#currently on the hunt for the ultimate prey

[mugwot]

gourmand: the best murder potato but how do i miss being able to throw spears without dying of asthma

[bonefall]

again looking over the reworked history what the hell happened with Ripwater, I wanna know. What *was* that? How did Riverclan kill it?

Oooooh, quite a request! Ripwater, Queen of the Lake, one of the episodes of BB!Po3!

Ripwater is a Wels Catfish, the largest freshwater fish in Europe. The biggest specimen EVER caught was just landed last year, in 2023, 9.4 feet long. It wasn't weighed, but smaller fish than this one have broken 300 pounds.

And it's not a good thing that we're catching so many big ones.

Wels catfish are extremely invasive across most of Europe, introduced for anglers who want to land record-setting catches. They're massive, intelligent carnivores, sometimes called the "freshwater orca" because they will lunge out of the water to catch land prey. They DESTROY the population of anything big enough to fit in its terrible mouth, including fish, amphibians, and even turtles.

They get that big from a mix of constant food and hot temperature. It's a sign that they're devastating their surroundings, and that nothing has been able to kill them for the decades it takes to get so large.

So of course, some dunderhead put them in British rivers, where they've been spreading upwards ever since. Thankfully they thrive better where it's warmer, so they're not too massive of a threat to BB's modeled regions in Northwestern England, but they're fucking coming.

Ripwater's name isn't an exaggeration. That's how they hunt. They gape their jaw and beat their fins like dragons, creating eddies and currents that suck their hapless prey in. When RiverClan names her, it's because they see her ripping the water in half. I was thinking about her recently, and came up with some new stuff. I'll take a brief break from my drafts to serve up some fragments for you.

[A gray cat with blue eyes, Lakepaw, later BB!Lakeheart, swims in bluegreen water surrounded by lilypads. Below her is the massive shadow of Ripwater, a gigantic Wels Catfish. Its eyes flash in the depths.]

SMALL RECAP OF BB!PO3: (to set the stage)

It is now a breather arc, just dedicated to some worldbuilding!

I feel pretty strongly that Po3's strength is how AWESOME of a slice-of-life arc it could have been. To this end, I removed the Kin of your Kin prophecy from it, until it's revealed only at the very end just before Cruel Season.

That's so I can focus on The Three and their adventures around the lake, without this big prophecy looming over them and making the lower-stakes conflicts look small.

Instead, the various episodes of Po3 are related to problems that their new home presents, with just a teeny bit of Sol's magical influence to spice things up.

While Lionpaw learns about the "meaning of strength" and ultimately learns a terrible lesson he will extend to his kits, and Jaypaw finds his limits and learns to prevent others from defining them for him, Hollypaw is grappling with Fire Alone and how to reconcile her grandfather's legacy with her strict dedication to the Warrior Code.

And SO we find ourselves in one of the earliest episodes of BB!Po3; Ripwater the River Demon. This is like... episode 3 or 4, it's a REALLY early one.

I'm just shuffling it around with ANOTHER RiverClan-centric episode; the Shinewater Plague. The oilspill from TNP is now going to be bumped up to Po3 so it's more about establishing Mothwing and her apprentice Willowpaw, to contrast Leafpool and her apprentice Hollypaw, before Holly swaps to being a warrior. Jaypaw completes warrior training before becoming a Cleric apprentice.

So I don't want them to be TOO close together. Maybe put Ripwater in Book 2 and have RiverClan comment that they don't really want to ask for help because of the last big event, Mistystar hates feeling indebted to ThunderClan.

After all, it could basically replace the "flood" episode from Canon Po3, which is often forgotten about anyway. I'm already having ShadowClan construct dams instead of RiverClan anyway...

ANYWAY RIPWATER

I want to start this episode off with Sol/Harry, who is unnamed, messing around near water. He has a bit of a fish motif going on that I want to establish, and I need to get him to start messing with the Clans good and early.

(Specifically his motif is going back and forth between the koi, also an invasive and notably domesticated species, and the atlantic salmon which is famous for its changing life cycle.)

The Wels Catfish is an invasive species to England, slowly making its way up the island from the South. The fish who will become Ripwater, at this point, is already HUGE but not cat-swallowing huge. She's an 80-pounder.

Sol hits her with some godly magic, which allows her to grow at a rapid rate.

The sort of thing where it wouldn't be COMPLETELY implausible. He just... helped it along.

When we get to her first true on-screen appearance interacting with RiverClan, she is nearly 300 pounds of monstrosity with a length of about 8 feet

I'm unsure how, exactly, ThunderClan comes to know of this. But I DO know that I want Hollypaw to be snooping, and heavily encouraged by her mentor Brackenfur to do so. So, somehow, SOMETHING starts going wrong across the lake and ThunderClan catches wind of it.

Thinking about it, this should probably be her first big action after swapping out of Cleric apprenticeship.

One of the few things she's missing about Clerichood is the way she could be close to Willowpaw without needing to sneak around so much. It's easier to just pass it off as "friendship" and "Clerics need to be close." Leafpool and Mothwing are a similar way.

Possibly work in that Hollypaw's also already seeing Heatherpaw in the tunnels, contrast the two things...

At this point, Hollypaw has a crush on Willowpaw, which is requited, but... it's kinda fading.

She still loves her like a friend, but she's liking Heatherpaw a lot more. It doesn't mean she doesn't CARE for Willowpaw, of course, but

Willowpaw is still IN love, and it's slowly becoming unrequited, when it didn't used to be.

And from RiverClan's POV...

The first disappearance is so sudden they have no idea what's happened. I'm planning for it to be Robinpaw.

(I go back and forth on if it's Robinpaw or Dapplepaw, but I'm leaning towards Robinpaw again, because I like Dapplenose too much to have her get killed off here.)

She went out clamming in the lake with her sisters, Lakepaw and Otterpaw, there was a swirl in the water, and that was it. She was gone.

Just like that.

She never came back up. RiverClan searched for her, following the currents, checking the shoreline, everything. It was like she vanished.

Mistystar is suspicious and doing everything in her power to figure out what happened, but... let's face it. It's the word of two apprentices, who were swimming alone, who swear Robinpaw just went under.

Misty JUST got done with the Shinewater Plague and isn't trying to make RiverClan look like it can't keep track of its own young. The most likely situation is that Robinpaw was sucked down by an undertow that the three of them were too inexperienced to recognize.

So... she's pretty adamant about not sharing this information until Robinpaw's body is found. Jaws Style. "We cannot let the other Clans be alarmed by this, else they might meddle in our affairs..."

(and she's still maybe a little paranoid that some snoop in another Clan is going to find out that Leopardstar wasn't killed by a rogue, y'know.)

I don't want it to be TOO much of a bloodbath, so I'm capping Ripwater's body count at three and just aiming for two deaths total.

I'm also going for a coincidence RiverClan is going to interpret as a pattern; this happens a lot, specifically, when they're hunting Freshwater Pearl Mussels.

Ripwater doesn't like the river as much as she likes the lake, but it has nothing to do with their clamming. They're just going to interpret it as such.

Anyway.

The next one she goes after was lucky. By some stroke, she opens her jaw, and the victim is able to grab onto something before they're sucked in. (Maybe toss in something here were it was Holly who was able to help save them.)

Since the WHOLE Po3 Apprentice Generation is going to be getting more focus, there needs to be more input from the RiverClan apprentices. Lakepaw and Otterpaw obviously need time here, but I also NEED to involve Ripplepaw, to establish how he's going to be seen as one of the strongest in RiverClan by OotS.

EDIT FROM THE FUTURE AS I FIGURED STUFF OUT:

It was Ripplepaw, Otterpaw, and their two mentors on a raft who were attacked next. They were fishing for mussels in a shallower part of the lake.

Otterpaw was tethered to the raft with a flax lead, so it wouldn't float off. Or just tugging it in her mouth. Either way she had a line.

When Ripwater attacks her, she is swallowed on the line like a worm on a hook

And it starts pulling the WHOLE RAFT down, just a crummy bundle of sticks

One of the mentors started shouting to cut the line, else it would drag all of them under, but Ripplepaw dives right down to beat its ass without telling them he's not gonna cut it

Hollypaw just rushed right in, didn't think about it, forgetting she was supposed to be trying to sneak around

Taking control as the natural leader she is, she ordered them to shut up and start pulling the opposite way

Underwater, Ripplepaw braced himself against the fish's lips, grabs Otter's tether, and YANKS

Abovewater, the adult warriors are pulling together, Holly grabs the raft and pulls too

Once their paws touch the bottom of the shallows it's over, one last HEAVE-HO and POP!

Otterpaw is FREE

And when it's finally known that the apprentices weren't mistaken, there's a monster in the water, THAT'S when the debate really starts up. Mistystar does NOT want ThunderClan meddling, and she'll already be pissed off that Hollypaw (and any OTHERS who tagged along with her, I wouldn't put it past Honeypaw to wriggle her little yellow butt into a later draft, or Lionpaw for his massive strength) witnessed something that's not her business.

There's a moment from canon I desperately want to keep; where Squirrelflight comes to fetch her daughter.

(more reason to just say this is replacing The Flood Episode from canon lmao)

It's such an interesting moment, and so forgotten. In a nutshell, Squilf is both furious and concerned that her kit went missing and meddled in another Clan's affairs, but... understands the impulse.

Because it's something she would have done.

