#how to do a grasshopper pose

[nephtheless]

Wanted to do more action poses, so here are the Time Buddies having a friendly Capoeira match.

I just love watching capoeira videos. The level of buzzing excitement it creates in me is on par with watching figure skating and parkour. Like, it literally makes me pace from pent up energy.

Physical disability prevents me from doing anything even mildly sporty, so I'm living the dream of being athletic vicariously through drawings ::D

This is literally my first step into poses with so much movement, so I relied HEAVILY on references for this. It's still a little stiff, but I'm quite happy with how these turned out, nevertheless.

Once upon a time I believed using references was a sign of being a "less-than" artist, but I'm seeing more and more that it's just a way to learn and get better at drawing. So, no guilt feelings here!

In my head, Gabby-wabs would bounce around like a grasshopper for like 30 seconds, then drop to the ground and promptly take a nap ^^

[sthilarions]

me, exhausted and out of ideas, pushing the content creation button in my brain: Edwin is a. is a fuckin. grasshopper mouse

Or, well, his daemon is.

Some fun facts about grasshopper mice:

1) They look like normal very cute tiny mice. They are about 3.5-5 inches long and weigh “between eight and twenty pennies”.

2) They have been co-evolving with a particular species of scorpion, one that can kill humans easily, and as a result have a wide array of genetic mutations that make them incredibly resistant to not only that scorpion’s venom but pain in general; there have been some attempts at research into using grasshopper mice’s adaptations as analgesics for humans.

3) Grasshopper mice are obligate carnivores that specialize in eating highly venomous arthropods, including scorpions, a “prehistoric-looking” arachnid, and an extremely venomous centipede, and hunt various other animals as well, up to and including birds and decent-sized snakes; their kill tactics are… rather gruesome.

4) They have a variety of adaptations for carnivory, including stronger skulls to deliver high bite force, long claws to hold struggling prey, and stomachs that are able to withstand the lacerating force of partially-chewed scorpion exoskeletons.

5) They howl at the moon like wolves (and also bark like dogs).

When Edwin’s daemon settled as a mouse, his parents were furious. They demanded he hide Mys, carrying him in a small box from his belt, because at least then he could carry the benefit of the doubt that maybe Mys was something small but more dignified - a scorpion, perhaps, or a small snake. Stigmatized, but not weak.

(Edwin was perfectly happy to do so, as it made it easier to hide that Mys was male.)

(Another fun bonus fact: in Greek, “mys” means both “mouse” and “muscle”.)

Edwin did his own research, and determined that Mys was not a normal house mouse, but very little was known of grasshopper mice, in the 1910s.

In Hell, Mys was able to ride on Edwin’s shoulder, as he ran. And they learned, over time, that Mys could siphon off some of Edwin’s pain, and over even more time they learned how to stop the pain before Edwin even felt it too much. Well - that’s a bit of a misstatement. Hell finds its way around anything you do to evade it, escalating as necessary, experimenting with new tortures. Any relief is only temporary, lasts only until someone notices you’re not screaming hard enough. But, still - in Hell, even momentary relief matters, helps you stay semi-sane, helps you keep hope and drive, and, eventually, Edwin escaped.

He showed Mys to Charles, when they met, as proof that he was harmless, that he wouldn’t hurt Charles. Charles cooed at Mys in a way highly undignified for a 16 year old boy.

By the 90s, there was information out there, about grasshopper mice, when Edwin went looking for it again.

Mys comes in pretty handy, actually, once they know what he is, because it’s amazing how many witches and sorcerers and warlocks and so forth have pet scorpions or snakes or centipedes or spiders, that pose a danger even to ghosts - but not to Mys. Mys darts in and takes their stings and bites without flinching (and, sometimes, when needed, stabs his sharp teeth through their exoskeletons until they’re paralyzed and then finishes them off).

This only makes one big difference, though, in the end.

When they see Esther’s snake, Charles raises his eyebrows. “I think that one might be a bit big, even for you, Mys.” Edwin tilts his head. “There is something we have been practicing. I’d rather not, if we can avoid it, however.”

But after Hell and before Esther would have blown up Jenny’s shop, a crow comes to them to talk to Mys, and Edwin realizes they can’t avoid it.

They march off to Esther’s house, all of them, even Crystal and Niko, as desperately as Edwin tries to get the living humans to stay behind. And when they get there, Edwin kneels by the cupboard, Mys on his hand. “All the energy you gave to me, I return to you. The strength of our soul, Hell-tempered, scorpion-killer, pain-eater, in your form.” His hand falls to the floor as Mys begins to get bigger, and then the rest of him falls, too, limp, as Mys dives through the cupboard door just in time, barely able to still fit through and still growing.

Charles kneels frantically over Edwin, Edwin’s ghostly body limp and unconscious and flickering, as Mys’s howl shakes the house.

And a few days later, Edwin lies in Niko’s bed, despite his protests that ghosts don’t need beds, still a bit too shaky to walk around but he hasn’t flickered since yesterday, and Niko asks if they would like a pink ribbon for Mys’s tail. “Mys is - Mys is male, actually,” Edwin says, and Niko smiles and dives back into her ribbon collection.

“Ooh, I know! How about this green, like your sweater that you wore for Charles?”

And, they all have to agree - including Charles, when he arrives a few minutes later - that the ribbon does suit Mys quite nicely. And Mys preens, and fluffs the bow a bit with his long sharp claws.

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 36-40 author notes

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

I didn’t need to spend so much screentime on Titania fight, yet it was a fun personal challenge. I’d never written/drawn a cohesive fight scene before. The scripted ingame instances don’t leave much room for imagination, I wanted to stay away from the fourth wall, and make up a more immersive scene. How do you even make it look mildly interesting? You’d think, well, characters will just flail at each other until one of them dies, right?

