid half grows crazy fast at first and then becomes comparatively similar. From the horse perspective, the equine half is crazy slow and always is. It would also give credit to having a higher physical durability than their animal counterparts. More time was spent growing!

It's worth noting that a lot of perceived 'weirdness' only comes from trying to compare them purely 1 to 1 with either horse, deer or human kids. Taurs are their own thing though! And nature's most consistent attitude is to Find What Works and Do it. No matter how wack, if it works it's used.

So, a rapid starting growth tapered into a much slower rate once they're stabilised and running was just the path that worked best for this Taur survival. Keep it simple!

There's always more to cover, but this is chunky enough for now. Whew!

[yan-randomfandom]

Yandere!Stanford Pines & Borrower!GN!Reader

[PLATONIC] Borrowers are really tiny humans who "borrow" items and food! requested,,, am so sorry if this isn't what u expected 😔

Ford's toothbrush is missing.

In fact, many of his things have gone missing for the past few days. Did Bill possess his body again and decide to prank him?

His eyes catch color behind the toilet. Ah, there's his toothbrush. It must have fallen off.

When he picked it up, it was much heavier than usual. Of course, anything else could've been a reasonable explanation and not some tiny human holding onto the toothbrush for their dear life.

Ford doesn't let you escape, immediately bringing you to his office. You spit out profanities on the way, banging your fists on his fingers.

"Fascinating," he mutters, moving your limbs around. "You're just a tiny human."

"They call us borrowers," you say as you keep avoiding his hands. You notice something. "You have six fingers. Did giants always have that? Never noticed."

He suddenly feels smaller than you. "Not usually."

Ford learned that you actually lived under his floorboards. He had to compromise with you so that you would stop stealing his stuff.

"Roommates?" you tilt your head. "As long as you don't kill me, I guess. And I said I was going to return it!"

He doesn't believe you. He hums, scratching his chin. "Your species must have been hit by the light of height-altering crystals. I'm guessing the way your people survive is by stealing from others."

"Borrowing."

He gave you all sorts of delicious food. Well, they're mostly store-bought, but it's better than anything you've gotten before.

Not to mention his stuff. He had way more than what you were expecting. All the more to decorate your house and expand your collections! He's generous; you'll give him that...

There's something you can't shake off though. Ford's a weirdo if anything.

Bill Cipher knows about you. But he doesn't really care because you're just like any other creature that Ford has gotten. He'll only intervene if you manage to distract Ford from the portal.

So it's a good thing you're doing the opposite. You're actually helping in your own little ways, such as bringing him pen and paper.

Sitting on Ford's shoulder, you keep yapping about rats eating your house. He doesn't mind the noise, albeit he's not really listening, but it's so much better than silence.

He has fallen asleep. You grab the blanket from a nearby table and drape it over his body the best you can. This man does more work than your entire lifespan; it's so concerning.

"You don't want to try becoming a full-sized human? Why not?" Ford asks sincerely, almost concerned. You becoming not tiny is what you were supposed to be.

"Me? Turning into your size?" you make a disturbed face, "no thanks. I feel like my life would be more complicated. You're taking care of me, and that's enough."

He smiles. "Interesting."

Once again, you find him asleep on the desk. You search for a good spot next to his arm and curl up to his warmth, closing your eyes and drifting to sleep.

...You wake up to relentless movement. Looking up, you meet Ford's crazed, hectic eyes.

"You," he exhales, his voice sounding different. "Not here to steal my eyes, are you?"

Without warning, he grabs your body. You tremble. "Bill didn't tell you to, right? You're the perfect size to scoop out someone's eye..."

"Ford—" A bright flashlight shines on your eyes.

He forces one eye open. A few seconds pass. "You're, ah, clear. I'm so sorry."

The human finally lets you go. "What the hell was that?! Are you okay??"

"There's something dangerous here," he winces as he goes around the room, locking all possible entrances. "We have to stop everything we've ever worked for! What I worked for!"

He walks over to you, a smile curling on his lips. "Don't worry. I'll protect you, little borrower. Won't let him lay a single finger on you."

Before you could even blink, you're pushed inside something. You quickly run to the front, holding the bars that kept you away from escaping. "Wait, let me go! You're being crazy!"

"I know this seems bad, but it's only temporary," he replies, locking your cage. "Not until I finish the protection around the house. I'll have to call Stan..."

yes he has cages.... he caged shmebulock 😭

gotta thank @shabbyshoebox for this treasure (tell me if u wanna be untagged!)

[bigfan-fanfic]

I'd Hammer in the Morning (Male!Reader x Thor)

Part One

"What do you mean, you're quitting?" Tony practically shouts.

"Hey, hey, I didn't say the Q-word."

"But you are."

"I... I'm going to be moving to Asgard, Tony. I can't be your personal assistant from a realm away."

Tony fidgets, swinging an arm in your direction. "A 'realm away?' Look how they've got you talking - you can say 'realm' with a straight face!"

"Please don't make this difficult." you try to get that stern but kind note in your voice that Frigga gets when managing Odin or Thor, but you don't quite get there.

"Fine, I won't. Recharge, I don't accept your resignation."

"Pretty sure it doesn't work that way."

"Don't care." Tony quips petulantly. When Pepper walks in, he immediately bursts out. "Recharge is quitting!"

Pepper smiles at you. "Yes, he is, and we're so excited for you. Congratulations, Y/N."

Tony's jaw drops.

"I know it's short notice, but Tony's going to host your goodbye party before you leave, if that's alright."

"I am?"

She silences him with a look. Oh, there it is.

"Fine, fine..."

And with that, after an all-too-wild party that Pepper does her best to manage, you're ready to leave Midgard as your primary residence.

Thor meets you atop the Avengers Tower, the burning runic circle etched into the helipad, little drones already trying to clear up the ash and cinders.

You run to his arms, excited to see him.

"Did you truly think I would not wish to witness every moment of your arrival to my home? Our home, now." Thor chuckles.

"No, I actually thought I was going to awkwardly have to call Heimdall."

You notice a few other Asgardians are here, glancing around interestedly. "Father is eager for your arrival. He assumed you'd have more... luggage. Insisted I bring porters."

You don't really have much more than a couple large suitcases and a few boxes to contain everything you own. Tony had insisted on digitizing all of your books and movies and games and ensuring you'd have communication and internet even on Asgard with a tiny prism he assured you had a copy of JARVIS on it for your use.

It's his way of showing he cares, because he can't go more than two sentences without snarking, by law, apparently.

"Wait... your father is eager for my arrival? I... I kinda thought Lord Odin wasn't too fond of Midgardians."

"No, he's not disdainful, simply... he worries about me. Our... lifespans."

You balk instinctively, the notion that Thor may long outlive you a little depressing. "Oh."

"But he seems to be much more open. So either he has a plan, or you have simply won him over as a mortal that can wield Mjolnir and learn my mother's seidr."

You do recall Odin becoming more warm to your presence, especially once you got over the hump of learning magic and started to transcend your electrokinesis. Frigga, of course, loves you. "A plan? To, like... deal with my lifespan?"

"Perhaps. Mother mentioned something about a coronation gift."

"Wow, all of this for your boyfriend? They're that eager to have me?"

"All of Asgard is eager. To be completely honest..." Thor chuckles, almost nervously. "I believe they expect a proposal soon."

"Oh." You chuckle a little, almost nervous as well. "And should they?"

"My prince... my king... you know this has been the greatest year of my life. I am more than eager to share all my days with you."

"Thor... I love you too."

"Then perhaps a proposal is not far off at all." He smirks. "Now, are you certain this is all your luggage?"

"Yes. Underwhelming, I know."

"Not at all. It simply means you will have plenty of room for the gifts I will shower you with."

You giggle. And then it hits you that you are truly leaving Earth. You frown softly, looking around as nostalgia crashes over you in waves.

"What ails you, my love?"

"Just... it's suddenly very hard to leave."

Thor takes you in his arms and kisses you. "I swear that as long as the Bifrost stands, I shall take you to Midgard whenever you wish."

You kiss him back. "You're sweet. But... it's just the change. It's always a big moment. But I'm not leaving home, not really. I'm coming home. To you. To Odin and Frigga. Even to Loki."

Thor grins. "Truly, you think of my misguided brother as your family?"

You nod. "Frigga and I have been taking lessons outside his cell lately as part of his rehabilitation."

His eyes shine with something surpassing gratitude and admiration.

"My king... allow me the honor of bringing you home."

And in a flash of rainbow and lightning, he does.

[fox-bright]

I'm playing TotK again, and wondering. After all is said and done, villain routed, battle won--do you think Zelda ever prays to Hylia again?

I mean, imagine being her.

