#and the other colonies were more fun/interesting

[cursedvibes]

My Culling Game 1st Phase Ranking

(This is based on my personal taste and very subjective. I have enjoyed all the colonies, so just because one is last place, doesn't mean I hate it. I split up Yuuji and Megumi's parts because they are tonally so different.)

Tokyo 1 (Yuuji edition): A big part of why it's in first place is because Yuuji is my 2nd favourite character but that's not all. The dynamic with Higuruma is just perfect. They are such a good match in theme & personality, we don't really find that in the other colonies (Hakari & Kashimo to an extend but it doesn't run as deep). Yuuji confronting his guilt and getting to open up about it at least a little bit, was very touching to read and Higuruma's development over the fight and how he is changed by Yuuji is so well portrayed as well. Plus, we got a glimpse at Yuuji's childhood which is always interesting.

Sakurajima: Reading it in one bunch makes it flow much better. I don't think that the appearance of Daido & Miyo breaks the flow of the story. The colony's greatest feat is making me deeply care about Noritoshi when before he was barely on my radar outside Kamo lore. Maki and him parallel each other nicely and the little talk about their mothers at the end was the icing on the cake. Maki's ascention and mastering of her new body was beautiful to see. My only problem is Naoya. I understand why he's capable of coming back and how he's supposed to symbolize the full destruction of the Zenin Clan, but his impact was just lacking. Maki didn't seem particularly bothered by him outside of general annoyance. An amalgamation of Zenin Clan spirits could've served the same purpose and potentially been more interesting.

Tokyo 2: I didn't care much for Charles but Hakari makes up for it. Kashimo is bringing some sweet gore, which is always appreciated. It still bugs me that Panda's sister died so easily. I guess Akutami changed whatever they had initially planned for Panda. That death scene in Panda's internal world was still touching. The fight between Hakari & Kashimo is super entertaining and feels much less dragged than when reading it weekly. Actually, I was basically flying through the pages. Love the dynamic of the two and a great introduction to both of them. The Edo flashback got me excited for what they have in store for the Heian era.

Sendai: This one made me love Takako but it also made my opinion on Yuuta go from indifferent to annoyed. He needs a mini-Megumi on his shoulder to remind him of what's important. The colony introduced a lot of interesting new themes and gave us some Heian lore to look forward to, that's why I still liked a lot. However, as much as I love Takako and the cockroaches, Hakari vs Kashimo was more entertaining and versatile than Yuuta & Ryuu's energy blasts.

Tokyo 1 (Megumi edition): Even if it ended up in last place, I still enjoyed this part a lot. I love Reggie, and Takaba & Hazenoki (especially his technique) are fun. Megumi got to improve his domain and kill for the first time. The information Reggie provided was essential and I hope it means the others won't be as trusting of Tengen in the future either. All the lore we got was probably my favourite part of this. Still, there wasn't that much character development on Megumi's part or introspection as in the other colonies, so that's why it ended up here. I just liked the others more.

[lavenderjewels]

i miss kenjaku as a villain

[lurking-latinist]

👀👀 wanna say more about your eusocial timelord theory?

when you sent this ask like a year ago apparently I did not, for which I apologize.

now it's the wee small hours and I'm trying to clear out my asks. but eusocial time lords are so fun. forgive anything that doesn't make sense/jars weirdly in this, I'm trying to explain some quite spitbally worldbuilding.

among other things, it's an explanation for (1) why are there so few time ladies on screen and (2) that very strange thing in I think it's in Gallifrey where Pandora was 'the first female President' and apparently that's a big deal? but like why would a different planet (where they regenerate!!) have the same manifestations of sexism as we have? and also vaguely riffing on the VNAs lore that Gallifrey used to be a matriarchy and Rassilon overthrew it, but also kind of completely transforming that lore.

so forget gender, this is not about gender. "male"/"female" is at best a very rough translation of the binary that Gallifreyans are concerned with, which is worker/queen. They are bees!

The Time Ladies (i.e. Gallifreyans played by female human actors) that we see in the pre-War era (all of this applies to the pre-War era)--Romana, the Rani, Flavia, Inquisitor Darkel--are biologically the equivalent of insect queens. (And the Doctor, the Master, Borusa, the Floating Time Lord, Commander Maxil, etc. etc. are the equivalent of worker bees. The fact that the former all present as female and the latter all present as male is just sort of a translation convention/useful coincidence, I guess.) Gallifreyans evolved from a eusocial species and their early political structures were developments of the hive structure, with reproductive capacity strongly linked to political authority.

Presumably this is what Rassilon, or whatever revolutionary Rassilon stole credit from, is supposed to have overturned--the link between reproductive capacity and political authority. But in my version, it was before that that Looming became a thing: the queens had control of the Looms, so it was the ultimate refinement of their arts and sciences, and it was their way of getting rid of whatever drone class there used to be, if they weren't already parthenogenetic.

And that's why there's the stereotype in Gallifrey--mentioned in connection with Pandora, suggested as a concern about Romana--that a "female" (queen) President will be autocratic. It's seen as a potential return to "how things once were."

And then I did a lot of worldbuilding for how government worked at a stage in history when there was a sort of uneasy balance between reproductive and political power, but that was for a fic Moki was working on and I think she's still working on it, so no spoilers!

So what you end up with is a hive structure where the role of the queen has been sort of abstracted away into... well, the hive itself. The power at the heart of Gallifrey is Gallifrey. I feel like that explains a lot of what's wrong with them.

There might be another branch of the species that evolved away from eusocial structure into something more like solitary bees and that's the Shobogans, possibly, since nobody seems at all clear what the Shobogans are.

Also I read that with naked mole rats, the only eusocial mammal, there are a few in each colony that are predisposed to not fit into the colony and instead go and wander and find other colonies, to promote genetic diversity, and I'm just saying, renegades.

And after the War when there are often maybe two Gallifreyans left, that's why whatever's left of the hivemind keeps trying to get at least one of them to turn out as a Time Lady. Fortunately for the universe, neither of them seems that interested in reproducing.

[s-che]

Monsterhearts 2: Plotting Anti-Plot

Last week I had the fortune to MC (and play) Monsterhearts 2 for the first time as the Dream Library begins a unit on monsters, monstrosity, and monsterfucking which will carry us through November, and boy howdy am I glad we managed to do it. 

For those who (somehow) don’t know, Monsterhearts is a game that bills itself as being about “the messy lives of teenage monsters.” It cites Twilight, Buffy, Ginger Snaps, The Vampire Diaries, and The Craft as media touchstones, it’s not joking when it says that these monsters are 1. messy and 2. teenagers. Monsterhearts is angsty, horny, frightening and, above all else, extremely fun to play. On top of that, Monsterhearts is also one of those games that, if you’re in a certain sector of the indie RPG scene, people will remind you is extremely fun to play all the fucking time. It feels sometimes like every designer I know has a good Monsterhearts story, and as much as Avery Alder’s reputation on a larger stage has been defined by The Quiet Year, I get the sense that for people who like what Monsterhearts is doing it’s an extremely hard game to beat. 

So to be totally honest, I was more than a little anxious MCing for my first time actually playing the game. There’s a sense in which hosting a game which you know is great can be way harder than hosting games you think might be bad — after all, if the session goes poorly, there’s nobody to blame but yourself. On top of that, Monsterhearts moves through some tricky territory: underage sex is a core element of the game, and the eight “Small Towns” (short, pre-prepped settings for quick starting the game) all deal more or less explicitly with histories of racism and colonialism in communities across North America. While these are interesting places to go in play, the idea of taking them on myself as host made me shy away a little bit (and I’m excited in the next session to look at things from a player’s perspective). 

All in all, though, I think the session was a resounding success. I went in with basically no prep and as much familiarity with the book as I could get (not enough to realize the quick reference sheet we were using for the first half of the session was from Monsterhearts 1, but so it goes), relying on the game itself — which leans away from strictly organized plots and encourages you, in true PBTA fashion, to let characters and their needs bounce off each other until the conversation goes somewhere interesting — to get us smoothly into play. I would call my efforts there a mixed success: while Avery has a real skill for writing pedagogically, giving you the explicit frameworks you need to get into play (if you’ve never begun a session of The Quiet Year by reading the rules book aloud to each other, you should go fix that now), the session was hampered a little by some awkward pacing and uncertainty: partially driven by my chronic tendency to waste time on slowly establishing things in one-shots rather than swinging as hard as I can in the first five minutes and letting the players lead from there and partially by player character relationships that lead to clear, decisive actions... which left one of our players bored at work while the other two went off adventuring. We ended up taking a moment, after returning from the normal mid-session bio-break, to chat and refocus ourselves, figuring out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see in the last hour or so of the session, and then jumping back in and — thankfully — playing hard to reach a strong conclusion. In the end, I’m not interested in tracking down exactly where the first half of our session lost its footing (although I have some ideas for how I could have hit harder as an MC). I’m more interested in celebrating the way the table was able to come together, talk explicitly about what we wanted, and get the game somewhere satisfying for everyone involved. We closed on, among other things: an underwater fight between the Fairy (Mermaid?) Queen and a Kraken-Leviathan-Hellmonster, a throuple sneaking off from a beach party to hook up, and the messy end of a South Jersey summer (complete with a tsunami and a beached whale front of the boardwalk). It was a good time. 

