#aka Most Epithets

[tibli]

REALLY quick advice on epithets!!

obviously all art is subjective, but in terms of clear, concise writing, epithets should really only ever be used if the character hasn't been formally introduced, or the epithet is specifically relevant to the current situation wrt the few sentences around it.

"the brunette" -unnecessary, unless the reader literally doesn't know who they are and their defining characteristic is brown hair. using appearance-based epithets when it has nothing to do with a situation at hand is a crutch and comes across as wordy and amateurish

"the singer" - is the current topic about their singing? or are they just playing video games at home? if its the former, then fine that actually makes sense given the context. but something like the latter? its irrelevant. singing has nothing to do with playing video games, and the epithet is semantically useless here

when it comes to structuring a sentence between two people with the same pronouns, i definitely understand the urge to use epithets to try and clarify who is doing what. but it comes out clunky as hell and its best to avoid it. if you cant trust that your reader will understand things with the surrounding context, restructure the sentence, and perhaps even the ones before/after it. this has the added bonus of improving your writing flexibility!

[nerice]

for legal reasons, this is a series of screenshots instead of a text post. and also region locked to some degree,

[comicaurora]

How does necromancy work in this world? You mentioned that was a thing, and now I’m curious where that fits in the established magic system.

Invoking the truename of a being whose soul has unraveled (aka is dead) can cause local unstructured soul energy to temporarily take on a structure similar to the soul of the truenamed individual. It's like an echo. Effect be strengthened/extended by possessing some of the person's body, mostly bones.

It's very unlike elemental magic and is mostly done through the spoken or sung word, sometimes put down in writing for more lasting effects, but Wind magic can sometimes play a role in deciphering truenames for later use, as the Wind seems to be a repository for every name and secret, spoken or unspoken.

Mortal truenames are extremely long, like DNA-string long - in fact, they appear to be fractal and potentially infinite in their complexity, as each element of a truename can be "elaborated" into a much longer phrase encoding the story and events that shaped this aspect of the person.

Most souls conjured with a truename will be shortened, simplified versions of the beings they were in life. Using an elaborated section of the truename can result in a shade with a more solid consciousness and personality in the area of their soul that element of their truename corresponds to. For instance, a necromancer might want the shade of a great warrior to guide their tactics in battle, so they invoke what they know of their truename but specifically elaborate on the epithet relating to their most famous battle. Acquiring this truename is usually done by meditating on the winds in areas important to that shade, where the course of their life left an impression; Wind mages can also do rituals to coax the wind into volunteering helpful information more readily.

Basically, in a world where elemental magic is a science, necromancy is an art, and an inexact one at that. No mortal or god can directly manipulate soul energy, but it can be coaxed.

[tatzelbookwurm]

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 (you're here)

Full fic on Ao3

Art of LBM

Pt. 4: An Unexp-ectoed Party (not on Ao3 yet)

Constantine was quietly freaking out. He couldn’t be sure, but he suspected that the ghost who had turned itself into a cute little tatzelwurm to avoid answering questions might be something far beyond his capabilities to deal with. Everything it said and did suggested it was way outside his scope of experience. While Tim used a shoelace to play with it like a rambunctious kitten, John mentally catalogued the things that threatened to give him a panic attack:

Before the ghost even arrived, the blinding power flowing through his spell array nearly knocked him flat. It had felt like being swatted in the eyeballs by an eldritch god.

The ghost appeared in human form, fully alive, before being transformed by the summoning magic. John had only ever heard whispers of legends about a being who could do such a thing. The legends were vague and grandiose, but some epithets included The One Who Walks Between, He Who Straddles Life and Death, Twilight Walker, Shroud Danger Child, and The Halver. 

The ghost could not only see his soul at a glance, it could perceive all the damage he had done making deals with demons.

The ghost implied it was on casual, friendly terms with the Ancient of Time aka Chronos, Kala, Father Time, etc. And that it had altered the timeline at least once already.

It could age. Despite what the ghost said, only Neverborn should be able to age. The dead were static, and given the death that he could feel sustaining the portal, this ghost had definitely died.

It was brilliant enough to pinpoint a weakness and successfully distract Tim by transforming into a shape that could manipulate his protective instincts. John did not want to admit that he also felt protective of the cute little blighter.

It had hopped out of the summoning circle as if it were just chalk scribbles, despite John working in some of his most powerful containment spells as a matter of what he had thought was excessive precaution.

Shite, the list had already reached seven items. The tatzelwurm (had Drake really just named the thing Little Baby Man?) glared at him and called him “Gross!” 

“Seriously!? This cloaking spell should be more than sufficient.” John grumbled. “Did it really have no effect?” If so, that was gonna be item number eight.

Little Baby Man tilted his head. “It worked.” Then he huffed with amusement. 

Thank fuck for small blessings. 

A quickly muttered spell turned his burning cigarette into a makeshift sort of laser pointer, and Constantine distracted Little Baby Man while he tried to think of what to do next.

“Hey kid, this is a problem.” He kept his voice low, and watched to see if the tatzelwurm appeared to pay any attention to him. It dedicated all its attention to the glowing dot, and ignored the two men.

“I assume this isn’t the normal direction your interrogations go.” Drake wound his shoelace around his hand and pocketed it. “It’s certainly a first for me.”

“Ditto, in so many ways.”

“Any idea what to do now?”

“We should probably return him where he came from, and wait for Zatanna to get back from wherever she’s disappeared to now.” John would really like a second opinion. He would also like to dump this mess in someone else’s lap and be on his way. 

Although to be fair, watching the tatzelwurm careen around after his lazer dot was actually pretty fun. Not that he’d ever admit it. Still, the creature was done answering questions and John wasn’t prepared to bind the thing because he didn’t think he’d need to pack the tools to bind an eldritch god when Batman called him to do a “quick consult.”

Danny couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun. The CEO person played with him! He did feel a bit bad for hurting his foot, but it was difficult to dwell on regrets or worries when he could attack the string instead. And now there was a red dot to chase! It was very fast and sneaky, but he was faster and sneakier.

Is this what Paulina felt like when she wished herself to be a giant chibi version of herself to be loved and worshipped by everyone? Because he felt adorable. And fierce. He was going to kill that red dot so hard when he finally sunk his claws in it!

Frustratingly, it seemed to also have intangibility powers. Well, Danny knew what to do about that! He concentrated ectoplasm into his paw and bapped it down hard on the dot. This scorched the floor a bit, but when he lifted his paw, the red dot was skewered on one of his claws. It tried to tug away, but he clung tight. Apparently its size belied its strength, because it started to drag him across the floor. 

Danny tried to release the dot, but his claw was firmly snagged, so he resigned himself to being dragged back into the chalk circle. He tingled a bit as he crossed the perimeter, but it wasn’t a bad sensation, just a little odd. Then a portal opened up and pulled him through the water filled tube snake toy sensation in reverse and ugh! Just as bad the second time, if not worse.

The spell spat him out in human form under the Specter Speeder. Or rather, it ejected him at speed so he smacked into the bottom of the Speeder before falling back to the ground with a heavy thud. Thankfully he didn’t crack his head against the concrete, but he still couldn’t stifle a pained groan.

A firm hand wrapped around Danny’s ankle and dragged him out, and he found himself staring up at Drake and Constantine for the third time that day.

“Uh, hi,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I suppose I have some explaining to do.”

Being able to create ghost portals would come in real handy right about now. Maybe he should just commit some arson and let these two deal with escaping the basement on their own.