So when she scolds Hollypaw, there's this aching feeling that she's scolding a younger version of herself. Calling her arrogant and disloyal, that an apprentice's opinions mean less, and that she needs to listen to "older and wiser" warriors within her own Clan.

In BB, I want to do something big with this. Firestar is the figurehead of Fire Alone, who encouraged Hollypaw's behavior through his deputy, Brackenfur, who he set as her mentor for a reason.

But Squirrelflight is being abused. By Brambleclaw.

This is one of the lowest points in Squirrelflight's life, and she is walking a line between self-worth, the warrior code, and her personal beliefs, just like her daughter is.

SO, since I'm already using Brambleclaw's enabling of Ashfur's physical abuse as one of the contributing factors to Hollyleaf's descent, I ALSO want to show how he acts on other characters.

Brambleclaw, Clan Culture, the pressures of their strength-obsessed social system. So it's gotta be Squirrelflight that reminds her, or even plants the seed in her head;

"What you did isn't consistent with the Warrior Code."

Maybe even have Mistystar herself state this earlier, to be echoed by Squirrelflight, offering an alternate perspective to Hollypaw. Make her realize that ThunderClan's political leanings are not universal or even popular.

But when Hollypaw comes back to ThunderClan, whoever set her to be a snoop wants her to spill the beans. This is also a big WIP part, as Hollypaw struggles with if she's going to obey or not, and I still need to set all the political "players" in this moment.

I know for sure, though, that Firestar's IMMEDIATE desire is to meddle like it's an episode of Scooby-Doo. Though he's savvy enough to be smart about how he phrases it and what actions he takes, his ultimate goal is to put his little cheeto-dust paws all over this. And Hollypaw is starting to question how appropriate that actually is.

This is where it starts to really be a rip in Holly's mind. Clans aren't JUST big, blanket groups with united opinions, they're collections of individuals. Mistystar doesn't want meddling, but Willowpaw is in danger. Otterpaw and Lakepaw went all that time without being believed, after they watched their sister die, because they're lowly apprentices like her. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw are angry and disappointed, while Firestar and Brackenfur are secretly lathering her in praise.

Now imagine me standing in front of a big board where I'm writing ??? because there's a missing chunk here.

I need to connect THIS part to what comes next, which is where ThunderClan DOES come in and help out. Here's the thought process going on in RiverClan;

Willowpaw comes in to do something important. She adores Hollypaw, knows her value as a Cleric, and knows that StarClan can sway Mistystar.

I want her to have a couple of pieces of a vision... BUT. She decides to interpret it in a way that's convenient, and add a few details.

It's not a tooootal lie lmao. It's just 75% true.

This is the true power of Clerics, when they realize it. No one can actually challenge them without just ignoring them or stripping them of power. They are accountable to StarClan alone.

A mentor simply doesn't say this out loud to their apprentice. It's a quiet secret. And Willowpaw just realized it.

and thinking about it... this should be the thing that finally breaks the budding romance Holly and Willow had. Holly is sickened by this, when Willow confesses how she convinced RiverClan to work with ThunderClan.

But, without even being a full Warrior, the apprentice leverages her power as Cleric of RiverClan, and 200 skill points of Improv Acting, to tell them these things;

"StarClan is so angry with us that they've sent a hog to the water! It's why they've sent a ThunderClan apprentice, we must work with them to eliminate the beast that lurks in our waters. With spears and plans, we must hunt it honorably!"

(Mistystar is defensive, but it's not known why) "We haven't disobeyed StarClan in any way. We'd already accepted their help once before, when sickness drove us to weakness, and it's only let them think they can disrespect our borders as they please. This can't be the holy will of our ancestors."

"It's-- We've been disrespecting this bountiful new land that they've so generously given us. That's what the pile of shells in my dream was. Think about it! The last attack was on the shore where we collect mussels. The second attack was on a cat latched to a raft, and it was only the tether that saved them. And the first..."

IVE GOT AN IDEA, Robin, Lake, and Otter WEREN'T clamming when they were attacked. She gestures over to Lake, knowing that if she doesn't back her up, the theory crumbles.

(Otter is in the Cleric's den, unconscious.)

Lake hesitates, not wanting to lie. Willow jumps back in,

"It's why Otterpaw was attacked," does those little jazz-hands to be like 'come in bitch work with me,' "And it's why Lakepaw has to be involved in killing it, to end what she started, and appease StarClan."

Lakepaw more like I LIKE-what-you-just-saidpaw, "It's true, we were so ashamed to admit it, Mistystar, this is all MY fault, I wanted my siblings to dig up mussels, PLEASE let me atone by stabbing the fish to death"

AND AFTER THAT IT'S NOODLIN' TIME

Mistystar, begrudgingly, accepts Firestar's help, or perhaps reaches out to him. Ripwater is a "Hog in the Lake," a beast too big for them to kill honorably on their own.

ThunderClan is the ONLY Clan that uses spears, and only for boar hunts. To protect themselves and to give their quarry a quicker death.

No other Clan touches weapons for dishonor reasons, as they're heavily associated with the demon Shredtail.

I should have Willowpaw explain her half-truth to Hollypaw here, and it's where Hollypaw just... so very suddenly can't look at Willowpaw the same way.

Jaypaw would definitely face an ableist moment from someone, but it's going to have to be one of those times where he accepts that there IS a very real limit to his ability here. Spears are range-weapons and his whiskers don't reach that far. He can't tell where he's stabbing, and the water is going to make it too hard to smell where Ripwater's dangerous mouth is. He can't be chosen for this hunt.

Meanwhile Lionpaw learns from Willowpelt how to make a spear and it is one of the most satisfying things he's ever done in his life, he's like "this is so awesome oh my god i love weapons"

just gently setting up that he's going to eventually become ThunderClan's head of hunting, and also that he's a lil violent

I feel like him and Lakepaw should hit it off a little because they both think the idea of stabbing a fish in the face is super cool, only for someone to growl at them that they shouldn't be enjoying themselves so much

Maybe Blackclaw, fuck that guy

(absolute tangent but BB!Lionblaze is kind of evolving into a little dork and I love that for him. Local himbo only capable of making friends or enemies, all Clanwide opinions on him are polarized, more at 11)

THE PLAN

So how DO they kill that thing? First of all, it's all about strategy.

Immediately they started making a couple of specialized spears. Most spears they make are exclusively for boar-hunting, so they have a distinctive "lug" that prevents a boar from impaling itself down the shaft to get you.

Someone in RiverClan explains that you don't want a fish having the chance to get off a claw. If Ripwater escapes, they might not find her again until she kills someone else

The solution is that these need to be custom-made, with special claw-shaped prongs, so they're chevron ^ shapes instead of tear-drop points. They stab in, and don't pull out.

So they need to make spears from scratch, which is an intensive process, and they don't have time to waste. RiverClan doesn't want to hunt by water that has a chance of having a freshwater orca spawn and drag you in; they'll starve

And there's only so many artisans in TC that can MAKE spears. Glue, twine, shafts, blades... these are all things that take hours of labor to create.

And MORE IMPORTANTLY, they realized from the Raft Rescue that a tether, attached to a floating object, can be very useful. Each weapon has rope tied through it and is tethered to a raft-- which is even MORE intensive, RiverClan had to repurpose several nets to create so many lines, and they only own three rafts, so the rest have driftwood.

So they only have time to create 3 special water-spears, and bring in 2 modified boar-spears.

Lionpaw is like visibly disappointed he can't have one lmao

The only apprentice given a spear is... Lakepaw. And it's a boar-spear

Because she's gonna be bait. They believe the litter is cursed for their "sin" and she'll be the next target.

But still, they chum up the water near the last sighting with blood and crowfood, like hog slop, and wait.

(Heavy WIP stuff here as we get to a play-by-play I haven't fully figured out yet)

Their plan is to get it on the shore as quickly as possible.

Four cats could pull Otterpaw from its mouth, so 5 spearcats and a dozen strong warriors could pull it onto the shore. Surely.

shorely.

It comes as expected, lunging at Lakepaw. She leaps back and tries to use her spear on it, but she is NOT properly trained with it, she stabs its face, but can't break the skull

RiverClan manages to toss a net at the beast, but it's NOT heavy enough

And they managed to get LAKEPAW with it, pressing her to the beast, her spear is dropped into the water

Someone shouts that it swims like an eel, able to just reverse course unlike a REAL fish which must turn

In the panic, warriors start mobbing it.

she thrashes, and splashes and the net is barely holding her back at all

She smashes a warrior with her tail, buffs another with her powerful head

She's stabbed in her side by a ThunderClan warrior (probably Sandstorm), and she turns on the raft they're standing on, breeching and SMASHING it to bits. Lionpaw and the rest of the cats on this raft get dunked

In the water, ThunderClan cats are useless, and RiverClan cats can't properly handle spears.

Someone from RiverClan, probably Blackclaw, tries to free Lakepaw but is scooped up in Ripwater's mouth.

