#trial and error learning in dogs

[lindacasedogs]

Errorless Learning vs. Trial and Error

Which Works Better for Dogs? This winter, my training partner Amanda and I decided to teach our dogs “toy identification”. We lead a small weekly training class at my training center and one of the behaviors that the class expressed interest in was training their dogs to retrieve toys by name. Amanda and I selected an approach to teaching this behavior that is commonly referred to as Errorless…

[thecupidwitch]

Moon Magick

What Is A Moon Magick?

In many cultures around the world, practitioners have used the position of the moon, as well as the phases of the moon in their practice. Each phase of the moon is perfect for certain types of magickal workings. Not all witches depend on the particular moon phase. Many develop their own methods and techniques through trial and error to find out what works best. Those that do use the timing of the moon do so by choosing the moon phase most conducive to their magickal workings. This gives their magickal workings some extra lunar energy boost.

Correspondences:

Associated deities: Isis, Diana, Artemis, Morrigan, Holda, Nyx, Nephtys, Sedna, Lilith, baba, Yaga, Kali, Aphrodite, Freya, Ishtr, Hathor, Selena, Oshun, Perspephone, Flora, Cerridwen, Gaia, Epona, Yemanja, Rhiannon, Khonsu, Inanna, Hecate, ...ect

Animals: owls, rabbits, wolves, deer, cats, moths, bats, spiders, raccoons, opossum, cows, frogs, dogs, crabs, whippoorwill, panther

Crystals/Stones: moonstone, selenite, obsidian, silver, mother-of-pearl, aquamarine, gold beryl, topaz, emerald, clear quartz, coral, pearls

Moon Associations: Shadow work, Protection, Meditation, Journaling, Introspection, Strength , Love, Beauty, Manifesting, To attract new things, Purification, Letting go, celebrate your accomplishments, letting go, goal setting, banishing

Plants and Herbs: vervain, moonflower, jasmine, lemon balm, cabbage, camellia, camphor, chickweed, moonwort, gardenia, grape, lemon, passion flower, turnip, potato, pea, cucumber, pear, peach, willow, poppy, mountain ash, mango, wallflower, rowan, cactus

Moon Phases

New Moon

This is the crescent Moon when see the first peak of light, this is a time of newness, the beginning of relationships, the beginning of a new venture, the energy of this phase promotes new beginnings on any level. This is the time for change and for being open to, and looking for new opportunities, tilling the soil and planting seeds actually, and the seeds of ideas.

Waxing Moon

The Moon is beginning to gain strength as it grows in size, and goes from a new to a full Moon, this is a perfect time for growth and increasing things, growth within a relationship, financial growth, a time for learning and gaining knowledge.

If someone is thinking about pregnancy, this is a time of fertility, and it is an exceptional time for communication, in a business matter, or within a relationship. This is also an auspicious time for any legal matters, especially those where finances are concerned, if a healing spell, or healing of any type is needed, this is the time.

Waxing Gibbous

During the phase of the Gibbous Waxing Moon anything to do with increase is compatible; this is a good time for minor magic as the lunar energy is waning.

Full Moon

The full Moon is the most powerful phase, this is when the Moon is seen in its glorious fullness, this is a time of enlightenment and heightened psychic awareness. It is a time when everything comes together, it is a time of ideas, also a time of commitment, to a person, idea or project. It is also a time of family, and or friends coming together, any spell is well aspected during this phase of the Moon.

Waning Gibbous

The Waning Gibbous Moon  is suitable for rituals associated with letting go, and banishing,  if it is time to clear out the old and prepare for the new, this is the Moon phase to spell craft with.

Waning Moon

As the Moon decreases in size, it goes from full to dark, and this is a time of letting go, it is also a time of completion. If you have been wanting to change something in your life, this is the perfect time.

It is also a time of ending anything that doesn’t work in your life, this may be a habit, a relationship, or paying attention to issues  associated with legal matters, this is a time to pay attention to anything that you have been procrastinating about

Moon Water

Moon water is very similar to Sun water. But rather than being charged by the sun, it’s charged by the moon. Moon water can be useful for helping boost the energy of a spell, to help an intention grow, protect and to cleanse a space.

Instructions:

Get a glass bottle

Fill it with any type of water.

Leave the bottle with water out in the moonlight for a whole night.

[ceilidho]

prompt: it's been a month since you managed to run away from them. your luck had to run out eventually. tags: noncon, darkfic, ghoap x reader, previous kidnapping implied, stalking and hunting down reader. i am begging you to read the tags before reading this, thanks. 4.4k

-

You pay for the motel room in cash. Always cash. Never a paper trail if you can help it. Nothing that could ever tip anyone off if you didn’t want them to be tipped off.

You haven’t been on the run for long. Maybe a month, tops—but after the first week, the days and nights have begun to blend together like watercolours. You don’t do much during the day apart from sit in your room and wait for the night to come. Sometimes you venture out if you’re low on food or if the itch under your skin grows severe enough that you know you need to buy a fresh set of clothes and dump the ones you came into town with. 

Freshly dyed and cut hair. Jackets two sizes too big to make you seem larger than you are from the back. You’ll never be able to change the face god gave you, but you make an effort to obscure it when you can—surgical masks on public transit, heavy sunglasses even indoors, a deep mauve lipstick (purchased, again, in cash at the local pharmacy) to make you seem, from a distance, like someone else. Anyone else.

Sometimes remembering that it’s been a whole month since you escaped, since you got out, leaves you winded. You have to hold onto the wall in your pay-by-the-night, ratty, hole-in-the-wall motel room to keep from toppling over. A month without spotting one of them in pursuit of you feels next to impossible. Almost impossible. You still don’t let yourself think that you’ve fully given them the slip, that you’ve gotten the better of them. There is no getting the better of them. There is no outmanoeuvring the two men that—you’ve learned through painful trial and error—do not let up when there is still the trace of a scent.

And everything leaves a scent. Even you.

You sleep in the bathtub instead of the bed for fear of bedlice; these days, your neck has an ever-present kink that needs to be worked out. It’s bound to get worse though. It’s not like you can stop in this town now and call it home, not when you can feel them hot on your heels. 

You change in gas station bathrooms when you run. You’re learning a kind of awareness of cameras and eyes that you never would’ve developed before. You do not smile at cashiers. Your face becomes blank, unrecognisable. The goal is always that you fade into obscurity the second you step out of the shop, so that no one could ever identify you to the two terrifying men haunting your shadow. Even if they wanted to. 

Paranoid isn’t the half of it. When you hear a car pull up outside your motel room door, your body drops a whole degree and sweats like a night terror has found you in the waking world. You only relax when you hear a door four rooms down slam shut. Then you shake so hard that you swear you can hear your bones rattle.

This isn’t a life. It’s life like the promise of a tomorrow is the only thing getting you through today. 

You get on buses with no idea where you’ll be getting off. Pattern disrupter. In the months that you lived with them, you learned something. If your movements are scattered, they become unpredictable—harder to track down. You force them to stay behind while you skitter off, forcing them to review video footage, question people, even sift through garbage and recycling bins for any sign that you’d been there. 

It doesn’t make you any less nervous. You know they’re like hunting dogs. You’d love to believe that you’ve tried their patience enough for them to abandon the chase, but thinking like that gets you caught. Complacency will get you caught faster than anything.

The money folded and sealed in an envelope in your bag is dwindling though. Even for as frugal as you’ve been, food costs money—clothes cost money. Boxes of hair dye and bus tickets cost money. And you can’t stay anywhere long enough to hold down a job to recuperate what you’ve lost.

It feels hopeless. You trudge back to your motel room after grabbing a bite to eat at the pub down the road and feel like maybe this is purgatory. Maybe you died a long time ago, long before you got away from them, and this long path you’ve been burning across the country is just the long descent into the underworld. You let out a sigh, squeezing your eyes shut for a second by the door before unlocking it to go inside for the night.

You trip over something. It catches you so off guard that you almost break your nose on the carpeted floor, arms almost not swinging out in time to catch you. 

“Whoops. Sorry, kitty—took a lil’ tumble there, huh?” a familiar burr says from somewhere behind you by the door. “Gotta watch where you step.” He chuckles a bit under his breath, pulling back the leg he’d stuck out to trip you. 

Your body goes ice cold on the floor. The door clicks shut behind you; the deadbolt sliding into place is deafening in the silence. The thick knot in your belly expands until you think you might throw up. The only nonsensical thing you can think is that you hope the motel manager won’t be upset that you’ve ruined the carpet. 

You hear the muffled sound of knees hitting the floor and then a hand tangles in your hair, wrenching your head back. “Oh Jesus, look at the state of her, Lt.”

“Looks like she’s seen a ghost.”

The second voice is rough, like logs rolling over water, clattering into each other. It comes from the other end of the room, way into the darkness. They didn’t bother to turn the lights on, perhaps in an effort to make sure your guard was down. Fear grips the inside of your chest. Behind you, Johnny holds your head up high enough that you’re forced to stare at the patch of darkness from which Ghost materialises when he flicks on the bedside lamp. 

On the surface, he sounds almost amused, but as long as it’s been, you’re still attuned to the undercurrent of anger in his voice. His patience has been tried over weeks of chasing after you. He almost looks like he’s put on mass since you last saw him over a month ago, but that could just be the perspective of looking up at him from the floor. His face is still covered in the same half skull mask as always, exposing the shaved blond hair on his head. His eyes are narrowed though, terrifyingly mad.

“Poor baby,” Johnny murmurs, nuzzling into the back of your head. He props himself over you, not leaning his whole weight down onto your prone body, but trying to get as close as possible to you while still forcing you to stare up at Ghost. “Did we give ye a wee fright? Is that why ye ran off? I missed ye so, so bad, baby.”

“She ran off because she’s been spoiled,” Ghost snaps. He sits on the edge of the bed and it creaks under his weight when he shifts a little closer to the edge, leaning closer to where you’re lying on the floor. 

“I ken, I ken, Lt,” Johnny sighs, plastering sloppy, wet kisses into the side of your neck, fitting his mouth briefly into the crook of it, into the meat of your shoulder. “Cannae help myself, she’s just so—ah, kitty, am really sorry but you’ve really pissed Simon off.”