You devote yourself with fervor to the worship of your grandmother goddess, she whose golden blood runs through you. You know, you know that she is real; her mark is visible everywhere on the face of the world. You meditate and you sacrifice and you pray, you pray so constantly that it comes and goes like breathing. Waiting for the still small voice your mother told you stories about, before she died; waiting for the touch of a golden hand. For comfort. For purpose. For peace.

And all you get, ever, is silence. Not even the quiet of a held breath, the hollow ears-ringing of an empty room.

And then Calamity comes. And you do everything you can, and it's laughable how quickly your defenses break. A straw against a sword. Your army dies, most of them in the first few minutes of the fight. And your family dies, your father, aunts and uncles, cousins every one destroyed inside the same forty-five minutes. And your friends die, everyone who pledged themselves to you--they die first, and in pain, in full view of their people.

(And then their souls are trapped for a century, waiting for you to finally fulfill your fucking promises.)

Your warrior, your most devoted, your silent watcher, dies in your arms.

And then She comes to you. A drop of Her spirit, too little, too late, only just enough to preserve your knight until his body could be healed. And you scrape together every other bit of power you can summon and every scrap of knowledge you've ever managed to learn about wards and magical defense, and you walk into hell, and you curl around the devil and you go to sleep for a century.

And you have some power, now! Enough to fight him when he wakes. Enough to put him down, for a little while. And you think, maybe it's over, you can gather up your scattered people and rebuild at long last. And you start, and you get five or seven years at it before the real enemy shows up.

And again, you do what you have to do.

And again, you sacrifice...everything. All you have. More than you knew you could, because at least when you petted the devil to sleep for a century you were still yourself. Now you have to lose even that, and for an unimaginable amount of time. What's a century next to a hundred millennia? What's the eyelid-flicker of your mortal life, that mere couple of decades--you don't even notice decades anymore. Centuries are seasons to you now.

And here's the real bitch of the problem, that could only become clear to you from this height; you could never get Her attention in that mortal lifetime because you'd already been in perfect communion with Her for scores of thousands of years before you were born. Because anyone who is Goddess-touched gets torn out of time, and good luck putting your feet squarely on any forward-stretching path ever again.

Because the Dragon of Light is never out of Her sight, not ever, not for an instant, and what does some bit of chaff, some mortal mite, have in comparison to that accord?

What do you think it's like, to realize that the reason everyone you ever cared about died, was because they already had? Because when you went back, the ever-watchful eyes of Hylia learned everything you knew, and would not act to change it?

What do you think it's like, to know that no matter how hard you struggled, every single bit of effort you ever put toward saving the world was wasted? That there was nothing, nothing you could have done? If you'd known, you could have told them all to get away from you, and that's the only way you could have saved them. But you didn't know, and She didn't warn you, did she. No matter how much you abased yourself, begging for knowledge or aid.

And now at the end of all of it, returned again for a second time to her little, mortal self, tiny body, tiny lifespan, how do you think Zelda feels? She's been Goddess-ridden for longer than every civilization on her planet has existed. She has had Hylia's voice in her ears for every moment of eons. She has access to knowledge now that not one of her line of Priestess Queens has ever imagined.

But I think. If I were Zelda. I'd get my feet squarely back on the ground, and I'd commune with Her one last time, and I'd tell Her. "You got what you needed from me. And I guess I got what I needed from you. So we can call it even; we're quits. I'm done. I'll leave the key under the mat."

[thatndginger]

A Little Intro

Let's try this again, shall we?

I’m K (she/they), an overworked, perpetually exhausted cog in the corporate machine who's chosen method of staying sane is writing about queer idiots getting into trouble.

I live in the northern half of the US Rockies with my partner Cryptid, who features fairly often on this blog. Other featured family members are my four dogs and one cat. Since this is a personal blog as well as a writing one, you'll find occasional posts about my interests outside of writing as well. You have been warned~

My primary WIP is an urban fantasy project called Shapeshifter.

Set in a modern-day version of our world, Shapeshifter is a low-magic urban fantasy setting. Magic is a subtle force, incapable of knitting wounds back together or creating fireballs, but a force all the same. Werewolves, vampires, witches, and all manner of supernatural creatures exist openly in the world in small numbers. In the United States, the largest numbers congregate in the city of Moressau on the coast of Washington.

Morressau has all the problems of a major city and then some. Vampire queens and werewolf mob bosses vie for territory and political power while the powers that be turn a blind eye as long as they get a cut. The regular folk do what they must to get by, carving out lives for themselves in a city that only sees the sun thirty days of the year, determined to find happiness in the dark corners of a city that cares for them as long as they care for it.

Most of the current focus of Shapeshifter is on the first book, Into the Storm, and the trio of main characters. As a bonus, I've started a second wip following two other characters in a tiny mountain town in Wyoming called The Runaway. You can find out more of both below.

General tags: #wip: shapeshifter, #shapeshifter vibes

There’s a routine to Kerr McKay’s life. Help his not-a-boss smuggle goods around the city, get into fights with vampires and werewolves, run from cops, go drinking with his best friends Jay de Lange and Warrick Salehrad. Oh, and occasionally turn into a dog. Just a day in the life of a shifter living on the fringes of society.

You can read the first three chapters on AO3!

Until a new face appears at his favorite bar, a new gang starts trying to weasel it’s way into his territory, and his not-a-boss makes it clear that the last thing Kerr should be doing is getting himself involved.

Kerr has never been good at taking orders.

Tag: #shapeshifter: into the storm

Temperance Maddox is running from his past.

All he wants is to forget. The things he's done, the things he's witnessed, the things he knows. And the best way to forget is to put a couple thousand miles between himself and the place that haunts his nightmares. Until Temperance finds himself stranded in a middle-of-nowhere town and relying on the kindness of strangers as he re-learns what it means to be a human being.

You can read the first two chapters on AO3!

Dean Matthews is trying to build a future.

He's got people who depend on him, who love him despite all that he is. And he'll do whatever it takes to make sure he never lets them down. Even if it means learning how to be something he never thought he could be. Then a stranger finds their way into Dean's quiet, routine life and challenges everything he knows about himself and the life he's built.

Tag: #shapeshifter: the runaway

If you've made it this far, you may as well get to know the extra extra bonus wip of this blog: The Dragon Project. Borne of a particularly rough patch of overtime-induced burnout, The Dragon Project is a fluffy, lighthearted wip for when I just need something easy and fun.

Set on the fictional continent of Ostrera in a time period similar to our own 1860's, this is a world where people ride domesticated dragons. These dragons are of average animal intelligence and lifespan, more like horses than the sentient, talking dragons commonly found in fantasy stories. I don't have much for this wip other than artwork and vague ideas, but it's here all the same.

Tag: #the dragon project

[mushies-stories]

The bounty

part 1 (part 2)

KakuzuXReaderXHidan

Summer: The Akatsuki were a bounty hunter's organization instead of yaknow, all dat end the world shit, and you have run away from home, so you don't have to marry an asshat. but with a bounty on your head for a safe return home you are easily caught by the best-known bounty hunter there is, and his side kick Hidan, but they can't bring you in just yet.

Warning: suggestive but smut to come. she/her, pet names, slight degrading, swearing.

(Edited for a better story line because i had more ideas)

word count: 3927

smut below

You were on the run from a marriage arranged by your parents who had arranged a marriage for you. One with a strong family bloodline and a man to take over once your father was to step down as the head of the village. The second son to a fiercely strong leader from a small worrier village. Your family wasn't really looking for smarts or money, just level headed enough to keep the peace and  who are strong. So a village of fighters was what he landed on.

You had met the man once before, your father spoke to him about marriage and baby nonsense and by the end of the day he left, picturing you caring for four imaginary children of his. Your father had convinced him he wanted you as his perfect little wife and child bearer. 

That didn’t sit well with you, not one bit. 

Deciding that you’d rather be a wanderer and find a new village and live alone forever than to be married to such a man, you snuck out one night with a backpack full of supplies and money you stole and ran as far and long as your legs could handle. You stumble on shaky legs into a small village, stayed for a night in a run down Inn then left right after breakfast. In the month since that first night you had made it a considerable distance considering you didn’t get out much.   

It wasn't long however before your parents put a bounty on you, using any resource they could to get you home. You hadn't even thought about bounty hunters being a possibility, you figured you could be far enough away from home that it would be impossible for anyone to recognize you.  

It was Hidan and Kakuzu who managed to catch you in a small village not far from where the hidden mist was. The job was to take you in alive and you had to be unharmed or a portion of the money would be taken from the bounty and you had a high one that Kakuzu didn't want to lose. So high in fact he almost questioned why one girl was worth so much but quickly disregarded the thought because he figured it would be a pretty easy job and you were worth an almost disgusting amount.

That same reason was also why you were staying in a rundown bathhouse with the pair of bounty hunters. Hidan, while attempting to stop your squirming, had punched you hard enough in the nose to leave a pretty nasty bruise. While it was effective in knocking you out it also meant Kakuzu was going to have to wait to bring you in, so a cheap bathhouse for a few nights was the best option till your face was healed enough to at least look presentable. 