Most striking to me in this moment, however, is the way thinking about Monsterhearts as a plotless game positions both me as MC and the other players. It really speaks to the way that capital-T The capital-C Conversation works in Powered by the Apocalypse games (good ones, anyway) to let play flow not according to the rules of a paced narrative, but along lines of player interest and highly-charged emotional incident. It is, I think, part of what makes all the PBTA games we’ve played in the Dream Library sing (in no small part because we pruned the last unit and didn’t play any PBTA games I think are bad, but that’s a different conversation) and it suits this game — with it’s emphasis on sex and messy desire — extremely well. It also fits in nicely with a point I’ve heard a couple of people make recently: that thinking of RPGs as first and foremost collective narrative engines is, at the very least, a narrow view. 

Anyway, this week I’m fortunate enough to be joined by a new host (hi @jdragsky) so I can check out MH as a player, then we’ve got a couple of two-shots planned for the end of the month before we move on to our next monstrously intimate game: Bluebeard’s Bride. You want in on an upcoming game? Have a link. You want to hear more about Monsterhearts? One of my players wrote up some of her thoughts as well.

Otherwise, well, get out of here. Scram.

[ofmdrecaps]

09/04/2024 - 09/05/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Nathan Foad; Samba Schutte; Leslie Jones; Kristian Nairn; Madeleine Sami; Vico Ortiz; Eliza Cossio; OFMD Rewind with AOC and Astroglide; Articles; Fan Spotlight; Cast Cards; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika;

Hey crew, multiple 2 day recaps coming tonight. Sorry for the delay.

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys is going to be starting up a substack (similar to Patreon). He's really excited about it as you can tell-- Gizmo Darby is not so excited however.

Source: Rhys' Tiktok/Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika out in Paris with Rita <3

Source: Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan off to see Matthew Maher at Rose City Comic Con and giving us all the feels on the way!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

== Samba Schutte ==

Heyyy! Samba's going to be at the Dream Theatre in Los Angelos on Oct 5th, 2024! You can get comedy night tickets on their website!

Source: Theatre of Hearts Instagram

Really cute story Samba shared about a fan on twitter btw!

Source: Samba Schutte's Twitter

== Leslie Jones ==

Leslie's coming to Colorado Sept 13! For all our OFMD Colorado crew, you can catch her at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley! For tickets, visit her site!

Source: Leslie Jones' Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

Kristian on his way to Rose City ComicCon!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

Hey UK Crew! Kristian's got a signing set up for Oct 3 at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore! You can RSVP here if you're interested!

Source: Forbidden Planet Instagram

More Kristian News-- his book is being featured on Amazon and there's a great article highlighting it in The Washington Post! "Beyond The Throne as one of [Amazon's] Best Books of September"

Source: Kristian's Instagram

= Wee John Wednesday Notes =

Some fun OFMD News: He's gonna try to do a WJW Live at Rose City Comic Con in Portland this upcoming weekend (and drag some other cast members into it if he can).

Kristian shared some awesome gifts people gave him! (He said you do not have to bring gifts to meet him but he will always love them, but don't feel bad if you don't please!) Some I recognized from various artists we know (but there were a lot more):

@smudgeandfrank

@/samanthareiofficial

@/unclear_atypicality

@/bairnecessitiesco Kristian has a website with his books on it-- but he's got some limited edition Guitar Picks he's got on sale, there's only 100 available. He is also getting a WJW put up soon! Not available quite yet though.

Website

T-Shirt

LE Guitar Picks

Other fun things:

Kristian loves Rabbits!

He's getting some rune tattoos in Portland when he visits Rose City Comic Con!

Wanna watch it? It's available on Instagram!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristian Nairn (@kristiannairn)

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

== Madeleine Sami ==

Deadloch S2 is being filmed in Darwin!

Source: 'I Love Darwin' Facebook Page

== Vico Ortiz ==

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Eliza Cossio ==

One of our dear writers, Eliza Cossio is being featured on a podcast! You can listen in here!

Source: Eliza Cossio's Instagram Stories

== OFMD Rewind with AOC ==

Our friends over at @adoptourcrew are working together with @astroglideofficial and doing a Full Rewatch of OFMD together! It starts Sept 12 @ 2:30PM PDF / 5:30PM EDT / 10:30PM BST!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Articles ==

Thank you @adoptourcrew for sharing these great articles!

Most Controversial TV Show Cancellations

Yahoo Article

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Thank you to the ever-dedicated @melvisik for keeping up with these Cast Cards! Catching up tonight with several, please check them out below!

David Van Dyke - Visual Effects Supervisor (VFX Supervisor).

Stephen W. Shriver - Lovely stunt double to Fred Armisen!

Emily Buntyn - Casting Associate!

Kendell Wells - CJ's stunt double that whipped Taika in the balls!

Morgan Smith - Executive in Charge of Casting!

Stephen Bralver - Nathan's stunt double, possibly the one who 'lost his shoes' in Nathan's story at the San Jose Con!

Chris Denison - Stunt Water Safety, probably the person who makes sure our lovely cast stays safe in the whilst submerged.

Steve Aizzo - Rhys' Stunt Double!

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies. Love Notes are brief tonight. I just wanted to remind you that kindness is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself and anyone else. It's not free, but it costs a lot less than most things. No matter how hard things have been, no matter how much kindness you've received, kindness continues to be one of the greatest world-changers and you're still trying to be kind, and I am so proud of you for that. You are so very lovely, don't forget that <3

Source: StayCloseToYourself Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Just some dancing... these two are too cute! Gifs courtesy of the darling @fandomsmeantheworldtome and @ marv3lic1ous!

[panoffrying]

My Dr. Sozonius LORE Headcanons

✨Warning this is a bit long✨

Sozo is a character that has lived for a very long time. Whatever that mushroom was on their head not only influenced Sozo but kept them immortal. We know really nothing bout Sozos past so I made some headcanons for silly fun and for me to visualize who Sozo was and what his life may have looked like. I want to do my best to keep this as game accurate as possible, so there will be quotes from the game. The quotes are not at all in order! I kinda just bring up random Sozo quotes as I go. Also I apologize if this doesn't make sense or if I ramble (I get excited about certain topics) 

thank you so much @7moonbird for going over and editing this for me, Love ya Pookie!

And so we start:

Sozonius was born in the days of the old faith. He was present the day the Bishops declared the genocide of the lambs and he actually played a big part in assisting the lambs survival. However, he almost got caught and had to stop helping the lambs to keep his family safe. He's never seen any of the bishops(maybe) but his village was part of Darkwood and therefore under Bishop Leshy’s ruling.

VILLAGE 

Sozonius village was mostly a colony of Carpenter Ants, there were a few other species living there too but it was mostly Carpenter Ants. I imagine there are different races of ants depending on the region they’re in; so there could be fire ants, pharaoh ants, and more! Most ants get along nicely and work together but sometimes other races of ants can be more temperamental and cause conflict between colonies. Carpenter ants are a more calm type of ants, they aren't aggressive but they are incredibly strong. Carpenters ants are known to live in trees; they hollow out trees to make their homes and they like to stay off the ground as much as possible in case of floods and other dangers.

In the colony they had their ruler, the “Queen,” who looked over the village and did queenly business (not gonna go too deep into it). Everyone had many different jobs, ants are hard workers and very strong. They made marvelous structures, farmed a lot of crops, and knew how to work together when there was a threat. Sozo’s village was one that many others would try making deals/trades with. I would talk more about his village but that's not why y’all are here lol. 

Sozonius was a fellow damn near everyone in the village knew. He loved his work and he loved to talk about it to anyone that expressed that they wanted to listen. He was that guy that you could get stuck in a conversation with and struggle to end it. He liked to ramble about his work and kids. Other than that though he never really started conversations with others, he would keep to himself unless someone interacted with him.

And I could definitely see him having a science rival but nothing too bad lol.

FAMILY

“Where am I…? Where is… my family…?”  are the words Sozo says when he turns back into Dr. Sozonius. I like to think he had a wife and two children. They didn’t have the best marriage but they made it work out for their two sons. His wife was a bit stubborn and very honest. She would say things before thinking which did cause issues, but Sozonius let it slide because he loved her so much and wanted a happy family for his sons. 

Sozonius was a very funny dude. He made dad jokes all the damn time, his family would pretend to hate the jokes but in reality they did love them. 

Sozo Dialogue “Now all Sozo can think about is mushrooms, mushrooms, MUSHROOMS… They don’t leave mush-room for anything else! Ha!”

(Also, this next idea is inspired off of @kuphulwho headcanons for Sozo. I loved her ideas and I recommend y'all look at her headcanons too!) Aside from Sozonius being a mycologist he had a side hobby of art! He wasn't the best artist, but he was really talented with sketching plants/fungi, he liked to make art of anything that interested him. He most likely wrote an educational picture book about Fungi, there's probably an old copy of it somewhere.

This art hobby caught the interest of his two sons, and they also started to pursue art. Sozonius would take his free time teaching his sons how to draw plants and such. Sozonius would hang his kids' art everywhere in their house, it was like walking into an art museum haha.

JOB

Sozonius studied mycology which means he studied fungi. Sozonius knew fungi could benefit his society and he wanted to help educate others about the importance of fungi. Soon he learned enough of a new discovery of mushroom people, neither plant nor animal…Sozonius then made the decision to go on a solo mission to study the Mushroomo people.

THE MUSHROOMOS 

Dr. Sozonius Dialogue “My name is Dr. Sozonius. I was researching the Mushroomos that live in Spore Grotto… strange creatures, Neither animal nor plant…” 

Sozonius went to Spore Grotto and at first, he studied the Mushroomo people from a distance setting up a campsite near the Mushroomo Village. When the Mushroomo people discovered Sozonius they welcomed him into their home, cheerful happy little things. Sozonius was given the chance to learn more about these strange creatures up close! How could he say no? Sozonius was welcomed into Spore Grotto and was treated like a god. 