He's screeching and yowling and trying to hold onto its upper jaw, regularly cut off as she dives under

When Willowpelt gets her spear in, she holds onto that damn stick with her LIFE, getting swung around and dunked in the water and then going back up into the air

Thornclaw, holding the other boar-spear, aims for its tail

But it's not enough; Even with several warriors of RiverClan, five spears, a net, and the weight of the two remaining rafts, Ripwater's managing to pull them towards the depths

She's too big to bite, too large to claw, and too strong to hold down

LIONPAW TIME

He grabs the spear that Lakepaw dropped

Ripplepaw seems to zoom right passed him, running away from the fish. He thinks he must be some kind of coward, the fight's NOT OVER YET!! WE NEED TO HELP LAKEPAW

(In a later draft I might have Lionpaw be on the smashed raft, and Ripplepaw brings the spear to him before turning and bolting back to shore. Either way he doesn't explain himself)

He paddles near one of the rafts, and is pulled up onto it

Firestar calls him a WONDERFUL BOY for bringing the spear

Lionpaw mumbles something enthusiastic around the stick in his mouth, wriggles his butt, and jumps back into the water

Grabbing the net sticking to Ripwater and using it like tree bark, he pulls himself on

Bites the spear by the lug like a handle

And stabs it in like a knife

But it's already starting to pull out, too shallow

Filled with anger and resolve, he bites the shaft, and PUSHES

Harder and harder and harder until there's a crackle, the twine breaks loose, and the lug snaps

The rest of the spear slips in as if Ripwater's made of butter

Figuring that's probably deep enough, he lets go of the net, breaching the surface, sputtering and hacking

He's about to dive again to go get Lakepaw, but to his surprise, she breaks the water next to him

and then he feels the fish bump his paws

His name is called from the shore, and there's Hollypaw and Ripplepaw waving. Ripplepaw TOOK HIS SPEAR'S ROPE. Like a GUY WHO THINKS.

Now there was a team of cats on the shore, all the spent warriors who got thrown off, pulling Ripwater to the shore.

And from the feeling of slimy fish under his paws, it seemed like her fight had been all but spent.

And more cats were swimming to shore now, with the ropes attached to the other spears.

Once on the shore, they're able to discover that, tragically, Blackclaw has died. Mistystar in particular looks deeply torn by this, as their relationship was notoriously toxic. But still, he had been the father of her children, and drowned trying to save a Clanmate. She jumps up onto the massive fish, giving a speech about sacrifice, how Blackclaw and Robinpaw would be honored, and that RiverClan has learned its valuable lesson.

Ripwater was symbolic; it's the greed they had unleashed upon the lake by over-exploiting one resource. From now on, they would be respectful of StarClan's bounty. She thanks ThunderClan for helping to fulfill a prophecy, and offers that their debt be repaid by splitting the meat of the hunt.

Hollypaw, internally: "Oh she's doing that on purpose. She knows ThunderClan hates fish and it would be rude to refuse."

Firestar: "well. how could we refuse."

Sandstorm, quietly, in the distance: "easily actually ew"

CLOSING STUFF

I kinda want some kind of "epilogue festival" where the two Clans legitimately celebrate with a somewhat somber meal sharing. Some of these episodes in Po3 will result in lasting traditions and holidays that are celebrated annually.

At that little "fish festival," it works for Holly to officially break it off with poor Willow, to leave this episode off on a bit of a sad note.

This was one of the first times Lionpaw's power becomes obvious, and it's the sort of thing that wasn't really noticed. I figure it would be good for Lakepaw to ask how that lug snapped, she could barely even get the spearhead in. Lionpaw just brags and says it must be because he's SUPER STRONG.

For some reason he's just making a ton of friends whenever I write these out, I think I'm going to lean into it. Lionpaw's got friends when he's a kid lmao, starts losing them over time as he gets more violent.

It's probably because I really need a comic relief in The Three's dynamic. Hollypaw is very dramatic, Jaypaw is dealing with legitimately stressful social issues, and Lionpaw is violent. Someone has to lighten the mood up a little and it's probably because he's The California Girl himself lmao

At this fish festival he also discovers fish isn't actually that bad. Everyone's being weird about this. It's not really that slimy. It's got a strong taste but that's kinda nice, actually?

Could use some berries but like... "damn why don't we do this more often. this would go great with blackberries."

Ripplepaw: "You think so? I can taste sweetness, can I try to make it at home and tell you how it works out at the next Gathering?"

Lionpaw: "It's not hard, you just mash the berries and stew them in a little water before pouring it over your meat. I learned it from Willowpelt, she's got a mad sweet tooth."

Lakepaw: "No offense Lionpaw, but I always thought you were a total lunkhead. I never thought you'd like, cook?"

Lionpaw: "I mean not really, I'm an awful cook, I can just make simple stuff. Willowpelt's just nice enough to be patient with me, my mentor Ashfur says if I can learn something anyone can, haha."

Just a nice little moment for him.

Blackclaw is being mourned in the mortal plane, but secretly, getting a SCATHING trial up in StarClan. His death was heroic, but his ENTIRE LIFE was treacherous.

From teaching Hawkfrost to follow in his father's pawsteps, to joining him in WindClan's Civil War, and his constant arguing and undermining of Mistyfoot back when she was just a deputy trying to do the right thing.

He goes on trial for a bunch of things he did in TigerClan, too, facing his victims who took his misdeeds to their graves. He's not the only cat in RiverClan who is getting a review like this.

Leopardstar is already in the Dark Forest, and soon, Blackclaw's sent there too.

I decided to kill off Blackclaw here so he could have a VERY cool Land Mar;

(context: all Dark Forest demons now get a cool little evil playset area just for them, where they spawn into after they're thrown out of StarClan. These are called Land Mars)

It's still unnamed, but it's basically an even BIGGER Ripwater. It goes above and below the river and lakes of the Dark Forest, popping up in any body of water big enough to hold her.

[nyctophiliq]

your upcoming vale + laswell threesome got me thinking, thinking real hard

welcome to ep 2 of 🪭's depraved thoughts!!

cw: dacryphillia, overstim, praise, light degradation? good cop/bad cop domme dynamics (?) /////////

you're sat on kate's face, ass facing her with your face stuffed into a pillow resting on her thighs as she suckles and licks and laps at your clit like she's a woman finding a desert oasis, her hands wrapped firmly around your waist. occasionally she mumbles little praises into the tortured bud, pressing gentle kisses right to the tip of it after every word. you're too far gone to understand what she's saying.

"so good for me, mhm, yes you are"

"just like that, yeah, buck your hips, just for me"

and vale's there behind you, her strap sliding in and out of your messy little cunt, groaning like she can feel you through the silicone. she's holding onto your hips, the complete opposite of kate beneath you with the wickedest smirk on her face. she's ignoring every single mewl and plea and sob for her to go slower, to let up the absolutely punishing pace, reveling in the way you claw and grip onto the sheets with knuckles whiter than paper.

"what was that, querida? i couldn't hear you with your face pushed into the pillow." "c'mon neña- oh no, is that a tear I see? too fucked out to respond? tsk tsk, I should punish you for that"

-🪭 (screaming into my bed currently)

and i once again bow down before 🪭 anon because OH MY GOD THIS MADE MY MORNING also a big thank you for keeping my blog alive with this juice post 🪭 anon

the bad cop, good cop dynamic between kate and valeria would be such a real thing in a way that they would mock each other during too, but that would be their game yk? two very powerful women sharing poor little, oh so helpless you.

laswell is such a caring woman, pampers you like a little kid, and is very much the person to spank you if you did something bad because no matter how much she hates to see you crying, the more she likes hearing you sobbing. sit in her lap, burry your face into her shoulder and let your tears fall, murmur nonsense and you will have her so eager to have her fingers in you, or start moving your hips so your cunt rubs against her thighs. oh poor little you, don't worry, mommy kate is here and everything's gonna be alright. she wants to hear you cry, so she pinches and twists your skin but soothes you soon after, just to rub it into valeria's face when she steps inside the room that she couldn't hear your sweet cries.

the two of them are equally as powerful, but valeria loves to show it not by just the way she makes you feel but how she handles you. she is the top of the food chain, the ultimate predator and you are her prey. she will hunt you, lurk behind you and catch you off guard just to drag you to the bedroom and gloat to laswell about what a stupid little girl like you were so easy to catch. overstimulation, taking all the scratching and biting, putting up with you fighting back when you're so overstimulated you are on the verge of passing out but still have that one little sliver of energy to try and escape her hold.

it's no secret that they would have a silent competition between themselves about who can tear you apart the fastest.

[elains]

Fionn's death, the Bog of Oorid and the Mask

I'm currently on my Sarah J. Maas brainrot era and chatting with my friends earlier, I drew a parallel which soon turned into a deep dive into ACOSF, HoFaS, and some mythology to boot. Worry not, I’ll keep the mythology part to myself first and foremost and this post will mostly revolve around the following: that the current state of the Bog of Oorid is due to Fionn’s death.

Spoilers for House of Flame and Shadow, so be warned. 

In ACOSF, Amren tells us about the Bog of Oorid and how it wasn’t always this evil, accursed place. It used to be a sacred ground, where warriors of the Fae were laid to rest, long ago:

The Bog is a part of the Middle, which is mostly uncharted territory full of dangerous creatures, where Wild Magic runs unbound. A council of Ancient High Lords prohibited any mappings of it. We also learn from House of Flame and Shadow that the Middle was the Daglan's personal hunting grounds, where they unleashed beasts they bred to serve as worthy prey:

We know for a fact that Fionn was in a Marsh - a bog - when he died, with islands and grass and black waters, and we also know that the place was blooming when he was there. Even with the amount of evil and beasts kept in the Middle, the land was still thriving:

This is a sharp contrast to present day ACOTAR. In Silver Flames, the Bog is described as oppressively still and dead, all gnarly, leaflesss branches branches, crumbling trees, thorns. There are no birds, no insects. It's a place of death, of Evil, and it's remarked how it's as if not anything bloomed:

House of Flame and Shadow provides this passage just after Fionn dies:

Also from Flame and Shadow, we knows that the worlds have souls and degrees of sentience, as far as worlds go. Fionn is murdered in a foul act of violence, fueled by nothing but hunger for power by the very people who were supposed to aid him. Fionn, who worked to free the world from the Daglan feeding on its magic. It seems to me that the world was thankful to him for what he did, as it might have also been thankful to Theia.