When you woke the first thing you saw was the one with the mask. A stack of money sat next to him on the floor and his eyes were focused on a notebook that was practically tiny in his massive hand. 

You risked sitting up slowly, an act to fake some kind of pain, a headache maybe? You didn't really feel pain. An experiment with a forbidden Jutsu that fused a demon's blood with a human that had been lost for generations, it was supposed to rescue almost all sense of pain and extend your lifespan by 100 years at least.. Your father used you as his guinea pig and at first he was proud that it worked but he soon decided you were not truly worthy, not strong enough to handle being a worrier with the ability to only feel a fraction of pain dealt to you.

The mountain of a man either didn’t notice you or simply didn’t care that you had woken. You sat crossed legged facing the man and watched him. He was huge, and the only thing you could see were his red and green eyes and his hands. Hands that looked like they could snap you in two with no effort at all.

You suddenly remembered that that asshole with the scythe punched you in the face! You reached up and touched your nose, bringing your hand to your face and you felt dried blood. That irritated you, not because it hurt because it didn't but because he actually punched you, what kind of sadist asshole punches a clearly defenseless girl?!

Your attention turned back to the masked man and in a moment all hesitation left you. “Where am i?” You ask the man. 

“A shitty bathhouse in the middle of some even shittier mountains.” He said without looking away from his clearly important work.

Even shittier of an answer. “Who are you then, can you at least tell me that much?” You asked at least wanting to know who is bringing you to the fate of a bogus marriage. 

He took a moment to answer and acknowledge you even spoke, scribbling a few more things down before setting the book aside and folded the money before putting it in his pocket, His green eyes now fixed on you. “Bounty hunters, nothing else you need to know.” He stated. 

Well that wasn't an answer either. “I’d like to know the name’s i'm cursing for condemning me to a horrible fate.” You said crossing your arms over your chest, an attempt to look serious but with the fact that you knew this man towers over you, it really just made you look bratty. “Plus you must know my name, so it's only fair.”

Kakuzu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at you in silence. You weren't sure what face he was really making, since you couldn't see anything else, his body was even covered by a thick cloak. “You're a little stupid aren't you?” He asked plainly, like it wasn’t offensive at all.

You couldn’t help the offended sound that left your mouth. “I am not! I just grew up with manners and respect, unlike you apparently.” you spat.

Kakuzu cocked a brow at your outburst. “I’d watch what you say Y/N.” He warned. When he took the job, he knew you were clearly from some kind of wealth, basically a princess in your village with how high the bounty was for you. He wasn't expecting to be handling a brat like you on the job however, normally women were scared of him instantly and here you were arguing with him. 

You stood up and crossed the room for the door. “You can't keep me here, I've already gotten hurt once and I don't want you to mess up my face anymore than you already have.” Just as you made it to the door you were yanked by the ankle and sent to the floor. You caught yourself and landed on your hands and knees. “Ow! Why did you do that!?” you shout, looking over to the man who was just now getting up from the floor. How did he do that?

Standing even a few feet away he was huge, looming and paralyzing you in place. A couple long strides and he was standing above you. He crouched down to be closer to your level, even though it just made you feel even more boxed in. Grabbing your chin firm between his fingers he forced your head up to look at him. “Fair? I'm a bounty hunter and you're lucky you're a live case. As for manners, I've been around a long time and I've dealt with enough little brats like you princess.” He says. “And since they want you unharmed, I can't exactly teach you the lesson you clearly need.” He growled. 

“Lesson?” you asked, confused. “There isn’t one thing you could teach me.” You chuckled and his hold on your face got tighter. Your hands came up to his forearm to try and get him to ease up but to no avail. “Oww, see you're a brute, hurting me this much.” You whined.

Rolling his eyes he loosened his grip. “I suppose maybe you're this stupid because you're a pure, sheltered, little girl.” 

You couldn't see his face but you didn't need to to know he was mocking you. “Don't make assumptions about who I am, you don't know anything about my life.” You shouted in his face. Maybe not the smartest choice. Kakuzu jerked you towards him with the firm grip on your chin, causing you to let out a yelp. No one has ever handled you like this before. Even your father avoided even being near you once he gave up on you.

“The virgin princesses kept hidden from boys tell it’s her time to marry. Most stay in the marriage and bear their husbands children but some, like you, run away but they tend to end up back home and married too.” He says like it was all facts. “Your kind has been around for a long time, princess.”

Your cheeks heat up at his accuracy nonetheless, that was the exact predicament you were in. “But I don't want to go back, he's stupid and he acts like a child!” you whined. “And I'm not a virgin!” you added. You don't know why you felt the need to defend that part of yourself, yeah you weren't a virgin but you might as hell have been. It was once when you were seventeen with a fisherman's son. It sucked and he came in two minutes. 

“That so? A brat like you who acts like a child got someone to sleep with her?” He shot the insult at you with a chuckle. 

Now fully offended by the man you struggle even harder to get out of his hold. Yanking on his arm and attempting to hit his chest with your fists but none of it worked. All it did was cause a deep rumbling laugh coming from the masked man as he watched you struggle. “Listen here princess.” His gravely stern voice froze your movements. His hold on you stayed firm and his eyes narrowed in on you. “If i knew i was going to be handling a brat i would have brought some rope to keep you tied up and quiet, but if you don't shut up now then your ass is going to be in a lot of pain later.” He threatened with a growl. “Understood?” You gulped and shook your head in understanding. His voice is enough to send shivers up your spine. “Good girl.” he said and released his hold on your face before standing up, walking back over to taking up his spot in the corner of the room. “And you don’t act like a child?” He asked, clearly taunting her. He almost couldn't help it, things got boring and a little brat taming was always interesting. He just had to keep himself in check. 

You sat back down and crossed your arms. “Do you really have to take me back? Are you really that heartless?” you asked, pouting and sticking out your bottom lip. 

You amused the grumpy old man. A woman who was determined to not follow such a blind path in life was admirable. The money on your head was too good to pass up however. “Save it princess, for your price I'm not backing out now. You‘ll look fine in a few days, Hidan’s out getting ointment right now to heal you up faster.” He informed you. 

“So you can say the other guy's name but not your own!” You stood up and marched over to where the man sat with an elbow resting on one knee. You didn't get him, why did it even matter? He looked up at you, turning his head just a little with curiosity. What did you think you were going to do? “I bet you aren't even that tough, just big and scary and lucky you were in the same run down village as me, I mean you did have to knock me out.” You mocked him. 

Kakuzu almost couldn't even be mad at your bratty rant because he couldn't believe just how dumb that logic was and how you couldn't see that. His cloak alone told everyone who he was, a bounty hunter from the akatsuki organization. The largest team of organized bounty hunters that's been established. He almost stayed perfectly calm, almost. Arm flashed before your eyes and before you could register anything that was happening his massive hand was wrapped around your neck and yanking you down to your knees between his own. Your hands came up to his arm like before in an attempt to make him release you and just like last time it didn't work. His grip around your neck was tight and quickly restricting any air flow. 

Leaning in so his face was level with yours he spoke in a low intimidating tone. “Listen here little girl, keep acting like a brat or you might not be making it home so safely.” He tightened his grip enough for you to suck in air and keep your focus as he continued. “This place is cheap and in the middle of mountains most people don't want to venture up. Besides with rich people the longer you're missing, more money tends to be poured into the pot.”

For a moment you glared up at him but almost instantly you put two and two together, yeah he gets more money later but you stay away from home longer and can maybe find a way to get free again. Almost instantly your bratty instinct kicked into overdrive. You let out a snort. “Like an old man like you would be able to keep up with handling me.” You retorted. 

Kakuzu was just about to make you regret those words, his tendrils were about to creep out from under his long sleeve to wrap around your neck so his hands could make good on that promise from earlier but before he could the door slid open and Hidan came barging in. 

His scythe almost hit the door frame on the way in, he set it down in the corner by the door. “got that cream shit you told me to get, had a few other stops along the way.” He tossed a small bottle in your general direction before he even noticed the position you two were in but when he did a comical grin spread across his face. “What's up old man? Taking the princesses for a ride?” He jokes, howling a laugh. 

Your face instantly darkened into a deep blush when you realized just how close you were and how this looked from the outside. You looked to Kakuzu to let you go. He rolled his eyes and dropped his hand from your throat, threads retreating. You stood and shook your head dramatically. “No, that's not at all what is going on! He was being mean and hurting me!” you defended yourself.

Hidan looked you two over as he made his way into the room and circled you once before taking the place right behind you. He leaned down to speak low and soft in your ear. “Well if he isn't then why don't you come back to my room? I’ll fuck you just right baby, oh yeah I’d have you screaming for me.”