Sozonius asked the Mushroomos many questions, but getting any actual answers from them was difficult. The Mushroomos treated Sozonius like he was their most special guest, they danced and sang for Sozonius. They would mimic Sozonius and follow him around, making sure to do anything he asked of them. There would be many times when the Mushroomos would offer to feed Sozonius menticide mushrooms but Sozonius knew a lot about fungi and declined their offers. However, there seemed to be a special Ritual the Mushroomos took part in… 

Sozonius had been in Spore Grotto for many weeks now, it was time for him to leave, he had studied enough and was ready to return home but the Mushroomos were surprisingly sad when he announced this. They wanted to show Sozonius a sacred ritual to them before he left, he wasn't aware of the menticide mushrooms being part of it…

Dr. Sozonius Dialogue “They gave me Menticide Mushrooms, and then… that’s the last thing I remember…”

After Sozonius was tricked into eating menticide mushrooms and also gave Sozonius a crown, a crown that would grow into Sozoniuss mind, he shall be the Mushroomos leader… And the new Sozo was made. (literally just think of Ice Age 2 when the lil sloths take Sid to be their fire king, however they don't sacrifice him)

The mushroom on Sozos head is very powerful, it makes me wonder what it is exactly, it gives the person wearing it immortality, but also causes the user to go insane (don't forget that Sozo is also being fed menticide mushrooms) the mushroom crown kinda reminds me of Chemachs crown. It seems to have a mind of its own and a face. I feel like the Mushroomos for days straight made sure to give Sozo a diet of only menticide mushrooms to make him forget everything and to possibly power the mushroom crown. They would constantly tell Sozo that his mind would be open and free, that it would make him feel better, and Sozo being under the influence of the mushroom listened to them.

A Mushroomo Dialogue "Once you taste the Menticide Mushroom your mind will be opened." 

As the years went by so did all the sanity Sozonius had left, but in some moments Sozonius seems to still be aware but not all there. 

Sozo Dialogue “Sozo had friends... Followers... family... now Sozo has mushrooms..."

Sozo over time seems to start to dislike his followers and call them liars. He even becomes quite cruel to his followers. Yet he also mentions that he trusts the lamb and wants the lamb to protect him from his followers which makes me believe that Sozonius is somehow a little aware and fighting against the mushroom crown’s influence. He is mad at the Mushroomos for lying to him, tricking him, making him into who he is now.

 Sozo Dialogue  “No need to thanks Sozo. Build it at your Cult then come back to me. Sozo shall grant you one last gift. Sozo is always fair. Always repays this debts. Not like those LIARS out there."

"You did it! Now I know I can trust you... not like those nasty liars outside. They are always watching, always listening! Here take this. You are Sozo's best friend, you are Sozo's only friend."

"Sozo can trust you now, Sozo will pledge himself to you! You will protect me from those liars outside and bring Sozo mushrooms!"

(Also a side note that my gf brought to my attention last second lol! Apparently parasitic mushrooms rely on insects to spread. That is probably why they tricked Sozonius into staying and eating menticide mushrooms. Maybe it's been that long since they've seen an insect)

SOZOS IMPRISONMENT

So, this next little headcanon of mine is an interesting one and might be confusing to explain. Was Sozonius imprisoned within his own mind while under the control of the mushroom crown? If he was, I can see him being stuck in a sort of loop, imagining his family and friends. Think like Mabel's Bubble from ‘Gravity Falls’ weirdmageddon. Sozonius is trapped in a mental bubble, stuck in a false reality as the now mushroom-infected Sozo takes over his body and actions. 

In Sozonius’s mental bubble he is in a place where trees are big, tall mushrooms and flowers are mushrooms, everywhere he turns its mushrooms. He knows something is wrong, everything is too strange, everyone he loves is there with him but is it real? It feels like he's living in a dream. Sozonius proceeds to talk to his friends and family as if they are actually there in which I noticed that Sozo will talk to the menticide mushrooms as if they are actual people.

Sozo Dialogue “Precious, perfect little mushrooms, Sozo is here now, Sozo will always be here…”

”Sozo is busy now… Sozo must commune with the ‘shrooms.”

As time passes more mushrooms grow in his mind prison, and they keep growing and growing until they start to grow on the people he loves. He knows something is happening, he's going mad, and he starts to search for an exit, he needs to escape this false reality that the mushroom crown has created for him. 

He starts fighting the mushroom crown’s hold on him which causes him to regain some awareness. This is when a part of him realizes he’s been tricked, and he starts refusing everything the Mushroomos give him and becomes cruel to them. However, the lambs have never done him wrong before and the lamb (from the cult) begins to be the only person he can trust. At least until it becomes too much and well… we know Sozo’s fate.

SOZO’S REVIVAL 

So Sozo doesn't get resurrected until all the bishops become mortal (at least in my playthrough)(I might change this to he was part of the cult before the bishops I’m not sure). So all the bishop siblings are in the cult and learning the ways of mortal stuff and Sozo appears around the same time, still the crazy Sozo we know and love. However, he’s still very addicted to the menticide mushrooms and both the Lamb and night workers have found Sozo digging through the mushroom crops like a lil racoon.

Based on the game, Sozo likes to run around the cult and do his own thing; he often looks very spaced out but the moment someone talks to him he starts spitting nonsense before yelling at them to go away. The only people Sozo will talk to are people that give Sozo what he wants, which is menticide mushrooms! If you do that for him he will talk your ear off with nonsense, in conversations with him he will often talk about his followers, them being liars and disgusting little creatures. One day though Sozo’s personality seems to change? He starts to tell the lamb,

 “Sozo was just here, all alone, thinking about mushrooms... Uh, Sozo means Sozo's little Mushroomo followers!”

”Yes,, they must be so lost without Sozo. They love Sozo! Everyone loves Sozo - especially Lamb!”

“Without their great and beloved Sozo, Mushroomos must be so scared... YOU! You must save them! Save them and bring them to Sozo.”

”They will be trapped in Anura. They are always getting captured when they don't have their great Sozo to protect them. Rescue them and bring them to me.”

But when you bring the followers to Sozo he ends up eating them. At first glance you can assume it's just his addiction, in which it most certainly could be! He sees a big mushroom and he's like oooo~ delicious but there's also a possibility of this being Dr. Sozonius’s anger coming out. The whole fighting against the mushroom crown’s influence and realization that he’s been tricked. Maybe a mix of his addiction and anger for what they did to him? I’m not too sure if Sozo eating the Mushroomos was a problem before he joined the cult.

Of course, this addiction must be stopped so the lamb decides enough is enough and refuses to get more Mushroomos. This causes Sozo to dissent and, with little choice, the Lamb has to put him in rehab. I imagine it would’ve been a struggle getting Sozo to the prison without the Red Crown’s help. With the power of an ant that is Sozo’s size it's a miracle he didnt break that pillory while he was in it. Sozo just stayed silent and didn't fight; the person he had put his trust and hope in has imprisoned him. Sozo is a bit depressed at that moment. 

After Sozo has been re-educated, released, and cured of his addiction the mushroom crown finally falls off his head. Which, like I said before, makes me wonder, was it being powered by the menticide mushrooms Sozo has been eating or is it something else?

But Dr. Sozonius talks about some stuff before saying,

Dr. Sozonius Dialogue “I can’t help but feel that I have you to thank for… something. You have my loyalty, I will remain here and serve you. Please, take this!”

Sozonius was ready to live his life rather than reunite with his family in the afterlife. He wasn't expecting to be resurrected after dying in the cult from old age. But Sozonius gave the lamb their loyalty and promised to stay in the cult and serve them. The Lamb had been so kind as to give Sozonius an immortality necklace, the Lamb didn’t want Sozonius to go yet… and Sozo’s heart was too kind and soft. He will have to wait a bit longer to return home to his family, but maybe some good things will come out of staying longer~

Also! Who do we think Sozo was talking to? 

A Mushroomo Dialogue "Who is Sozo talking to when he whispers in the dark...?"

Is he talking to himself? The mushrooms? Or the Fox?

[simon-roy]

Asking here because I get notified if you reply: why rockettes? Beside the obvious cool factor and the vague notion that euhumanists can't just do things normally and have to have an extra layer of complexity, is there like a... practical advantage to having a gun that shoots rockets vs one that shoots bullets? They don't seem guided or explosive, and without fins would they be more accurate or reach longer distances than a single-impulse munition?

My rationale for this is both aesthetic (retro-futurism) and internal world logic.

First, the internal logic of the world.

The Euhumanists have spent centuries, presumably, using beam weapons for small arms (like star trek). If they were stuck without reliable beam weapons (because of limited power sources, manufacturing capabilities, etc, like in "the grand tour"), and were developing their industrial capacities from a very limited base, circumstances would possibly force them to essentially re-invent the gun.

Given their own history as space-faring people, I was thinking that the rocket would probably be their most direct reference for a combustion-driven kinetic device - so having them develop an awkward micro-rocket, instead of first developing muskets or cartridge ammunition, felt suitably unique, clunky and weird for the world.

Also, in researching "caseless" ammunition of this type, like russian VOG launched grenades, the gyrojet, the italian 9mm AUPO round, and, the granddaddy of them all, the 1800s ROCKET BALL (see below image), it was interesting seeing all the other methods of containing projectile and gunpowder in one discrete unit.

The rocket ball came about in 1848 and was my biggest inspo for this, but the utterly magical and deranged GYROJET missile-bullet was up there too. If you search youtube for gyrojet firing footage, its completely fascinating!