[sugar-petals]

I feel like dramatic classics get done dirty a lot of times. Most of the recommendations are always boring “tailered chic” styles, which would be good for certain work recommendations, but even in my job as an accountant, I don’t have to dress that formally. I don’t even dress for my type bc DCs always keep getting recommended the same boring stuff. I’m more of a casual/street style girly myself.

david kibbe would probably say, "if you can, my elegant dramatic classic lady... go all out... and if you're already an accountant... embody it!" (or something like that) what i would say, and i want to challenge the `what's appropriate for what´ dogma and kibbe recommendation pressure with it:

wanting to dress a way > having to dress a way.

if street style and casual are your thing, maintain it! DC elements can be infused into that. sharp shoulders, tone in tone, geometric shoes. not to mention vintage thrifts, it's a goldmine for gamines and classics. menswear thrifting is perfect for cool DC streetstyle.

also, remember that classic clothes look boring on every other type but classics — and in and of themselves, on the hanger, do feel like the same aesthetic over and over: unless one copies jackie o's actually interesting DC wardrobe. although the "US first lady" trope is... yeah. and who can realistically wear that daily. i prefer kibbe's new DC type epithet ("haute powerhouse"), it's a great name actually.

handy 2025 kibbe type name update chart:

soft gamine's new name is a little too much, soft natural is too limited to magazines here, "deco dynamo" sounds too hilarious for the intimidating dramatic, some new names are missing, but yeah. okay, the old names were more to the point, i can't be the only one? of course, kibbe's TR bias: still "femme fatale". it's the only name that didn't change 😂 i love it. snark aside:

diva/divo chic, spitfire, girl/guy next door, free spirit, dreamspinner, femme/homme fatale, those were right on the money. though, the new ones only settled in on reddit so far, i haven't seen the larger kibbesphere call FN the "nonchalant showstopper" (awkward wording). i hope we maintain the old version, i don't get why he rebranded it all with extra french words.

note how the names used to refer to chic aka style, now it's much more personal identity based. irresistable, belle, elegante, etc. interesting how he goes with the times. "tailored chic" actually gave a pragmatic impression how to dress DC, but at least now you know where the good ole 'DC = bespoke stereotype' comes from. which has its kernel of truth, but names always generalize.

refurbishing DC as a haute couture type is cool actually, which removes some of its office dust. so, the high fashion reference does elevate it to a new level beyond basic tailoring. yes... vaguely classist and aristocratic from kibbe. he always wanted classic and dramatic to be the superior expensive regal hyperfashion categories™ lmao, nothing new, but maybe dupes can help us regular degular kibbe practicioners, and the idea counts.

haute mode -> more options than typical bespoke!

(^to be fair, the movie is more about FG vs FN and literal sweatshops)

meanwhile: in my opinion, it's actually pure classic that is the most highly restricted category, as symmetry and simplicity "need to be maintained always", phew. i wouldn't wanna be a classic dresser myself. dramatic classic still has the benefit of stealing ideas from the dramatic type due to their undercurrent. i think that's where a more refreshing, edgy twist can enter.

chart source

[myrsinemezzo]

Haladriel and Interfandom Strife

I’ve been having an enjoyable time reading and researching about gender, race, sexuality, and neoliberal feminism in fandom in terms of both antagonism within fandom communities along with anti culture. (Because why would I do my job when I can be rattling around on journals and books dedicated to fandom studies…) Wow, has it been interesting when I think of some of these things in terms of Haladriel as well as the wider TROP community and beyond.

One of the things that struck me the most is the idea when people made up of an oppressed body cannot generate larger structural change, often the outlet becomes “horizontal violence” where anger is dispersed and “directed laterally within the oppressed group instead of at larger structural concerns” (Duffy, Miltner, Wahlstedt, 2022). Elaine Duffy conceived of and circulated this concept way back in 1995 and it’s been brought up again in recent internet scholarship focused on both anti and interfandom interactions. In many ways, this attitude and act confuses real-world activism with an individual’s relationship to neoliberal consumption and what that trio of authors modify into “digital horizontal violence.” While their primary object of study was social media and influencer culture, their main point is that cycles of misogyny rattle along right next to that violence and vitriol. Even if it’s distributed outside of male spheres the rhetoric is often piggybacking talking points from those spheres (aka “silly women interested in their romance” or “we have to protect you from yourselves”). As Duffy, Miltner, and Wahlstedt drily put it, “th[e] efficacy in dismantling gendered norms is dubious,” despite the “passion and intensity” members of internet callout groups use to critique what they see as harmful attitudes.

So do anti-Haladriels feel oppressed and lash out with digital horizontal violence? From my perspective, it’s a resounding yes. It’s easier to take out frustrations on a related group within a fandom that you feel is not doing morality right than to enact structural change against the attacks of wider lorebro LOTR circles or even larger structural issues like misogyny and capitalism itself.

The big problem with that is not only does it suck, but it very much seems as if the discourse around Haladriel has had the marked effect of chilling fandom participation within the main TROP tags and even within the Haladriel tag itself from anyone interested in that ship. This isn’t helped by vague or anonymous posts reminiscent of the discourse on Twitter over the past two years or more of those ambivalent to or who dislike the ship dividing fans into camps of “bad haladriels” vs “good haladriels.” Those two arbitrary camps are still often lumped together by the refusal to outright say what is meant or who is meant – possibly at the risk of sounding mean or antagonistic.

There’s way more to say when it comes to the underlying problems with queer erasure in terms of kink where those inside and outside TROP fandom are not able to imagine or intuit that a het pairing like Haladriel can function as kink for members of the queer community in just as valid a way as slash preferences within het communities (Morrissey, 2014). And don’t get me started on the concept of generational cringe culture that also doesn’t accomplish change and just buys into ageist assumptions of being able to have distinct generational age ranges that inherently and constantly improve on the previous generation (because it’s no secret that a lot of antis are puritanical in their view on sex and romance if you take a look on social media platforms and even on AO3).

Them’s my thoughts on recent readings. It really hammers home how older ideas of “don’t like don’t read,” “Your kink is not my kink and that’s okay,” or – if you’re into blocking habits which I’m not unless someone is actively screaming epithets at me – to curate space however you want or can. There’s also a concept of “Calling In” rather than “Calling Out” that I’ve just started to dig into (Ross, 2020) that suggests working through trauma together rather than attacking other interfandom groups is the way to go. Because do Haladriel fans engage in the same kind of digital horizontal violence when they feel oppressed? Sure! But it’s going to be a long, long hiatus without some kind of self-awareness on what can happen between all of us, and scholarship helps me make sense of fandom and sometimes the wider world.

Anyway, none of us are perfect, and god knows I’ve misstepped in fandom dealings before, but I love this space and my ship and my show. …And at some point I’ll get back to Sticks of Power and purposeful positivity posts. I vow it lol.

[dr9com9ge-ix]

And here’s the last of em unless I make another one with some backstory characters! The (kind of) Non-Sprunkis! More info below (This one is a doozy!) And I also wonder if there’d be any interest in an askblog with this AU- I’ve been thinking about it.

Black (Tenebrae)

[Has existed for as long as the world has.] He/It

- A primordial god who once engulfed the entirety of the sprunki world in a far distant past (aka The Sunless Era), his epithet is “The All-Consuming Darkness” as saying his true name was considered a horrible curse to bring upon fellow sprunkis.

- In this far past he was universally feared as he was virtually everywhere and feasted upon ancient sprunki which had caused their civilizations to fall into ruin and scatter. Advancements made by one community would become artifacts for others due to Black’s voracious appetite. Though he never fully wiped them out as his strength was supplied by their “sacrifice”

- He eventually grew bored of being able to simply show up and feast on whole communities of Sprunki, As the novelty of their fear and desperate ritual sacrifices wore off after all these many years.

- So at the end of one of his feasts he stopped a moment, looked at the last two survivors. Two sprunki children, one determined to protect the other and one who cowered behind their foolish protector. This defiance made Black choose them as his new adversaries, To give them more of a chance to fend him off as a little game to make his mealtimes more interesting.

- Though in Black’s arrogance he did not realize how powerful he’d made the pair, the child who stood in his way became Solatium or The Sun, His bright light would burn Black’s physical form and drive him back into the shadows. The child who hid behind The Sun became Imago or The moon who was much weaker than her counterpart- Only able to ward black at her fullest state which unfortunately allowed him to hunt during the night.