His hand came up to grip your hip, causing you to jerk around and face the filthy mouthed man. “Why would I ever do that? You'd probably kill me!” You accused the white haired man. 

Hidan fakes offense and gasps but his devilish grin couldnt leave his face long enough for him to be taken seriously. He took a step closer and reached a hand behind your head, cradding it softly but keeping you in place as he leaned back down to your ear. “C’mon, I could make a virgin like you cum on my cock in a minute.” He whispered and gave your ear lobe a soft nip. 

Your face was burning now and you were starting to feel really hot. “You both keep calling me a virgin but im not! I've been with a man.” you defend yourself against another assumption. You push his hands away from you and go to take a few steps back but your foot hits something and you're suddenly tumbling backwards. You land hard on your ass with an ‘ooofe’  while your back hits something solid, it couldn't be the wall. You turn around and have to look up to see Kakuzu's masked face staring down at you, eyes holding a bored expression. Your face felt like it was on fire, this whole situation turned horrible in an instant. 

Kakuzu’s thick arm wrapped around your middle before you could even think about getting up yourself. You were being lifted and held at the giant man's side like a rag doll as he stood. “Hidan, stop messing around, you won't touch her because you would bruise her.” He said allowing you to stand on your own, you took a step back from both men. “I'm going to run an errand, see if the price for Y/N’s head has gotten any higher and you, Hidan.” Kakuzu paused to look Hidan directly in his partners eyes. “Are going to take her to the bathroom and clean up her face, then go back to your room and watch her and don't forget the ointment.” He instructed. 

Waving his hand dismissively Hidan yawned. “Yeah yeah got it old man. I can handle a little girl.” He said. 

Kakuzu gave a grunt as a response before turning to you. You could hardly maintain eye contact, something about his gaze was starting to affect you in some way. Was it the green and red giving him a more menacing look or was it all just his presents in the room. Just like how it was affecting you, you also couldn't tell what the reason was.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the grumpy man's gravely voice speaking to you. “And you will do as you're told and not attempt to run off, I don't need to come back to your ass beaten up by Hidan.” He warned. 

“I promise I’ll only beat her ass if she asks me too.” Hidan laughed at his own joke.

You sent Kakuzu a worried look, he sent you a short shrug before opening and leaving the sliding door open for you two to go to the washroom. 

“Well let's go princess.” Hidan called for you as he too walked out the door but turned the opposite direction as his partner. “Let's get you cleaned up.”

You hesitated a moment before reluctantly following after the man. Down the hall and around the corner you stood before the doors contemplating just running and seeing how that ended up. “We?l get going, I don't feel like waiting all evening.” He urged you. 

You walked into the bathroom and noticed Hidan followed you in behind you. You turned and put your arms out in front of you, stopping him from walking any farther. “What are you doing here? Can’t I even use the bathroom by myself?!” You shouted. 

Hidden let out a low laugh. “Hey, babe I'm just here to make sure you don't run away.” He shrugged his shoulders. 

You lowered your arms to your sides and frowned up at him. “Get out.” you said simply. 

He cocked a brow at you. “What was that little meat? Couldn't hear you from down there.” He teased, bending down just a bit and turning his head to the side to hear you better. 

That's when you had an idea, if he hurt you and left a mark then you'd have more time to figure out how to get away from the two brutes. You sucked in a quick breath, balled your hand into a fist and swung at Hidan face as hard as you could. You regretted that decision as soon as the throbbing in your hand started, it felt like you had broken your entire hand on his face.You held your aching hand in the other and glanced at the white haired devil to see if you managed to achieve your goal in pissing him off. He was holding his face and staring blankly at the wall beside him. He slowly dropped his hand and turned his haad back to face you. Blood was running from his nose and down his chin and his signature grin was spreading across his face.

You looked at him with wide eyes, he liked it… He enjoyed you hitting him.

“That almost hurt, little girl.” Hidan growled and wiped the blood on the back of his hand then took a step towards you, you backed up a step and his grin grew wider. In a moment he was standing in front of you and pushing your back into the sink. His right hand came up to snake his lanky fingers around your neck just enough so you could still breath while his other hand held your hip in place. “Are you trying to get hurt, Or are you trying to turn me on?” He said, voice husky.

You couldn't think of words, mind frazzled by the man. You blinked blankley up at him trying to think of how to tell him off. He chuckled and slid a knee between your legs, pressing it into your core. The action caused a breathy gasp to leave your lips and Hiden to chuckle. The hand around your throat moves to cradle the back of your head so Hidan has room to push his face into your neck and inhale your scent deeply. 

You shivered at the sensation, you wanted to push him away but your body was frozen in place. You yelped when he nipped your neck softly before gently kissing the same spot. “Hidan, what are you doing?” you asked breathlessly.

He looked up from the crook of your neck with dark eyes. “I'm being gentle with you, treating you like the sweet princess you are.” He kisses your jaw near your chin before sticking his tongue out and licking along your curves to the spot below your ear, he sucking the soft skin between his lips.

Your hands came up to hold onto his cloak to keep steady. You grit your teeth in an attempt to keep quiet but it didn’t stop the moan that escaped you when he repeated the action with more aggression and teeth. You struggled against him but with his thigh between your legs and rubbing against your now tingling pussy your brain was starting to get foggy fast.

“Hidan~” you whine, pushing against him. “Stop Hidan, I want to clean my face, get out.” you said, bringing him back to the task at hand.

He pulled his head from your sensitive skin and looked down at you. ”We need to get you new clothes.” He remarked out of nowhere. 

You looked down at yourself. Your shirt and pants were dirty and there were small tares and holes everywhere from trying to run away from the bounty hunter pair. “Then get me clothes but right now get out! You can watch me from outside.” You demanded, giving him another shove. 

“Yeah yeah fine whatever.” He said dramatically pulling away from you and walking to the door. He turned back around before exiting. “Be a good girl and make it quick.” He said cheerfully before disappearing into the hallway. You bet with his perverted ear to the door too.

Too be continued~

[critter-genfic-events]

This time, we have seven fics that talk about mentorship! Sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse - and a lot of thoughts about legacy. Check them out behind the cut, and as always - comment and kudos if you like them!

The Slow March of Time by Swan_Song (13737,General) Warnings: Major Character Death/Lifespan angst Pairings: Yussa Errenis & Essek Thelyss & Caleb Widogast, background Shadowgast, QPR Essek and Yussa

Yussa and Essek talk about Caleb, about grief, and about memory.

Reccer says: gorgeous and sad

we all need someone to stay by whyyesitscar (2776,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Dairon & Beauregard Lionett, Dairon & Yudala Fon

a short character study on dairon's thoughts and feelings about our favorite punk monk

Reccer says: I liked it

Tiny Monks and Little Mages by devil_seabird_king (ShaaKi) (2011,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Beauregard Lionett & Caleb Widogast

When Caleb needs assistance with a lesson, Beau takes the opportunity presented and runs with it. The outcome may just have a lasting impact.

Reccer says: Great Beau voice, and cute!

Unnamed Baby Boy by tfm (1270,Teen) Warnings: Pairings: Dairon & Beauregard Lionett, background Beauyasha

Beau takes her newly adopted son to Zadash. Dairon is unimpressed (or are they??)

Reccer says: Fun and hilarious and adorable

prospective pupils by quinn_of_aebradore (1128,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

After a two year break, Caleb begins tutoring another class of Soltryce rejects.

Reccer says: I love the characterization and thought put into the students, and the emotions described for Caleb

Let Others Light their Candles by ChronicBookworm (2801,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Patia Por'co & The Raven Queen, Cerrit Agrupnin & Patia Por'co, Imyr Por'co & Patia Por'co, Maya Agrupnin & Patia Por'co

Patia, her mentors, and the one she never got the chance to mentor.

Reccer says: God, thinking about Patia just kills me and this fic does her justice and gives me so many feelings

kill your heroes by CorvidFeathers (16440,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Kynan Leore & Anna Ripley

The ballad of Kynan Leore and Anna Ripley

Reccer says: Amazing fic about a character that doesn't get too much attention - and super clever to boot

This is one of our weekly communally-generated gen rec lists. Every week we announce a new theme and allow anyone to submit a fic recommendation. Please note that the summary and content notes are provided by the reccer, and may be different than what the author has provided. Please assume good intentions all around. <3

And hey, anyone includes you!

We'll be back on the first with Scanlan Recs - then on the fifteenth with fics featuring dreams.

Any fics coming to mind? Well, then use this form to submit! If you're looking for some more, check out some fics written in the critter genfic bingo tag, or the older rec lists! Or you can request your own card and join in on the fun!

[multiverse-imagines]

Vashtember (A Writer's Hijacking) Day 2: Knives

Okay, so I cheated a tiny bit. Its technically about @aidakhar 's dad!Knives au. But how can I resist Knives being a doting father?