This is all to say, though, that aesthetics and the idea of this colony fumbling their way into firearms came first. This style of ammo doesnt have much in the way of practical advantages over modern cartridges, but modern cartridges also just felt WAY too anachronistic to throw into this setting. But it has been a very fun research rabbit hole for me to clamber down!

[poetrysmackdown]

hi hiii i wanted to say that your account is so refreshing to see, esp with the passion you have for the arts. as someone who's been meaning to read (and write) more poetry, do you have any recommendations? some classics that everyone and their mothers know? perhaps some underrated pieces that changed you? or even just authors you like, I'm very open to suggestions :]]

Hi! Thank you so much for this kind ask :) So exciting that you’re looking to delve deeper into reading and writing! I had to take a little time to answer this because my thoughts were all over the place lol.

For a review of notable/classic poems/poets, I honestly just recommend looking at lists online or, hell, just binging Wikipedia pages for different countries’ poetry if that’s something you’re into, just to get a sense of the chronology. I read one of those little Oxford Very Short Introductions on American Poetry and thought it was pretty good, but online is quicker if you’re just searching for poets or movements to hone in on. Poetry Foundation also has lots of resources, in addition to all the poems in their database. I guess my one big classic recommendation would have to be Emily Dickinson (<3), but really the best move is just to find a poet you already enjoy and then look around to see who their peers were/are, who they were inspired by, who they’ve maybe translated here and there, etc. and follow it down the line as far as you can.

For some personal recs, here are some collections I’ve really enjoyed over the past two years or so. Bolded favorites, and linking where select poems from the book have been published online. But also, if you want a preview of a couple poems from another of the books to see if they interest you, DM me and I can send them over! You can also feel free to pilfer through my poetry tag for more stuff lol

Autobiography of Death by Kim Hyesoon trans. Don Mee Choi

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo

DMZ Colony by Don Mee Choi

Hardly War by Don Mee Choi

Whereas by Layli Long Soldier

Geography III by Elizabeth Bishop

Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

Mouth: Eats Color—Sagawa Chika Translations, Anti-Translations, & Originals by Sawako Nakayasu

The Selected Poems of Osip Mandelstam trans. W.S. Merwin and Clarence Brown

The Branch Will Not Break by James Wright

This Journey by James Wright

God’s Silence by Franz Wright

Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria Rilke (the translation I read was by Alfred Corn—I thought it was great, but idk if there are better ones out there!)

DMZ Colony, Hardly War, Dictee, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, and partially Whereas are all book-length poems with some prose poetry and varying levels of weirdness/denseness/multilingualism—if you were to pick one to start with, I’d say do Don’t Let Me Be Lonely or Whereas. Mouth: Eats Color is some experimental translations of Japanese modernist poet Chika Sagawa, with other translations and some of Nakayasu’s original stuff mixed in—it's definitely a bit disorienting but ultimately I remember having such fun with it, as much fun as Nakayasu probably had making it. It’s a book that emphasizes co-creation and a spirit of play, and completely changed my attitude towards translation.

If you’re less interested in that kind of formal fuckery stuff though (I get it), can’t go wrong with the other books! Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings is the one I read most recently, and it’s great—Harjo also featured in Round 1! Franz Wright also featured, and God's Silence is the collection which "Night Walk" comes from. James Wright (father of Franz) is one of my favorite poets of all time, though his poetry isn’t perfect. Even so, I’m honestly surprised he’s not doing numbers on Tumblr—Mary Oliver was a big fan of his, even wrote her "Three Poems for James Wright" after his death.

I mentioned in another post that one of my favorite poets is Paul Celan, so I’ll also recommend him here. I read Memory Rose into Threshold Speech which is a translated collection of his earlier poems, but it’s quite long if you’re just getting to know him as a poet—fortunately, both Poetry Foundation and Poets.org have a ton of his poems in their collections. There’s also an article by Ilya Kaminsky about him titled “Of Strangeness That Wakes Us” (!!!!!) that’s a great place to start, and is honestly kind of my whole mission statement when I’m reading and writing poetry. Looking at the books I’ve recommended above, a lot of them share feelings of separateness or alienation—from others, from oneself, from one’s country, from language—that breed strange, private modes of expression. That tends to be what I’m drawn to personally, and that’s some of what Kaminsky talks about.

Sorry of the length of this—I hope it's useful as a jumping-off point! And if you or anyone ends up exploring any of these poets, let me know what you think! If folks wanna reply with recommendations themselves too that'd be great :)

[qierxing]

Fathoms Below

Commissioned by the amazing rainbowsillz

TW/CW: Toxic Relationships, Unhealthy coping mechanisms and mindsets, Blackmailing, Threats of Violence Yan!Azul x Mer! Reader

You're not exactly a go-getter.

It's not in your species' nature to be so, when one of your greatest strengths is to simply go with the flow and see where the sea currents take you. Even in the darkest trench, you'll always find a way through (using your handy glow in the dark biology).

It is, however, just like you to be curious when the waves take you to the next interesting destination. 

This shipwreck must be recent. Last time you were here, you don't recall broken masts and a proud figurehead buried in the sand here. You float along while examining the wreckage with a meticulous gaze. The glimmers of buried jewelry here and there don't interest you. No, you have no interest in such trinkets.

There's a gaping hole within the port side, jagged wood ripped into razor sharp teeth revealing the insides. It's dark and cloudy with mud and debris, but that's no issue for you. Rot and time have claimed the interior, but there's still some items that survive. As you swim closer, you discover quite a few things littering a toppled desk. 

There's a glass bottle that is scratched and covered in dirt but still intact. Within, there's parchment rolled up, perfectly preserved and safe from the salt waters. You tuck the bottle away in your bag, making sure it's snug inside so there's no chance it would fall out. Another cursory glance has you catching a curious metal object, no bigger than a clam shell, with strangely colored needles inside. You decide to also pocket it, just in case it turns out to be useful.

All in all, it's a fruitful exploration that has you quite satisfied. You are tempted to continue, but the rays of light are already dimming above into sunset, and your parents would not be happy about having to spend hours finding you again, especially not in a new unfamiliar area.

But just as you're almost to the colony where your family has settled down, you hear some strange sounds. Mischievous laughter mixed with crying has you turning your head in mild confusion. Following the commotion, you find a clearing with a large metal pot, surrounded by several other merfolk. You vaguely recognize them as your neighbors, their faces somewhat flickering in your memory. 

"What's so funny?" The quiet question has them turning around in panic, surprised by your unexpected presence. There's some awkward coughs and furtive glances exchanged between the gaggle.

A nearly unnoticeable teary sniffling has you glancing at the pot, realizing someone must be inside. When your suspicious eyes meet the clique's again, their faces sour as they sheepishly swim away, clearly annoyed they were deprived of their fun. 

It doesn't take much to piece two and two together. Sighing, you wait for a moment, then two, but nothing else happens. The mysterious sniffling has stopped but there is no sign of them being willing to leave the dark pot.

The calls of your parents carry on the currents, lulling you back home. You chance another indifferent glance back before swimming off towards home.

—

Apparently, the metal circular item you found is called a ‘compass’ by humans. According to your father, at least. When you pester him more about it, he shrugs and says that human sailors would use it to find their way on their voyages. The red needle would supposedly point you to your path. That was the only thing he knew about it.

You’re absolutely delighted with this fascinating discovery. So much so, that you can barely contain your excitement during class to go and test your gadget. 

"[First] [Last], are you listening?!" You let out a shocked yelp at your compass being swiped away by another finned hand. Your teacher peers down at you with disapproval in her beady eyes. The compass glints in her claws, just out of reach. 

"Pay attention to the lesson. You can retrieve your toy tomorrow." And with that, you watch sullenly as she swims away with your treasure. Snickers echo around you from your classmates but you ignore them, propping open your notebook in annoyance. The day seems longer without your compass in hand, but finally, the bell rings and class is over for the day.

The rest of your classmates waste no time swimming out the door, chattering about plans and playdates and what not, but you still remain in your seat, vindictive and resentful. 

"I can't even test out that compass until tomorrow." You slump over and your head hits the coral slate with a dull thud. Ms. Ulyana can be so stingy sometimes. Besides, you already knew everything taught in the magical theory section today.

"Excuse me?" You don't bother raising your head, still moping about the loss of your precious gadget. 

"What." You're not in the mood to be made fun of or exchange polite conversations at the moment.

"Isn't this yours?" You sit up abruptly, and see a young octopus mer holding the compass in his hands. You vaguely remember him sitting in the back of the room, hunched over his notebook, his glossy silver locks covering his face. 

"How did you…?" He smiles faintly with mischief flickering in his pupils.

"Octo-mers are great at camouflage, did you know?" The boy shrugs casually, setting down the gadget in front of you. “And…” He starts mumbling, fidgeting nervously with his fingers where you can’t hear him. 

“Er, what did you say? I didn’t catch that.” You awkwardly interject. 

“It’s….it’s thanksforhelpingmeout!” He blurts out quickly. This time, you hear him perfectly clear and stare at him in mild confusion. When did you help him out? You wrack your brains but come up empty. Instead of embarrassing him by denying it, you just nod along.

“Well, still, thanks. I’ve been waiting all day to try this out.” You grin. “You’re the coolest, uh…”

“A-Azul. Azul Ashengrotto.”

“You’re the best, Azul,” You hold out a confident hand. “I’m [First]. Wanna be friends?”

He hesitates, eyes staring intensely at your open palm offered. “Y…You want to be friends with me?”

You tilt your head. “I think anyone willing to get into trouble for me is worth befriending.”