“No—no, please—” you gasp, breath splintered into short hitches. “H-how’d you—how’d you e-even find—”

Johnny shakes you by the hair, a bit rougher than usual. Anger finally leaking out like a drip from a loose spigot. You yip at the pain. “Of course we were gonna find you—Lt, ye hearing this? She thought she could outsmart us.”

“Pet’s don’t know any better,” Ghost says dismissively. It makes you feel queasy to hear him say that like you’re not even in the room. “Needs a lesson in not making us run halfway across the country after her. Get her on the bed, pup.”

“No, no, get OFF—” you try to yell, then gag when Johnny shoves two fingers into your mouth, pushing them almost to the back of your throat. 

When the urge to choke abates, you close your teeth over his fingers, flirting with the idea of just biting all the way down and taking them off. Only the fact that you’ve never done something like that before keeps you from instinctually biting through. Johnny laughs breathlessly when he feels your teeth flirt over his fingers though.

“Bite down,” Johnny dares you, voice quivering with smugness and rage. “Bite down ‘n see what happens to ye. Have nae gotten my cock wet in a fuckin’ month because you’ve been gone and Simon—”

“Quit talking to the pet like she understands,” Ghost snaps, finally standing up, towering over the two of you. You can’t help staring at his mud covered boots still rooted in front of your face. “On the bed. Now.”

You howl when Johnny takes his fingers out of your mouth and wrenches you to your feet, struggling when he coos and frogmarches you to the bed. No matter how hard you struggle though, you can’t break the way he has your arms twisted behind your back. It’s a short walk too, only a few steps, and then Johnny shoves you roughly onto the bed, clambering over you again. His hand forces your face into the mattress, not paying any mind to the way you grunt because your nose bends uncomfortably against it. 

“Always fuckin’ whining,” Johnny growls into your ear, fully pissed off now. His anger is electric, rippling down the length of you. “On and on and on—’n I’ve been so fuckin’ good to ye. Have nae even been a little mean. Being a fuckin’ brat to me and leavin’ me and makin’ us hunt ye down like dogs.” 

You can hear that he’s working himself up to a fever pitch, growing angrier and angrier. It terrifies you to think that you’re trapped under him, nowhere to go. Somehow, it’s a mercy when the bed dips again under Ghost’s weight and he pulls Johnny back by the shoulder, giving his cheek a little tap when Johnny growls and tries to bend back down. 

“You have all the time in the world with her, pup,” Ghost says, giving Johnny a rougher shove. “Get undressed. Can’t fuck her in your civvies.” 

“Yeah…yeah, yer right,” Johnny mumbles to himself, getting off you. 

Your head automatically twists over your shoulder, eyes following him. It’s easy to see in the spare seconds you get before you try to make a break for it again that he looks haggard, beard grown out a bit more than usual. Ghost usually makes him keep it short and tight, but apparently weeks on the road have tempered that military expectation a bit. 

His eyes are wild, electric blue, hardly blinking for how hard he stares at you. You tell yourself that you haven’t, on some small level, missed his pretty face. His arms bulge around the tight shirt that he easily strips off, pulling it off one handed from the back of his neck.

You hear him kick off his boots somewhere in the distance, but when you try to scramble off the bed, Ghost tips you over onto your bed and presses you down with a firm hand on your shoulder. He’s a bit less dressed now—hoodie pulled off and boots and jeans piled on the floor somewhere. Mask off. Familiar scars cut across his face—old burn marks and white spidery lines of fresh skin. Rougher than Johnny, not a pretty man; maybe without the layers of scarring he’d be a proper masculine kind of handsome, but with them, he only seems dangerous. Someone to avoid. 

He doesn’t say anything when he stares down at you. He says enough like that. He looks over his shoulder, away from you. “Johnny?”

“Lt?” Johnny’s at attention now, stripped naked and eager. When you glance down, his cock is already flushed and hard, excitement making him almost vibrate.

“Help me get her naked and then you’ll get her mouth, alright?”

You’re already struggling before the words come out of his mouth, frantically trying to push Ghost off you and opening your mouth to scream—the piercing shrill of it bleats out of you for half a second—before a big hand wraps around your neck and Ghost turns back to you. It shuts you up in a heartbeat. Not once in the months you were with them has Ghost looked half as terrifying; you’ve had a belt taken to your ass until the blood pooling under the skin almost burned, you’ve been manhandled and roughly positioned and been bent into shapes that your body could only just accommodate, but you’ve never, until now, actually worried for your safety somehow. 

“You scream—” he starts, moving his hand up just a little to grab you by the jaw and twist your head to make you stare at the bedside table, where a glock lays flat under the glow of the lamp, “—and I shoot anyone that comes through that fuckin’ door. We clear?”

You nod once. Sweat pouring out of every other gland, but the saliva running dry in your mouth. You lick your lips and swallow, hummingbird heart going wild in your chest. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Johnny mumbles, coming up behind Ghost to wrap his arms around him as best he can, planting a row of kisses into his shaved head. “Missed it so bad, I need ta—need ta—”

“Her clothes, Johnny. Take ‘em off.”

You only put up a little fight when Ghost works on unzipping and pulling down your jeans. It feels hopeless to try. Johnny almost tears your shirt in two to get it off, only being a bit gentler when you yelp. He can’t help groping at your chest when the shirt is pulled off you and tossed somewhere else in the room, big hands fitting over your breasts and plucking your nipples, twisting them like you’re just a toy for Johnny to play with. He slithers down onto his belly for a second to pop a nipple into his mouth, switching between kissing and sucking at the beaded nub like he can’t tell what he missed more.

Your panties get ripped clean in two. The sob comes out of your chest unbidden, tears finally spilling out. Ghost’s patience seems finally at its end. His eyes are black even in the light, all pupil. Your legs try to close instinctively, but he slots himself between them so you can only clamp your legs around his waist, stuck staring at the way his hand reaches for his boxers only long enough to pull the elastic under his balls. His cock is so heavy with blood that it droops, the tip dewy. 

Your nipples gleam with spit when Johnny finally takes his mouth off them, sitting back on his haunches and spreading his legs. It’s all happening so fast—there isn’t a right place to look. Either the monstrous cock between your legs that already has you feeling twangs of phantom pain knowing that Ghost isn’t going to even bother stretching you on his fingers before fucking you, or the pretty cock that Johnny is already rubbing against your lips, painting with his precome. You flinch when you feel Ghost spit on your sex; he doesn’t try to rub it in.

“Simon” he pants, fingers tangling in your hair again to keep your head still when you try to turn away. “Simon, please, can I—I need ta come so bad. Please, please.”

You almost say something and then Ghost pushes his cock in to the hilt in one brutal plunge. Your mouth opens on a ragged gasp and Johnny keens, fingers clenching so hard in your hair that he almost tears it out by the roots. The tip of his cock stays flush against your lips, even split open on your gasp.

“Please, sir, please,” he begs, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. Aching and desperate. Holding himself back only because he needs permission to put his cock anywhere in you, just like he did all those weeks ago back in their house out in the countryside. The one you thought you thought you’d escaped. 

Ghost chuckles, groaning at the feel of your tight cunt squeezing his cock. “Go ahead, boy. Give your cock a squeeze.”

That’s all it takes. Johnny pushes past your lips roughly, no finesse or gentleness at all. Maybe the capacity for it is gone after going without you for so long. You choke when the head of his cock hits the back of your throat, tears making your vision blur. Johnny preens and gushes over you, unable to stop babbling about how hot and tight your throat is, how much he missed it. 

“Oh shit, sir, she’s—” Johnny gasps, sinking into your mouth again and again, sweaty hand still clutching your hair. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.”

You feel close to the point of breaking, tight after a month on the lam, too tight for someone Ghost’s size to shove their cock into you without prep. You tell yourself that at least he bothered to spit on you, but lube would help a lot more. Too bad for you. His hands fit over your waist and hold tight, making sure you know that there’s nowhere for you to go. The first few thrusts are rough but slow enough to keep you from tearing—a small mercy, but probably not for your sake.

“I get—I get her pussy after, right, sir?” Johnny asks desperately.

“Dunno, Johnny,” Ghost muses, licking his lip. His thrusts get more brutish, faster; your teeth would be clacking together if Johnny’s cock wasn’t stuck halfway down your throat. “Gonna be a bit sloppy. Might not be tight enough for you after this.”

“S’okay, sir,” he whines, glancing back down at you. Fingers petting your cheek and tracing over your throat, trying to feel himself from the outside. “Jus’ need…oh fuck, please, it’s so good—oh Christ, missed it. I’ll take anythin’, sir, please.”

“Christ, alright, puppy. You can have a turn after. Been a good boy, huh?” 

You can only stare when Ghost lifts a hand from your waist to reel Johnny in by his mohawk, tugging him in for a wet kiss, still thrusting into your pussy all the while. Just a toy between them for their cocks while Ghost licks into Johnny’s mouth and mutters sweet nothings to him. Johnny moans into the kiss, sucking Ghost’s tongue when it’s offered to him and looking dazed, come-drunk. All fucked out and flushed, hips unconsciously pumping forward, just absently rutting. 

“Got our girl back, right?” Ghost murmurs, letting go of Johnny’s hair to smooth down his head and neck, making him preen. “Such a smart puppy.”

“Yeah, I’m good, sir.” He sounds out of his mind, slurring his words. Praise gets him like nothing else; it’s not easily given by Ghost, not handed out for nothing. “Did good…’m a good boy…”

The corners of your lips feel like they might crack. It’s hard to be careful with your teeth when you’re so overwhelmed, but luckily Johnny doesn’t mind it a bit rough. He hiccups when your teeth scrape over his cock a bit. He lips at Ghost’s mouth, dragging his tongue over the scar that bisects the corner of Ghost’s lips. When Ghost finally pulls away from Johnny’s mouth, a thin string of saliva pulls and then bends with the distance, finally snapping off and leaking onto your chest. 