"Azrael, that's the third Toothbrush this month." Knives frowned as he looked at the small disgruntled boy who presented him with yet another mangled toothbrush.

"My teeth are just too sharp, Papa." Azrael moped.

"I see that. I'll have to talk to Dr. Conrad about this…" Knives mused to himself, as he comforted his son, "For now, why don't we just keep doing our best until we can figure something out, okay? It's not very efficient as far as the lifespans of toothbrushes go, but it'll keep your teeth clean in the meantime."

"Fine." Azrael huffed as he stalked off, going to his room. Knives was frustrated as well. It was important to maintain oral cleanliness. How was his child supposed to do so when his teeth were ripping through each toothbrush at such a rapid pace? He pondered these things as he too stalked down the hall towards Dr. Conrad's lab.

"Ah, Master Knives. What brings you around this time?" Conrad asked, sitting at his desk, a beaker of coffee still steaming close by.

"Azrael just gave me his third decimated toothbrush this month. I need something different than this archaic stick." Knives complained to Conrad.

"Well, the evolution of the toothbrush hasn't really changed since the Earth's 1800's… they even used them in the ancient Egyptian era. It's one of those "If it's not broke, don't fix it" kinds of things." Conrad explained.

"Then we have to make something those stupid humans couldn't." Knives snidely replied.

"Of course, Sir. When I was a child back on Earth, they did have these chewable toothbrushes, but I fear the boy will just chew through them."

"What were they made of? Could we improve upon whatever material they used? Make them reusable, or recyclable?"

"They were just silicone, but, again, I fear he would just rip through Silicone like a shark eating a seal." Conrad lamented, taking a sip from his beaker of coffee, "I could improve it to withstand the psi of his bite strength strength. I can probably project 170 psi at the most, so I can make a silicone that withstands up to 200… Can you bring The Boy in to run some tests? He might enjoy it, since he'll get to bite stuff." Conrad began to write calculations and equations down on a piece of paper before asking the question.

"Yeah, I can bring him around, but… in the morning. He needs his sleep." Knives said, noting the time. Conrad chuckled, realizing what a doting father his fearsome boss had become. It made Conrad miss the daughter he'd wronged so long ago as he sipped his coffee once more.

"Of course, Sir. That will give me time to experiment with the silicone before I can run my tests for the prototype. This is a welcome distraction. I was beginning to feel burnt out on my previous experiments." Conrad shrugged.

"Wonderful. I know you won't disappoint us, Doctor. I shall return with Azrael in the morning." Knives nodded before leaving Conrad to his work.

***

When Knives and Azrael returned the next morning, Conrad was still hard at work.

"What is your progress, Doctor?" Knives asked as He reminded Azrael to be mindful of his surroundings, as not to collide with anything within the lab.

"Ah, Master Knives. You're just in time. I just finished with the silicone that can withstand 200 psi. I still want an average bite test from him. I may be able to adjust the longevity of the silicone, and we'll be able to recycle them, combine them together to make new ones. Silicone is surprisingly easy to make on this planet, since silicone is made from sillica particles in sand. We live on a planet covered in the stuff!" Conrad said triumphantly, pulling a lever for dramatic affect as a compression machine squished a rubbery piece of silicone. A little machine attached to it beeped, calculating the integrity of the small marble, and the he lifted the lever, to show the marble still intact. Conrad took the marble to a nearby sink, washing it thoroughly, before handing it to Azrael.

"Here, chew on this for me. Please do not swallow it." Conrad instructed. Azrael paused before taking the little marble from Conrad's hand, and popping it into his mouth. He munched on it, his eyes brightening a little at the bouncy resistance the marble gave.

"Should I try to rip it apart with my teeth?" Azrael asked as he chewed.

"Give it your best shot, kid." Conrad nodded, giving Azrael permission to destroy his prototype in the name of science. After a minute or two, Azrael spit the ball back into Conrad's gloved hand. Conrad gave the silicone ball study under the microscope, investigating the small tears made by Azrael's teeth.

"Was it hard to chew on, Azrael?" Conrad asked as he gazed into the microscope.

"Not really. It was like… chewing gum." Azrael explained. Conrad nodded, standing from the microscope.

"Okay. I figured Independants had a harder bite force than humans, but I didn't expect harder than 200 psi, damn. Good thing Silicone can go up to 1,500 psi when using the right formula." Conrad sighed. "My goal is to create a silicone that won't tear under his bite force, but is still easy to chew on." Conrad explained. He picked up a small device that had a rubber mouthpiece attached. After sterilizing the piece, he asked Azrael to place it in his mouth, and bite down as hard as he could. Conrad frowned at the results.

"Hm, 220. Yep, gotta make a stronger silicone. Alright, I should have the prototype ready by tomorrow morning." Conrad concluded, writing some notes. Knives and Azrael went about their day as normal.

***

"Okay, I think I've got it this time. Try this one." Conrad handed Azrael a small ball with little silicone bristles, sterilized of course. The middle was hollow for toothpaste to fit inside. Azrael chewed on the ball, purposefully trying to mangle it with his teeth. After a few minutes, he spit the ball out as before, and after a study by Conrad, the item was complete.

"Yeah, this new chewable toothbrush should last you two months, or about sixty teeth cleanings. I'll have more made, and ready to go within the week. They're easy to recycle, so I'll be able to make a sustainable stock of them." Conrad was nearly giddy at his success, "I recommend using this with supervision due to the potential choking hazard, but that's just a precaution." He noted to Knives, from one father to another.

"I'll be sure to do so. We can brush our teeth together, then." Knives nodded, internally excited to have a new style of cleaning for his son.

[en-chi-la-da]

general animal death talk below

last night my dog sissy finally passed away

when i say finally i don't mean it like "god FINALLY i've been WAITING for her to GO already", i mean it like, i've been expecting it. "she's a tiny elder dog so i shouldn't be surprised when it happens", it's happening > it happened > time goes on. she's lived a long life, a solid 21 years (her birthday is in january) which was way longer than i was expecting her to go to be honest (although it is the estimated lifespan for the chihuahua breed WHATEVER) she was a strong little geezer. never broke a bone, rarely got sick, it felt like she was indestructible, looking back on it all.

unfortunately, she did get sick once again, so it actually wasn't from her old age catching up to her (again, that's what i expected to happen). she became lethargic and weak, very hot, was not eating/drinking or getting up to use the bathroom, when she did it was only to pee, and lots of sleeping. when we got her checked out she was dehydrated, ran over 103-degree F fever, and they told us that after an ultrasound they had found some cysts that had developed in her lower body (her digestive tract i believe). they said her body was trying to fight off an infection, most likely from the cysts, but they couldn't tell if they were cancerous or not or if one of them had popped or something. in the end, she wasn't looking good.

long term, we would've had to pay for numerous tests and surgeries for them to figure out what exactly was affecting her and try to treat her, although with her current state and how old she was, the vet estimated that most likely, her body wouldn't be able to handle all of that. short term, the quality of life route, we administer painkillers for a predetermined amount of time until she passes on her own or we run out. or, euthanization right there in the clinic. i saw no point in the medicine, why try to keep her around, just so we could watch her continue to suffer in her own bed? so she could keep not drinking or eating? so the infection could keep spreading? so i could end up one day coming home to find her dead body? horrible and ugly and the last thing i want to remember her by.

it felt like the best course of action, all things considered. she gets to pass painlessly, and i get to say goodbye and hold her in my arms one last time. honestly, i hadn't even started crying until it was over. when i felt her stop breathing and the vet confirmed that her heart had stopped. sure, at this point i had already accepted the fact that she was dying, there's not much we could do about it without hurting her more, it's the cycle of life, it was her time to go, i knew it was going to happen eventually - still, despite everything i was telling myself, to just get through it, for her sake - all my feelings in that moment still hit me like a truck. never before had she felt so small.

her life and her death will remain with me for the rest of mine, and i can only hope to see her again one day, but not for a long, long time.

i'm okay now, for the moment. honestly, ive just been rewatching all the videos i have of her, continuing to think of her and remembering her life with me. all that's left is to let the grieving process pass, i suppose. this is the last pic i got of sissy - this was from only a day before she started getting sick, can you believe that? i have others of her obviously, but this one i'm more comfortable with sharing.

on 4-15-2024 i said goodbye to the strongest chihuahua i've ever known and had the pleasure of raising 💖 may she rest in peace! :')

[solei-eclipse]

Explanation time! Starting with Kio because she's easier and TUMBLR POSTED MY DRAFT FOR JIU so I'm redoing that later everyone close your eyes

From top left going down: Chihiro Ogino (Spirited Away), James Henry Hayward (the Iremonger trilogy, Foulsham), Momo (Momo & the Grey Gentlemen)

Top right going down: Mitsuha Miyamizu (Your Name), Hikaru (The Summer Hikaru Died), Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer)