“Even if…I’m just a crybaby and octo-twerp?” His lower lip trembles, teary voice nearly cracking.

“Who called you that?!” You put your hands on your hips, raising a tentacle to intertwine with one of his own. “I’ll give them a hearty zap if they do such a thing!” Azul splutters as you administer a gentle shock through your tentacles. It’s absurd enough to make him burst out laughing and you join in happily. 

Within that small classroom, a fond memory is created with that childish laughter.

—

The compass seems to get wonky underwater in the depths, so you reluctantly take to the shallows where the sea pressure is a little nicer to your gadget. 

It's strange to be so close to the sky as merfolk. The clouds remind you of the sulfurous gasses that are spewed in the deeper marine trenches. But it's much more transparent compared to the opaque heavier gas, lighter and much more friendlier looking. 

The red needle points straight ahead, and you breach just slightly, spotting a beach in the distance. Despite reservations, you drift closer, still only keeping your face above to render your sight usable. 

Misty fog clears and reveals palm trees and jagged rocks littering the golden sands. It's no island, since the land stretches further back into the atmosphere, with no end in sight. But there's no sign of life, save for the seagulls circling above and tiny crabs scuttering below. A little bit disappointing for your destination.

The stories you heard from elders were always about wild islands with treacherous fauna and mysterious treasure buried deep underground. Maybe even a group of thieves lurking around. This was just a barren reef that held naught but the bones of those unfortunate to wash up here. 

Still, you move forward, trying to see if there’s anything at all on the sand. Some multi-colored sea shells here and there, hardly in the condition to be collected, let alone be traded for with others. You glance at the compass in your hands with an annoyed huff.

“Useless thing…” You mutter under your breath. It’s a childish hope, but you had thought it would lead you to somewhere amazing, that you could tell your own tale about. That way, Azul could finally stop scoffing at you for your ‘ridiculous’ dreams and prove everyone else wrong.

The item barely makes a sound when it meets sand, and you turn away. The disappointment has already dampened your spirit to the point where you want to find the darkest nook and curl up and sleep.

A throat clears behind you, and you freeze at the unexpected sound.

“I believe this is yours?” The voice is tinged with specks of haughtiness that has your hackles raising subconsciously. 

A human boy has the compass you tossed in hand, inspecting it with a thoughtful look, before turning that gaze to you. His purple eyes are mesmerizing; they remind you of the vibrant sea shells in the various reefs dotting the Coral Sea. It takes an embarrassing moment for you to compose yourself to finally reply.

“It isn’t anymore.” He raises a judgemental eyebrow, and you almost shrink in on yourself. 

“Why not?�� You cross your arms defensively at the judgemental tone. “It isn’t good to litter, you know.”

Your ears burn at the pointed accusation. Is a human seriously going to lecture you about pollution when they’re one of the causes for said situations? 

“That item used to belong to humankind, how is it littering when I am merely returning it to its place on land?”

“In this condition? I’d be surprised if it still works.”

“Well, it clearly didn’t work when I was trying to use it.” You fold your arms petulantly as the boy’s eyes slant in judgemental surprise.

“What use does merfolk have for human gadgets?” You bristle at the questioning tone. “I thought your kind has no need for these kinds of things, since you have an innate sense of direction.”

“So what?” You snap. “Who said that mers weren’t also curious about exploring either?”

“Exploring?”

This back and forth ends in a humiliating embarrassment when Vil (he introduces himself with an air of elegance that makes you think of royalty) informs you that the compass is not some kind of magical gadget that can lead you to your desired location. You thought he would be more smug and condescending about it, but he only patiently explains the usage of the compass and how the red needle is only meant as a stalwart guide, as it will always point north wherever you are. It’s a little disappointing, but still. You could see how it was useful as a human.

“That sucks. I wanna explore a new land one day and be able to tell all about it to my folks.” You flick your tentacle and splash some water out in musing. Vil has settled on a rock near you and now the animosity has simmered away into genuine curiosity for each other. It’s nice. When was the last time you were able to talk this freely about your dreams?

“I’m sure you can,” Vil smiles, and your breath is momentarily taken away. 

It feels good to have someone who believes in you, for once.

—

"...I think he’s a good person.”

The sound of someone choking makes you whip your head to see Azul keeled over his large book volume. After recovering, he looks up at you with incredulous disbelief in his sapphire eyes.

"You can't be serious? He's a human!" He spits, hostility coating his words like tarred ink. 

"Ugh, so what?" You puff out your cheeks. “Why do you have a problem with this anyway?”

“Because he’s a human! And besides, how do you know he won’t do something suspicious like sell off your fins or tentacles once you turn your back, huh?!” Azul retorts, making you roll your eyes. 

“This is not the age of the Sea Witch, Azul, it’s the modern era,” you coldly reply. “And that’s rich coming from you. Did you get that tome from the library or someone else?”

Azul flinches, cheeks blotching into a mottled dark purple as his tentacles writhed around the book as if to protect it from your disdainful gaze. Of course. Last week you swore one of your classmates had become mute, and another one’s P.E grades had dropped drastically, despite performing well in the past years. Azul sure has been working hard perfecting his unique magic these days.

“I earned this book fair and square!” Azul protests. “That human is another thing completely!”

“His name is Vil.” It’s like talking to a stone wall. You knew Azul disliked hearing about Vil, but not to this extent. “And he’s my friend.”

“I’m your friend too!” Aquamarine eyes narrow as your closest friend snarls at you. “Doesn’t that mean anything?!”

“Not when you’re insulting my other friends!” Without meaning to, your own tentacles begin to thrash in irritation, buzzing with the hum of electricity. “Ugh, forget it. I knew you were going to be like this, just like when you make fun of me for my weird treasure hunting.”

You’re not a fast swimmer, so even if you storm off, it must look silly, just floating away as your tentacles drift behind you. Despite the desperate calls of your name echoing behind you, you don’t turn back at all.

—

Perhaps you should’ve thought about at least making up with Azul before you made your decision.

“How are you going to explore the world if you can’t even leave the sea?” Vil had said with a disapproving frown. “You can’t let sentimentality shackle you from your potential.”

The words echo in the back of your mind. Sentimentality. Yes, that was one way to put a label on your relationship with Azul. You can’t deny entirely that reaching out that hand to him that fateful day was entirely out of a genuine desire to make friends. That little regret permeates the way you end up having to cheer Azul up from another self loathing session or whenever you’re having to reassure him that you won’t ever leave him all alone. It’s not that you actually believe in your words, but rather, it was the quickest way to quiet his tantrums. And although Azul matured greatly in magic and smarts, he never did quite grow out of his childish belief that you would always be there to coddle him. Not even when those sly eels attached themselves to him, taking over your role of being an actual friend.

So you take to the surface with your parents’ tearful blessings, leaving only a brief message with an acquaintance you made in your elementary school days. Rielle had hesitated, but ultimately wished you luck up on the surface. You can’t blame him. If you were braver, you would have made the effort to say the bitter words to your friend yourself. But that would be wasted time on a flood of tears and ink and even worse, a complete meltdown that would take days to mend.

When the volunteers handed you the transformation potion, they told you that although you trade your fins for legs, most mers have to adjust for a long period of time, having been so accustomed to swimming and utilizing your unique biology. At the time, you threw those warnings to the wind and chugged down the potion. Nothing would matter if it meant you could break away from the sea foam. You hadn’t realized the gravity of this until you’re stumbling over yourself and constantly ending up with aching bruises on your knees and shins. 

You hadn’t quite realized, until Azul is the one pushing you back and shrugging your apartment door shut behind him with a deafening click. Although it took you weeks to figure out how to walk without falling, Azul moved with an ease as if he’s always been human. It almost makes you envious enough to forget that he’s pinning you back on a wall, pupils dilated and breathing heavily like a madman. 

“Azul, let go! What the hell? How did you even know where I lived–?!” You’re not entirely panicked, more confused and annoyed. Even if he was erratic at times, he was still that baby octopus. He wasn’t exactly like the Leech eels who were known for their sharp teeth and ability to maul things to shreds. 

“It wasn’t easy, you know,” Azul mutters, a thin sharp grin strained across his face. “Do you know how hard it is to follow your tracks after you abandoned me like that?!” You scoff. One month and he’s already thinking it’s the end of the world that you weren’t glued to his side night and day. 

“Abandon? Please. You must be insane to think that me going to the surface to study is the equivalent of abandoning someone,” you spit back in his face and he recoils only slightly, but still remains steadfast in his strong grip over your hands. Even as you wiggle, he gives no indication of letting go. 

“Well, that doesn’t matter now,” you bristle at the way he ignores your reply. Bad habits die hard– he’s always loved ignoring anything he didn’t want to hear from you when convenient. It’s almost relieving in a way, to see that he hasn’t changed a bit. “We’ll be returning back to the Coral Sea.”

“What?!” Now you’re angry. It’s one thing to hear Azul to be delusional, it’s another to have to entertain those delusions. “You must be out of your Sea Witch’s mind to think that I’ll–” Your words die in your throat when something cold and hard presses to your jugular, digging into your voice box.

“You will.” Azul’s pupils are still dilated, black taking over sapphire pools and leaving only a cold abyss. Your eyes dart down, following the magical pen that gleams with a silvery gemstone that makes your heart almost stop in place. “You will, and you know why, my dear?”

“Because I earned you first, fair and square.”

[murderbot-moodboard]

Found an Easter egg in the book The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older!

It's the second (and latest) book in her mystery series The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti. I can highly recommend both it and the first book, The Mimicking of Known Successes.