Your flinch and squeak draws Ghost’s attention back down to you. 

You try to think of yourself looking down on the three of you instead of in it, but it’s hard. For as much as it seems like you’re just a toy between them, Ghost makes an effort to get you off, slipping a hand down to jiggle his thumb over your clit, rubbing it just the way you like. It’s sick how well he knows your body by now, how it takes almost nothing to push you to the edge of coming, core tight with the heat of it. 

“Gonna come?” Ghost taunts, scooping a hand under your ass to tilt your hips up, hitting a spot inside you that has you seeing stars, cunt flexing over his cock. You garble around Johnny’s cock as if to say something, but all it does is make Johnny groan and slump over you, holding himself upright with a hand on the mattress. His abs flex every time he fucks into your mouth. “Pussy this close to coming—you must’ve starved it. Good thing you didn’t let someone fuck you while we were looking. Woulda torn them apart.”

You can see the real threat in his eyes at that. There’s no way you would’ve, but the real danger of it crackles in the room. You feel like you’ll slip and touch the third rail if you so much as twitch under his glare. His jealousy at the thought makes him look like an angry god, chest heaving with every breath as he fucks you. 

“My baby wouldnae—” Johnny gasps, sinking his cock all the way into your throat and groaning at the squeeze, “—no, Si, she’s—ah, fuck me, ‘m gonna—fuck, fuck—Si, she wouldnae do that to us. No fuckin’ way.”

“She’d have a lot of making up to do then, huh?”

“She’s a good girl, sir, ‘promise. Oh, jus’ look at her,” Johnny gushes, sweat dripping down onto your face from how he’s curled over you. “So, so pretty. Maybe I dinnae take her…take her on enough walks.”

“Yeah…” You feel your skin crawl when Ghost stares down at you, not convinced. “Of course, pup.”

You know there’s no way he believes that. When they drag you home, you don’t think you’ll see the sunlight for weeks, never mind have Johnny take you on ‘walks’. Ghost’s smothering presence will take on a whole new meaning; he’ll snuff out the sun before he lets you walk in it alone ever again. 

Someone in the room adjacent to yours slams their fist into the wall a couple of times, jolting you out of your thoughts. The headboard must really be knocking against the wall. Ghost and Johnny ignore it though, Johnny so close to coming that he can hardly even form a sentence, solely focused on spearing between your lips. You can feel Ghost reaching his end too, fucking you with a single-minded intensity. Breath snorting out of his nose like a bull. The hair on his chest is matted with sweat, curls whorling around his nipples. 

You almost choke when Johnny comes down your throat without warning, hilting his cock until his balls brush your chin and his hand in your hair tightens painfully. He groans, drawn out and long, pained. It splashes against the back of your throat, almost familiar. You’ve done this before. You can do this without falling down a cliff and never climbing back up. 

He pulls his cock out before he’s finished, striping your face with come, twitching when he has to hold his cock from how sensitive it is. You instinctively close your eyes, grateful when you feel his come tag your eyelid. 

You hope it’s almost over, but Ghost hasn’t come yet and you know it’s going to get worse before it gets better. When Johnny pulls away to collapse onto his back on the bed, trying to catch his breath and dragging his hand over his stomach, Ghost hunches over you. He drags his tongue over your cheek, wet and nasty, and your brain almost switches off when you realise that he’s licking Johnny’s come off your cheek. 

“There we go,” he snarls, feeling you flex around him, the little tell-tale spasm of your approaching orgasm. “Atta girl—gonna come on my cock? A little wet sorry for running away?”

You try to say something, but your throat is raw, voice too hoarse for words. Even your lips feel puffy, swollen. Talking hurts. It doesn’t matter though, Ghost doesn’t wait for your response. He pumps into you like a machine, pulling his cock all the way out before pushing back in again. Your stomach cramps with the worry that he might miss and try pushing into the other hole.

You wish there was a way around it, but you can’t avoid it slamming into you, a white hot wave cresting over you. You come so hard it hurts, milking Ghost’s cock and pushing him over the edge too; he pants harsh, animalistic sounds into your throat, cutting himself off by sinking his teeth into the meat of your shoulder instead, making you howl. There’s no condom to keep his come from pumping into you; just a big, heavy man smelling of gunpowder and salt hovering over you, elbow propped on the mattress beside your head and making you go a bit crazy at the scent of him everywhere around you. 

He peels himself off of you after what feels like an hour, soft cock pulling out of you and making you clench down on nothing. You didn’t remember how much being empty can hurt. You try to roll away from him and onto your side, maybe squeeze yourself into a fetal position, but Ghost collapses down beside you and plants a hand on the centre of your chest, holding you in place. Never any respite. 

You croak a tired little, “Ow.” All it does is make Ghost snort softly.

Your body feels like one livid bruise in the aftermath, limbs loose at your sides. You couldn’t move even if you tried, even if you thought you could make a break for it. It would hardly be worth it. You let your eyes slide shut when Ghost runs a hand up and down your chest, a little comforting gesture. 

“Simon,” Johnny whines from beside you. Your brows scrunch, annoyed at his voice breaking the silence. “Please.”

You hear Ghost sigh. “Now?”

“Cannae wait—please.”

You wait to hear Johnny and Ghost get up. Maybe there’s something they have to do—maybe they drove to the motel and there’s still something in the car. 

A hand grabs you by the hip.

“Turn over, pet,” Ghost instructs, flipping you onto your stomach without waiting for you to acquiesce. “Promised Johnny a turn with your pussy before we leave.”

Your eyes go wide.

[canisalbus]

you've probably been asked this before but how did you get so good at human anatomy????? like obviously you're amazing with dogs, but i just loveee the way you draw your anthro characters and how you're able to make them so lifelike and human(ish)!! so i was just wondering, what resources did you use to get good at this?

This is going to be such an useless response, but I don't know if there's any specific tricks to learning anatomy, or at least I don't feel qualified to try to dissect and explain them. It's just decades worth of practice and trial and error :'>

I've done a few courses of life drawing and I'd argue that it's surprisingly effective in calibrating your eye to understand poses, proportions, perspective and the line of action. It gives your figures that certain organic liveliness and fluidity. Other than that, I'm always lowkey observing how people move and bend and gesture, and trying to internalize it well enough so I can replicate that on paper. Archiving stuff in the visual library for later use.

And thank you! I'm flattered you think my anthros look believably lifelike! Anatomy is a longtime interest of mine, it's something I'm particularly motivated to figure out. Even though my ability to capture bodies is still very far from where I want to be, I feel like I'm going in the right direction.

[strialternatives]

You mentioned in the tags of I think your comic of Akira and Akechi traveling that Akechi is first-aid certified in multiple countries. Does this mean something to any headcanon’s you have about what his adult life would be like? I love your palace au and i’m really interested in how he recovers afterwards!!

If it was just a joke then you don’t have to answer :)

that actually wasn't a joke! :D it started off as a "taking care of akira" investment that got outta hand ya see-

some background first! in my head shuake wind up traveling after Akechi's physical therapy and Akira takes an "extended leave" from uni then just. never goes back.

they travel China, then Thailand--near all the countries in east asia. at first, its about putting some distance between themselves and tokyo and all that metaverse ptsd baggage no one wants to acknowledge or talk about-

not that they don't have talks. they talk a lot, they have a lot of hard talks in hotel rooms, during quiet moments, about everything and nothing at all. akira is devastated to learn that his future husband is a dog person.

then, literally as they're about to book the plane back to tokyo, after months and months of travels and late night talks--akira offhandedly, mentions that he's always wanted to visit paris.

there's no reason for them not to. akira has an absurd amount of metaverse money, akechi has the key to a good chunk of shido's offshore assets. akira picks up languages quickly thanks to his personas and so does akechi.

and it kinda spirals from there. after that they only drop by tokyo for holidays and planned thief get-togethers.

akira's the type of wild card that picks up confidants everywhere he goes, he likes to help the people he connects with, and sometimes that comes with dangerous situations and hospital visits.

(the two of them are nosy, reckless and don't know how to mind their own business to save their lives. and akira is so kind to others and willing to help and his and akechi loves and hates him for it so, sooo much.)

at first akechi learns how to patch (his) idiot up for his own peace of mind, its manageable, he's used to patching up real world wounds. his initial mementos explorations were full of trial and error, after all.

--then there's this awful business with the russian mob that akira's gotten involved with during that part-time bodyguard gig protecting some small time lawyer's child during a court case and, well. he's two years in, somewhere between learning how to suture a stab wound from an underground doctor and looking up tameki-san again,

akechi realizes he's in this for the long haul. that he has to--unfortunately--lock in.

and he's GOOD at it, akechi likes being good at things.

he's not planning on being a doctor or anything, can't stay in one place long enough for a degree. but, picking up certifications still scratches an itch he wasn't aware he had. to heal instead of hurt--it helps that it starts with akira.

anyway, sometimes when he's bored and they're in one place for more than two weeks he'll go hit up foreign clinics who need a temp helper.

[snickerdoodlesart]

can we have snapjaw lore pretty pls (unless you have given snapjaw lore)

Sure!

As you and I both know, Snapjaw suffered a bad spear to the face, piercing through their iconic thick lizard head plating and right through the eye and jaw. Fortunately it missed where lizards' brains are, but it was still a pretty fatal shot.

I like to think they survived at least a cycle on their own before the injury started getting infected. Feverishly, they followed overseer projections to an iterator where they were healed and given the mark of communication.

This iterator saved Snapjaw's life, and hence they now feel indebted to it. Snapjaw never strayed far from the puppet chamber, hunting within its cities and guarding it from anything that dared to get close.

One day, their favored god beckons them to its chamber for a message. The iterator is kind enough to imbue Snapjaw with a purpose. A quest that Snapjaw eagerly heeds to.

In this iterator's possession is a messenger, a small slugpup. It is far too young for solo travel, let alone reaching another iterator. So Snapjaw must accompany and protect this slugpup, delivering it to this neighboring iterator.

Being the bestest most loyal dog ever, Snapjaw obeys without doubts.

The slugpup is horribly small. And oblivious. It's too weak to defend itself, and hardly knows how to hunt king vultures. It can't do anything.