And you know what's more interesting? That this is where the Mask ends up. We don't know what in the world happened to the Mask after Theia left Prythian; it's not said what she did with neither it nor the crown. Presumably other people got ahold of them (Helion's ancestor?). We don't know where the Crown was, but it's ironic that it ends up where Fionn died.

When approaching the water, Nesta remembers a story her mother told of how a cosuin was killed by Faeries, dragged to the depths and drowned:

Which is actually very similar with how Fionn himself comes to meet his end: bound and gagged and thrown into the water by his wife and general. Shortly after, she meets the Kelpie, who is described as such:

This is also remarkably similar to the creature that ultimately kills Fionn:

This Kelpie speaks to Nesta in the Old Tongue, which hasn't been spoken in fifteen thousand years. It retreated to the Bog thousands of years ago and it was probably the last o his kind. It could very well be the creature that killed Fionn, slain by Nesta, who goes to claim the Mask as he himself did.

Which brings up some questions: how did the Mask end up in the Bog of Oorid? It doesn't seem happenstance that it found its way to a place where death has in its grip and the open grave of the High King. Could it have been Helion's ancestor? His reaction to the mask is strange, visceral in a way the other's aren't. I'm betting that it was Helion's ancestors who took the Mask from Theia and once the power proved too much, discarded it to rest in Oorid.

But the point is that Fionn dies and it's the nail in the coffin for Oorid. The Bog withers to a giant, accursed grave, trapped in a state of perpetual death where nothing blooms.

Therein rests the first and last High King, the evil done to him forever imprinted on the land.

[mrs-gucci]

For the Hunt

{ werewolf!flip zimmerman x female reader }

anon

Werewolf Flip wanting to knock you up (or role play at it) and scenting when you’re ripe for him and chasing you down and pounding you

thank you for submitting this!!

warnings. SMUT (18+), werewolf in rut, primal kink (hunter/prey), breeding kink w/no intention of actually getting pregnant, dirty talk, outdoor sex, creampie, minimal aftercare.

word count: 995

🐺 written for werewolf wednesday 🐺

Your breathing is soft, exhilarated, creating little puffs of steam in the cold night air. A shiver runs down your spine, out of excitement or nerves, you’re not really sure.

You two have an agreement that on rut nights, he has full consent to use you however he wants or needs to. He tells you what he needs from you on a particular night and you give it to him willingly, whether it's being tied up on the bed down in the basement or up at his remote mountain cabin.

His absolute favorite thing, however, is when he gets to hunt you. Which is why you’re currently standing behind a big pine tree, trying to steady your breathing.

By now you’ve nearly perfected the art of giving Flip a good chase, having been with him for almost six years. And tonight is an extra special full moon because you’re ovulating, which gives Flip the ultimate prize in his werewolf brain: the chance to breed you.

He looks up at the full moon with his golden eyes, knowing it’s time to hunt, he lifts his snout eagerly.

Almost instantly, he picks up traces of your scent and his paws thud against the earth as he runs into the thick Colorado wilderness. He can already feel that this is one of his more mild ruts, but he's still just as desperate and tuned-in regardless.

Flip slows down and sniffs the air again, knowing that he's close. You can feel him nearby, sticks snapping and leaves crunching under his large paws.

You sneak a look around the tree and he doesn't seem to notice, so you quickly attempt to sneak to another tree. But of course, his head whips over and you freeze, then take off running.

He feels the familiar tingle of his primal hunting instinct creeping up through his body, but he still gives you a head start before taking off in your direction, eyes beginning to turn black with desire.

Your breathing is heavy as you sprint away from Flip, trying to give him a good chase. He growls softly out of sheer thrill and quickly dips to the side to run around you, then stands proudly. You come to a screeching halt.

Strands of drool hang from his jowls as he takes a step forward, then another, piercing you with his lustful stare. You let out a shaky breath and step back, not actually afraid but acting so anyway.

"Please don't hurt me," you say softly, eyes flickering down to his hard member for just a moment.

He grunts when he notices your quick downward look and stands a bit taller, eager to present himself to you.

"I have something else in mind," he says in his deep, gruff voice. "If you do your job correctly, then it should be pleasurable for both of us."

You bite your lip as he steps forward again, sniffing the air.

"You smell especially good tonight, little girl. I could smell your ripe, fertile pussy from back at the house. You're so ready to be bred."

"I don't--"

"Run," he says, interrupting you. "If I catch you, you're mine."

Immediately, you take off again and he gives you a moment before taking three long strides, catching you and causing you to fall over. He quickly catches you with a clawed paw, though.

He brings his mouth down to your ear as he lowers you to the ground.

"I got you," he says. "And now, I get to pound you until you're swollen with my seed."

You whimper softly as he holds your wrists down and takes a sharpened claw to your pants, tearing the crotch open to make room for his thick, pulsing cock. He lets out a shaky breath as he pushes your legs apart and lines himself up with your wet entrance.

Flip groans when he finally gets the wet, hot relief he's been desiring all night within your walls. He gives you a moment to adjust before beginning to move, his hips delivering sharp thrusts.

You moan unashamedly as Flip growls and fucks you from behind. Hearing his noises of pleasure only arouses you more and you clench, earning a surprised, breathy grunt from your husband.

“F-Flip…”

His noises get louder and he leans down again, beginning to lick at your neck and jaw, occasionally scraping his teeth lightly against your skin as an alternative.

“I need you,” he grunts, hips speeding up slightly. “I need you to h-hold all my cum inside, keep it a-all…give me pups…”

You gasp softly, eyebrows knitting in pleasure.

“I will,” you breathe. “I-I’ll keep it all f-for you, my love.”

His cock throbs and he knows he can't hold on much longer. He always feels guilty that more often than not, you don't get to cum like this. But he definitely makes sure to return the favor the first opportunity he gets.

"Sweetheart, I'm gonna--" He cuts off as the intense orgasmic sensations suddenly rush through him. His eyes flutter shut and he rocks his hips desperately, spilling every drop he has deep inside of you. "O-Ohhhh god..."

You sigh softly as he lets go of your wrists and sits up a bit, still staying buried deep in your pussy. He helps you get up on your hands and knees, then licks your neck again.

"Are you alright? I wasn't too harsh?"

"I'm fine, honey," you reassure, looking back at him with a small smile. "I promise I'm okay. I would've used the safe word if I wasn't."

Flip nods and pulls out slowly, letting out a shaky huff as he does so. When you stand up, he gently picks you up and you rest in his large arms. You smile up at him.

"I love you, Flip."

His eyes soften and wishes he could return your smile. "I love you too."

You sigh softly and look up at the night sky as Flip carries you back to the house.

****

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[college-cryptids]

okay SO i am currently working my way through season four of tma and i need to talk about episode 132, spoilers i guess if you care about that sort of thing

this line. oh my gosh this line.

it comes shortly after jon has found daisy in the buried, and she's told him about how the hunt affected her and how she doesn't like who she became when she was under its influence. and this line.

it's not a speech. it's not some big long talk about how if daisy just stops being angry, everything will be alright. because it might not be. there's no guarantee that she won't fall prey to something else, that her life will be easier because she let go of the hunt, that the people she hurt will forgive her for what she's done.

but she can still be better.

she can still choose the right thing.

daisy's monologue right before this is interesting too, for a lot of reasons–the word choice there feels very deliberate.

the words the writers picked are very simple. immediate. here in the depths of a supernatural coffin actively trying to bury them alive, we get some dialogue that is deeply, intensely human. it sounds like someone struggling with an addiction. daisy was addicted to her own anger, exacerbated by the hunt, and it took going cold turkey in the buried for her to realize what it was doing to her.

she could choose to blame the hunt, to say oh, it was the hunt's fault, it wasn't me, i wasn't in control of myself. but she doesn't. daisy places the blame squarely on herself. at the end of the day, it was still her.

and she chooses to be better.

i don't know where she goes from here, i've only just gotten through episode 132. i've been unable to avoid all the fanart, so naturally i have some vague trepidatious feelings. but this moment is incredibly important. tma is ultimately a story about people struggling with addictions, and the choices they make that lead them to spiral deeper into what is hurting them. but this moment tells us that if the choice to hurt yourself is always there, so is the choice to be better. no matter where you are, or what has happened, you can always make the choice to turn around and find a better way.

and i think that's pretty neat.

[sincerely-sofie]

What are some ideas you've wanted to draw/write but haven't?

Oh man. I've got so many. A handful of ideas include:

A semi-animated series titled "My Pal the Paladin" about a kidnapped princess and the final boss who join forces to track down the legendary hero who's failed to slay even a single mook months after the plot kicking off and yell at him for taking so long. It's based on my oldest original characters and has a lot of sentimental worth to me as a result. Idris, Pal, and Katherine are my babies. I've considered making it similar in production to Dingo Doodle's Fool's Gold series, but I haven't actually made it because I'm really nervous about it turning out poorly ^^; I'd love to post a pitch bible for it someday!