The simplest way to describe the series is that it's very similar (I'd say intentionally so) to the Sherlock Holmes stories, but if Sherlock and Watson were reimagined as lesbians with chemistry that was more than just potential subtext, and they lived in a future post-apocalyptic colony in space with definite Victorian-type/steampunk world building, but with a healthy amount of foods and other cultural aspects from many different cultures around the world.

In fact, one thing that surprised me at first was that the books' vocabulary commonly uses not only formal/older English words, but also words and expressions from many different languages, only some of which were familiar to me, but most of which can be understood from context. It's a choice that makes sense, though, for a society that's been removed from Earth for a long time, and what it would look like for different Earth cultures to synthesize into totally new cultures and groupings of people over time.

Anyway, these are the kind of books that you're likely to enjoy if you like TMBD. As a matter of fact, in the first book's acknowledgments, Malka Older listed Martha Wells first among the other authors she was thanking for their writing and how it impacted her. So if you're looking for a fun and interesting scifi read, these books are worth it! :)

[the-s1lly-corner]

hii!!!

Could i ask for platonic headcannons (tadc) for jax,ragatha, pomni for a reader who acts like Jane Doe from ride the cyclone ( says the most random facts, doesnt know wtf is happening half of the time etc)

Sorry if this is a long ask.

And tysm

Jax, Ragatha, and Pomni x jane doe!type reader!

funny thing is that today ive gotten a second jane doe reader request, like an hour or so ago :O, so ill probably answer that one right after this so !! originally i was gonna tie the two asks into one post but idk, so uh uh !!! we'll see! speaking of, i need to get into RTC, i never really. got into it, outside of some of the songs (ballad of jane doe, talia, and noels lament have changed me) ill also be relying on the other persons ask to guide me on janes personality, so im not totally blind on this !! apologies for any inaccuracies !

POMNI:

she kind of finds your manner of speaking.. uncanny, in its own way. the flatness, the fact you dont put many emotion behind your words. and how you sometimes drop the most morbid bits of information (usually) unprompted

one time the two of you were doing an IHA and the topic of ants came up and you just started talking about how if ants find a rival colony they will engage in all out war in order to survive and claim the resources of the place. why did you start talking about ants? because caine conjured up an ant NPC to serve some role in the adventure

now if you have some knowledge on the digital world and its secrets and... perhaps a means of escape, then she may be more inclined to spend more time with you

RAGATHA:

sometimes she has to keep an eye on you when you guys are having an IHA, just so you dont wander off and possibly get hurt when you decide you dont much care for whats going on

"oh thats nice..! can you tell me more?" when you drop some random facts about something. imagine randomly dropping some facts about centipedes and she just. grins and tries to act casual while you have this sweet little look in your eyes

not much else to be said, i think she would indulge in your little fun facts if she thinks it will make you happy

JAX:

"no one wants to hear about your net facts, reader"/ref

but like its worded a little meaner, if that makes sense

only really seems interested if he can find a way to use the new knowledge to be a little shit

otherwise, i dont think he would interact with you often :( i dont really see him being the type to hang around a character like that SOBS

he thinks its funny if your facts earn a look or reaction from someone else, though

if not romantic, i could see the possibility for a friendship!

[kaidabakugou]

DAY 10: MOSNTERFUCKING FT. NAGA! KATSUKI BAKUGOU

WORD COUNT: 2.9K

WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF ALIENS / MENTIONS OF DEATH / DUB-CON / BITING / APHRODISIACS / BLOOD KINK / TAIL FUCKING / THROAT FUCKING W/ TONGUE / DOUBLE PENETRATION / FINGER LICKING / OVERSTIMULATION / CHOKING / EROTIC ASPHYSATION / NIPPLE PLAY

for decades, humans have been broadcasting their presence in the universe. sending radio waves into space in the hopes of making contact with possible extraterrestrial life with no caution as to whether there might be dangerous predators lurking in that infinite darkness searching for their next target. and after many attempts, they finally got what they were seeking.

it's been two years since aliens made contact with humans. since then, humanity has evolved substantially. interstellar affairs were the least of worries for all the nations before any of this occurred. with the lack of protocol or proper response plans, humans weren't equipped to handle intergalactic species arriving on our planet. but they did what they did best, and they adapted to their new reality.

when the reptiles from outer space arrived on earth, they seeked mutual exchange with the humans. to provide us with the knowledge we lacked in exchange for a way to progress their receding species. humanity agreed, and the changes in society were limitless. technology became so advanced that humans could travel in and out of earth just as freely as the aliens could, and we kept our end of the bargain.

women volunteered, per governmental request, to have sexual interactions with the foreign creatures, with the full disclosure that the outcome was uncertain. many died in the attempt, not compatible with their dna. but with many efforts and scientific breakthroughs, cross species became possible between humans and aliens, resulting in the birth of nagas.

and with that, society changed forever, birthing centers were made to specifically progress the species for mutual benefit between parties. the space reptiles grew in numbers and humans found many ways to profit from the discovery.

nagas varied in form, if an alien had sex with a human, a creature with human features and anatomy on its upper half and the body of a snake on its lower half would come out, earning the name of nagas. if nagas had relations with the reptiles from space, the serpentine genes would predominate resulting in a more advanced version of the same reptilian alien. and if a naga mated with a human, the chances were uniform, either another naga would come or a human with a higher physical and mental capacity than regular humans would.

with such remarkable creatures, they were sought out for many reasons. they were used for military purposes by every nation, a game of who possessed the most advanced creature that would grant them victory when needed. the markets quickly thrived in many ways. nagas were killed for their skins to feed the fashion industry, underground affairs piqued interest with how many buyers wanted to get their hands on a creature that would surely get them status within their groups. and soon, naga tails were just as treasured as rare blue lobsters at high-ranking restaurants.

you had taken advantage of the situation as well, being one of the first volunteers to explore life outside of the planet. for an entire year, you visited other planets and explored different colonies among them, learning everything that you could about their culture.

but after a long year of traveling, you finally decided to return home. life outside of your planet was fun but nothing compares to the feeling of being on earth. you were currently hiking in the forest near your house, making your way towards the waterfall you’d visited countless times before. enjoying the fauna around you, since it was one of the things you missed the most while being away.

other planets did not have the green landscapes that earth had, or the same animals that could be found here. they didn't have the vast supply of water like earth does, and their plant life was almost non-existent. the majority of them relied on their advanced technology to provide them with the resources they needed, and others would make do and adapt with whatever they could find within their colonies. the animal life was also nothing compared to the abundant species on our planet, most of the extraterrestrial creatures possessed reptilian features, similar to the ones who visited us two years ago.

you were almost near the waterfall, the singing of the birds around you giving you a nostalgic feeling after not being able to hear them for so long. the sun peeking through the trees felt nice against your skin, with spring starting, all signs from the cold winter had started to melt and the weather was finally starting to feel warm again.

you're planning on making your trip to the waterfall brief, enjoy some snacks while admiring your surroundings, maybe going for a quick swim before making your way back home. not wanting to stay outside for too long or allow nightfall to catch you since springtime was the breeding season for nagas.

it wasn't rare to see nagas out in the wild, many would adopt hatchlings in pet shops thinking they could raise one for themselves and regret it later when they would start to grow out of proportion. resulting in them getting released into the wilderness to fend off for themselves and survive any predators that would be interested in them, including other humans.

untamed nagas could be quite violent if they felt threatened, and matings could be rather rough since male nagas would often try to force themselves on females, naga or human, to satisfy their own sexual frustrations.

you had set up your blanket near the rocks that had a clear path close to the water. finishing up some berries you had packed while you read the last page on the current chapter of the book you brought along to pass the time while the soothing sound of the waterfall filled your ears.

deciding to go for a quick swim before it was time to return home, you took your clothes off and entered the water. the warm liquid coating your skin as you sink deeper, making sure to give your surroundings a quick look before submerging yourself fully into the water. swimming near the waterfall as you feel your muscles relax under the soft stream, completely forgetting about the world around you.

floating around the water, a splash startles you as you immediately shoot up, wiping the water from your eyes and quickly looking around to see where the noise came from, frowning when you don't notice anything unusual. you remain still while wondering if it was just your imagination, but before you could fret further on the thought you noticed that the sun was starting to set, and you needed to leave soon.

swimming back to shore you fail to notice the ripples forming in the water close behind you until it is too late. something wraps around your ankle, preventing you from swimming further as a gasp fills your throat. suddenly pulling you harshly as your back hits a strong wet surface. a tail wraps around your center, making it impossible for you to move as you try to wriggle against it, but the large appendage only seems to get tighter the more you fight it.

a hissing sound feels your ears, making every muscle in your body go stiff as you feel your stomach sink. you could feel the vibration of the hissing deep in your bones, only one creature was capable of making such sounds, a naga. swallowing the lump inside your throat, you look back over your shoulder to get a better look at your captor, but the sight makes your breath hitch inside your chest.

the most captivating blown out vermilion irises were staring back down at your widened ones. wet blonde hair framing his face while droplets of water dripped from his ends, smooth skin adorned with brown scales that looked golden under the sunset skies. the tip of a forked tongue flicking constantly from in between his lips while he holds you closer to him.

the different shades of brown scales pulled you from your trance, noticing how some were darker than the others, making shivers run down your spine at the realization. a pit viper, some of the deadliest snakes among the nagas, with venom that could be fatal if not treated immediately.

before you could worry further on the thought, the male flipped you over so you're now facing him as you straddle his waist. noticing his erect cock in between the both of you, your lips parting as you stare down at it, not seeing one like it before. the throbbing pointed tip was already leaking thick ropes of cum that dribbled down his large cock, with long ridges that adorned the top of his shaft and pulsing veins under it, leading down to the large knot peeking from the slit of his tail.

sharp claws pull you from your haze as they grace against the delicate skin of your neck, dragging the back of his claws across your throat before finding refuge at your nape. feeling them tangle with wet strands of hair as he pulls you closer to him.