The two journey while Snapjaw grapples with their new responsibility. Through trial and error, they learn what the pup needs to eat and what they can't. They learn how to be a parent, and fall in love with the small thing.

Then nothing bad ever happens and they live happily ever after, the end!

[directdogman]

hey dog! sorry to bug you with a coding question, but i'm learning rpg maker mv for a fangame & i'm wondering how you did a couple things. if it's not too much trouble, could you quickly explain some of it? i've scrounged around as much as i can but i cant find what i need so i thought it'd be worth asking directly ^^;

how did you get the players name to show up in the message log? i know theres a plugin that adds the name windows for other characters & i've got that figured out, but i have no idea how to get the players name to show up in the history after selecting stuff

how'd you get the graphic for the route diverging choices to show & play During choices? so far ive figured out that looping the images recreates the visual but then the game doesn't progress, bc its just stuck in that loop...

how'd you disable ( + grey out) dialogue options after selecting them??

how'd you add the fullscreen option? i found a code that was supposed to add a fullscreen option to the optionscore settings but that one just breaks the plugin & i simply Don't know enough javascript to figure it out myself

i'm using all the same plugins that dialtown has so clearly these are possible without extra ones, i just don't know how to do it,, thanks for explaining your pronoun system a little while ago btw! i wasn't the one who asked but your post was super helpful when i was setting it up for myself :D

It's been close to 6 years since I started making DT, and I had to figure out a few solutions to specific issues that cropped up which I've likely forgotten now, but I'll answer what I can remember. I'm also gonna give you some advice and advise you not to use RPG Maker for projects like these.

I basically Scott Cawthon'd DT and forced the engine to yield to my demands because I wanted to use the one I knew best. A few of these solutions are over-complicated because the easier ones (which would've worked in other engines) had to be constructed differently. I'll also mention a few solutions to problems you might not have encountered (but inevitably will if you try to recreate DT.) With that out of the way...

1)

You'll want these settings for the backlog plugin. the \c[x] commands refer to standard name colours. Log special inputs set to true, followed up by this below:

\n<\c[4]\n[1]\c[0]>%1

With \n[1] being the name you want and the number after the first c being what colour you want.

I'll also save you a potential future issue: I'd actually recommend you find the backlog plugin I used in DT's files (located inside the www/js/plugins folder) and use the version I have instead of the official release if you're not already, because I made a small change to fix an error. Basically, it breaks slightly with the plugin that lets you bring up the menu during dialogue because text reloads when you leave the menu and re-enter the text box, causing text to be logged at least twice after you pause it. If you keep bringing up the menu, you'll get constant duplication. I simply added a line of code that tells the log not to have two duplicates in a row. Not a programmer, but it seems works.

2)I did it in a funny way to ensure the engine wouldn't screw it up. Basically, there's 3 steps to the event and it's kinda hard to explain (and would be annoying to reproduce without a lot of trial and error for a beginner.) It's easier if I show my code. The first thing I do is run a common event (you can also just paste this code in and run it from the event) that renders the frames used by the popup, so they're loaded into memory + ready to go.

As you can see, they're set to 0 opacity but now ready to be used. Obviously they have to be on a layer that isn't being used by anything else in the scene (and won't be during this part of the game.) I run this event ahead of time, usually 4 messages before the choice comes up or so, so even slower PCs should have time to get them up.

The 'if head' thing just switches between the files for phone/typegingi's heads. I render each frame on separate layers and toggle their opacity from one to the next on a single frame to avoid flickering (bc RPG maker's renderer is hot trash and I have to work around it. Case in point.)

Step 2 is a second command event that orders the frames to fade in.

One layer is the text (which doesn't move) and the other is the first frame of the little head animation. A switch is also turned on at the end, and this signals the animation to go, which is handled by an event on any map where a choice like this comes up.

The event page that handles the animation itself has 2 pages, one to handle the animation as it goes and the other to handle when it stops (note that you could use one page and simply use a conditional branch. I didn't.)

Set to parallel so it runs in the bg behind normal events. As you can see, every 17 frames, I command one image to fade out over a single frame and another to fade in. It loops perfectly, cycling from middle frame, to left, to middle, to right, back to middle. Finally, when you select any route diverging choice, it sets off a second switch, which activates the second event page and commands the game to dispose of the graphics and then turn itself off.

Basically, it's the same animation but with a twist. The text is faded out over 60 frames and then the same animation is played as before, except the values it fades back into go from 255, to 170 to 85. Each of those commands is also followed by a 17 second fade to the opacity of the next frame. So, frame one renders in one frame at 255. Then seventeen frame fadeout to 170... Next frame renders for 1 frame AT 170, then fades out gradually to 85. Then next frame renders at 85 during 1 frame, fades to 0. This is how i synced the turning animation to fade out convincingly.

At the very end, I turn both of the switches this event page uses off so both event pages don't continue on loop. I also have a check for the first event variable to check if the game should still think the animation is running, as a failsafe. I don't remember if this mattered.

3)It's a function in the YEP Extended Message Pack. You'll see the commands for hiding (temporarily removing) + disabling choices (greying them out) as you scroll through the help list, almost 2/3 down. The thing you have to remember though is that messages that are commanded to be hidden/disabled will STAY disabled unless you turn them back on. So, ANY time there's a possibility to make a choice with a disabled or hidden message, add this plugin command to EVERY selectable choice

ClearChoiceSettings

This will ensure the game doesn't break from having a choice permadisabled. If you use loops or labels to make the game return to a previous choice, make sure the looping point is BEFORE any logic that may disable/hide a choice so it doesn't autoenable everything if the game has to go back.

4)Make a new RPG Maker project, copy the js folder from www/data/js and open the new project alongside your other one. Then check my YEP Option core plugin and follow this path in the plugin editor

This code should work.

On a similar note, I'd also take a look at how my plugins are ordered, if your list is different. I had to meddle with the list to make sure some plugins functioned correctly. This engine is held together with duct-tape and spite, so do what this advice what you will.

Hope this helps!

[eybefioro]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS @ghostsparrow 💛💛💛

The TNAN server hosted a secret santa, and Sparrow said he love pirates AUs and space AUs. I immediately thought about treasure planet, so here it is <3 thank you @captainblou for organising it!!!

Wacky races - fairly odd parents - powerpuff girls - scooby doo - adventure time - Cowardly dog - JJBA

(Time-lapse and ramblings under the cut)

Extra long Time-lapse this time as a THREAT.

I remember NOTHING about Treasure Planet's plot, but the ✨️Aesthetics✨️ are seared in my brain forever. I mean-

HOW COOL IS THAT. I love this retrofuturistic(?) Style, the mix between robots and cyborgs and SPACE with uniforms and SHIPS. It's just soooooo good.

I didn't really followed 100% this Disney style, more the idea of it. I've been trying to find my footing and draw stuff without replicating each stylistic choice. Idk if I succeed or not but it was fun!

One thing about this is that even if it's not perceptible here, the perspective is a bit huh... different. I had to figure it out by trial and error, and this end up having 4 focal points.

(Sorry this prob doesn't make that much sense but it was the only way for me to show it lol)

DO YOU SEE THOSE NICE RED AND GREY LINES?? I learned how to use rulers on ibispaint and NOW I AM UNSTOPPABLE. I know how to draw perspective by hand, on paper, but on my phone it was impossible. The screen is too small, and the precision too crappy since I don't have a proper pen. But now with this thing I can assure the line is straight and that direction is right, and now I can do nice perspectives hell yes!

This drawing I did of muriel and Eric is were I was testing stuff out. The rulers, the perspective, the not copying any style thing.

I'm not super satisfied with the end result of this perspective here, bc I wanted to make something more warped, more dynamic/stretched but I really don't know how to do that yet so simple perspective it is lol

This drawing was also supposed to accompany a fic, but it took me too long to do this, so I didn't had the time to write it. Maybe one day...

Now with details that I liked:

STAR FRECKLES THAT FLOAT OVER CROWLEY'S FACE! Also he needs sunscreen. Have tou seen his thighs? LMAO

The rendering g on Aziraphale’s clothes! Especially the trousers. I think this might be my best clothes that I painted so far. I'm getting better at this :D I was inspired by Aziraphale’s bastille and Edinburgh looks, + Mr Fell magician cape (and also the uniforms from treasure planet). I hope it looks OK in the end, I had too much fun mixing all this together lol

Earth colonised by two opposing forces. I spent too long playing with this concept and how to draw it lol I hope it looks nice!

[atsro-slut]

Hey hey astro! I was thinking about reader that turned into a fox (or other, if you prefer) animagus with the help of the marauders and joined Remus on a full moon? You can make it angsty, fluffy, spicy, ... whatever you prefer!! 🫶

Whisper of the Full Moon

Hi, hun!! I hope you enjoy, I loved writing this one!!!

Remus Lupin x female!reader

Y/N becomes an Animagus with the Marauders' help, transforming into a fox to stand by Remus Lupin during his werewolf transformations. Together, they face the full moon, their bond stronger than ever.

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:☆

Y/N had always known that she was different. From a young age, there had been something about her that set her apart from the other students at Hogwarts. But it wasn’t until she met Remus Lupin and the Marauders that she truly understood what that difference was.

At first, it had seemed like any other school year. Y/N had been a bright student, excelling in her classes and making friends effortlessly. But when she found herself drawn to Remus, a shy and mysterious boy in her year, her life began to change in ways she hadn’t expected. Remus was different from the other boys—quiet, reserved, and often absent from school due to unexplained illnesses. It was only when she got closer to him that she learned the truth: Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

The revelation had shaken Y/N to her core. She had heard the rumors—whispers in the hallways about the strange boy who would disappear once a month and return looking drained and sick. But Remus had trusted her enough to tell her the truth, and in that moment, something inside her clicked. She loved him, and nothing would ever change that.

It wasn’t long before she became entwined with the Marauders—James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and of course, Remus. The Marauders had their own secret: they were Animagi, wizards who could transform into animals at will. James was a stag, Sirius was a dog, and Peter, though not as skilled, was a rat. But there was something about Y/N that made them believe she could join them.