Chihiro Ogino

So this one is PAINFULLY obvious

naturally she's where Kioku's character originated from, but the funny thing is she's a lot more disconnected from Chihiro than Jiu is to Haku

Most of the main traits still remain. the childish kind of naivety, meeting people she's been told are untrustworthy yet trusting and believing with her heart that they are good inside anyway (this works out for Chihiro, it does not work out for Kioku), stubbornness, general lack of grace, etc

The main reason why Kio seems more separated from Chihiro is because the main thing that inspired me was the idea of Chihiro after walking out the tunnel aka losing her memory

The concept of her disappearing and coming back as this strangely different girl but nobody knows why. She can't even remember herself

Can you imagine losing your whiny scaredy cat daughter for (what you assume is) 2 hours and she comes back hardened with experience and maturity and wtf why is she cleaning now

One of my favorite interpretations of an older Chihiro is that she's into sports! I've seen quite a few variants (track, soccer, lacrosse, softball)

To me, Chihiro would take up sports as a result of her budding work ethic + after all the stunts she pulled in the bathhouse I'd say she's got a head start on the training already (running from a giant No Face as a tiny scrawny 10 year old definitely alters the brain chemistry I think) + it's just a way to further hammer down how changed and developed she is from the child she used to be before. she is literally stronger and more capable now

Kio is pretty much the same in this aspect, with the added bonus of "the mind forgets but the body remembers" as one of the reasons why she likes physical activity so much

Also. Chihiro is absolutely not a parkourist though Kio is LMAO she's just kind of slightly a freak. while Chihiro is just sweet

James Henry Hayward

So onto the more obscure book inspos

James Henry Hayward is a young boy who was previously a bath plug. I realize I have to explain this a little.

In the world of the Iremonger trilogy, there are things called birth objects. They're essentially people turned into objects, and the rich and wealthy Iremonger family connect their souls with these poor objects in order to increase their power/lifespan I believe? It's been a while since I've read it to be honest. They essentially keep these people trapped into objects and carry them around like trophies. If they're too far away from their birth object, they grow ill until they die. A person and their birth object cannot be human at the same time, if their birth object suddenly breaks into human form again, the other person will turn into their birth object. You can imagine the oppressive shit they do to their objects in order to ensure that they stay objects.

James Henry was a bath plug, the birth object of the main character. At the end of the first book, a huge event happens where the main character turns into an object and James Henry is able to become human again

But since he has connections to the main character (who was heir to the rich and wealthy tyrant family), he was kept and locked away in their residence in order to be monitored

The main inspiration I took from James Henry once again has to do with memory.

When James Henry reverts back to a human, he can't remember anything from his past save from a few hazy vignettes and seeing things that shouldn't be there

His general perception of the world is cloudy and unclear because his caretaker feeds him "medicine" that really just serves to cloud his memory more and ensure that he lives in blissful ignorance

The people of the house regularly gaslight him into believing that nothing is wrong and that he grew up in this house, continuously feeding him medicine that makes his head hurt and difficult to think

He keeps seeing things where they shouldn't be and believes that they're remnants of his past memories that are seeping out

They're often distorted though, and usually take the form of strange things, like his sister as a rat inside a cupboard.

James Henry serves as Kio's inspiration in this way, but his caretaker Ada also serves as inspiration for Kio's guardian

Momo

Momo is a mysterious little girl (scrawny, around 10 or below) of unknown origin who just... appears out of nowhere and begins to integrate herself amongst the locals of the town.

When asked about her age, I believed she answered like. 1000+ or something? Once again, it's been a while.

Her origins are never explained, nobody knows where she came from and she doesn't seem to know either.

She's welcomed with open arms, though, and the townsfolk begin warming up to her.

Overall her personality traits are pretty standard heroine stuff, naive, honest, sees good in people (literally, I'll explain in a moment), does her best to help, etc

The main trait I took from Momo was the quality of her eyes.

Momo's eyes are special in the way that anyone who looks into them (which she does when she "listens" to them, her special talent is "listening") will have the good brought out of them. She listens to people's problems, and once they air out their grievances and look into her eyes it's almost like their problems are fixed somehow. She has the power to stop fights, bring creative inspiration and calm the hysterical just by sitting there.

There's a scene where one of the antagonists (a grey gentleman who steals the lifespan of other people) tries to lure her away with toys and such, but she just stares at him and he starts spilling his guts uncontrollably. He tries in vain to stop it but he ends up spouting secrets and the true motives of his company and junk and it's just an insane scene because all she's doing is standing there and this grown businessman alien is scared shitless of her.

NATURALLY THIS IS AN INSANELY OVERPOWERED ABILITY (to me). even more crazy how it seems like momo doesn't even know she has it

So I made sure Kio didn't have that EXACT ability because Lord knows the kind of secrets these s40 kids are carrying around.

I mentioned before in the introduction post, but Kio has a very open face and disarming eyes. They're not as overpowering as Momo's, just enough to make anyone with bad intent or a severe secret feel strangely uncomfortable. They're rather warm to everyone else.

Despite this, there's one person that her eyes have the full Momo effect™ on, and I think you can guess who.

(there's a reason he doesn't look into her eyes)

Mitsuha Miyamizu (Taki Tachibana?)

Honestly not much on Mitsuha herself, but rather Taki when he inhabits Mitsuha's body

It's noticeable that whenever Taki is in control, Mitsuha's hair is in a ponytail instead of its usual intricate braid. This is because he doesn't know how to do it like she does.

That's Kio to me. All she can do is a ponytail.

Taki-Mitusha is also much more sporty and bold than the real Mitsuha!

I can imagine Kio in that scene where Taki-Mitsuha plays basketball. That was a scene I found really fun lol

Honestly that basketball scene is the only reason. I don't really know why I gave her a spot here........

Hikaru

:)

Mitsuri Kanroji

Just for the general energetic vibes, clumsy nature and genuine spirit

Also the fact that Mitsuri is abnormally strong and her body composition is bizarre.

She's very athletic and agile, very fast-moving.

Kio would be less on the flexibility aspect and more on the running and jumping stuff, though (parkour!!)

Mitsuri is kind of a huge dork who messes up frequently and is pretty clumsy, which are traits that Kio has

But she's also an incredibly hard worker and creates her own way out of a given thing or situation, opting to keep her hopes up even if she cries about it sometimes (similar to Chihiro)

Kio's mannerisms are also quite similar, especially the scene where she tries and fails to explain something to the Master and embarrassedly says "I'm so sorry. I'm going to go die in a hole now." while groveling.

The reaction that Iguro has to her explanation is also very Jiu coded HAHAHA

[bufomancer]

I do think I’m going to take a break from hamsters after my current 3 pass as well… I am still back and forthing about whether I will continue having a mouse colony after my girls pass, luckily half of my girls are not yet a year so I have time to make decisions about that.

Things have been a lot more manageable around here lately, almost all of the rats are adopted or in other foster homes! I have 6 boys, 3 sanctuary girls, and then 1 current foster and 1 incoming foster that don’t have other fosters lined up. The remaining 8 rats at my house will all be leaving in the next week or two for new adventures!

The rats take up the most amount of time and space so this is a major relief! I will likely always have a few foster rats, but I’ve decided they really just aren’t a great fit for my household longterm. Luckily I have built up a pretty good group of rat fosters to take over for me after initial quarantine and vet visits are done with.

I am still seeking more male mouse foster homes. Male mice are one of the most difficult animals for us to place and while they aren’t very high maintenance individually, having 7 of them adds up! I have 1 going to a foster soon, and possibly a second. Right now the 5 baby boys are still cohabbing but they won’t be able to for much longer.

After a decent run with almost no gerbils coming in, we have 4 scheduled to come in over the next few weeks (plus 2 already at the rescue), 2 of whom are in need of bonding to each other so no one is alone. That’ll be fun! I love gerbils :)

I also have a pair of chinchillas likely coming in. I haven’t had chins at my place for a few months so I’m a little bit excited!

Nothing else too crazy going on. We are at just about 30 enclosures right now and 72 animals, with 13 scheduled to go out, and up to 7 coming in.

Sadly I have a lot of seniors right now as well:

Sniper the rat, who is 2y8m and his hind limb degeneration is increasing rapidly

Sunny and Bandit the rats who are just over 2, but still totally happy and healthy

Frog, Mushroom, and Nyx the mice who are all between 1.5-2 years, though none have health concerns right now

Fuzzy and Two Scoop my syrian hamsters who are both 2 years

Asperita my dwarf ham who is a little over 1.5 years and starting to slow down

Salt and Poundcake the rats who both have mammary tumors and are 2 years or older

Blossom and Bubbles the mice are not quite 1.5, but Bubbles has heart disease and is on medication for life and may have a shorter lifespan

All 10 african soft furs I am fostering are over 1.5, and soft furs don’t tend to live much more than 2. Luckily, only one has papillomas and only a very small amount.