- As the centuries went on Black became weaker and weaker as The Sun had been determined to stop him at every chance he could from harming the sprunkis. Black in the eyes of the sprunkis became a mere myth- A boogeyman who had been long gone. His first physical body had long been destroyed by the Sun’s harsh rays.

- The only way he could manifest in the shadows to someone is if they learnt his true name, Tenebrae. Which had usually been obscured in texts and other artifacts due to fear of him coming back. Though these attempts to omit him were never thorough enough. He would be found again in some way.

- Those who learn his name are haunted by Black and he calls him his “Acolytes”. Usually these Acolytes seek his name in order to gain power and get revenge. But some are merely unfortunate sprunki who had heard an utterance of his name and are driven mad by the shadows speaking to them.

-To gain a physical form Black needs his acolyte to sacrifice one sprunki to him in order to create his body. Black usually takes the form of whatever he believes his current acolyte would want him to be in order to manipulate them further.

- With these acolytes he usually manages to wipe out and devour whomever they desired revenge against but past these he is unsuccessful in having them longer than that as most will carry on with their lives, which causes Black to eventually eat them or get them killed out of frustration. This usually means he lays dormant once again as most will keep his name a secret to keep their power to themselves.

- One of his more recent Acolytes is a young Jevin whom he had attached to after his previous acolyte, a researcher named Flapswell had decided after she slaughtered the sun monastery’s inhabitants that she’d become more dedicated to her actual work and stop killing on Black’s behalf due to the belief that his body being destroyed meant he was dead for good.

- Though Black was never able to get Jevin to kill anyone due to his want to never harm anyone especially after his family in the monastery had been brutally killed and generally how he is. Jevin is not aware that Black had caused this and only believed Flapswell was the sole culprit. Black compounded on this belief and made Jevin believe that Black saved him both from the massacre and his seemingly endless nightmares.

-Black’s first attempt to get Jevin to kill was years later when he had coincidentally lead Jevin to an elderly Flapswell’s cabin. Jevin could not get himself to kill a seemingly sweet old woman who offered him a place to stay and many books to read despite Black’s insistance. This stay had ended with Black driving Flapswell to “Do what Jevin was supposed to” to herself.

- Though Black was frustrated initially by Jevin’s refusal to hurt people even causing himself more trouble than necessary, Black had started to find it fascinating and endearing in a pitiful way. “How much suffering until this poor fool snaps?” he’d ponder. He’d prod and push on occasions to see if Jevin would ever but is mostly interested in watching him and having him. freak

- When Jevin had adopted Sky, He had told Sky that “Tenebrae is the kind god that saved me and keeps us safe” and thus made Sky an acolyte as well, Though Sky’s opinion on Black is very much different from Jevin’s being consistently annoyed by Black’s attempts to manipulate his father as Sky is very protective of him. Often taking a lantern to the shadow which disperses him. Black hates this kid so much but can’t get him killed due to not wanting to blow his “benevolent forgotten god” persona to Jevin.

- Does get incredibly jealous and huffy when Jevin and Tunner started to be closer and closer to each other and tries to guilt Jevin into avoiding Tunner. He’s so petty about it but cannot do much without a physical form. Probably swipes at Tunner to no avail.

- Can eat without a physical body which is how he takes the sacrifices, hilariously enough Jevin feeds him food he cooked himself as offerings but they are not enough for Black to make a body with as he needs Sprunki flesh. Though he does not reject this offerings, often wolfing them down as soon as its poured onto the shadow he inhabits.

- Non-Acolytes cannot see Black’s non-physical form or hear him. So if anyone saw Jevin feeding Black they would just see a guy spilling food on a shadow and it disappearing. Of course Jevin does not interact with Black when he’s in the company of others as this behavior has gotten him and Sky kicked out of villages they had previously stayed in

- Eventually gets Wenda as an acolyte and convinces her that the town only had bad people in it- People who hated her and didn’t appreciate anything she did, causing her to sacrifice Oren and give Black the chance to manifest physically and assist with slaying the rest of town.

Mr. Sun (Solatium)

[Slightly younger than Black but still way too old for me to comprehend a number] He/it

- Was once a sprunki child back in the Sunless Era who tried to protect his friend Imago who became the Moon from Black.

- His and his best friend’s ascension was not a painless one. As Black took their heads to eat as he granted them godhood. Their bodies only return partially when they go down to the ground, having their respective celestial body replacing their orignal heads.

- He is usually just appears as the sun in the sky, Though his friendly face distorts into a singular eye when distressed.

- Mr. Sun is determined to keep sprunki-kind safe and sound as it’s what he couldn’t do for his family all those years ago.

- He thought that sprunkis would immediately get along and all become friends once they were all safe from Black, was initially horrified to find out that wasn’t the case as wars and conflicts happened. Has kind of accepted that “Thats just how it is and it makes me sad.” but wanted to have a small utopia for them somehow. That is how The Town was made. Mr. Sun is the mayor of that town which is called “Sunshine Suburbs”

- Due to Mr. Sun’s want to protect the town from Black or anyone else, It is eternally daytime there which utilizes the Sun’s bright rays of light. The only times it gets even a bit darker is during “sunset” (The sun never truly goes down, causing a perpetual sunset sky until actual morning) and when it rains heavily.

- Is aware that some sprunki worship him and form religions based on him. He’s mostly flattered but is freaked out when they start doing things such as the Sun Cult Monastery did like carve his image into their flesh and sever their wings as “Humility”. Mr. Sun usually avoids cults like that as it reminds him of Black’s victims desperately sacrificing things to him.

- Does somewhat yearn being a normal sprunki kid living an actual childhood with Imago but is aware he can’t undo what Black gave him both because he doesn’t know how and his absence might just be Sunless Era part 2.

- Is quite childish due to never actually properly growing up. Loves bright colors and idyllic fairytales.

- Rarely comes down to the ground for fear of not being able to cast his light enough to protect people and scaring them. Or worst yet he comes down and there’s fanatics down there.

- Loves his two assistants Glowe and Therman very much like they’re his little blorbos who actually listen to him unlike most sun cultists. Though is concerned about Glowe’s ever increasing blindness due staring at him directly while they talk.

- Also loves his townspeople but never speaks directly to them for fear of freaking them out, Watches from way above and is merely happy that they’re living good lives.

-Pities Jevin the most out of them due to knowing whatever things happened to him before were because his family were devout sun cultists. Seeing Jevin’s odd state as his fault.

- Is utterly devastated when Black manages to have Wenda assist in killing most of the town, to the point were he cannot stand being there and leaves. He knows he shouldn’t but his utopia being shattered like that broke him. Thus this left the town in an unnatural darkness.

Ms. Moon (Imago)

[Same age as Mr. Sun] She/it

- The weakest of the god trio and knows this all too well. She thinks Black made her light much weaker as a sick joke. Never wanted to become a god but was made one anyways alongside her friend.

- Before her ascension she tried to bargain with Black to spare her and Solatium by offering one of her eyes. This was not enough for Black to do so but he took the eye anyways which is why she is missing an eye even in her godly state.

-She has premonitions and often tries to stop whatever she thinks will happen next.

- Though her light is weaker she uses her control over dreams to warn sprunkis of potential horrible future events and especially if Black is anywhere near. An unfortunate side of this is this often gives the sprunkis insomnia and there is no guarantee they will understand that the dreams are warnings.

- She had constantly tried to warn a younger Jevin through his nightmares for various events such as his wings being removed, having the sun’s imagery carved into him and eventually the monastery massacre. Her dream messages had since been intercepted by Black which caused her great distress.

- She is quite gloomy and often sulks, not wanting anyone to actually acknowledge her godhood or existence what so ever especially when she sees the cults dedicated to the sun. She feels powerless enough with her position.

- If someone does end up worshiping the moon she usually tries to keep them in check using their dreams. Deathly afraid of them committing terrible acts in her name. Might physically intervene if it ever comes to that.

- When she weeps it rains down during the night which is a less than rare occurrence as she mourns quite alot of things often.