“You’re strong, Y/N,” James had told her one night after a particularly intense study session in the common room. “You’ve got the magic in you. You just need to unlock it.”

At first, Y/N wasn’t sure what they meant. But the Marauders were persistent, especially Sirius, who had a way of convincing people that they could do anything. They had been working on their Animagus transformations for years, and they believed that Y/N could do it too. After all, if they could become animals, why couldn’t she?

And so, under the cover of darkness and the guidance of the Marauders, Y/N began her training. It was a grueling process, filled with trial and error, but Y/N was determined. She wanted to be part of their world, to stand by Remus during the full moon, to support him in ways that no one else could.

It took months of hard work. There were times when Y/N felt like giving up, when the transformation seemed impossible. But the Marauders were patient. James taught her how to focus her magic, how to connect with the animal inside her. Sirius helped her embrace her inner strength, while Peter provided encouragement when things seemed bleak. And, of course, Remus was always there to support her, his eyes filled with pride whenever she made progress.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the day arrived. Y/N stood in the middle of the Marauders’ secret hideout, her heart racing as she focused all of her energy on the transformation. She could feel it—her magic humming inside her, pushing against the walls of her human form. With a deep breath, she let go, allowing herself to fall into the magic.

The change was almost instantaneous. Her body shifted, fur sprouting from her skin, her limbs shrinking and elongating as she became the animal she had always known herself to be. She was a fox—quick, agile, and clever. Her senses were heightened, and the world around her seemed more vibrant, more alive.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the Marauders standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.

“You did it!” James exclaimed, his voice filled with pride.

Sirius clapped his hands together. “Welcome to the pack, Y/N.”

Peter beamed, his eyes wide. “You’re amazing.”

But it was Remus who stood closest to her, his eyes soft with admiration. “You did it, love. I knew you could.”

Y/N could hardly contain her joy. She had done it—she had become an Animagus, just like the Marauders. But more than that, she had done it for Remus. She had done it so that she could stand by him, so that she could be there for him when the full moon came.

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:☆

The full moon was approaching, and Y/N could feel the tension in the air. Remus had been quiet, more withdrawn than usual. The days leading up to the full moon were always difficult for him, and though he never complained, Y/N could see the toll it took on him.

She knew the full moon was coming, and with it, the transformation that Remus dreaded. But this time, things would be different. This time, she would be there by his side, in her fox form, ready to help him through the night.

The Marauders had made special arrangements for the night of the full moon. They had found a safe place in the Forbidden Forest, far from the castle and the prying eyes of anyone who might stumble upon them. James, Sirius, and Peter would stay with Remus, watching over him in their animal forms, while Y/N would be there too, a silent companion, offering her support.

When the night finally arrived, Y/N met the Marauders at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, her heart pounding in her chest. Remus was already there, standing alone beneath the trees, his eyes haunted by the knowledge of what was to come.

“Hey, love,” Y/N whispered, her voice soft and comforting. She stepped forward, nuzzling her head against his leg in her fox form.

Remus looked down at her, his lips curling into a faint smile. “I’m glad you’re here, Y/N,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “But you don’t have to do this. It’s dangerous.”

Y/N shook her head, her fox tail flicking back and forth in determination. She was here for him, and nothing would make her leave. She had trained for this moment. She was ready.

The transformation was starting, and Remus’s body began to shake. His breath quickened, his eyes widening in pain as the change overtook him. Y/N could feel his distress, the rawness of his emotions, but she stayed close to him, a steady presence in the midst of the chaos.

The Marauders were already in their animal forms—James’s stag, Sirius’s dog, and Peter’s rat—surrounding Remus, offering their silent support. But Y/N was the one who stayed closest, never leaving his side. She could feel his fear, his shame, and she knew that he needed her more than ever.

As the full moon rose high in the sky, Remus completed his transformation into the werewolf. His body twisted and contorted, his eyes glowing with an eerie yellow light. But Y/N wasn’t afraid. She had seen this before, and though it was always a terrifying sight, she knew that she was safe as long as she stayed by his side.

The night was long, and it was difficult to watch Remus struggle against his instincts. But Y/N never left him, never faltered. She stayed close, her fox form darting around him, offering comfort in the only way she knew how.

When the sun finally began to rise, signaling the end of the full moon, Remus’s transformation began to reverse. His body slowly returned to its human form, and as the last of the werewolf’s fury faded, he collapsed onto the forest floor, exhausted.

Y/N was there, as always, nuzzling his face with her fox muzzle, her eyes filled with concern. She stayed with him, offering her warmth and her presence as he recovered from the ordeal.

“Thank you,” Remus whispered, his voice hoarse. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Y/N wagged her tail, her heart swelling with love. She had done it—she had been there for him, just as she had promised. Together, they had made it through the night.

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:☆

From that night on, Y/N knew that her place was with Remus. She was no longer just his girlfriend—she was his partner, his equal, and his constant companion. The Marauders had welcomed her into their circle, but it was with Remus that she found her true purpose.

Though the full moon would always be a challenge, Y/N knew that they would face it together. With the help of the Marauders, the support of her friends, and the love she shared with Remus, she was ready for whatever came next.

In the end, it wasn’t about being an Animagus or having the ability to transform into a fox. It was about the people you loved and the sacrifices you were willing to make for them. And for Y/N, that was all that mattered.

She had found her place in the world, and it was by Remus’s side, through every challenge, every full moon, and every new beginning. Together, they would face whatever came their way, knowing that they were stronger than they had ever been before.

And with that, Y/N knew that no matter what the future held, she would always be there for Remus. Through the full moon and beyond.

[17020]

references to sex & religion, angst no comfort. ume is an ass. self-indulgent.

hajime umemiya is a one-of-a-kind lover. he's gorgeous, smart, and kind. but behind every successful man...

you were by his side from the very beginning. your hands parted his hair into the fresh hairstyle he rocks on his way to college. you bought the shirts and jerseys he wears to the streets, straightening his collar and dusting off any hairs from his pet. the way his lips move as if they're in sync, or the way his fingers curl up and thrust inside your walls just the right way and have you silently moaning out his name—he had some pointers from you too.

you build a man to love a man. hajime umemiya was your monster.

it was trial and error. you were grateful hajime is a quick learner. he adapts to his surroundings fairly quickly, and when his surroundings are just you...

he is a lover at heart. learns your every habit, likes, dislikes—oh, and your insecurities too. learns to kiss the pain away, to choose the right words that make you feel whole again, to make you feel like he's the lucky one to be standing by your side, offering to heal away any pain.

victor frankenstein and his monster were never equals. like you and hajime.

a façade, which burns away faster than you would've liked. hajime follows your every command, is he your dog? and you kneel before him, he's saving you from yourself. angel and devil, savior and the saved. the lack of balance is clear, yet the dynamic isn't. you know he's growing tired, but to be fair, so are you.

the savior needs to help. you're dumbfounded as you see hajime forgive everyone who wronged you, as if he's opening your mouth and letting words flow out from it, offering second chances. the glass is filling up through his actions. you know hajime is a good person at heart, always going out of his way to tend to every issue he encounters. when the issue is a relationship, you're unsure of how he'll tread moving forward. especially when it's your relationship.

his priorities are all over the place. who does he have first in his heart? is it the friends he leaves you and cancels dates for? or perhaps it's the ones who talked filth about you, as they have been forgiven and purified in his mind. or perhaps, it's you, his partner, who has helped him be the man he is now.

it's never you. until you are.

you leave makochi. it's best to clear your mind. and umemiya stays, unable to detach himself from those who cause you harm. distance isn't only physical—umemiya now thinks of himself as a single unit. you're still his yet you're long discarded. not only by him, but by his circle, too.

it's disheartening to know everyone you knew is now at umemiya's feet, lifting him up and giving him wings. when you cry and beg for his time and to be acknowledged, he hesitates. when it's the women around him, he's fast.

if umemiya doesn't listen the easy way, he'll understand it the bad way.

'it feels like everyone but me is your priority. can you stop acting single? those women are no good and you know that. your friend encourages others to cheat, will you seriously forgive him? don't hang with them. don't go. don't. don't. don't. don't. seriously, hajime. don't.'

the monster defies his creator.

tying him down works at first, it's something you know first hand. the toxic chains wrapped around his pale body made your heart ache—but it's a never-ending cycle, one you're familiarized with way too much for your own good. umemiya is lucky, because he breaks free unharmed.

he knows the path he'll follow, it's been carved to perfection by his circle. there is no cry or plea that can stop him, not even yours. umemiya needs to save whoever ends up in his way, and whether or not they have hurt you, is not his problem. doubts of calling you his partner arise as the opportunities to meet new people are near, and you don't blame him.

you expect honesty, yet he provides lies. every word that leaves his mouth is lip service at best, justifying his tendencies to go for the wrong crowd. can he handle change, or is he easily influenced? his sense of self crumbles by himself, he needs someone to remind him of the great man hajime umemiya is. but you're not there to remind him. the cheaters around him are, though.

so with a quick wave you're discarded, though not fully. he still wants you around to check up every once in a while, for you to see him fulfill every prophecy ever told and observe as he becomes the best of the best. his mind is fogged with the great privileges of his new life at the top, he's at an all-time high. you? you're destroyed, watching as the sweet, loving man you once knew became a self-centered savior.

the monster broke his creator.

taglist: @stunies @hayatoseyepatch @kaiser1ns @okkotsushi @maruflix @nyxypoo @ryescapades @vinomino @littleplantfreak

srry i feel like shyte but here's ex lore before i post the last work. this is probably my last wb work, i feel so much pain writing for this show, and have been like this for months now. thanks for understanding. love you.

[yuurei20]

Ortho Updated Facts Part 3: Being a Student (pt3)

Another way Ortho is attempting to live as a normal student is by artificially limiting his own abilities: 

In his birthday vignette Ortho explains that he can install data repositories to skip the necessity of modifying programs on his own through trial and error, but for learning animal linguistics he is actively choosing to learn through interactions with Lucius instead, which is much more time consuming.