Eggy the foster mouse who is just over 1.5

It is really disheartening watching all my animals become seniors. I have been less active on here, in part because I have been trying to spend more time with my critters while I still can. Especially knowing these will be my last rats and last hamsters for a while, it just feels extra hard.

I will ALWAYS have a good crew of permanent critters but with our intakes up 86% compared to last year and 4 months still left in the year we need foster space more than ever to ensure animals have a safe place to go. We are projected to end the year with over 400 intakes! Likely going forward my forever animals will end up being primarily special needs or hospice critters that are not good candidates for adoption.

I frankly never imagined when I started fostering for Tiny Whiskers how much it would become my life. From one hamster at a time to managing the social media and most of the intakes/adoptions, getting our 501c3, partnering with other amazing organizations in the state, and at one point having over 100 animals in my house after that eventful May mass intake… It’s been a wild ride.

But that’s enough rambling for now 😅

[erabundus]

i  made  a  post  early  on  in  this  blog's  lifespan  about  how  ren  would  occasionally  have  these  moments  where  the  grief  became  overwhelming,  when  the  anger  and  shame  would  grow  too  violent  to  control  —  and  his  usual  coping  mechanism  would  be  to  go  somewhere  very  isolated  and  SELF  DESTRUCT.  scream.  cry.  reduce  trees  to  splinters.  an  ugly,  ugly,  ugly  outburst  that  feels  more  akin  to  the  tantrum  of  a  child  gifted  incredible ( and dangerous )  power.  there  is  so  much  pain  inside  of  him  that  he  doesn't  know  how  to  process  in  a  healthy  manner  —  that  he  has  never  been  TAUGHT  how  to  process  in  a  healthy  manner,  and  the  only  way  he  knows  how  to  vent  his  frustrations  is  by  turning  those  destructive  feelings  outward.

i  like  to  run  my  blog  with  a  sense  of  continuity  and  story  progression.  time  doesn't  stay  stagnant;  interactions  and  relationships  will  influence  my  muse  going  forward,  other  characters  may  occasionally  be  mentioned  in  threads  they  don't  appear  in.  all  this  to  say,  i'd  like  to  think  over  the  past  year,  ren  has  slowly  come  to  a  point  where  he  doesn't  have  these  outbursts  anymore  —  or  if  he  does,  they've  become  so  rare  that  they're  more  isolated  incidents  than  a  pattern  of  BEHAVIOR.  he  is  still  hurting.  he  is  still  learning  how  to  forgive  himself.  he  is  still  unraveling  the  mess  inside  his  head  and  trying  to  figure  out  how  to  live  with  the  ghosts  of  all  the  people  he's  wronged.  but  he  has  learned  at  least  how  to  take  it  one  day  at  a  time  and  sometimes  even  allow  himself  to  enjoy  tiny  things  while  ignoring  the  voice  that  tells  him  he  doesn't  deserve  it. he's created genuine relationships despite kicking and screaming in PROTEST all the while.

it  hasn't  been  constant  improvement;  he's  relapsed  back  into  old  habits  and  sabotaged  himself  at  every  turn  —  but  little  by  little,  he  is  getting  better.  even  if  he  only  inches  along  in  these  infinitesimally  small  increments,  he's  still  in  a  HEALTHIER  PLACE  than  he  was  a  year  ago  and  it's  just very  sweet  to  see. ren may not believe it, but he's healing.

[running2redemption]

Titan's Prophet AU Masterpost/Overview

A Philip Wittebane centric AU. Character relationships at the bottom of the post.

When Philip first arrived on the Isles, alone and hostile, the Titan attempted to reach out to guide him, subtly at first and less so as the stubborn man ignored the signs.

Eventually the Titan reached out telepathically - and even then Philip accused the Titan of being the voice of the Devil. It was only through ignoring the Titan's warnings repeatedly that he began to maybe consider this guide might not be evil. And once that trust was established, Philip was constantly asking questions about this place, and the Titan answered where she could.

By the time Philip reached Caleb, there was still an argument about being abandoned, but that's all it was: an argument.

Philip wound up living with them, helping Evelyn with potions and writing a book about the Isles from the perspective of a newcomer, published under the pseudonym Belos. It was around this time that Caleb carved Philip his own palisman, Tate(r).

When he heard Evelyn refer to the Titan in a manner similar to God and the Titan responded, Philip had a little tiny bit of a freak out. He was a chosen prophet of the God of this place? He was special. He was Chosen.

Caleb and Evelyn didn't quite believe him at first, but as he demonstrated knowledge he couldn't possibly have obtained any other way they began to.

And Philip was so eager to be directed by the Titan; the Titan had a means to influence the world in a bigger way with Philip. Caleb carved Philip a new mask and he went out to solve the world's problems as Belos, the Titan's Prophet!

He travelled all over the Isles, warning people of impending disaster, resolving conflict and occasionally running into trouble. The Titan shared some of her power with him, enabling him to cast magic similar to a witch, and lengthened his lifespan significantly.

Between following the Titan's bidding he returned to Evelyn and Caleb's home and their seemingly endlessly growing brood. In this time he built the Portal Door and subsequently lost it after a single use, Philip couldn't hear the Titan in the Human Realm so he returned to the Boiling Isles fairly quickly.

As more time passed, Philip asked the Titan to extend Caleb's life as well, which the Titan agreed to if that was what Caleb wanted. But Caleb rejected the offer - he was happy with the life he'd been given, he didn't want to watch Evelyn and his kids die, to outlive them like that. He was happy Philip had found his place in the world and had really grown into an accomplished man, but eternity was not for him.

There was a lot of bitterness about that decision and Philip tried to find a way to convince or force Caleb to accept the offer, but he never could, even on Caleb's deathbed.

Philip was left the house, and began wallowing in grief. The Titan installed Hooty into the house to keep Philip company and draw the man out of his misery. It worked.

Philip resumed missions with Hooty acting as security while he was away, but any Clawthorne was welcome to use the house as needed, it acted mostly as a family home.

The Titan's requests slowed as time went on, partly because there's only so many problems that can be solved by throwing Philip at them and partly because while Philip's lifespan had been extended, he was still aging and the Titan was worried it was becoming too much for him.

He became the Clawthorne family historian, good old uncle Philip, always reliably there. The general assumption is that the prophet Belos died, most of the Clawthornes didn't know that he'd even been the prophet.

The Sovereign took control of the Isles and Philip did ask if he should do something about that but was advised to stand down, which he did, reluctantly. He still wrote scathing political takes in the paper under the name Belos - most people assume it is just a reference to the old prophet for those who know their history.

When Edalyn was cursed and ran away from home she inevitably turned up at Philip's, who gladly took her in despite the attack on Dell - he was confident he could handle Eda at her worst with the Titan's blessing.

Philip has basically become a homebody, rarely leaving the house, the general public don't even know he exists.

Character Relations (most interactions would take place in the first season equivalent)

Luz - A new young face around the house. Philip is somewhat indifferent until he realizes she's human - he's warming up to Luz.

Edalyn - Beloved annoying niece.

King - Beloved son. Spoils him. King does not know he's a Titan at this point, though Philip does draw the Titan often and tells him that it's King's father.

Hooty - A good very annoying friend.

Hunter - Who's that? And why does he look like my long-deceased brother?

Lilith - Beloved niece. Reminds him of himself.

Willow - Luz's friend from school?

Gus - Luz's friend from school?

Amity - Luz's ??? from school?

Raine - Eda's ex. Shame, Philip really liked them, which should have been his first warning that it wasn't gonna work out - he never likes the Clawthorne's partners.

Dell - Beloved nephew, reminds him a lot of Caleb.

Gwendolyn - Not fond. Kind of amused that she is a -lyn that joined the family instead of being born into it.

The Sovereign - Never met them and never wants to.

The Titan - Partner.

The Collector - Who?

[legolasghosty]

your rarepairiest pair: Is this a mid-life crisis because if it is I'm a bit worried about your lifespan.

Oh gosh yes please! I will take any and every excuse to write JuBobby! (Also I think I accidentally set this in my Jem and the Holograms AU... whoops! Oh well, I think it makes sense still without context.)

Bobby generally considers his girlfriend a levelheaded person. Sure, she's done some crazy stuff (See the history of how they even met in the first place), but in general, Julie thinks things through before she does them. And that's probably a good thing, considering the insanity of at least half of her brothers/band.

But even for the most even-keeled individual, fame does weird stuff. So when Julie gets back after what was supposed to be a casual family dinner (no significant others allowed on the first night of the visit to give Julie and her brothers a chance to catch up with Ray, Victoria, and Carlos), crashes onto Bobby's bed, and says, "I'm going to get a yacht," Bobby isn't entirely sure how to react.