- One of the things that do make her happy is watching the ocean and controlling its tides as it’s peaceful and does not remind her of the lives she’s seen snuffed out or even her own before her godhood.

- She barely sees Mr. Sun as their positions always oppose eachother though on the rare occasions they are both up they’re very happy to see each other again.

- Once Mr. Sun abandons the Sunshine Suburbs after Black and Wenda’s massacre, Ms. Moon attempts to step in and try to lead the survivors to safety but is scared of confronting Black.

- Her moonlight reanimates the dead in the town post-killing as she desperately wants to save them but unintentionally extends their suffering due to the damages they have sustained.

Mr. Tree

[At least older than 50, They don’t remember] They/He/it

- Was once a young man traveling with their family on a trail with some other sprunkis. Got lost and almost starved to death in the woods.

- Mr. Sun saved them by essentially turning them into a tree with a sprunki’s soul trapped within, This is because Mr. Tree talked to the sun like he was a friend rather than a deity (albeit possibly out of delirium.)

- Where Mr. Tree got turned into a tree is where Sunshine Surburb’s park is now located. Also them and Durple are neighbors- Durple kind of pretends he doesn’t know that his lake is next to a talking tree… Mostly so he can watch people get startled when they find out on their own.

- Is a bit lonely and will talk to anyone who sits underneath his their canopy- That freaks people out initially. He mostly talks to Vineria because she thinks a talking tree is cool and didn’t freak out at first (Though cautiously asking if they were some kind of tree-mimic or Ent which are ambush predators that resemble trees) And Sky as he hangs under there and tries his best to not look afraid and actually enjoys trading stories with Mr. Tree.

-Talks about his previous journeys when he can’t think of anything else to talk about. Misses his family.

- Does frequently mention how it’s cool that he never feels hungry anymore due to being able to photosynthesize.

- Has a stone that sort of functions as a grave marker for their old body buried below their own roots. The flowers near his roots had been planted a bit after the town was established.

- Sometimes birds move into his face holes and its unpleasant for him as he still tries to talk with a face full of bird. Nothing will stop his yapping really.

- To him a friend of Mr. Sun is his friend too- Regards Mr. Sun as their bestie.

- Gets decorated every time a holiday happens and loves having neat little baubles, gets sad when they have to be taken down.

- Wishes he still hand hands but can use his roots (albeit painfully slowly) to move around and wrap around objects to hold them.

[aihoshiino]

Okay my English is not that good but I'm curious on which of these do you think ai encompasses the most, is she like water a tiny drop in the sea where you can't find her anymore, or like a fire that burns bright before it dwindles into nothing but smoke, or maybe like a pretty flower that was admired but eventually got picked, these ones are a bit less in character but imagine she's like a cool gust of wind that eventually got pulled in like a hurricane and you can't find her anymore or people just forget or muse about how cool the wind was, and last which I think is perhaps also really close to her. How about lightning? It comes when the weather is stormy and suddenly a strong shock of energy that's beautiful and loud comes in the middle of the storm but of course it disappears too.

Also be sure to drink lots of water and take break! (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

this was a good reminder cos i was actually a lil dehydrated when i answered this..................................

I think the canonical star imagery for her is the one I like best! It's the one I think encapsulates all the things that are most compelling about her & her arc; the artificial brilliance of performance and idolhood, the enforced distance of parasociality and the eventual permanence of her removal from Aqua and Ruby's lives, the imagery of a star burning itself to shine until it eventually dies and collapses in on itself... you see what I mean.

It also has some interesting mythological connotations, though I'm not fully sure how deeply Aka thought them through - Ai is referred to across the franchise with the word 「一番星」 (ichibanboshi), which broadly refers to the first star that shows up in the evening sky but is almost always used in Japan to refer to Venus, specifically.

(sidebar - this is why some translations of IDOL will choose to render the line 「一番星の生まれ変わり」 as 'the reincarnation of Venus', since that's how 一番星 is most often colloquially used)

Venus in Roman mythos is a goddess whose domain covers a whole load of things but most people will know her as a goddess of love, beauty, sex and fertility which... well, I don't need to tell any OnK fan how that relates back to Ai lol. Where this association becomes the most interesting to me tho is when taking into account all Venus' myriad epithets and the number of contexts in which she was worshipped. This isn't unique to Venus, obvs, but I do think it has some interesting synergy with the way Ai was misinterpreted anew by everyone around her, all of them projecting things onto her that they, personally, wanted to see that may or may not have had anything to do with who she really was.

Interesting as this association is, I do think it's mostly accidental since the Private arc much more pointedly and deliberately likens her to Ame-no-Uzume for whom a lot of this stuff doesn't really apply. As Ame-no-Uzume (metaphorically/narratively speaking, that is), the association is more to do with the way Ai's performance draws people out of themselves and encourages them to step into the light.

Ofc, this association isn't really super fixed - the Ame-no-Uzume drawing out Amaterasu dynamic is echoed across the manga a few times with Ai herself playing the role of Amaterasu at least once. So ultimately it's just vibes.

(fun fact btw - in the Oshi no Ko x Takachiho tourism collab, one of the merch lines included illustrations of the cast dressed up as the roles in the town's traditional kagura performance and Ai was Amaterasu!)

[alneedssleep]

Headcannons about Apollo pt.1 

PSA: This is mythology Apollo stuff but most of this applies to Percy Jackson Apollo as well. 

Apollo loves no sibling more than Artemis, but he is closer to Athena. They bonded over being the favourite siblings, gods of knowledge/wisdom and the fact Athena was somewhat in charge of teaching/raising him when he first came to Olympus. 

Apollo is the only other god besides Zeus to have the epithet ‘Moiragetes’ meaning ‘Leader of the Fates’. There are also only two moments of fate being averted in the entire mythos – once when Zeus swallows Metis and then again when Apollo tricks/convinces the Fates to extend Admetus’s lifespan. I imagine this means they are both capable of altering fate, it is just usually not worth the trouble. 

Adding on to the previous hc, I also imagine Apollo has pure white eyes. As in, no pupils or irises. This is a trait I imagine the Fates share as well. Zeus would as well if he had gift of prophecy, but he doesn’t. 

Apollo has the epithet ‘Lycegenes’ meaning ‘born of wolf’ or ‘born of Lycia’. Both work since his mother spent some time in a form of a wolf while pregnant in some versions and she is also a prominent goddess in Lycia. Lycia is in modern day Turkey, so I imagine Leto, Apollo and Artemis have some Turkish features. Specifically, they all have an aquiline nose (though you also see that in Greece), darker skin and (in the PJ universe aka the modern day) all three occasionally wear head scarfs. Not hijabs obviously since those are religious, but sheer fabric with a bunch of different designs relating to their sacred symbols wrapped around their head and hair. 

Apollo was less of an older brother and more of a parent to Hermes, Dionysus and even Hebe when they were young. It was only once they were much older that Apollo started treating than more like siblings but will occasionally fall back into old habits. 

Hera and Apollo have a better relationship than expected. They, along with Athena, mostly bonded over their shared woes of dealing with Zeus (who is not as bad as PJ Zeus but is still, you know, a king. And kings are rarely great.) 

Apollo is the most all-knowing of the non-primordial gods. He has the domains of truth, prophecy and knowledge and, once he gains the sun in roman times, can also see anything that happens during the day. This makes him stupidly well informed. Even his cousin Hecate, Aunt Asteria, Grandmother Phoebe and Grandfather Koios are not as well informed since they only have the domain of prophecy and, even then, only have a specific kind while Apollo, seemingly, has access to every kind of prophecy. 

Apollo (and Artemis) are Gods of Youth and, in Apollo’s case, he even has an epithet explicitly denoting him as an eternal child: ‘Acersecomes’ meaning one with unshorn hair. Boys in ancient Greece grew out their hair and generally cut and dedicated their hair to Apollo after reaching adulthood. As a result, Apollo not only has long curly golden hair, but is also unable to age any older than 15 since 16 was the age of adulthood back then. I imagine this would be the same for Artemis as well. (If we are including the PJ universe here, then they would be able to age up to 17). 