He explains that he is intentionally limiting himself, “because I enjoy updating my knowledge base with external stimuli. That way, I can experience the same feeling of learning that you humans enjoy.”

He brings this up again in another birthday vignette, saying that he has been collecting data on dog biology because of his interest in Cerberus.

He says that he would get permission to pet dogs in Whistle Park but at first he did not know how much pressure to apply while petting them, and they we wary of him for smelling different than humans. Eventually he began communicating with them to build trust, learning through trial and error rather than a pre-installed translation app. He says that his translation accuracy has greatly improved, and there are dogs who now recognize and approach him on their own.

This comes up again in a vignette with Kalim where Ortho volunteers to download information on a variety of dance moves so that they can dance together, but Kalim tells him “it kinda defeats the purpose if you’re perfect right out of the gate…slowly getting better through practice is part of the fun!”

Ortho says that “it seems…inefficient.”

We see Riddle offer to teach Ortho how to ballroom dance during Spectral Soiree, where he again meets up with Kalim.

Ortho is told by Vargas to limit his own functions “to what a normal human can do” for Vargas Camp 2, and Ortho concedes, saying, “There are situations where my capabilities would mean nothing in the face of Mother Nature. My equipment could also break down. So it would be beneficial to proactively train under a simulated worst-case scenario.” Ortho also says it is more fun to limit himself, as it feels like real camping.

Ortho also removes “a lot of components” from his usual school uniform gear was crafting his rabbit gear because he “wanted to get into the spirit of things with everyone.”

[3amfanfiction]

Thinking about a ghost who keeps his mask on because the face is the hardest part to keep human.

When he first came back he would spill out of his flesh at the slightest stimuli. A breeze had three arm-like protrusions erupting from his back. A dog bark resulted in his torso splitting vertically down the middle from his shoulder to groin. When he stepped on a stick and it cracked he lost his shape completely, sharp spikes ricocheting out of his body at random, elbows bending backwards before 5 hands grew out of his arm, head showing only teeth.

He’d come a long way since then.

It was slow work, learning how to control it when his body didn’t want to maintain its shape. Trial and error left bodies in his wake—people terrified of this thing walking around that looked like a man only some of the time. And we all know how scared people react.

It took time but he did it. He mastered it. All of it.

Except for the face.

His face had a habit of dropping its skin at a moments notice. Someone coughed and you could see how his back molars rested against each other, his cheeks disappearing.

Or the shape would morph. Nothing too dramatic but his nose would shift an inch to the side while his tongue stretched like hot taffy spun between hooks.

So he started wearing a mask to hide it. He had a job to get back to—a new team to meet and he couldn’t afford to waste any more time with this. Covering it up seemed the best option.

So he went about his life, starting with the 141. He fit like a glove and they never pressed about the mask. It was perfect.

Until the day one of them saw. An enemy had gotten too close, their knife made quick work of the fabric before ghost broke their neck. When he turned around it was gaz watching him—watching the way his teeth shifted to points before disappearing completely, leaving gaping, bloody holes in his mouth, watching the way his lips would peel back in a Glasgow smile before restitching themselves.

Ghost had come to expect the screams, the way people would ward him off like he was some demon, the aggression that wasn’t very far behind.

So when all gaz said was just a sec, lt, I have a spare mask in my pack just in case, after a quick double take, ghost was floored.

Where was the cursing and screaming and crying?

But gaz acted like it was just another day, pulling out the spare mask he’d stuck down in his pack ages ago just in case it was ever needed, handing it over to ghost once he shook it out.

And ghost waited for the other shoe to drop. 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 2 days—nothing. Gaz just didn’t care. He didn’t bring it up or make innuendos about it. It was business as usual.

And for the first time ghost felt like he might belong. That the 141 just may be the home he wasn’t aware he was searching for.

Now to break it to the other two. He bet he could make soap scream if he played his cards right.

[bitesizedpoetry]

Sylvia Plath's "Letter to a demon"

Last night I felt the sensation I have been reading about to no avail in James: the sick, soul-annihilating flux of fear in my blood switching its current to defiant fight. I could not sleep, although tired, and lay feeling my nerves shaved to pain & the groaning inner voice: oh, you can't teach, can't do anything. Can't write, can't think. And I lay under the negative icy flood of denial, thinking that voice was all my own, a part of me, and it must somehow conquer me & leave me with my worst visions: having had the chance to battle it & win day by day, and having failed.

I cannot ignore this murderous self: it is there. I smell it and feel it, but I will not give it my name. I shall shame it. When it says: you shall not sleep, you cannot teach, I shall go on anyway, knocking its nose in. It's biggest weapon is and has been the image of myself as a perfect success: in writing, teaching and living. As soon as I sniff non-success in the form of rejections, puzzled faces in class when I'm blurring a point, or a cold horror in personal relationships, I accuse myself of being a hypocrite, posing as better than I am, and being, at bottom lousy.

I am middling good. And I can live being middling good. I do not have advanced degrees, I do not have books published, I do not have teaching experience. I have a job teaching. I cannot rightly ask myself to be a better teacher than any of those teaching around me with degrees, books published and experience. I can only, from day to day, fight to be a better teacher than I was the day before. If, at the end of a year of hard work, partial failure, partial dogged communication of a poem or a story, I can say I am easier, more confident & a better teacher than I was the first day, I have done enough. I must face this image of myself as good for myself, and not freeze myself into a quivering jelly because I am not Mr. Fisher or Miss Dunn or any of the others.

I have a good self, that loves skies, hills, ideas, tasty meals, bright colors. My demon would murder this self by demanding it be a paragon, and saying it should run away if it is being anything less. I shall doggedly do my best and know it for that, no matter what other people say. I can learn to be a better teacher. But only by painful trial and error. Life is painful trial and error. I instinctively gave myself this job because I knew I needed the confidence it would give me as I needed food: it would be my first active facing of life & responsibility: something thousands of people face every day, with groans, maybe, or with dogged determination, or with joy. But they face it. I have this demon who wants me to run away screaming if I am going to be flawed, fallible. It wants me to think I'm so good I must be perfect. Or nothing. I am, on the contrary, something: a being who gets tired, has shyness to fight, has more trouble than most facing people easily. If I get through this year, kicking my demon down when it comes up, realising I'll be tired after a days work, and tired after correcting papers, and it's natural tiredness, not something to be ranted about in horror, I'll be able, piece by piece, to face the field of life, instead of running from it the minute it hurts.

The demon would humiliate me: throw me on my knees before the college president, my department chairman, everyone, crying: look at me, miserable, I can't do it. Talking about my fears to others feeds it. I shall show a calm front & fight it in the precincts of my own self, but never give it the social dignity of a public appearance, me running from it, and giving in to it. I'll work in my office roughly from 9 to 5 until I find myself doing better in class. In any case, I'll do something relaxing, different reading, etc. in the evenings. I'll keep myself intact, outside this job, this work. They can't ask more of me than my best, & only I know really where the limits on my best are. I have a choice: to flee from life and ruin myself forever because I can't be perfect right away, without pain & failure, and to face life on my own terms & "make the best of the job.

each day I shall record a dogged step ahead or a marking time in place. The material of reading is something I love. I must learn, slowly, how to best present it, managing class discussion: I must reject the grovelling image of the fearful beast in myself, which is an elaborate escape image, and face, force, days into line. I have an inner fight that won't be conquered by a motto or one night's resolution. My demon of negation will tempt me day by day, and I'll fight it, as something other than my essential self, which I am fighting to save: each day will have something to recommend it: whether the honest delight at watching the quick furred body of a squirrel, or sensing, deeply, the weather and color, or reading and thinking of something in a different light: a good explanation or 5 minutes in class to redeem a bad 45. Minute by minute to fight upward. Out from under that black cloud which would annihilate my whole being with its demand for perfection and measure, not of what I am, but of what I am not. I am what I am, and have written, lived and travelled: I have been worth what I have won, but must work to be worth more. I shall not be more by wishful thinking.

So: a stoic face. A position of irony, of double-vision. My job is serious, important, but nothing is more important than my life and my life in its fullest realized potential: jealousy, envy, desperate wishes to be someone else, someone already successful at teaching, is naive: Mr. Fisher, for all his student-love, has been left by his wife & children; Miss Williams," for all her experience & knowledge, is irrevocably dull. Every one of these people, the divorced Schendler, the unmarried Johnson, has some flaw, some crack, and to be one of them would be to be flawed & cracked in another fashion. I'll shoulder my own crack, work on my James today, Hawthorne for next week & take life with gradual ease, dogged at first, but with more & more joy. My first victory was accepting this job, the second, coming up & plunging into it before my demon could say no, I wasn't good enough, the third, going to class after a night of no sleep & desperation, the fourth, facing my demon last night with Ted & spitting in its eye. I'll work hard on my planning, but work just as hard to build up a rich home life: to get writing again, to get my mind fertilized outside my job.

I shall not, carrion comfort, despair … etc.

No more knuckling under, groaning, moaning: one gets used to pain. This hurts. Not being perfect hurts. Having to bother about work in order to eat & have a house hurts. So what. It's about time. This is the month which ends a quarter of a century for me, lived under the shadow of fear: fear that I would fall short of some abstract perfection: I have often fought, fought & won, not perfection, but an acceptance of myself as having a right to live on my own human, fallible terms.

Attitude is everything. No whining or fainting will get me out of this job & I'd not like to think what would happen to my integral self if it did. I've accepted my first check: I've signed on, and no little girl tactics are going to get me off, nor should they.

To the library. Finish James book, memorize my topics, maybe the squirrel story. Have fun. If I have fun, the class will have fun.

Come home tonight: read lawrence, or write, if possible. That will come too.

Vive le roi, le roi est mort, vive le roi.

From "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath", dated October 1, 1957

[veilody]

Lookism - Major Arcana

So I had a little thought experiment, with the Major Arcana and the Lookism cast. It's very much interpreted on my own perception of the characters, so you might have a different idea to the themes, but I explained my thoughts on each one, considering the intent of the cards ;3c

0. The Fool – Little Daniel Park (with Enu)

Of course little Daniel is the fool, guided by his trusty dog Enu. As the first card, the fool indicates the start of the Journey and that you’ll have to grow through your journey. At the start of Lookism, Daniel starts his life away from home and of course he was naïve enough to believe this would change it all, but the Fool has to overcome various obstacles.