A gothic picture book tentatively titled "Cover the Mirrors" about a woman killing a monster that has haunted her since girlhood, and inheriting the curse that turned the monster from a normal man into his current twisted looks. It would end with the monster's appearance going from being seen as a Boogeyman figure that stalks kids who play outside after sundown while the original monster was around, to a vengeful beast that hunts people who prey on children once the woman inherits the curse. It would play with the idea of trauma giving you unique abilities to help those who have gone through similar terrors, while also warping you into something you can't recognize and find inherently repulsive. I haven't made it because I don't know how to render the painterly style I envision for it.

A mixed media visual novel titled "Cradlehead" about a woman who finds herself serving as the unwilling vessel for an eldritch entity that will destroy her mind when it finishes germinating within and exits her body. She has to escape the pocket dimension it trapped her in to develop within the optimal conditions in order to save herself. The visuals would incorporate clay, digital art, traditional art, 3D models, pixel art, and photography. The game would center around the woman's desperation as she tries to escape while her ability to perceive the new world around her decays more and more over time. I haven't made it because I doubt my artistic abilities to make something like I have in my head come to life.

An untitled magical girl webcomic about an unwilling magical girl with a giant bee familiar named Queenie and issues controlling her powers because of her insecurities. She feels bad about being a not very girly individual while surrounded by hyper-feminine young women who have a handle on their powers she could never dream of. It revolves around her character arc where she eventually stops worrying about meeting the arbitrary standards she imposes on herself to be "girly enough" and decides to just be herself, whoever that is, unlocking her true powers and entering her ultimate form during a climactic battle— taking on a design less like a queen holding a scepter like she'd been dreading, and more like a princely knight holding a stinger-like spear. Her rejection of others' expectations as well as her own helps the world-ending threat, a shapeshifting eldritch being that absorbs people into itself so it can become someone other than itself but is never satisfied with the new faces it obtains, to accept itself and stop trying to steal people's souls in order to find one that would make it love itself. I haven't made it because I worry if it would come across weirdly to the average viewer, as it deals with gender dysphoria as a subject in a very atypical manner.

[howtofightwrite]

how can I describe an intense, suspenseful and viscous fight between two werejaguars and a human(who’s good with a gun) without it becoming repetitive “he clawed him”, “he shot him” for several pages?

As a disclaimer: for the werejaguar portion of this exercise, I’m going to focus on the jaguar part over the were part. Supernatural creatures come in all shapes and sizes and all with different rules attached. Anything I say will need to be balanced against the rules of your setting and what works for you. In this case, I’m assuming the jaguars are the antagonists but you can easily flip flop this the other way round to have it work.

The key aspect of building a good fight scene is understanding the players and the environment. Everything on top of that is technique, but you can’t get anywhere without a good foundation. This is the research phase.

Ask yourself what your characters want. What is the difference between what they can do vs what they want to do and what they’re willing to do? How do their weapons work? How do they choose to fight? Their background, current goals, and personality will dictate their actions. The temptation is to be general, but boil it down into specifics. This character is not just good with guns, what guns are they good with? The gun (or guns) the human character has chosen to arm themselves with will substantially change the shape of your fight scene. Are they carrying a weapon that would have an advantage over a big cat, much less a supernaturally enhanced big cat? Remember, good with guns doesn’t necessarily mean good at hunting, especially not hunting large predators. At what range is the weapon most effective?

Try to take every character in the scene into account. It’s easy to focus on your POV character as the decision maker and let them control the pace of the fight scene, but combat involves more than one character and more than one decision maker. Fight scenes are really 5% choreography, 20% characters strategizing, and 75% sitting there trying to figure out “well, if Character A lunged and Character B jumped out of the way on a 45 degree angle and is now behind Character A, and they’re in a narrow-ish hallway with a trash can, five windows, and no weapons, they’re going to do… what? exactly?” It’s the ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure game and fight scenes work best when the author makes an effort to manage both sides of the chessboard. It’s not about the end, it’s about how they choose to get there combined with whether or not their decisions work and their gamble pays off. Remember, it’s always a gamble and it’s okay to let your characters be wrong.

In this case, you don’t really have a fight so much as you have a hunt. That’s the through thread here between your characters. What this translates into is that your human needs the cats in front of him to get a clean shot while the jaguars want to be behind their prey. Big cats when they’re hunting and guns in general heavily rely on positioning to be effective. Neither of these two groups are going to want to be out in the open. For the human in this situation, an exposed back is a death sentence. This becomes especially true when there are two cats and they have to track both of them. As for your human, guns become less effective the closer you get. Despite what Hollywood teaches us, these are not close range weapons suited to hand to hand. Unless you’re working with a shotgun, you’re stuck with basic physics. The bullet needs time to travel to build up velocity for maximum penetration.

Jaguars are ambush predators. They use up a massive amount of energy per attack, which means they only have a few tries to get it right. Each failure carves off a massive chunk of their ability to continue the hunt before retreating. Humans, meanwhile, are persistence predators. Our animal brain is geared to outlast our prey, to pace them to death rather than run them down, and then kill when they are exhausted. Cats are also, by and large, solo hunters. Some cats do hunt together (siblings banding together happens more often than you might think, even outside of lions when there’s food to support it) but it’s generally not the norm. Whether this causes an instinctual conflict for your werecats is up to you. Their human half may be enabling them to hunt with sophisticated pack tactics. If so, I’d challenge you to consider what that looks like and sounds like as they communicate.

Your human with the gun is limited by the amount of ammo they have. They may be able to outlast the jaguars (depending on supernatural rules.) However, their ability to make a successful kill diminishes with each failed shot.

Jaguars, pound for pound, have the strongest bite force out of all the big cats. Their preferred hunting method isn’t to scratch or claw, it’s to sink their teeth through the back of the skull and into the brain in one swift, clean strike. Unlike some big cats, they largely don’t preferentially suffocate their prey first through the throat clamp. The claws are here to stop their prey from moving while they get that bite in. (If you’re having trouble visualizing how a jaguar moves, climbs, and stalks, I recommend watching some nature documentaries. Or, read some accounts of jaguars hunting humans. It happens.)

In this scenario, nobody’s squaring off unless it’s a feint. Both parties will be moving, getting into cover, and hiding until they can get into a good-ish position to make their attack. They’ll be relying on their senses to find their opponent and maneuver around them. Jaguars, being better at hiding, would in this scenario be forcing the human out of cover to look for them and, depending on their level of teamwork, utilizing each other as bait to lure their prey out. And they might work on getting the human to waste their ammunition first to limit their risk. If they’re smart, they’re trading off and the movement is coming from multiple directions. So, even if your human has a weapon that will kill the jaguars in a single, lucky shot, they’ll still (probably) be breaking cover to put themselves at risk and get a clean line of sight.

I’m not taking questions on the cats being better at stealth. I have an indoor white cat who ghosts off in a small apartment whenever she wants. Where is she? Somewhere. I don’t know unless she wants me to know. Cats are not dogs or wolves. They have a different methodology when it comes to hunting and even large cats possess the ability to vanish in urban environments that aren’t designed for them.

Anyway, this is your suspense. It’s not an original idea, but I recommend leaning harder into thriller, suspense, and horror when it comes to cats instead of straight up action. That terrifying gut twisting sensation of being all alone, not knowing where the enemy is, maybe hearing them but not being able to gauge how far away they are. Go watch some horror movies with big cats hunting people. Like The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) about the Tsavo man-eating lions, which, while not jaguars, is based on a true story and is a fantastic film.

It’s easy to get stuck on the concept of trading blows. “He punched him” and “he clawed him” and “he slashed him” or “he shot him” but remember that initial attacks are about creating openings. It’s rare for your opponent to magically be in the position you want them with all their vulnerable openings exposed, unless they’re caught by surprise. A lot of initial combat is about building into or setting up your finishing move, all while your opponent tries the same from the other side. Instead of thinking about your combatants as standing in stasis and duking it out, remember that they are in motion. They are moving, they are circling, they are bracing, they are hunting for that new position, that unguarded opening. If the opening is not there, create it.

-Michi

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[salparadiselost]

How do the Mersupials see Clark? As a friend? As family? Something more complicated given their situation?

Hi!

So I think the mers solidly see Clark as “one of the pod” and essentially part of their family. I don’t remember where I talked about mer social structure, but I believe I’ve said that male Mers tend to raise their children communally.

In the wild, mer pods generally take three forms: male familial pods, female temporal pods, or male-female coupling pods. Male familial pods are the most common and often have the most individuals together. They are formed of multiple males with their pups and are multi-generational. Male pods are very strongly bonded and male Mers are often born into a pod which they do not leave their entire life. Females of the species are usually raised in male familial pods but almost always leave to go solo.

Occasionally females form pairs or small pods called female temporal pods, but they tend to be more fleeting or made for a purpose, such as hunting large prey. As the name suggests, these pods are temporary and rarely get above five individuals due to the aggressive nature of females. There have been many documented cases of female temporal pods ending due to in-fighting or even killing of other pod members, an instance that is exceedingly rare in male familial pods.

Male-female coupling pods form when an adult male and adult female live together in a lone couple. These tend to be a forced arrangement by the female onto the male. They can arise through circumstance such as a sister and brother hunting together, but most likely it is a forced arrangement where a male was seperated from a familial pod to breed with a female and care solely for her pups. It is not particularly uncommon and often is the reason why new pods forms, though the male is often extremely distressed by the arrangement and may try to return to a familial pod.