“what’ssss your name?” he asks while dragging the s between his tongue. you tell him your name and he repeats it, testing the words on his tongue before releasing what sounds like a pleased hum. his claws are still scratching against your head while you try your best to keep your eyes on his and not let them wander down towards the twitching cock between you.

“what um, what's yours? you ask, trying your best to stay calm and ignore the tension that's building between your legs.

“bakugou katssssuki”, you give him a small nod in acknowledgement while he starts to untangle his tail from around your body. feeling your muscles relax as you run your hands over your arms to soothe the tension.

you take a quick peek over your shoulder to where your things are waiting for you near the rocks before looking up at the sky, taking note of how it's almost nightfall, pondering if you could even make it back to your house tonight, or if you'll ever return home given your current predicament.

a warm breath against your neck startles you as you turn back to face the naga. bakugou had lowered his face down to your neck, breathing in your scent while nuzzling his nose against the crook of it. you're about to ask what he was doing but you were interrupted by the scream that ripped from your throat.

he sank his fangs into your neck, pain shooting through your body momentarily before heat starts to coarse through you, making you a panting mess while you try to ask what he did to you, stumbling over your words as you find it difficult to focus with the pulsing between your legs.

“relaxssss, female” he whispers against your ear, the tips of his forked tongue tickling against your heated skin. “it’ss jussst a little sssomething to make your body ready for me”

“n-no please don't do this” hissing sounds fill your ears as he quickly turns your face so that you're staring directly at him.

“ssstop fighting, you think you can come ssswim in my territory without a cosssst… and in mating ssseassson of all timesss” he spits before a wide grin spreads across his face, allowing you to see the long sharp fangs protruding from his mouth, still dripping with the aphrodisiac induced venom that he injected you with.

“you had to know exactly what you were doing”, he makes a show of sliding his long tongue across his fangs, drinking the venom from them before wrapping his tail around your center. lifting you up with it while hooking his claws around the center of your bikini bottoms, ripping them off in one swift motion before dragging his fingers between your folds.

slick coating his digits as it dribbles between them, smirking as he brings them towards his mouth. sucking his fingers while staring at you, your walls clenching around nothing at the sight of his tongue swirling around his digits while lapping up your juices.

claws digging into the fat of your thighs before sinking you down on his cock, the tip alone making your body jolt as it stretches you around him. lowering you deeper into his cock, the ridges rubbing perfectly against your sweet spot, not letting a single place inside you go untouched as you sink completely down on him.

the hissing sound returns while he gives you a moment to adjust before lifting you up until the tip of his cock is almost out and sliding you back down on him. repeating the action a couple of times before picking up the pace. raspy moans leaving your throat as he continues to thrust you up and down his cock with his tail.

bringing you closer to him while untangling his tail from your center, wrapping his hands under your thighs as his claws dig into your rear, drawing blood while he continues bouncing you on him. burying his face in the crook of your neck again, this time on the opposite side as he sinks his fangs down into your skin again.

injecting his venom into you before switching to suck on your skin, drinking your blood as the sweet taste of your liquids make his eyes roll to the back of his head. wrapping your arms around his neck to stabilize yourself as much as you could, you let your head fall against his shoulder as you feel the effects of his poison sink deeper into your muscles.

you feel his tail caress the back of your neck before sliding down your spine until it reaches your rear. rubbing it between your ass cheeks, collecting the slick oozing from your tight rim from the aphrodisiac before pushing the tip of his tail into your hole. the action making you yelp as he bullies his tail deeper into your rear. thrusting it while matching the rhythm with your bounces. the knot in your stomach was getting tighter and the stimulation on both of your holes was driving you closer and closer to the edge.

letting go of one of your thighs as he reaches up to wrap a clawed hand around your throat, lifting you from his shoulder as he brings you face close to his, not giving you time to comprehend what he was doing before pressing his lips against yours. dragging his forked tongue across your bottom lip, asking for entry as you open your mouth for him.

your eyes shooting open momentarily before they roll shut again at the taste of your own blood dripping onto your tongue. spilling the mixture of his venom and your blood down your throat as you moan into his mouth, a low purr vibrating in his chest as he devours you. your blood tasting sweeter mixed with your saliva as he pushes his tongue further into your mouth.

the wet muscle getting longer and longer as your lips stretch around his thick tongue while he shoves it down your throat. thrusting it in and out of your mouth while he stares down at you, your vision blurring with tears as you feel the knot inside of you burst. gushing all over his cock and tail as your release dribbles down your thighs.

going limb against his grasp while your holes are completely stuffed as he chases his release. the overstimulation pulling orgasm after orgasm from you as you start to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. retracting his tongue from your throat as you greedily gulp air back into your lungs while he leans down on your body.

dragging his tongue down your chest before the forked tips coil around your nipple, his fangs scraping against your skin before he switches to the other breast, giving it the same treatment as he leans back up to your level. pulling you in for another kiss before burying his face in your neck again, the hissing sounds getting louder this time as he picks up his thrust.

his pace almost animalistic as he chases his release, the feeling of your walls clenching around him and your nails scraping against his scaled back sending him over the edge. his cum feels hot inside of you, filling you up until every last drop is spilled deep inside your warmth.

keeping you plugged as he pulls you close against him, embracing you in his arms as he submerges halfway into the water, keeping you warm while placing kisses on the side of your head.

“hey… you're still with me?” he asks while drawing circles on your back.

“mhm” is all you manage to say while nodding your head softly against his chest.

a soft chuckle leaving his lips as he lets you slip away into sleep while he keeps watch making sure no one else enters his territory while he has you like this. happy that he resisted the urge to kill you when you first set foot into his space, watching you from the trees, curious as to what a pretty thing like you was doing venturing off so far into the forest.

hopeful that he finally found a mate to spend his time with after years of loneliness and suffering. smiling against the side of your head as he activates the purring in his chest to make sure you get a good rest wrapped in his arms.

♡ kinktober masterlist ♡

[thedorkurge]

Your fics and drabbles are incredible!

If you’re still taking prompts- a durgetash love confession???

Thank you! I had to sit with this one for a bit, and then this happened... Forgive me.

You can read it under the cut or on ao3.

Three I love yous (0,8k)

The first time it happened, it had been a mocking declaration. It was meant to belittle, to be so outrageous that one would never assume that there was any truth to it. An obvious taunt, meant to get under the dragonborn’s skin.

Enver hadn’t intended for them to land in the Chionthar, but the hastily scribbled teleportation sigil clearly contained a miscalculation or two. Durge was still ripping off some imps that had followed them through the portal, looking remarkably like a wet cat as he followed Enver onto the river bank. The human practically collapsed into the sand, the remaining adrenaline fading to nothing. 

“I’m going to fucking kill you.” The dragonborn’s voice was hoarse from coughing up river water, but no less intimidating for it. Unfortunately for him, Enver was not easily intimidated.

“Now’s hardly the time to flirt, my dear. Unless of course you’re finally giving into my irresistible charms?”

If looks could kill, Durge would already have made good on his promise ten times over. Nothing got under his skin quite like Enver’s complete disregard for the danger he posed. 

“Next time I’ll handle the exit strategy, since you seem completely incapable of performing something as simple as a teleportation ritual!”

Enver’s eyes rolled as far back as his anatomy would permit, as he finally got to his feet.

“Yes yes, I love you too dear. Now, are you going to move on? Or do you need a few more minutes to be upset?”

The patronizing tone clearly got on Durge’s nerves more than anything else. Enver should probably count himself lucky his spine was still in his body, as the Bhaalspawn finally stalked off to find someone more expendable to vent his frustrations on.

-

The second time was a correction, a reminder, a lie for the benefit of others. Posing as a couple at a charity ball wasn’t ideal, but it was the best way to access multiple targets in one night. 

The outfit Enver had picked out fit the dragonborn perfectly, and the coordinated colors clearly showed their affiliation to the room full of the wealthy and influential. Their disguise would be flawless, if only Durge didn’t look like he wanted to murder everyone in the room.

If Enver didn’t find a way to get him away from the main party, he might actually start killing people. But that didn’t mean the banite couldn’t have fun with it.

He put on his most charming smile as he greeted the host, engaging her in light conversation until he could finally mention what he actually wanted.

“Aurelia, darling, you simply must show my husband your art collection. Believe me, he makes a far better audience than I do. He’s got an eye for this sort of thing.”

He quickly grabbed the dragonborn’s hand in his own before it could reach for his concealed daggers.

“I’m gonna kill you.” The threat was hissed under his breath, but quite clear nonetheless.

Enver laughed slightly for the benefit of the nobles, as if he had told him a joke. “I love you too, dear.” He held up his drink to flash the wedding ring, a clear reminder of what they were meant to look like. 

The smile Durge plastered on his face was clearly forced, faked for the nobles’ benefit, as he walked off to view a collection he had no interest in. 

Enver continued his conversation, trying not to think about how cold his hand felt without the bhaalspawn’s touch.

-

The third time it happened, Enver was alone. 

Even the living halls of the colony felt cold and empty. They had felt that way for days, the chilly loneliness in the air seeping into his bones.

Sometimes it felt like he could still hear Orin’s gleeful laughter, see the glint of red on her dagger.