Even though Enu isn’t a big part of the Manhwa, it’s still nice that little Daniel has a dog companion, much like the classic version of the Fool.

I. The Magician – Vasco

The Card of Action. If anyone in this Lookism is all about taking action instead of just reaction or inaction, it’s Vasco! From the very beginning he is a character that has the abilities to step in and change a situation. Throughout the series he just gains more and more tools / techniques to ramp up his skills.

II. The High Priestess – Jinyeong Park

In contrast to the Magician, the High Priestess is a card of stillness and wisdom. And while Jinyeong suffers in his psyche, he is still able to make a very conscious decision at the end of the Workers Arcs. He listened to himself in a way that was unburdened by emotional attachments.

III. The Empress – Seonhui Park (Daniels Mom)

Honestly, the only one that came to mind, when it came to the Empress. The motherly Arcana. A card that radiates compassion and strength in gentleness, with a love that doesn’t bind you, but inspires you. Especially since our fool is her son, the card fits so well. Seonhui loves her child so much, that she lets him find his own path and she supports him with everything she can and when they have an argument she listens and takes action to protect him, instead of shutting him down.

IV. The Emperor – Gapryong Kim

The counterpart to the Empress, the father within the Arcana. His role is not the one of a loving parent or partner, but the one that brings stability and protection to you in difficult times. Gapryong hasn’t been that towards Jake, but he was definitely this person for the Fist-Gang and more that were inspired by him, like Jinrang. A card that indicated that you must stand strong and do what must be done.

V. The Hierophant – Zack Lee

I could have easily gone with ANY mentor within Lookism, but I love to see the Hierophant as the one who seeks the knowledge, and that is none other than Zack Lee to me. Now, he was always good at what he did, if we recall the praises of his coach but Zack lost his way somewhere and needed to get back on track, yet, his coach was of no help, so he started to fight with dirty means. That was a form of seeking knowledge by Trial and Error. Nothing that satisfied his hunger for more. Only after he sought out Gongseob Ji, he found what he was looking for… But I think, he still wants to learn more and more… About Boxing, that is. Don’t ask him about his grades.

VI. The Lovers – Warren Chae, Sally Park

There’s not that many couples in Lookism, but this one gets the Lovers Card. Especially since they have known each other for such a long time and at least in Warren’s case he only had eyes for her, and they were standing by each other’s side for the longest. Among all the romance types in the Series they had the healthiest development – I mean Warren even respected Sally’s boundaries and stopped expressing his adoration until he really confessed his feelings, years later. They’re definitely a gem for each other.

VII. The Chariot –Hudson Ahn

Funnily enough the Sun of Ansan is not the Sun, but the Chariot! He still has a long way to go, but he seeks Triumph and has a strong will to never waver in his conviction. A warrior full of confidence. If he manages to stay on the Chariot, he will definitely succeed in his endeavours!

VIII. Justice – Joon Goo Kim

This sly Fox has made his decision to betray Charles Choi and built his own circle of “Secret Friends”, though it also cost him a strong bond with Gun. We don’t know yet if his decision was right or wrong for him. But so is the card of Justice. It implies that there is a heavy choice you’ll have to make, and it will likely impact you and those surrounding you a lot. It’s a heavy weight card that can’t be taken lightly.

IX. The Hermit – Seongji Yuk

Even though Seongji wished for a family surrounding him; to feel connection to other people, he retreated to solitude a lot. Yet, his experience, no matter how brutal they were, gave him a wisdom that was needed, especially by the other kids in Cheongliang. It is no wonder they looked up to him so much. He’s very self-aware and helped them see the truth in a calmer environment than the village. And much like the hermit, when Seongji was taking action, there was a fire within him and everyone could see it.

X. Wheel of Fortune – James Lee

The wheel of Fortune is a card that indicated a Change of Course or your Destiny. I am very sure, that James Lee is very driven by this card, since he has taken matters into his own hands to break free from Charles Choi and started to work on his own life’s purpose. For himself, it is a positive change, but the others that will be affected by it, probably don’t see it the same way.

Honourable Mention: This card feels a lot like Eugene too!

XI. Strength – Taesoo Ma

When we talk about the Card of Strength, we don’t mean the physical one, but the spiritual one. And we’re talking about Taesoo Ma post “James Lee” arc, after he humiliated himself by betraying his conviction. Because ever since then he rose to be worthy of this card. Taesoo Ma has an inner strength unlike many other. That is especially apparent, when we see him talk to Hudson Ahn after he lost. This man is compassionate, patient and composed with a courage that makes us understand why Hudson looks up to him!

XII. The hanged man – Jake Kim

The hanged man is a card that will make you tilt your head and try to see what you haven’t before. Maybe you need to see the situation at an entirely new angle? Well, this works for our perception of Jake Kim from when he was first introduced to how he actually is, but it also works for his overall arc! Starting out, he never wanted to be a leader. Especially, since he was always seen as some force of nature just because he’s Gapryong Kims son. And while he always had a strong moral compass, he needed someone like Sinu Han to show him what makes a good leader… Until he lost him. Well, then he had to tilt his head again and look at a solution that wasn’t in line with his conviction… For the greater good. Well, aren’t we happy that this hanged man is now able to see the world in colours that suit him?

XIII. Death – Samuel Seo

Unlike the first assumption, Death has nothing to do with a desire for the Macabre, but with Change and closure. And while Samuel hasn’t found closure with his inner turmoil, he will inevitably change once he does. For the better? For the worse? Well that is yet to be seen. The card of Death indicated that something HAS to end, like everything does eventually, and for Samuel it is definitely his paternal inferiority complex and envy. It will happen… Voluntarily or Involuntarily. But during that time, he will also suffer a lot, because it is hard to find closure, especially with something that accompanied your entire life.

XIV. Temperance – Eli Jang

What happens after the suffering of Death? Healing and Renewal. I think this fits Eli Jang – post Workers Arc – the best, since he was able to find closure with his guilt. For him it’s important now to find harmony in his life. He’s back together with his found family and they’re living a good all things considered. Now is also his time to offer a helping hand to others, focusing on cooperation and compromise – which he does.

XV. The devil – Charles Choi

The devil is one of the most negative cards among the Major Arcana. It carries an urgent message: It implies addiction or dependency, negativity and materialism. I feel like Charles Choi himself was very addicted to this power-play he had going on. He had money, he had legal might, but he still wasn’t satisfied. Being the card of the Devil, he made people dependable on him in the worst form possible. Honey-sweet opportunities, but at what cost? Truly, if you dealt with him, you dealt with the devil. It is no surprise James, Eugene, Jinyeong, Goo and many more sought to free themselves from his influence.

XVI. The tower – Jong-Gun Park

If you deal with the tower, you deal with a heavy obstacle. It works in both ways, seeing Gun as the tower and also seeing him trying to overcome the tower himself! In the version that he IS the tower, well, to get to Charles Choi, you had to get through him. The man is the challenge to all the fighter that want to approach Charles Choi. And while it had been a breakthrough when they finally got Choi cornered, the tower crumbled. Seeing it from the perspective of our protagonists, it’s a win. But if we consider that Gun also has to overcome a tower? All his life he sought recognition from a strong person. Someone who tells him what to do, whom he see’s rising above them all. But neither Charles Choi nor his biological father gave him that. I think the moment Choi ended himself made Guns world feel like would fall apart all anew… In this case, Guns breakthrough would be to find a new reason to live or even fight for. That would be his breakthrough. Let’s hope he takes his time in prison to meditate on that.

XVII. The Star – Jay Hong

Although the Star is my favourite card among the Major Arcana, in Jays case it’s got a bittersweet meaning. You see, the Star is the card of hope and peace of mind. Something you’re unsure of but at least you have hope. It matches very well to his infatuation with Daniel. We don’t know Daniels stand on this and he’s always so occupied with other things that I don’t think he ever took the moment to ponder why Jay is doing SO MUCH for him and not for others? It would be a big surprise if this hope came to fruition, but I also wish for Jay to be in a state of mind, in which he can process disappointment… Unless???

XVIII. The Moon – Vin Jin

This card indicates that you’re stepping through the dark, unsure of your goals and ambition. It’s often called the shadow realm, and well, Vin Jin has quite literally wandered through the dark, thanks to his tinted sunglasses. But jokes aside, Vin has been dealt a card most people wouldn’t ever consider playing. Before he met Seongji he was wandering alone and afterwards he was, again, consumed by darkness. It filled him with an inferiority complex; self-doubt and he projected by lashing out at his peers. In these times he has lost his way and ran away from his past. But I am happy that he started to make connections with others again – I think it also must be relieving to Mary, seeing her friend acting less on his trauma, even though his antics don’t become less! The moon also indicates mysteries and there’s still a lot left untold about everything that happened in Cheongliang I think, especially about his father, too.

Honourable Mention: Johan Seong! They both have been through dark times after all, but I must admit, someone else might be better versed with analysing Johan.

XIX. The Sun – Sinu Han

In all Arcana, the objectively BEST card. And post Workers 2nd Affiliation? Well, it fits Sinu Han like a glove! His presence among Big deal is healing. Finally, he’s back home and peace can finally settle into the group. Also, he still acts as a protector to the street, seeing how he took on Kitae when he arrived. I struggled a bit to find a good fit for this card, but I feel like Sinu really makes it! Also, he’s considered a legendary fighter, so I guess he gets points for this, too.