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Birds Initiative: Connecticut (#5)

Hoo boy, it's been a minute! But hey, here we are again, after taking some extra time to figure stuff out. Welcome to the fifth official poll of the State Birds Initiative! Before the poll, though, one thing real quick. My suggestion is that you read the post below before voting in the poll below. That's especially important if you're lacking any context about the birds being presented as the new (or old) State Bird of the Nutmeg State, Connecticut. This is to be fully informed as to why these are being presented, and to make your choices appropriately. Lastly, some of these birds, you will notice, may go against some of the rules listed in the introduction post. All is explained after the jump where the explanations are, I promise you that. And apologies in advance, the spiel before the actual bird selection is...long. But with that...OK! Here's the poll!

Welcome to the Nutmeg State! A small state, mostly known for being between Boston and New York City, this is one of the foundational states of southern New England, while also having a somewhat...divided identity, we'll say. So, I grew up in CT, for part of my childhood, in both the classic upscale suburbs, and in the middle of the goddamn woods, right on the Connecticut River. For the record, the name "Nutmeg State" is based off of salesmen from the state known for peddling nutmegs. However, there's some speculation that the nutmegs sold were actually made of wood, but that's also probably from people who didn't know that nutmegs were supposed to be grated, and instead assumed they had to be cracked like walnuts. They tried, that failed, and they accused Connecticut Yankees for selling fake nutmeg as a result. So, yeah, a confusing legend at the root of the state's nickname.

You'll notice my use of the word "Yankee" there. Well, despite New York's domination of the term, it should arguably be most associated with Connecticut. "Yankee Doodle" is literally the state song; people from CT were previously and historically referred to as Yankees (which was also an epithet applied to northerners in general, to be fair); and it's actually possible the word was first used by the Dutch in reference to Connecticut settlers, according to multiple theories and historical references. But maybe most prominently, Yankee was used as a demonym for people from CT by one of its most favorite residents: Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain.

Twain is, of course, Connecticut's most famous author, having written some of his most famous works while living with his family in Connecticut in his West Hartford house (which every central Connecticut middle school kid has been to at least once, I guaran-goddamn-tee it). Fun fact, though! Did you know...uh...ah, fuck it. Why keep stalling at this point? Look, as much as I love talking about Mark Twain, he was nothing to do with this post. Fact of the matter is...this was a hard one.

Look, I love Connecticut. It was the first state I remember living in, having moved there when I was a kid from the United States Virgin Islands, which I had been really looking forward to for a bunch of reasons. Admittedly (and unsurprisingly), a lot of that was because I was looking forward to seeing the birds! As a kid, I was also obsessed with birds, and I had never seen the birds in the US mainland before. It was an exciting time for me, and I honestly enjoyed growing up in CT, for the most part. I'd be there for almost 6 years of my life, and I have a lot of fond memories of the state. But, uh...ironically enough...finding State Bird nominees for Connecticut has been HARD AS HELL.

We will, of course, talk in GREAT detail about the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), as it's an important bird for more states than just Connecticut, but I'll give you a spoiler now: this is a boring choice for a State Bird. For any state. Don't get me wrong, I love robins! They're an extremely charismatic and iconic bird, and everybody has seen them at least once in their life if they live in the USA. They're also most likely an early bird (pun slightly intended) for people to encounter on a personal standpoint. Again, we'll get to them, but they're a notable entry in this list. And if one of the states kept the American Robin, I would understand. But, uh...is that state Connecticut?

OK, let's look at the state in the same vein as we have others. I'm sure this won't be the last difficult state to examine in the future of this project, so why not do the same here? Starting with habitat, Connecticut is another state placed within the Northeastern Coastal Zone, with a ton of deciduous forests dominated by oak, chestnut, hemlock, and white pine. There was a lot of clearance during early settlement and beyond, but succession has taken over in recent years to grow the forests back. The state's cut in half by the Connecticut Valley, with large floodplains dominated by maple and cottonwood, with the large Connecticut River right in the center of the valley. Finally, the Berkshires in the northwest corner of the state give us some classic New England flair with sugar maple (Acer saccharum), ash, beech, birch, oak, and hemlock trees on higher-altitude slopes, creating a hilly area that turns beautiful colors in fall. Man, I love Connecticut autumns. And the rest of the year, for that matter.

OK, what are Nutmeggers most known for, culturally and historically? It's a diverse state with a lot of mixed culture, partially as a result of its proximity to New York City. A lot of people tend to joke that Connecticut is just New York City, especially people from elsewhere in New England. And having been to NYC a lot when I was a kid, with a mom who worked there part of the week, and an aunt who lived there all of the week...yeah, fair. But Connecticut has a much more detailed culture than that. It's the home of the cotton giiiAAAAAAH, bad place to start that list. Uh, let's see, it's the home of whaliiiiiiing. Jesus. Uh...home of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe? OK, that's better. It's a major seat of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, leading to it being a production hub for textiles, clocks, typewriters, machining, sewing machines, steam engines, aircraft, and honestly, women's rights to a certain degree. After all, it's the home of the Radium...Girls. Huh. OK, CT's history has some bumps in it, but what state's history doesn't?

As for modern Nutmeggers, they're industrious, generally well-educated, and honestly quite a bit eccentric. I've gone back to the state a few times in the last couple of years, and I forgot how honestly weird people are there. In a good way, not in the fucked-up MAGA sense of the word. It's a state whose people are unafraid to express themselves, from my experience. Probably a result of the diversity in the state, and the diverse perspectives that result. Its political atmosphere is a bit complicated, but overall pretty liberal. Which...doesn't translate super-well into birds at first blush, but hey, we'll see what we get!

OK, with that, let's jump into the selection of the birds for this list. Real talk, if anybody has a suggestion that I hadn't brought up here, send it my way! I will absolutely add another poll if there are entries I think could bear fruit. But, in the meantime, read on if you're interested in the possible choices for the State Bird of Connecticut!

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an citizen of the United States of America who hasn't seen a robin. This is, by far, one of our most iconic songbirds, and is certainly one of the most common and widespread. For some of us, they're a sign of spring. For others, they used to be a sign of spring, until global warming prompted some individuals to stick around through the winter, shifting their diet to frugivory a bit more and brightening the snow as well. They're prolific breeders with bright blue-green eggs (which are iconic in their own right), and can have up to three broods in a given season! Extremely successful and very common. And that...is a problem, for our purposes.

See, Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin have the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) for their state bird, and none of them actually have a good reason for that choice. In Wisconsin, it was chosen by schoolkids because it was recognizable. That was also the reason for the Michigan Audubon Society to choose it as state bird. And Connecticut? Absolutely no goddamn idea. It's almost certainly for the same reason, but there is no real recorded reason for the choice of the American Robin as a state bird, as far as I can tell. For literally all of those states, it's a pretty bad choice by virtue of not being a good choice, at the very least. But that said...I mean, it's not the worst possible choice for a State Bird. For one state, anyway.

Robins, for the record, were named after a different robin entirely: the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula). Another red-breasted and beloved songbird, the European Robin was an immediate thought when American settlers saw the American Robin, hence why I keep saying "American". The two are so often confused in pop-culture, even Mary Poppins was guilty of it! That GIF above comes from the film, and in case you haven't realized it yet, that's an American Robin in England. Yeah. Wrong bird to use as a model for your animatronic, Disney. That has bothered me since I was a little kid, I swear to GOD. Erroneous film biogeography is one of my biggest pet peeves...but that's a separate conversation.

Back to the American Robin. Personally, I love robins of all species, and even recently did some genomics work with them (DNA extraction is fun). They're a commonly seen species, and a great entry-level bird for kids to get into birdwatching and nature. As an American icon, I genuinely think these guys should get some recognition...but I'm hard-pressed to say Connecticut needs them as a State Bird. We'll see what people think, but there's not a great case for them to get the title. To keep it...like I said, we'll see. Maybe the others won't be deemed as good a fit for the state. For now, let's move on from a popular backyard bird to a MUCH less popular one.

Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)

Here's the eBird pick for Connecticut, and for good reason! The vast majority of the Blue-winged Warbler's (Vermivora cyanoptera) breeding population is in...Wisconsin. Wait, what? Hold on...yeah, actually, Wisconsin, New York, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia all have higher shares of the population that Connecticut, with 5% overall. That's still a lot better than the American Robin's share in CT (0.2%), but still...seems like that eBird article is SEVERELY outdated, or I'm using the database wrong somehow. Either way...huh. Well, let's make an argument for the Blue-winged Warbler, anyway.

Blue-winged Warblers are a species of some conservation concern, making them automatically of interest. They're also extremely interesting to geneticists and ornithologists because of their relationship to other members of Vermivora, especially the Golden-wined Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and extinct Bachman's Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii), with having documented hybrid offspring with the former that's of interest for various reasons. But outside of that, they of course breed in Connecticut, and represent an interesting bird to look for and find, with a recognizable song and appearance. It's also prized by birdwatchers, and would be a good bird for any aspiring or experienced birdwatchers. It also inhabits shrubland, which is of some conservation interest to CT government and environmental officials. But other than that...not too much else.

Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)

No. Look, I'm just gonna say this now: no. The Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) not only doesn't breed in the state (and possibly has never bred in the state), but it's pretty much not found there. Like, at all. This is not an easy warbler to get anywhere in its range in the US, but Connecticut isn't included in that distribution. "But lonelywretch," you scream at your computer screen, "why is it called the Connecticut goddamn Warbler if it isn't even from the state?" First of all, not to police your emotions, but stop screaming; way overboard for this situation. Second of all, it's called the Connecticut Warbler because its describer, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, first saw it in a fly-by during migration while in Connecticut. And...yeah, that's it. They do fly through the state very occasionally during migration, but it's definitely not a reliable bird to count on for local birders there. Honestly...bad bird for the state.

Side note here: there's a lot of talk about renaming birds that are named after people, and I agree with that in almost every case. But here's a hot take to elaborate on in another series: location-based names need to be re-examined. Not all of them are bad by any means, but the Connecticut Warbler is a great example of a bird whose name makes NO FUCKING SENSE. Rename this bird, I BEG of you. If anybody has suggestions for a renaming of this bird, throw them in notes for something! Keep in mind, Gray-headed Warbler is taken (by Myiothlypis griseiceps), so come up with somethin' else. Warranted inclusion in the list for its name, but we're gonna move on.

Osprey (Pandion halieetus)

It's at this point in the list where we get into some interesting candidates...and where I had the most trouble. But I'm fairly satisfied with what I've come up with, so let's move forward! This entry's a somewhat controversial pick for a few reasons, but an interesting one for a bunch of reasons. Now, I don't know about you, but I love Osprey (Pandion halieetus) a whole bunch. An iconic raptor, as well as a very unique one, they're a pescivorous bird found throughout the entire continent. And in Europe. And Asia. And Africa, Australia, and South America. Yeah, they're a cosmopolitan species, found in every continent except for Antarctica. That automatically should make them a bit dodgy of a choice for a State Bird, since they can be found in every state (yes, even occasionally Hawaii). So, why Connecticut?

First off, Connecticut has an intimate connection with the shore and rivers, especially the Connecticut River. Seemingly a loose reason, but the Osprey, AKA the river hawk or sea hawk (we'll get to that later) is an iconic riparian raptor, and a common sight in Connecticut. Having grown up on a river in the state, we used to see Osprey all the time, and it was awesome every time. But their commonness in the state is an important story in and of itself. And, if you know anything about Osprey at all, you know where this is headed. And Connecticut is a great example of this story.

The Osprey is one of the most iconic victims of the DDT crisis that hit the country, as well as a symbol of the environmental success story that resulted from its banning. I won't go into the full story if you haven't heard it, but the short of it is that the pesticide DDT was inadvertently ingested by fish-eating raptors, especially the Bald Eagle (Halieetus leucocephalus) and the Osprey, causing the eggs they laid to have weakened, soft shells. This caused a massive decrease in these and other species, nearly driving both into extinction. However, once environmental movements prompted by Rachel Carson and her book Silent Spring advocated for its eventual banning, the populations recovered. And in Connecticut, they've recovered A LOT.

In 1940, somewhere near 1,000 nests were recorded for Osprey between New York City and Boston. By 1970, the number in Connecticut was down...to 8. Jesus Christ, that's a hell of a crash! One of the worst in the country, in fact. However, today in Connecticut, there are 688 active nests in the state. Which, yeah, doesn't seem like the ultimate success compared to previous, but what's interesting is the rate of increase. Because in 2014, according to the Connecticut State Audubon, there were only 210. In ten years, the number of breeding ospreys known was more than tripled. That's incredible. This has quickly made the Osprey a symbol of conservation in the state, because of a massive amount of monitoring increase. There are states with more of a population, but Connecticut has a pretty good argument for having the Osprey. But that said...other states could also claim this species. Florida and Maryland definitely have claims on it for population size alone, not to mention, well...the most iconic state of all when it comes to having ospreys as a symbol. But we'll get to that one WAY later. just keep that in mind before you vote for Connecticut to have the Osprey.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus OR Astur striatus as of recent taxonomic proposals), on the other hand, is another bird of interest. The smallest hawk in the United States of America, this already seems a fitting choice for one of the smallest states in the country. It's listed as endangered in the state, immediately making it of interesting conservation focus. The reason for this status is likely because of window-strikes, which are common for the species in Connecticut, meaning that there's some public outreach needed to protect it. Protecting the forests they nest in (which are in danger) is one thing, but putting up protective window decals to help the species is another. Definitely a cause for focus.

However, there is one...minor detail that makes this a harder fight for public opinion, as well as a potentially ironic one. This is the first species we've discussed whose diet is basically exclusively birds. If you're in the Northeastern United States, and you've seen a bird get attacked and taken at your birdfeeders, it's almost certainly this guy. Which is cool, and important for the species' survival, but the average person being asked to protect a bird that kills other birds, especially birds like the American Robin, is...a palpable irony. Granted, it genuinely needs protecting, and has monitoring programs in the state, and it is a genuinely interesting raptor! But, this is a slightly harder fight to win because of that noncharismatic factor. But hey, it's a cool bird in genuine trouble in the state, it's a scrappy bird for a small state, and it's an interesting species to highlight!

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

This is another difficult bird to fight for, but one that needs attention, for God's sake. The American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) is a rapidly disappearing duck species, and not for the reason you think. Let's get to Connecticut representation first. It was the first bird to be used for the Connecticut Migratory Duck Stamp in 1993, the first one issued for the state. It's one of the few states in which it breeds (although it's not the primary state of focus, detracting from its candidacy). And, it's a controlled bird by Fish and Game, meaning hunting of the Black Duck is extremely limited. There is, surprisingly, a point to that statement, but I won't be elaborating here. We'll see how the vote goes, and I'll address it in the Results post.

So, why is this a potential issue? Well, Maine and New York arguably should get this bird instead, as they have a higher population. And the breeding population of this bird is incredibly important to promote, because it's disappearing. Why is it disappearing? Well, some of you may have looked at that picture and asked yourselves: "Wait...isn't that just a female Mallard?" And the answer is, no! But a lot of people think that. A lot of birds think that. Mallards think that. Which means that hybrids between Mallards and Black Ducks are incredibly high. SO high, in fact, the species is being bred and hybridized out of existence! They're so similar to Mallards on a genetic level at this point, that they'll be subsumed if their individual populations aren't preserved. So, yeah, these guys deserve some focus. Do I think they're a great Connecticut symbol? Well, to be fair, the state is regularly assumed to be either greater New York City or greater Massachusetts by outsiders. And it's not; it has its own identity that deserves to be preserved for what it is. So, yeah, maybe a good fit for Connecticut after all.