He had tried to throw himself into his work, wandering down to Balthazar’s laboratory to consult the trapped minds in the illithid library. 

He soon found his eye drawn to something that felt out of place. A scrolled page, torn and stained. It didn’t belong here. 

Forgive me, Father…

His previous work was abandoned as he cradled the paper in his hands. The carefully constructed dam that kept his emotions at bay finally crumbled under the pressure, as he all but fled to his workspace in the tower above. 

Now, halfway through his third bottle of wine, the lines between thought and speech were blurred. Sentiments that would usually go unacknowledged now floated just beneath the surface. The layer of sarcasm that gave them deniability was permeated by a heartache that was far too real.

It didn’t matter anymore. He was gone. Denial was pointless because there was nothing to protect. Nothing to deny. Nothing.

Just a page that said everything and nothing at all.

I cannot help but admire the chosen of your sworn foe.

It was an admission of guilt.

It was a confession.

It was too late.

For once the words fell from Enver’s lips with no twist of sarcasm or mockery.

“I love you too.”

This time he meant it. 

Maybe he always had.

[brainrotqueen]

Juno x Venture (Spacerock) headcanons

Quick warning a bit rushed and just a quickie for fun

When they met you better beleive they met you better beleive it was chaotic

I'm not sure if it's been confirmed which side she is on but for this we will assume Juno joined the Overwatch

When Juno got back acquainted to earth and joined overwatch Venture was one of the first people she met at overwatch (after her auntie of course)

Venture asked a MILLION questions about space

Is there any evidence for ancient alien colonies that may of lived there? What is space food like? What kind of rocks do different planets have? Did you keep any space rocks? Do you have any I can have for my lunch collection?

Both of them infodump to eachother about their special interest and take notes when the other is info dumping

They begin talking more and slowly developing feelings for eachother

Juno would ask for advice from Mei not really understanding her feelings because she never felt it before

Mei can tell its a crush and gives her advice to take it slow let them know her feelings eventually and maybe offer to go on a date

Venture asked for advice from Tracer meanwhile and well-

Tracer doesn't take things as slow

"OMG YOU LIKE HER!!!" ahhh energy

Tells them to be themself and to just tell them don't overthink it just do it!

Juno heard a knocking on her rooms door and opened it

Venture was there with a hand behind their back, they were wearing their usually clothing but with a bowtie on their neck (fancy) and their hair was awkwardly comed to the side "So so like I got feelings and like so like um" *they awkwardly stumbled on their words and just took their hand behind their back revealing some flowers

The flowers still had their roots and dirt it was obviously pulled from somewhere fairly recent

Venture gave that silly awkward smile and finger gunned "Want to go to the museum together?"

Juno was really excited bur also very nervous, not so much as nervous because of the date but because it's happening so much earlier then planned

Juno is overall really carefree except they trying keeping everything on a schedule and they were not planning on asking venture for about a month

They both LOVED the museum

Juno was excitedly dragging Venture to the space section on going on about anything she knew about the different things shown and makes REALLY bad puns about it

When they got to the geological section venture noticed multiple errors in the museums facts about the things shown so they got a sharpie and crossed things out and used sticky notes to correct

:D

They soon both got kicked out because of it but they didn't care because they had alot of fun

I feel once they live together or in the same room Juno would make sure Venture is doing more self care since they forget

Alot

Venture is the type to forget to shower for a week

Ahhh sorry if this wasn't the best I tried but it's hard since Juno doesn't have much yet

[lime-bucket]

In the past I wanted to children of Adam and Lilith be on the show. Than I think about I was like: "hell NO".

Lilith and Adam had many children in myths.

There were ones who were concived when Lilith was still in the Garden. They were born after Lilith left.

Lilium earth boundend demons who were concived when Lilith in the form of Eve and had sex with Adam or when Adam was sleeping after he go to spend time alone after him and Eve were kick out of the Garden. And act what lead them to be born was made becouse Lilith was jealous that she was replaced by Eve or becouse her other demonic children were killed or to spread a demonic colony (I don't need to explain how fucked up that is.)

Liliyot and Lilioth who were concived when Adam went sleep alone and Lilith (also with Naamah) seduced him. Liliyot and Lilioth, as well as Nashyim (daughters of Adam and Naamah) were the evil spirits who seduced the angels and they were all girls.

I wanted to be in the show, with that context, becouse that would actually show that not everything is black and white. Why Adam is the way he is. BUT knowing Viv that would never happen. Also it would be fun to see Charlie to interect with them.

She would make some excuse that Lilith is a good mom, even if Charlie probably didn't know about her siblings but also she would came out some shit to not make Lilith a abuser (in the case of conception of Lilium). Maybe even make Adam the abuser becouse Lucifer and Lilith HAVE to be victims of the whole universe and Adam must be a horrible person with the depth of the size of an ant.

Holy shit dude.i thought the story of lilith pretty much was over after she got kicked out of heaven but apparantly she had offsprings w/ adam?? Not just that but she raped him??yeah no i dont mind now if viv makes her an antagonist

ngl some of those demons like lilium sound very interesting i may look into them & decide if i would have liked them as the protag instead of charlie lmao.still theres a small,slim chance that it will be revealed in a tweet/life stream that charlie does in fact have older step siblings lol

Still this got me thinking that maybe the plot of HH would have been more interesting if charlie was actually the daughter of adam & lilith while lucifer was just her step father or he isnt aware shes not his kid😱.def theres potential fr stronger familial angst than the lame divorce storyplot that we got w/ the absent mum & midlife crisis dad

[cipheramnesia]

I know you talk about movies and TV shows on here a lot, so I'm not sure if you've already a secret this, but do you have any recommendations for things on canabalism? Or werewolves

The cannibalism genre is huge, and you could probably write a book on it. Obviously my favorites are The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (the originals, none of the remakes, reboots, whatever). They're two sides of the same strange coin with underlying themes of classism and the deep rot at the core of US nationalism. Along with Night of the Living Dead around six years prior, the original TCM was one of those movies that marked a paradigm shift in horror film.

But meanwhile, there was a huge lurid explosion of cannibalsploitation movies. I don't know most of them very well. Like, I've seen Motel Hell and Blood Diner, The Hills Have Eyes movies, but they didn't do a lot for me. Once you start getting to the end of the 80s, directors seemed to start getting an inkling of the satirical or symbolic value of the cannibal, and that's where some really interesting work happens, for example Parents (1989), the absolutely iconic People Under the Stairs (1991), and a left field one from me personally - Auntie Lee's Meat Pies (1992) - which feels almost accidentally anti-capitalist / anti-authoritarian.

One thing about this period is that for the most part there was an associate of cannibalism with being rural and poor (People Under The Stairs and Parents are notable and very interesting exceptions). A degree of the horror lies in humans eating humans, but in a modern lens these old exploitation films tap into other feelings, finding an undercurrent of anger which comes from the way it's so often poor and rural people literally consuming wealthy or privileged people. The cannibals of these movies were often dirty, or old, or fat, or horny. They were loud and obnoxious and tacky - and their victims were so clean and thin and pretty and wealthy. There's no doubt a lot of the exploitation movies in that whole late sixties to early nineties period weren't exactly made with pure intentions, but many of them hit that "eat the rich" sweet spot in a way more recent movies don't.

But anyway, also starting in the 1990s was the shift towards the idea of cannibalism as something transformative - human flesh went from a staple of the poor and disenfranchised, and started to be a luxury item, or something which marked those who consumed it as special or even elite, sort of kicked off by Silence of the Lambs. However, if you want a more interesting example, Ravenous is a fun watch, and has a lot to unpack going on - both for the good and for the bad. It's one of those movies where you'll find a degree of the mythologizing also start to appropriate first nations culture and in particular a figure which isn't meant to be spoken about just in general. Prior to this, there was already a habitual use of "native people" as "savage cannibals" in the exploitative way, but this was where it swung over to the other side of the horseshoe, to stereotype any sort of pre-colonial people's have having a unique and ritualized consumption of human flesh that separated them from white, western colonizers.

Anyway, that takes us up to recent stuff, which is probably too close to see a clear pattern. People are still making the same movies as before, but some of the more interesting modern approaches where cannibalism is in the context of things like coming of age, or finding a place in the world are Raw and Bones And All. These two takes merge some of the original models of cannibalism being a trait of the underprivileged, but having elements signifying it as a unique experience which allows it to serve as a stand-in for the feeling of transition to adulthood, or being someone who is socially othered in some way. A few others which I think have some interesting takes, but maybe not enough to get into detail, are Flesh, We Are What We Are, Feed Me, and Bloody Hell. Most recently, and probably the best new cannibal movie in ages, is Lowlife, which you can find on Tubi.

Anyway, uh, quick off the cuff werewolf take is that there's not really a perfect werewolf movie which in no particular order should have a bipedal werewolf with a wolf head (not human-like) and is queer. Some movies which are a mixed bag are An American Werewolf In London (great writing, terrible wolf design), The Howling series (cool werewolf design, terrible writing), Ginger Snaps 1+2 (should be queer, isn't), Wolf Cop 1+2 (okay writing, okay design, missing the queer), and Late Phases (good writing, so-so design).

Here are the three that you should watch: Dog Soldiers has peak werewolf design, a really interesting concept, and solid writing. Probably your best bang for the buck in terms of cool werewolf fighting time. Bloodthirsty is peak queer werewolf movie writing, with very little actual wolf. It's beautiful and meditative and I love it. And of course the all time greatest werewolf movie ever: Company of Wolves. More of a dreamscape painting than movie, what it lacks in wolf design it makes up in beauty and depth of psychosexual exploration.