Males instinctively form pods because it provides an advantage in raising children and protection against females who could try to come in and kill pups to make room for their own or steal a mate from the pod. With multiple adults in a pod, males can spread the duties of childcare and are well-documented to frequently pass their pups into the pouches of related and unrelated males. This is also a strategy against infanticide by females as instantly frees up a pouch without the death of a pup or can confuse a female regarding their relatedness to a pup. Females do not kill their own children and they are much less likely to kill any pups at all if they are not sure what male is currently pouching their young. Pod members also provide protection against separation or the killing of pups as they can gang up on a lone female.

So, this is a long way to say that Bruce is basically hardwired to form pods, especially in stressful situations because pod = safety in the mer brain. This is only heightened when he has multiple pups and there’s more paternal pressure on him with his limited pouch space. Even though Clark is a different species, Bruce was raised by humans and sees them as equals so he wouldn’t hesitate to apply pod status to one. If anything, he’s probably really pissed that Clark never puts the pups in his pouch and Bruce has to do all the work, like wth Clark is supposed to be helping him out here.

Even though Clark has hurt them occasionally, Clark has basically lived with them for multiple years and there’s years of instances of Clark caring and helping raise the pups. The pups definitely see Clark as pod. He helped raise them. He’s protected them in many ways. They trust him completely even though he’s weird and funny looking. They see him as similar to Bruce though not as close as they recognise Bruce as their pouch parent. After all, Bruce was the one who pouched them when they hatched, nursed them and carried them when they were at their most fragile; he’s their ultimate parent, though that’s typical for mer social structures.

[violetren]

PJO!Show Medusa is a very special kind of tragic that feels much deeper than I remember it in the original book.

In the very first episode of the series we see Sally taking little Percy to a museum to learn a little about ancient Greece to help set him up for his inevitable future, but also planting the seeds of independent thought and a strong moral compass that will make Percy simultaneously an excellent hero and th BIGGEST headache for every Olympian, Titan, and otherwise supernatural being in the world. And she does this by prompting Percy to question his preconceived ideas of the monster Medusa. A woman who was tossed around by the whims of the gods and ultimately killed by them too.

The memory of this lesson carries over and is a major driving force in Percy's decision to follow Medusa inside her home even as his companions AND his enemy react to her as a straight up monster even before she has actually arrived on the scene. Annabeth sees a couple of statues and the "Aunty Em's" sign and is ready to GTFO immediately.

However it's not the only lesson in play.

In this same episode we are introduced to the concept of how monsters hunt. Not all of them are mindless beasts chasing down the scent of the most powerful demigod they can find. Some are drawn in by the demigods desire for glory, or feelings or inadequacy, their fear, or dissatisfaction with their relationship with the gods, and will use those same criteria to manipulate and tear down their prey. Something interesting about this explanation is that it still implies monsters are out there actively tracking down demigods to kill regardless of what is attracting them.

Medusa doesn't really fit with this proactive predator model creating a degree of separation between her and other monsters we learned about and seen so far. However they are very careful to never let us forget that she is a threat. As our heroes arrive there are petrified monsters everywhere and Alecto doesn't come closer than the driveway even after Medusa retreats inside because she knows that Medusa is 1. Powerful, and 2. Doesn't like her personally. Her personal distaste for another monster in the moment helps further distance her from the classic monster model we have been taught to recognise.

Inside the house we learn Medusa's version of the tale. How devout she was with nothing in return. How intoxicating it was to finally feel seen even if not by the god she had spent her life dedicated to. How she was shamed and punished for how eagerly she accepted that attention. She took her cursed punishment and turned it into a gift, a way to protect herself. It's a sympathetic tale. Percy is primed to be sympathetic. Grover who lived in the mythical world first then the mundane unlike both Percy and Annabeth even shows hesitation instead of being able to treat her as an out and out monster even if only for a moment. Annabeth is the only one who identifies her as a monster and sticks to it all the way through.

Everything is set up to make us question whether this iconic monster of Greek Myth, who we know from the books will attack, really is a villain this time around. This is especially effective in the current era of Medusa retellings as a tragic heroine, a protector of those who have been assaulted and abused, who was beloved by Athena not reviled.

Then the turn comes. She offers a deal to Percy, she'll help make sure no one can stand in the way of his goal, she'll petrify Grover and Annabeth if he asks. From there everything spirals out. We go down to her basement storage reminiscent of both a temple and her history as a shrine maiden, and the cave she lived in as a monster until Perseus came to claim her head. We get her villain monologue. Paraphrasing: "You could have taught the gods a lesson by taking a path other than obedience to them and their teachings. Now I will send you as examples and reminders of what their actions have wrought. I will make them see me."

Medusa in this show very much is a monster, despite all of the misdirects, but unlike all of the other monsters we have seen and all those we have been taught to expect even as she is stalking the kids in her basement she doesn't feel like some overblown mythical monster. She feels like a woman who has been driven to madness. Like she is trapped in a cycle and doesn't know how to exit it, so she pushes the onus of breaking the cycle on others and then punishes them when they can't.

If that wasn't tragic enough I have a theory on what she preys on as a monster and why.

She hunts on loneliness or at least a sense of being isolated, because that is the feeling at the heart of her creation as a myth and a monster.

She went a lifetime ignored by the figure she loved the most. Her curse isolated her. It was supposed to drive people away from her/prevent her from getting close to anyone. She was killed without being acknowledged as ever having been human. Then by the rules the dictate monsters in the PJO universe she came back, probably a few dozen times at least before we met her in canon. She set up her shop in the middle of nowhere, harkening back to her life after being cursed in her original myth. Most importantly she sets up on a saytr path in the middle of a new jersey Forest where she'll likely only be stumbled across by other singular lonesome beings.

To really nail down that feeling of tragedy, even though a lot of her victims clearly never got past being terrified of her, someone did. Grover's uncle Ferdinand did. He looked at her with solemn understanding, at peace with his fate, maybe even a touch pitying. He couldn't make her feel seen, or make her realise that she didn't need the gods attention after all this time. And if he couldn't then there was no way in hell that a couple of 12 year olds and barely working age saytr could, and so once again the cycle repeated and she had to die.

[mandalorianchronicles]

Mandalorian History 101

The following is a simplified timeline of all the major events in Mandalorian history leading up to The Clone Wars. This is compiled from the section of The Bounty Hunter Code dealing with Death Watch and Mandalorian history. It is copywrite 2014, the first year of the new canon. Though the book is not included in Disney canon, it was published after TCW episodes dealing Death Watch and not been refuted by anything in current canon, so there is no reason to believe it is not accurate. 

approx. 7000 BBY - The Taung race (Progenitors of present day Mandalorians) cleanse Mandalorian space of its inhabitants and lay down roots

approx. 4000 BBY - Mandalorians fight alongside the Sith in the Great Sith War, but are betrayed - Mand’alor the Ultimate opens up the creed to their slaves and conquered people because their race is dying out - They begin a campaign for galactic conquest called The Onlaught, but it was more to fill out their ranks with new recruits - They are defeated by the Republic and the Mandalorians lay low for a time

approx. 1100 BBY - Mand’alor the Uniter brought the best and brightest Mandalorians from the throughout the galaxy home - Warriors ruled, protecting the artisans, manufacturers, and laborers who supported them, and the vassals and servants who supported them in turn - The Darksaber is forged by Tarre Vizsla (the only Mandalorian to become a Jedi)

approx. 700 BBY - Mandalorians begin to stir again and the Jedi take up arms, nearly wiped them out in the “Annihilation” - The New Mandalorians who rejected the warrior ways gain power when the Republic installed them in the government - The Aka’liit (The Mandalorian Faithful to the warrior way) lived in the shadows, giving the allegiance to the True Mandalores they appointed

approx. 200 BBY - There is a split among the Faithful – some wanted to conquer any potential threats while others argued against starting wars and living by more peaceful means

approx. 60 BBY - The Faithful chose Jaster Mereel as the True Mandalore, who wanted to implement honorable rules of conduct for all Mandalorians on how they earn wealth by bounty hunting or the red trade - Tor Vizsla, who dreamed of Mandalorians returning to their roots as conquerors, split away and formed the Death Watch, becoming the Secret Mandalore. The Death Watch used the Darksaber (an heirloom of House Vizsla) as a symbol of their authority and made a decree than anyone could challenge the Secret Mandalore for leadership and “win” the Darksaber*

52 BBY - Tor Vizsla killed the True Mandalore, Jaster Mereel - Jango Fett’s adopted father

44 BBY - The Death Watch tricked the Jedi into eliminating the True Mandalorians for them

approx. 44-39 BBY - The Great Clan Wars take place within the ranks of the The Faithful - Adonai Kryze is killed in battle - Duchess Satine Kryze of the New Mandalorians assumes the throne of Mandalore - Tor Vizsla is killed by Jango Fett in 42 BBY - The Darksaber is entrusted to Pre Vizsla, governor of Concordia and the new Secret Mandalore of Death Watch, who takes in Bo-Katan Kryze as his protege

Since the Great Clan Wars take place after the True Mandalorians are wiped out, we know that Adonai Kryze was not part of their ranks. The following quote from Tor Vizsla concerning the Kryze family suggests that Adonai was one of his men, or was at least revered by him. Considering that Tor dies shortly after this is written, it’s not a big leap to see how Bo-Katan came to be on Concordia with Pre Vizsla, his successor. 