Also, it's the state in New England with the highest proportion of Black Americans (yes, even more than Massachusetts), so...I dunno, that's also something? Probably not, but as a black dude that grew up in CT, I felt the need to bring that up.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

OK, sing it with me now!

Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony; Stuck a feather in his hat, and called it "macaroni"! Yankee Doodle, give it up! Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mind the music and the step, and with the girls be handy!

Ooh, that last line aged a little rough, but Yankee Doodle! The Connecticut state anthem! Yes, really. Most Americans in the Northeast know this song, but it's got a unique resonance for Nutmeggers, seeing as it was allegedly based on the son of a Connecticut mayor! The state chose it as their song in 1978, and it's been a beloved symbol ever since. But, for the uninitiated (and probably to most school kids like I was), there is one weird word in there that needs a little explanation: macaroni.

Now, this does not, of course, reference the easy cheesy favorite of every child (and college student). No, this is a reference to an old 18th century term for a form of fashion back in the day. It's what the 2000s called "extra", or bourgeious (pronounced "bougie", of course). Basically, it's somebody who dressed WAY over the top in high-designed clothes and accessories to the point of looking...well, extra. Another applicable 2000s term would be "metrosexual", I guess. The macaroni became a satirical character in British culture, and would later become another character known as the "dandy". It's sort of a class-related satire, to be honest. In any case, the macaroni was known for over-the-top fashion, including...wigs.

So, what does literally any of this have to do with the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)? More than you'd expect, actually. First off, the egret has a pompodour-like crest of feathers that makes it look quite like a stereotypical macaroni, in my opinion. Secondly, it does breed in Connecticut, albeit extremely rarely, sparely, and barely. Its population in the state used to be a lot greater...until people came around and starting hunting it down. Why, you ask?

Let's just go ahead and call that macaroni now, while we're at it. To be clear here, quite a lot of birds were used in millinery back in the day, but the Snowy Egret (and the Great Egret (Ardea alba), for that matter) are special. Those long white feathery plumes were heavily prized as hat decorations, enough so that the species nearly went extinct from hunting them for the hat trade. As a result of that, people began to turn their eye towards conservation of the species, and the protection of birds in general. Two women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, got a group of women together to protect the birds. They rallied the troops, and their organization became fairly popular. Eventually when they sought to name it, they did so after one of the most famous ornithologists in American history at the time: John James Audubon. And from there...well, you can guess.

The Audubon Society is one of the premiere bird conservation organizations in the world, and especially in the United States, and is well-known to the public sector. And it was born right here in...Massachusetts. Oh. Wait, have I jumped the gun on this one? Maybe a little, yeah. But, in my defense, the macaroni is linked to Connecticut through its state anthem, and the Snowy Egret is linked to the macaroni, as mentioned. But, OK, maybe this is a better proposal for Massachusetts, not Connecticut. But, uh...there may be another contender. Kind of.

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

OK, here me out on this one. Look at this picture of a classic macaroni character (on the right, for the record). Does that hairdo not kinda look like the crest of the Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)? Like, just a little bit, at least? I dunno, I can definitely see it. But OK, outside of that, is there another reason for the Tufted Titmouse to be the State Bird of Connecticut? Well, they're extremely common, they've got some charisma to them, and they're definitely found breeding in Connecticut. But...I don't know. I think they're plenty charismatic, but I'm not sure that makes them a great contender.

Still...they should be represented somewhere, right? I mean, the species breeds entirely in the USA, even though it can be found in Canada as well. Plus, other than being very recognizable, they're also an easy bird to find and support with backyard birdfeeding. And, if you want a fun fact about them, they're prone to kleptotrichy. That means, they pluck the fur from mammals to use as insulation in their nests! Yeah! They actually pick the winter coat off of dogs, and use it for their nests! Adorable. But yeah, does this really count for a good State Bird of Connecticut? I doubt it, but I'll let you vote! And I swear to God, it better not be just because of the name that it gets votes.

There you have it. Some complex and controversial choices. I miss any that you think are a valid choice for the state? Do let me know, and I may just issue another poll if this one isn't good enough. We shall see. But, for now, I think it's time to move onto the next state. And lemme tell you, I'm real excited about that one, since...well, I live there! And I have some ideas, lemme tell you. And some people will...disagree with me. For sure. Anyway, see you next time in Boston, kid!

See you soon, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results

[witchesofvaliant]

✦ Minor Deity Monday - Morpheus ✦

Welcome to the first of a series!

The first episode of this series starts off with Morpheus, the Greek Shapeshifting God of Dreams and the leader of the Oneiroi, personifications having to do with dreams, or dream spirits (aka daemones).

Who is he?

The name of Morpheus (Μορφευς) means "form" or "shape" and he is known specifically for being the Oneiros who personifies the human form in dreams, taking the shape of various humans and being able to copy the exact voice and mannerisms of the being as well. He also is known to have delivered dreams to humans, and at times delivered messages or prophecy through these dreams.

Mythology

In mythology, Morpheus is considered leader of the Oneiroi, dream daemones, children of either Nyx (Night) and Erebos (Darkness) or of Hypnos (Sleep) and Pasithea (Relaxation), that are called brothers with each other, with the three Oneiroi mentioned in mythology being Morpheus (Form), Phobetor (Frightener), and Phantasos (Fantasy).

Morpheus, along with the rest of the Oneiroi are said to "sleep" in a cave in Erebos (with either Hypnos or Erebos) that is located in the Underworld. The Oneiroi seem to tend to be "sleeping" under the effects of poppy seeds which exist in the cave they reside in. The Poppy plant contains opiates, which is where morphine is derived from. In low doses, it causes drowsiness, sleepiness, and a mild high.

There isn't much mention of Morpheus specifically throughout mythology, with the most prominent of myths including him being in the story of Alcyone and a suspected theory of Morpheus being the unnamed Oneiroi who gave Agamemnon a dream in the Iliad.

Alcyone and Morpheus

After the death of Alcyone's husband, Hera feeling terrible for the situation, had Iris go to Erebos, where Hypnos and the Oneiroi reside, and told Hypnos that Alcyone needed to be told of her husband's death. Hypnos then enlists Morpheus, who fit the situation best as he then goes to Alcyone in the night, and takes the form of her dead husband, copying his voice and mannerisms perfectly, and telling her that she had lost her husband.

Agamemnon's Dream

In the Iliad, Zeus wished to give victory to Achilles during the Trojan War, so to do this, he planned to fool Agamemnon first. For this to work, Zeus enlists the help of Dream (who is suspected to be Morpheus), who turns into Nestor, an advisor to Agamemnon, and speaks to him in his sleep making him believe Zeus is on his side. By doing this, Agamemnon follows through on this fake advice and makes a tactical error, losing in battle instead.

Personal Gnosis

In my personal experience, Morpheus, alike to how he is thought to be in myth, he seems to appear as a young man or entirely cloaked in shadow, either way having dark/blackened angel-like wings, and standing far above even a tall human height. He does also live in Erebos, within the Underworld, with the other Oneiroi.

I also personally feel him to be nonbinary, but primarily male-presenting, so "he" or "they" works!

His attitude can tend to be stoic but with a dark sense of humor, at times being fairly serious when he truly needs you to know something and more mischievous when you fail to pay attention to him, especially if you're in a dream with him. He's a wonderful guide and teacher especially in terms of dream work and has actually helped me quite a bit with understanding lucid dreaming much better. Additionally, as I've seen some talk in a few spaces of liminal deities, I'd consider Morpheus one, especially as a deity known for changing shape and existing primarily in the world of dreams.

He's connected to the element of Air, and the colors silver, black, dark blue, grey, and gold.