He hits the save key on his computer and rises from his desk. "Is this a mid-life crisis?" he asks slowly, approaching his girlfriend and sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Cause if so, I'm a little worried about your lifespan. I don't want to outlive you by that much, Molina."

Julie groans and rolls onto her side to look at him. "People can't recognize me on a boat," she states, voice flat.

Bobby winces, suddenly understanding. He'd turned off most of his notifications while he was working, which is probably how he missed whatever pictures have made it online of Julie and her brothers just trying to spend time with their family. He reaches out to run his fingers gently over her arm, offering what comfort he can.

"We didn't even have our food yet before someone came to ask for an autograph," Julie sighs, wriggling a little closer to him. "And then the waiters were staring, and...sometimes I wonder why I told the world my real name."

Bobby hums softly and lays down on his side, pulling her into his chest. "I'm sorry, Ju." This sort of thing has been happening more and more over the past nine months since Julie took to the stage as Dahlia and the crowd was chanting her real first name by the time she and her brothers finished the show.

"So I'm gonna get a frigging boat so I can hang out with my family without getting interrupted," Julie huffs, curling into his embrace, letting his cool hands smooth out the rough heat racing through her body from all the unwanted stares.

"I mean, I know it doesn't really solve the actual problem," Bobby begins, resting his chin against her hair, "but you could just bring them here if you wanted. Get some fancy takeout and just stay in together."

"I wouldn't want to kick you out of your own house though," Julie protests, looking up at him. "I mean, I know the guys and I live here too, but it's your home too. You shouldn't lose your safe space just because my family is in town."

Bobby forces down a joke about being used to it from how things were with Caleb up until a year ago. His therapist says that's not healthy, to downplay it like that. "I don't mind," he promises instead. "They're important to you. So, important to me. I can stay out of your way no problem as long as no one ends up in my room."

Julie cracks a tiny smirk. "Awww, so no sleepovers while they're here?" she teases.

Bobby chuckles and shrugs as best he can without loosening his grip on her. "I suppose something could be arranged," he responds. "You know, if the situation were desperate enough."

"So... you last maybe one night without me," Julie snarks.

"Hey, you leave my insomnia out of this," Bobby complains lightly, unable to resist the slow grin spreading across his face. "I managed just fine before we met."

"Lies," Julie retorts, pushing herself up on one elbow so she's above him.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Bobby challenges.

"Go sleep in my amazing bazillion thread sheeted bed in my room by myself," she answers, smirking. "We'll see just how well you sleep by yourself."

Bobby raises an eyebrow. "I don't see you moving."

"Hey I got accosted by twelve-year-olds today, I'm not moving very fast," Julie says.

Hah, Bobby thinks. An opening. He reaches out and grabs an edge of his bedspread, flipping them over and pinning her down with the blanket and his body. "Well then you're not going anywhere," he teases.

"Oh no, woe is me," Julie laughs as she fumbles one arm free to cup the back of his neck. "I shall never escape."

"Nope, mine now," Bobby agrees before giving into her gentle tugging and leaning down to kiss her. "I'm serious though," he adds, pulling back a hair after a moment. "Just bring your family here. I know it's not ideal, but we can make it feel just as fancy as those stupid restaurants downtown. And here you can just be you."

"You're amazing," Julie says. "Think we can make it happen for everybody dinner tomorrow night?"

"Caleb has an impressive wine cellar," Bobby promises. "And he owes me and Willie and Carrie like... a lot."

"You know I'm technically underaged, right?" Julie jokes.

"Well, rockstars are allowed to do fun stuff sometimes," Bobby responds, leaning down to kiss her again. They'd figure it out, one way or another.

[joltai-showa]

Upon reading the latest chapter of Karameru's "If you can press rewind" (do check out, it's pretty fun) I remembered something that made me laugh, so here's some random analysis of Naruto, in particilar, the topic of religion.

And I don't mean stuff like afterlife, random alien rabbits, etc etc, I mean like what beliefs people practice in Naruto world. This topic is brought up in, like, one arc which is Akatsuki supression arc and with one character who is Hidan. That arc is pretty funny in that it brings up two things that should realistically play a pretty significant role in characters' lives - money and religion - buuuut it's instantly forgotten in favor of more Sasuke bitching. Anyway, that's besides the point, back to the topic of religion.

Here I am gonna be laying out things that I certainly remember from my reread of Naruto like a year ago, so not everything might be mentioned, blah blah blah.

Obviously, we've got Jashinism and Hidan as the only known member (no, little Bolt's adventures are not canon to me, there are fanfics out there that have better writing than that excuse of a sequel series). As far as I remember, it's generally treated as a cult, so it's not widely practiced, even though it does offer these tiny little perks like LITERAL IMMORTALITY.

(sidenote but why the fuck was Orochimaru doing these replanting operations every three years when there's a cult like that literally one border away from Konoha? you're gonna be murdering people for experiments anyway, grab a knife or smth and shout that they're dying for Jashin's glory, you literally don't have to change your routine at all and get free immortality as well?)

ahem. anyway. Who the fuck is Jashin? Why is the guy capable of making his hardcore followers just straight up not die from physical injuries? How does he fit with the other stuff like Pure Lands, Limbo, aliens, etc, etc? Nobody knows, but by far the most broken religion in the world where it feels like all major characters have commited at least one war crime.

Now things that are (likely?) more widespread and commonly believed in are Wills, and really there are only two Wills that we ever learn of, first being the Will of Fire (obviously practiced in Konoha) and Will of Stone (literally only mentioned in Onoki's flashback with his grandpa).

Will of Fire, from how I see it, is something similar to beliefs in spirits of ancestors that continue to linger on and provide help given the fact that certain rituals are upheld that are pretty common in many countries in Asia. Sorry if the phrasing is a bit weird, I can barely formutale it in my first language, not to mention English. Anyway, this is, as far as I remember, is pretty widely practiced in Konoha which is not a big population centre in the Land of Fire, but also practically the capital for shinobi forces in the country, y'know, shinobi that have an average lifespan of like 30 years. Will of Fire acts like both the origin point for Konoha shinobi (your ancestors and fallen comrades are part of it and continue watching over you) and the end point (this is what awaits you beyond, presumably honorable, death). So Will of Fire is by far the closest thing that we see to an actual religion.

(also decided to scroll through wiki on this point and lmao of course Will of Fire came from Hashirama, because making everyone go along with your philosophy gonna be great in the long run. no wonder the hidden village system didn't fix shit)

Now Will of Stone is a really weird one because it's actually kinda closer to a philosophy? It just describes what virtues Iwa shinobi is supposed to have, however that might just be an issue that Kishimoto forgot about Iwa's existence for like 80% of the manga, thus whatever lore is there for them is half-done. Anyway, with what we are given Will of Stone is more about what qualities Iwa shinobi should strive for, and, funnily enough, nobody seems to remember that this Will even exists besides Onoki. The youngest generation represented by Kurotsuchi, Akastuchi and Deidara (who is a nukenin which might have explained why he doesn't give a shit about the villages' beliefs) are never shown to acknowledge Will of Stone.

Anyway, that's it for fully fictional religions in the world of Naruto, but we are not done yet, because Kishimoto sometimes really liked to slap elements from Buddhism or Shinto, which I presume to be not completely intentional on his part as he was prioritizing aesthetics of a scene/jutsu rather than the implications this creates for the existing religions in the shinobi world.

Okay, what conclusions can we make regarding what had been given to us in canon? Shinobi definitely have

a) their local religions and beliefs that are pretty strongly assosiated with their villages

b) various cults

c) likely some form of Buddhism

So why did I decide to write up this post after reading the recent chapter in "If you can press rewind"? Well, the most obvious thing from the list above is that Christianity doesn't exist in the context of Naruto world. And, as a result, the characters from that world have no idea what Christmas, Easter, St. Valentine's day, etc etc are, because these holidays simply don't exist for them.

(This is not to throw shade on anyone, just a thing a remembered)

Anyway, so funny story time: there was a post in a Naruto discussion group where the admin brought up this exact same topic and people began analyzing if there were any other signs of real-life religions that shouldn't really exist in the context of Naruto.

And they way everyone LOST THEIR SHIT when someone pulled up a page from the manga where Jiraya was called Naruto's "godfather". Which really shouldn't be a thing unless Christianity does exist in the shinobi world. People began a full-on dang investigation into that page, we're talking about a dozen of people pulling up different translations of the same page, comparing and arguing about the validity of another translation.

It did end well, after a while someone pulled up with the page in Japanese and explained that yes, Jiraya is kind of called Naruto's godfather, but the term in the original text is different to the one used to describe godfather in Christianity, meaning Jiraya is simply someone with guardian-like role to Naruto. Limitations of translations and all, yada yada.

But goddamn was it fun to see people try to fit Holy Crusades into the already messy lore of Naruto