“Meanwhile, centuries of New Mandalorian lies had left the Mando’ade weak and soft. One of my kinswomen, the Duchess Satine Kryze, had been sent offworld as a child by her father, a mighy clan warlord, and she fell prey to the lies of the Jedi. After father perished in the Great Clan Wars, she betrayed his memory by becoming the leader of the New Mandalorians. Aided by Jedi tricks, she became the newest Anti-Mandalore, whereupon the exhausted Mando’ade flocked to her banner. Some of our warriors were exiled to the moon Concordia. Others – myself included – slipped away to resume the ba’slan shev’la.” - Tor Vizsla

* The decree that one could become Mand’alor by winning the Darksaber in combat from the current Mand’alor was an invention of Death Watch (in canon and legends), so it suggests a strong tie between Death Watch and the Children of the Watch that the latter is so hung up on this “tradition” when it’s only been a thing for about 70-75 years. 

[unreadpoppy]

The Siren

Mermaid!Minthara x Sailor!Galatea

Read on AO3

A/N: So, it's mermay and I've been stuck with this idea for some time and finally wrote it down. Also, in this one, sirens are kinda like....they eat people, so get ready for Minthara thinking about that. Also, I know technically there's a difference, but I like to use siren and mermaid interchangebly.

The ocean’s water had turned violent as the sky darkened. Minthara swam towards the surface, poking her head above the water. Clouds, heavy with lightning, gathered around, the sign that a storm was approaching. Squinting her eyes, she spotted a ship in the distance  and smirked. 

She dove underwater and followed the ship from a distance, and soon, it began to rain. Times like this were perfect for hunting. Nature would do most of the work, with rays of lightning causing a fire overboard and the violent waves crashing against the ship. Sooner or later, people would jump into the water for safety. 

It was then that the sirens struck. While Minthara’s preferred method was luring her prey to their watery grave with her song, sailors jumping to their deaths during a storm also had its fun. The way they would think they had just survived the worst, only for their hope to be immediately crushed as she dragged them underneath. 

Oh, how sweet it was, Minthara thought, to eat the heart of a man while his lungs filled with saltwater, as he tried to scream and swim away. 

And so, when the first body hit the water, Minthara grinned, quickly swimming towards her next meal. 

…

Galatea had warned the crew about the storm. The moment she had woken up, she could feel the familiar hum of lightning in her veins, warning her of what was to come. 

They chose to ignore her and now, the ship was going down. Wave after wave had crashed against them, and control of the ship had long been lost. She and some others were trying to get the row boats down, when lightning struck, causing a fire. 

It was in the midst of the chaos, that someone knocked into her, causing the tiefling to fall overboard. 

The ice cold water picked at her skin, as she swam to the surface. Gasping for air, she tried to find where the row boat was, but it was too dark. Galatea screamed for her crew, swimming around aimlessly. Given how strong the current was, her legs began to tire, and soon, she was underwater again. As her consciousness began fading, she only hoped that Umberlee would grant her a quick death. The last thing she felt was a hand wrapping itself around her arm. 

…

Female surface dwellers were not common around these parts. Minthara herself never had the pleasure of seeing one up close, only hearing the stories her mother and sisters had told. She always wondered if they tasted different then the men, if their screams were sweeter. 

It seemed that her questions would be answered soon, as she quickly spotted a blue haired female tiefling on the ship. 

Minthara had kept her eyes on the woman, seeing as she ran around the ship, trying to help but ultimately failing. She noticed how the water made her clothes clung to her skin, and the siren licked her lips, looking her up and down. She also noticed how her fellow siren also seemed to keep their eyes on the tiefling, and Minthara became even more determined to get her hands on her first. 

When her body fell on the water, Minthara swam towards her, racing against the other sirens. Her long, purple tail was strong, making her get there faster than everyone else. Besides, her intimidating stare made the younger ones open the way. 

She couldn’t kill the woman right then and there, as it would cause even more conflict and she wouldn’t be able to appreciate the moment. Knowing a beach was nearby, Minthara grabbed the tiefling by the arms, bringing her to the surface and swimming to shore. This prolonged hunt would make the kill even more satisfying, Minthara reasoned. 

By the time she reached the location, the sky had begun to clear. It was hard to swim in shallow water, but Minthara was able to place her victim on the sand, using her upper body strength to stay above her, her long, white hair sticking to her face. 

She took a moment to examine the tiefling. Her snow-white skin was cold to the touch, likely due to the rain. Part of her blue hair clung to her face and neck, while the other was played around her. Minthara brushed some of it to the side, taking a better look at her face, trailed her long nail from her forehead to her cheek, watching in amusement as the woman shuddered. Minthara also noticed how her neck was covered in black markings that reached her jaw, like tendrils. For a moment, the siren wondered what those meant. 

But, as the sun’s heat began to burn her scales, Minthara shook her head and remembered what her task was. Moving in position, she grabbed the tieflings arms, studying herself as she opened her mouth, her sharp teeth shining. As she was about to strike, the woman groaned, opening her eyes and Minthara stilled. 

Pitch black eyes met hers as the tiefling whispered softly “You’re beautiful.” 

…

Galatea’s consciousness had briefly come back to her a few minutes ago, when she felt the sun on her skin, and a faint touch on her face. She could feel the sand beneath her, as someone pushed her hair away from her face. 

She wondered, momentarily, she had died and this was how her soul was entering the next plane of existence. But as the feelings on her fingers came back, Galatea knew she was real. Someone had saved her and brought her to shore.

And so, after a few more seconds of gathering strength, she finally opened her eyes to see her savior and was met with an interesting visage. 

A purple woman with long white hair and red eyes stood above her. She was naked, although her breasts seemed to be covered in scales. Her mouth was open, rows of sharp teeth shining under the light but as Galatea looked at her, she could only think one thing.

“You’re beautiful.” 

She saw as the woman above her stopped, closing her mouth and frowning. Before any could move, a gunshot was heard, startling both of them. 

The purple woman quickly moved away from her and backed into the water, where Galatea finally saw her tail, as she dove underneath. Struggling, the tiefling began to get up, coughing, when she felt someone running up behind her and helping. 

“By all gods, are you alright?” She heard Astarion, a fellow crewmate, say “I thought that damned siren was about to eat your innards.” 

“I…” Galatea swayed a bit, as her legs shook. “I think I’m alright.” 

“Good. For a moment I thought I was the only one who made it out of that ship.” He put one of her arms around his shoulders, supporting her up. “There’s a place I know nearby, we can rest there for a while.” 

Galatea nodded. “Lead the way.” As she limped with him, she took a moment to look back to the water, wondering if she would ever see the siren again.

[kairos-polaris]

JJK x TMA crossover

JJK characters and their entity alignments:

Sorcerers:

- Itadori Yuuji: Has a potential for the Lonely but post Shibuya and 212 especially I think he would lean to the Hunt, similar to Daisy or the vampire hunter guy. He would be marked by the Lonely, both pre and throughout the series but his desire to eradicate curses will be stronger thus making his alignment with the Hubt stronger

- Fushiguro Megumi: I don't think he would have a direct alignment. Not really for the Hunt because he isn't as devoted to killing curses like Yuuji or Maki. The Dark fits only power wise. He could also be marked by the Buried because of the current state of his soul

- Kugisaki Nobara: I can't think of an alignment but she would probably have affinity to the Web because of the nature of her ct

- Okkotsu Yuuta: Currently unaligned, leaning towards the Hunt. Would eventually be fully Hunt after years of killing curses, possibly sped up by Maki being Hunt too. If he never became a sorcerer, he could potentially become Corrupted, the hive preying on his loneliness/isolation due to Rika

- Inumaki Toge: Same as Nobara, the Web affinity because his ct is literal manipulation of others

- Zenin Maki: The Hunt 100%, she is Hunt aligned since the beginning and becomes an avatar after killing the Zenin clan. I was thinking slaughter but Maki has a motivation

- Zenin Mai: She would have an affinity to the Corruption, the envy and jealousy aspect of it. Maybe similar to Jane Prentiss? but she doesn't live long enough to actually get corrupted/properly be aligned

- Gojou Satoru: Would be the Lonely aligned if he hasn't discovered the joy of free falling and the beauty of the vast blue sky when he was a teen and experimenting with infinity. I also just think the Vast!Gojou is more interesting. fanon Satoru from certain shippers is definitely an avatar of the Lonely tho

- Higuruma Hiromi: Marked by the Lonely and the Web, but ultimately belongs to the Eye (credit to my beloved @raven-campanile-rb for this one)

- Kenjaku: He is a mix of the Eye and the Web. The Eye because of the merger and their general interest in knowledge and seeking new experiences, also having witnessed the progress of humanity over the centuries of existence. Their plan was set up over a millennia, carefully puppeteering everyone, perfectly aligned with the Mother of Puppets

- Uro Takako: The Vast, solely based on her technique and also her introduction panel

The curses:

- Mahito: As a curse of the hate humans have for each other his origin could be tied to almost any dread power, his skill set is more aligned with the Flesh (body mutilation) and the Stranger (uncanny aspect of it)

- Hanami and Jogo: Both are born from the actions of the Desolation folks (forest fires and volcanoes/everything fire related) but are aligned with the Buried (Hanami's earth related abilities; Jogo's domain is called a coffin and volcanoes bury things with ash)

- Dagon: The Buried. Dagon is born of water related fears and the Buried includes the fear of drowning

[multishipper-baby]

Thinking more about the characters as remnants of despair, and how deadly each of them would be if you encountered them... More info about each under the cut.