The three primary epithets I know him as are: - Winged Guide of Dreams - Focuses on his dream and guiding aspects - The Dark Messenger - Focuses on his prophetic aspects - The Shifting Shadow - Focuses on his more liminal and transformative aspects

Further Resources on Morpheus:

https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/OneirosMorpheus.html

https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/morpheus.html

https://www.thecollector.com/morpheus-greek-god/

https://olympioi.com/demigods/morpheus

https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/morpheus-the-god-of-dreams/

Divider by @enchanthings

[k00325480]

Epithet Erased - Art Study

Epithet Erased is an Indie Animation by Brendan Blaber also known as JellloApocalypse about a girl named Molly who lives in a world where some people are inscribed with an Eptithet. That means some people have a soul word which allows them to have certain abilities, for example Molly has the Epithet called "Dumb" she can silence/mute others and simplify things or other epithets aka she can dumb things down.

Now what stood out the most in the short animated series is the way it is animated, instead of animating everything out in the series most is just told through sprites being moved which makes it more like a game than an animation at times. Health reduction numbers also appear when getting hit or attacked. This gives it also a more lighthearted vibe.

It is a style that stands out quite a lot and also something worthy of notice is the specific storytelling audio-wise it uses with characters explaining their actions in the third person. One of my thoughts about that fact is that it is reminiscent of reading out loud script during practice just instead of having someone else read the stage cues, each character reads them out loud for themselves and another thing is that it reminds me of movies with deaf audio subtitles, it makes the show seem very inclusive while by making each character read their own actions make it sound like a fun little gimmick.

Also here is the playlist on YouTube for 7 episodes and the first six chapters of the book that follows the story after the seven episodes

[fistfuloflightning]

you’re so right about Nienor and Mablung, and your art of them is so sweet ❤️ can I hear your thoughts on them?

Thank youuuu @serregon!!! 🥰 And ohhh I have lots of thoughts about these two!!! Be prepared for brainmush and me jumping around from headcanon to AU synopsis under the cut lol

Her years in Doriath are their cutesy era, before they’re both scarred from Turin’s jackassery. Mablung fell first, he admired her strength and resilience and her blunt way of talking which was so unlike most of the Doriathrim he knew. Nienor wasn’t far behind, since this kind buff marchwarden took her under his wing and encouraged her to talk freely with him, so unlike all the Doriathrim she knew. It was nice to have a confidant to share her problems and worries with and who would in return be able to share stories about her father and brother, neither of whom she had ever met.

Still unsure if I headcanon Morwen secretly teaching Nienor how to read and write while in Dor-Lomin, or to have Mablung be the one to teach her in Doriath. (and then she has to relearn it all over again in Brethil :P ) Either way, Mablung was her teacher during her years there, and was the one who taught her how to fight and how to move like an elf (which she used to great effect when she snuck along with Morwen’s bodyguards and even the elves didn’t notice her). His epithet is the Heavy Hand, which I take as he was skilled at fisticuffs/heavier weaponry (aka me indulging in my headcanon of Nienor preferring hand axes to fight since her teacher favored brute force and she’s referred to as the ‘likeness of Hurin in woman form’ and I’m think tall buff axe-wielding woman lol).

In Doriath as part of her training, they would play tag in the forests, or their version of Marco Polo which was each of them imitating bird calls and trying to discern what was the fake bird and trying to find ‘it’. (And if kisses were used as forfeits, no one would ever know 👀. Morwen certainly wouldn’t, Nienor would make sure of that.)

Mablung and Nienor probably got near the point of considering marriage (there’d been more than a few close calls), but then Nargothrond happened, and then Glaurung… And if the next man Niniel fell in love with looked so much like an elf, she would never understand why that pained her every time her husband kissed her and it would feel wrong.

I have two different timelines going in my head, one is where Mablung safely got her across the Girdle into Doriath before they got ambushed. Melian managed to undo most of Glaurung’s enchantment (since I’m absolutely sure a Maia’s power could undo that of a created monster with nowhere the strength of one gifted with the ability to manipulate the First Music). Nienor gets her mind back, but Morwen is lost. She convinces Mablung to help her look for her family, and loyal and utterly devoted elf that he is, he does so. They hit the road and spend the next three years wandering Beleriand (and getting married along the way). They never find Turin, but they do find Morwen and they all move somewhere south, along the coast—but definitely away from all the trauma drama of the rest of Beleriand.

The other timeline: the exhausted remnants of the Nargothrond expedition are ambushed and Nienor flees into the darkness. Three years later, Mablung rides into Amon Obel as in canon, just in time to hear about the dragon’s death and that of Turin’s and Nienor’s. Frantic, he searches the river for her body. But to his shocked relief, he finds her alive. Heavily injured and suffering from a miscarriage, but his Nienor is alive. With her memory restored, she gladly goes with him even though she now feels tainted from her marriage to her brother. The only place she’ll be safe, Mablung reasons, is within the Girdle. But instead of returning to Menegroth, they settle in the Forest of Nivrim. Mablung just…never returns to duty. He lost Nienor once, nearly twice, and his devotion her comes before his duty to his king. And Thingol did give him permission to search for the children of Hurin—he just didn’t give a return date.

It takes Nienor time to heal from everything she’d gone through in the past couple years, but Mablung is literally made of time and he’s with her every step of the way, her hand seeking his like it did in the darkness of Glaurung’s spell. And without the sword of the dragon’s curse hanging over their heads and the world in a small moment of peace, they can finally act on the long-awaited promise they’d made to each other back in Doriath.

And when Thingol is slain several years later after screwing over the Dwarven craftsmen, Mablung is not there to die before the treasury. He has better things to do. Namely, his wife.

[blookywooky]

I present to you, my VERY FIRST TUMBLR POST 🥳🥳

Had this goofy ahhh cat in my pictures and got a devious idea 😊

The character shown is Naven Nuknuk from the series Epithet Erased

(aka my most favorite character in fiction 🤗)

[bestest-brackets]

Round 1

Most in Need of a Hug Bracket

Who is Most in Need of a Hug?

Vote and reblog to support your favorite!

Propaganda below the cut

Molly:

This 12 year old lost her mom in a *fire* and her dad's neglectful to the point where this, Again, TWELVE YEAR OLD CHILD has to run the store on her own.

Jennifer:

- lost her parents due an airship accident;

- was stolen by a weird stranger man, forcing her to literally live as "his son Joshua";

- her crush (Wendy) get upset over a dog, Brown, that Jennifer decide to take care of. Pushing her friend/club members to bully and extremely torture het just for "fun";

- 100% withness SA abuse by the hand of the orphanage headmaster with two of the students (aka Mermaid Princess chapter);

- bullied also by the adults of such place;

- Wendy in the end decide to "kill" her beloved puppy due she thought was a good idea for get her back (it failed as hell);

- obliously Jen slap the heck out of Wendy and yells at everyone over this extreme situation;

- her ex (Wendy), upset that her plan failed, literally ended to use and send the weird stranger man to the orphanage to kill all kids;

- she (Jennifer) is the only to survive from this entire wth mess...

Oh btw its a common misunderstanding that this happened when she was an adult while, in reality... SHE WAS 8 YEARS OLD-

In short: Jennifer 1000% deserve the hug

Jennifer propaganda courtesy of @sofy-tofy

[katerinaaqu]

Is calypso an immortal goddess or did she kill herself after odysseus left?

Depends on the source. To be fair she is also called a nymph which is another type of immortal creature but nymphs often appear to be able to die if something happens in local traditions. Either way Homer names her immortal goddess. Other sources seem to stick closer to the essence of nymph I suppose.

However as far as Homer is concerned he names her both a nymph and a goddess and she feasts on Nectar and Ambrosia which is the meal of every God like the Olympian gods. She is a daughter of a powerful titan (aka a pre-olympian god) and she has many epithets linked to gods.

Now Hyginus in his own Fabulae which is a much later source he mentions that she kills herself out of sadness. That is probably because Hyginus wanted her to appear more vulnerable and more human in one way so I suspect he leaves to assume Calypso was a common nymph after all. But that goes against homeric tradition or most of them anyways.