XX. Judgement – Tom Lee

This came as a surprise, even to me, but hear me out! Judgement is not about the fist of law, judging you if you were right or wrong. It is about seeking the truth, reflection and even forgiveness. Avoid pettiness and don’t let yourself be guided by fear. And if we think about it, Tom Lee isn’t petty. What does he do when he finds out his student has a child and is slacking in training? Well, he basically gives him a reason to go all out, and might I say – he’s very good at babysitting apparently?! How long has he sought for Jinyeong? And when he found him, he was concerned about his friend, not patronizing him. He also knows what Manager Kim is up to, but instead of feeling betrayed and being petty, he’s inactive, giving Kim enough freedom to train Warren. Or how he acts around Ms. Kim? Yes, she annoyed by him, but despite his size and strength he doesn’t force himself upon her. He seems hurt that the adoration isn’t reciprocated, but he isn’t petty about it

XXI. The world – Big Daniel Park

It’s the end of the journey. Completion, wholeness, harmony and contentment are the keys of this card, and while Daniels spirit is the fool and still in turmoil, there’s something slumbering within him that seems to have a wider knowledge of things. The other way around, completion could also indicate perfection, and none other is called “Perfect” as often as this body of Daniel. I also really just liked putting both Daniels at the start and at the end of this~

[skimmingmilk]

We know Tails grew up alone on West Side Island for the most part until the chaos emerald led him to sonic, and I just wonder how he sort of learned to traverse the woods on his own? Were there certain things he picked up while on West Side or did he learn most of the necessities with Sonic? Since food wasn't an abundant resource either, how did he eat? Did he fish or scavenge or did he have to learn the hard way which berries were poisonous and which weren't? Was this while alone or with Sonic? Love your work!

Thank you for the ask, and I apologize for the wait!

In terms of what I think happened, and the way I write it in my fics, it's where a lot of Tails's genius comes into play. For mobians, I headcanon that while they can live in the wild a bit easier than humans, the average baby mobian alone in the wilderness would still probably not survive.

Though Tails was young, he was quickly able to pick up patterns and learn through intense observation of other creatures. There was some trial and error of course, he definitely learned which berries were safe to eat and which ones he shouldn't eat from getting sick off them, but it helped to watch flickies, pockies, and other little animals and copy their behaviors. He also learned from watching villagers of Emerald Hill Zone, when he was able to do it safely. He scavenged mostly, alternating between wild fruits and veggies or stealing from the village when he needed something more substantial. He was very deficient in protein, so it was probably a good thing that Sonic fed him so many hot dogs early on, lol.

Since I headcanon that he lived a relatively stable life with his parents until he was about two and a half, he was capable of independent play when he was first left on his own. He could run, jump, and hide if he was scared or cautious. Survival ended up being like a really intense form of playing, one that wasn't very fun and where he was actually in danger.

He would wash himself occasionally in streams or ponds when he was itchy or his fur was really matted, but he didn't have shampoo and he didn't have a brush, so it wasn't until he started traveling with Sonic that his hygiene needs were properly tended to. His socialization skills were also really underdeveloped for a while, but his genius again helped him advance pretty quickly with Sonic's unintentional guidance and through imitating him.

I think if he wasn't ostracized from the village, he might've had a chance of surviving on his own for a longer period of time, but he was under constant threat from bullies as well as Robotnik's badniks out in the wild, so it was a good thing Sonic came across him when he did.

[gra93fruit-blog]

Fluffurary Attempt 1- Settling in

Instead of doing something useful today I wrote this, I think I'm going to try for one a week for February.

Let me know what you think! If you have any prompts for Fulffurary let me know. Its a longer one.

Clingy Marine Update: Settling in

Hey! It's been a bit, and I figured you all would appreciate an update. I also have a weird question for people who have had marines.

Update

I think that Domtrect has stolen one of my cats. It's just as adorable as it is vexing. Pierogi is an orange cat with rocks for brains, but he makes up for it in love. He loves to be held, picked up, and snuggled. Domtrect likes to pick things up and snuggle them, so it's a perfect relationship. It also keeps Domtrect from picking me up when he's anxious, so I don't mind it, but I'm slightly jealous that Pierogi adores him so much after three weeks. Domtrect is delighted, I think. He's a very stoic person and hard to read, but he carries Pierogi with him everywhere he can.

My other cat, Nugget, remains solidly by my side. She doesn't like people very much and takes a while to warm up to them. Domtrect is on a campaign of catnip, treats, toys, and physically moving me to his nest so Nugget will come into the nest after me. This has been fairly successful; Domtrect has gotten to touch her once. He almost smiled when Nugget let him give her a head pat. His campaign has resulted in my cats gaining about ⅓ of a pound each, which for Nugget at least, is a lot.

I should probably update you all on the nest: it's expansive, beautifully constructed, and has given me no end of frustration recently. It takes up my entire living room. On @yurihasurunbara's suggestion and a membership to HomePro, he has decided to use it to his advantage completely. The whole thing is covered in soft pillows and rugs. He has built up a multi-tiered setup with ceiling hangings and soft yellow light. He somehow found enough fabric to make it almost a uniform grey, with blue and red highlights.

Domtrect has settled in enough that he has stopped wearing armour around the house. Instead, he puts it all on a rack that the base sent up. Now that he is not always in armour I can report that  Domtrect has light blonde hair and blue eyes, he has a scar that runs over his brow, down his nose, and onto his cheek and lips, causing him to look like he's constantly smirking. He also has three silver studs in his forehead that he's quite proud of. He mainly lounges around the house in a tight body glove now; it has strange little ports all over it. When he's not following me around, checking my windows or doors, and playing with Pierogi, he has taken to lounging in his nest, carving soapstone, listening to history podcasts, and creating an insane amount of origami swans.

We've also found a job for him to do at the school, so he's not just lurking at the back of the shop class. He works as our outdoor hall monitor, which has significantly cut the number of students trying to smoke weed behind the school. Domtrect seems to enjoy it, though he's genuinely befuddled that the students need encouragement to go to class. This job also lets him circle the school like a shark and grumble about bad construction, which he was doing anyway. The students seem to have gotten used to him remarkably quickly; they're trying to make him into a TikTok sensation, but it's not going well. He's planning to spend all of his first paycheck on blankets and tapestries; apparently, he found a Blood Angel online that he gave a commission to.

Domtrect generally spends half his day in the house, and then half of it at work, looking for stragglers outside, glaring at dogs, or staring creepily through my classroom window. After the buses leave, he hangs around the shop until it's time to walk home. There, he seems content pottering away on small projects and learning, through much trial and error, how to make bread.

Issues

Now, on to the issues. I want to stress that I'm enjoying having Domtrect around, but I was wondering if anyone had any insights into these problems. I want to know if this is a Domtrect problem or just a regular marine problem.

The Funk: For people who know, or live with Astartes: do they have a funk? Because Domtrect does; it's a hellish combo of old unaired hockey pads and chemicals, and it clings to him all the time. I think it's the body glove that he basically lives in, but I'm not quite sure. I know he knows how to do laundry; he's very dedicated to doing mine, so I assume he would wash it if it were the source of the stink. Does anyone have any advice for this? I work with mainly 12-17 year olds, so my stink threshold is pretty high, but Domtrects is particularly pungent. I think I'm slowly growing nose-blind to it as well, and I don't feel like I can just ask him to bathe more. My shower and most of my house are not quite up to Imperial Fist standard, though Domtrect is slowly bringing it up to snuff, but I don't think he can currently squeeze himself into my shower or the guest shower. I'm kinda at a loss; he's a very neat person and seems to enjoy being super clean, so the stink kinda throws me for a loop. I tried to bring it up once, and he looked hurt that I didn't like the way he smelled. I changed the conversation topic pretty quick.

The Nest: The second issue is The Nest. It's honestly quite nice looking and incredibly comfortable. I've even made my peace with the fact that he's taken over most of my living room for it. I kinda think of the living room as essentially his bedroom and treat it like that, except he very clearly wants me in the nest. I don't mind hanging out in it; it's a nice space, and I enjoy hanging out with him. The issue here is that he wants me to sleep in it. Secondary to this is that most of my blankets, pillows, and once before I put my foot down, my mattress, ended up in the nest. I've set some boundaries and am no longer in danger of having my mattress moved while I'm at work, but that's honestly secondary now. The main issue is that he's taken to moving me into the nest while I'm sleeping, which is strange by itself. I'm not a heavy sleeper; I normally wake up to my cats pushing the door open, let alone being picked up and moved to a different part of the house. Yet, somehow after going to bed in my own bed upstairs, I always wake up after a deep and dreamless sleep in the nest. It started around the same time that Domtrect started hanging out without his armour on, so I think I'm only seeing this now because he's getting more comfortable.

Our bedtime routine looks like this: when I head to bed, I have perhaps 15-20 minutes to myself, and then inevitably Domtrect, Pierogi in hand, will appear in my doorway. He'll loom in the doorway until he's invited in. If I don't invite him in, he just lingers by the door and whines faintly. I don't think he knows he does it; he'll stay there until I go to sleep if I don't let him in.

If I invite him in, he'll carry Pierogi inside and settle in my room. He likes to sit by my dresser or sit cross-legged on the floor beside my bed. I'll read aloud for a bit. He seems to enjoy history the most, and we'll sometimes chat if he has questions about what we're reading. Then it lights out, and I go to sleep.

In both cases, I wake up in the nest, which is creepy to the extreme. I've confronted Domtrect on this, and he's stubbornly insistent, that He moves me because I should just sleep in the nest. His arguments are as follows:

Pierogi likes it better when we're all together. (Which, yeah he does, but I don't find this particularly persuasive; Pierogi also likes to eat garbage.)

It's safer. (I'm not exactly sure what he could be protecting me from, and Domtrect won't say.)

It's warmer. (It is, but I always end up throwing off half of the blankets he piles on me anyway.)

He doesn't need to sleep, and I keep him company. (I told him maybe he should reach out to the base if he's that lonely.)

He likes it better if he knows where I am. (He knows I sleep in my bedroom, it’s not like I’d climb out the window.)

If I'm sleeping in the nest, Nugget lets him get close to her. (Which is true)

Obviously, some arguments are better than others, but Domtrect won't budge on this. Do any other Astartes do this? I've heard that Salamanders sometimes hoard people like this, and Imperial Fists are known to fortify people into their houses and refuse to let them leave, but this doesn't quite fit either of those behaviours.

Has anyone else experienced something like this?