Deuz is a member of a powerful gang, Fox is almost 2 meters tall and jacked, and Owynn is Owynn. Their danger levels are self explanatory.

Springtrap's main danger is not even himself, but his gadgets and robots. If you get in his radius, you'll get blasted into bits in seconds. Not very survivable.

Cami will most often not actually kill you, but she'll brainwash you into being a pawn for the Ultimate Despair, which is effectively like dying and will likely result in death soon after.

Usagi, despite her brainwashing, still maintains some of her sportsmanship. If you actually attempt to fight her, she'll beat the shit out of you, but she'll let you live on account of your bravery. Your chances of survival with a broken arm and a concussion are very low, but hey, it's something ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.

Meg is dangerous because of her poison, which means she's only ever deathly if she catches her prey with their guard down. In hand to hand combat, you'd probably win, so she leaves at the first sign of a physical fight (and calls her brother, so you better start running.)

Towntrap still cares a lot about animals, and you can weaponize that into making him let you go by threatening one of them. If you actually do injure one of his animals severely, though, you're toast.

Both Chica and Bon are better than Meg at fighting, but less deathly overall due to not having a way to kill people indirectly like her poison. Whether you could defeat them or not will depend on the person, but it's definitely doable.

Loon tends to focus on big level stunts for the Ultimate Despair, and thus doesn't tend to waste time hunting random people on the streets. Just don't bring too much attention to yourself or make too much noise.

Eak's function is, primarily, to be Owynn's bodyguard- and so, he usually only kills people who might pose a danger to Owynn, which means that running away is an effective strategy with him and he'll just let you go. However, Owynn does occasionally order him to kill civilians for fun, so if that happens... Well, sucks to be you.

Golden isn't very dangerous by himself: the real danger with him is his brainwashed army. In instances where most of his army is busy and he only has one or two for protection, he's not going to waste time making them hunt down someone random. If his whole army is currently with him, though, he'll definitely send a few men to kill any people roaming around. Again, sucks to be you.

Joy spent most of the tragedy using her platform to spread propaganda, and didn't directly kill anyone (except for her family) until towards the end. So, in her case, the danger level depends on at what time you find yourself with her.

Fred was just enjoying his freedom. He occasionally made chaos when Owynn called, but 80% of the time he was off doing side quests.

Bonnie's main purpose during the tragedy was hacking. It inadvertently led to a lot of deaths and suicides, since he used his abilities to get government secrets and spread despair online, but if you found him on the street the best he could do was call some other remnant to deal with you while he runs away.

Toddy... Is a fashionista. She used her platform to spread despair, but I don't think you can kill people with clothes. She probably has a gun on her, for protection, but she's not one to spend her time running around and getting herself covered in blood.

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Silvermaw

Domain: Timbergorge Domain Formation: Unknown Power Level: 💀💀💀 ⚫⚫ Source: Dragon Magazine 207 article: Domains of Dread: Timbergorge; 2012

The Darklord of Timbergorge, Silvermaw, is a curious case of happenstance and what I speculate as the greed of our ever-present tormentors. Though Silvermaw’s title as Darklord begs the question – do our tormentors only trap those who have committed ultimate acts of darkness or are they more focused on tenacious minds prone to obsession and corruption?  

Before it was known as “Silvermaw”, it was an unnamed treant charged with the guardianship of a dense conifer forest within the Feywild known as the Green Quills. The treant’s lord was Aurusel, a fey of great power who oversaw the vast realm in which Green Quills was a part of. Aurusel charged the treant with ensuring no fey built within the Green Quills for the wilderness much remain pure.

As with many places in the Feywild, Aurusel’s realm was subjected to chaotic shifts and at times a part of his domain would seep into the material plane. Such a change pulled Green Quills into the material plane where it was soon discovered by a group of humans. Ignorant to the human nature, when they asked the treant to hunt in its forest, it agreed. The humans, after all, wore animal pelts and acted like beasts with a single-mindedness towards the hunt for their prey and the woodland guardian saw no harm in allowing them access to its grove.

The treant soon learned its own folly, for that same day the humans felled several trees and started a bonfire within the Green Quills. Why they could not settle for a small campfire is a mystery, but mortals do have the tendency to overdo things. Enraged, the treant attacked and chased the humans away, but in the struggle, it too caught fire.

When Aurusel attempted to bring the Green Quills back into his realm, he sensed the burning of the forest and ceased his attempt in fear of the fire spreading in the Feywild. Inadvertently, the fey lord left Green Quills in a state between worlds and it was swallowed by the Shadowfell (note: 4e is when Ravenloft lore changed to having all the Domains in the Shadowfell instead of its own separate demiplane).

Injured, the treant fell into a dormant state its mind twisting with thoughts of hatred towards the humans that destroyed its forest. The treant only wanted revenge and while it slept its hatred and malice seeped into the land. When the treant awoke, Green Quills became known as Timbergorge and a burning, smoking fire surrounded the forest, entrapping all within including the treant and the clan of humans that originally caused all this drama to begin with.

The treant soon discovered that the humans transformed into werewolves while it slept. To combat them, the treant stole some silver from a small human colony, melted it and poured it over its teeth. This is how the treant became known as Silvermaw.

Silvermaw’s only desire is to hunt down and kill all the werewolves in its Domain. Afterwards, Silvermaw hopes that Aurusel will forgive them and only then will Silvermaw rest. It should consider resting sooner as it is currently still burnt and in a state of half-decay after it was burnt, but well, I suppose I cannot judge…a state of half-decay never stopped me from continuing on.

Silvermaw often takes the werewolves it defeats and impales them on the trees in a grove it calls “The Spires of Lost Friends” as a sort of monument to the trees that were lost in the human’s bonfire and a warning to the werewolves in Silvermaw’s forest. I know a certain ‘falcon’ that may appreciate the treant’s fear tactics…

As for the humans and lycanthropes in the area, there are currently three mindsets on how to deal with Silvermaw. One believes that if Silvermaw is killed, the fires will cease and they will be able to leave the forest. Another believes that they can simply escape on the river that through the forest, though cutting trees to make a craft to allow for this is near impossible with Silvermaw’s constant vigilance. The last believe they can cure Silvermaw and return it the naïve, nature loving treant it once was.

[h-didanart]

The Bloodmoon sniffed at the air. Wet dirt, moss, rabbit blood, rotten bark and a myriad other smells surrounded them. They tried to look for other creatures to hunt, previous meal’s satisfaction slowly fading away, as always.

They didn’t know the how to their current location, nor of the sudden changes to their body of residence, but they appreciated the situation nevertheless. It wasn’t very familiar, but it felt good to be in this place. It felt good to feel like themselves.

They advanced through the grassy terrain, close to the ground to avoid getting hit in the face by tree branches, attention put in finding a next meal to hunt. Forests were known for their wide range in fauna, they would certainly find a new prey in due time. Hopefully soon. Bloodmoon sniffed at the ground, even more determined to find a meal.

And then they smelled it. A divine smell, sweet as blood, some sort of meat, an undertone they could not distinguish, similar to the smells of the PizzaPlex kitchen but lighter. It was faint but overpowering. It alone made their mouth water.

With their claws settled on the ground, the twins ran to give chase, the oldest controlling the movements as to not slam into a tree or bush. Such a heavenly smell, and it wasn’t even running away! Oh how lucky they were, Bloodmoon cackled to themselves as they got closer and closer.

They slowed down significantly as they heard mechanical sounds, now laying low on the ground. Of course there had to be more to the hunt, they mustn’t have assumed it to be so easy.

Risking a glance, they looked from under their hood, seeing a large metal nest standing in a place devoid of trees. They hissed at the sight, foliage already irritating them enough without the damned thing being so bright.

The older twin growled, scratching at the ground in frustration. The youngest found herself shaking their head, trying to come up with something to do. It would do no use despairing, perhaps if they saw things from a different angle?

The oldest grumbled, not appreciating twin’s wordplay at the moment. The younger sighed within their shared mind, taking the reins and leading them closer to the nest.

Their prey was so close by now, they could hear their it chirping and squealing, such an odd array of sounds those were. They felt their claws twitch at the urge to feed, yet they remained unmoving, they had to check for dangers before indulging.

Opening their eyes once more they looked at the hideously freeing greenery around them and at the metal nest, splotches of colors littering its bright walls. There didn’t appear to be any immediate danger and they couldn’t smell any other creatures over their current prey’s scent. Thus, it would be safe for them to attack.

They uncurled from their crouch, taking ahold of the odd ledge they were under, and lifted themselves up. And as fast as they could, they grabbed their meal and dropped down to the ground to eat. Their prey fought back in an unusual way, burning their claw with some sort of acidic blood, feature which did not go away even after they tore into the thing. They flexed their claw, hissing at the pain, but ultimately happy with their hunt. They scarfed down the remains, wincing a bit as the acid got into their mouth.

They were curious as to how the creature had survived with all its blood on the outside, even more so when its blood was acidic, though they supposed that was a question for another time.

It didn’t take them long to realize that there were more of that same creature around, all their noises and smells coming from the same place as before.

Against their better judgment, Bloodmoon went back for seconds, reaching out to grab another meal when a hand clasped around their wrist.

They yelped, instantly kicking at the nest and trying to wriggle away from the hand’s hold. It was of no use, thing that surprised them as they glared at the one who had captured them while on their hunt. Bright yellow casing, and a noticeable lack of reds but the general figure and color had remained.

The Sun Man.