So yeah the biggest challenge was creating the ebb and flow. What affects Vivi’s actions? Why wouldn’t he just murder Titania like any other opponent, and be done with it? I threw in a generous amount of inner pov (that I previously used very sparingly) and some silly tricks. The stakes are high, yes, it’s a Lightwarden vs WoD encounter, but Titania still retains their playful personality above all else. Vivi's here just to do his job, but he also knows that he's dealing with a fae.

The msq makes Titania stand out among other wardens, I capitalized on that and hc’d that they’re important to Feo Ul, and, by proxy, to Vivi. That instantly provided some emotional stakes, and an answer to why he doesn’t rush to kill them out of the door.

Vivi enters the castle in episode 35, and mostly runs in circles, analyzing his enemy, and even falls victim to illusions. This could’ve been it for him, but I daresay it worried none of us because we’re just at the beginning of a story about this guy, he’s THE guy in this universe not for no reason, he’ll manage.

No deep meaning behind "grasshopper", I just thought it's a bizarrely precise descriptor of both Vivi's long legs and dragoon jumps, and it fits the natural theme of the fight.

Vivi didn’t go in unprepared.

This line will be relevant again in like, 5-7 years from now :’>

More under the cut~

He always, always doubts everything, especially when it comes to his level of power. Self-nerfing. A light (heh) case of an impostor syndrome.

Everyone loved the bonk for meme reasons, Vivi simply bought himself some time to cast.

The Rainbow Sparkles of Believing in Yourself! And of something else, perhaps. I’m planting quite a bit of stuff for future, this one should take a mere year or so to pay off.

I hope this pose’s enough of a hint that you shouldn't be taking episode 37 too seriously.

Yes, he used his spear to ~cast~. And took a sailormoon pose. This's his, monoclass dragoon’s, interpretation of what the caster magic’s probably like.

Offscreen, Titania comes to their senses and shrills “so you wanna play rough?!”, Vivi ignores them, concerned with only one thing: did he succeed? How did the test of his custom spell go?

It only worked out because the both of them are idiots.

I like to emphasize that Fragments isn’t about retelling the msq, or big epic battles, but here, where I actually put my heart into it, I feel like I managed to pull off at least one epic beat you’d typically see in an action-focused comic. Super proud of this panel ;w;

This’s a standard panel divider I’ve used multiple times before, but it couldn’t be more visually appropriate here :3c

So, to recap. Vivi asks Titania if they miss the night sky. They do. Vivi brings the night sky to them, and lo, something actually happens. I illustrated this “something” as one of their eyes getting sort of cleansed here. This story suddenly takes a mahou shoujo (shounen, heh) turn, I appreciate that it may cause some eyebrows to raise, but I think it’s okay to take creative liberties like this in a story themed around identity, agency, and believing in yourself. If Titania’s so strong as to retain a tiny bit of their old self, to cohesively partake in a simple convo, then why can’t they return, even if for a brief moment, given the proper assistance.

An appropriate reaction to the wild bs that’s going on. Imagine inventing the tale of WoD in the First, only to witness THIS.

As about Vivi, he can save a soul when he genuinely cares for it. We haven’t seen him do this before. He does it for Feo Ul explicitly, implicitly as a self-reflection. He’s projecting so hard after realizing that Titania looks like him. He wishes for them what he'd wish for himself: to rest, to be treated with care and consideration. They don't only look like him, they're also unfree, tortured by something. Empathy or not, this’s the kindest fight Vivi’s ever fought.

I’m iffy about the canon talents that come with the Echo. You can understand any sentient creature, okay. What happens when you speak, does the other party feel the difference between that soulspeak and their native tongue? Does it feel off? Does it offend? I incorporated my own misgivings into Vivi’s thoughts about his Echo. He doesn't use soulspeak here out of respect and concern that Titania might not react well to it, throwing the entire plan out of the window. Thus he memorized quite a bit of fae words before the fight. This’s his way to mark himself as one of their people, or at least to show that he truly cares.

STAY TUNED FOR EPISODE 41

Vivien Doubter Rell. Also yay first nod!

Embracing his new duty, and possibly giving Titania the hug they deserve.

Look HE’S OKAY. For now. I just thought the hiccup would be a cute way to acknowledge the terrible power he’s just absorbed. The canon cutscene moves on unblinking, but here’s different.

Bracing himself for confrontation. Things might go awry. Or might not. Vivi doesn't know. Worst case scenario: this’s the end of his sweet lil friendship with Feo Ul. Do they like him, or a Titania-lookalike in him?

“Oh bugger...” big pets come with big responsibilities, my dear Feo Ul.

Just to reinforce his fae-ness.

Vivi had full control in this fight. Analyzed the enemy, successfully tested some crazy tricks, managed to have a heart-to-heart that resulted in getting a permission to kill Titania not with violence, but with mercy. So much could’ve gone wrong, but just didn’t. Vivi’s used to this, even if he constantly doubts everything, this’s how it always goes. He’s being flung at tasks with abysmal odds, somehow he emerges victorious.

I just like this panel so much okay.

This arc may feel slow, but it gives depth to Vivi and Feo Ul's relationship, and seeing them together in later episodes will spark even more joy.

Even after a warm moment they’d just shared, Vivi’s still wary. I broke out an analysis of what external influence, pressure to change means to him, please read this post if you missed it. YEAH TAGS AS WELL.

His expression here is an attempt to downplay the anxiety and swing the odds in his favor. What if Feo Ul insists and throws a tantrum? What if he has to become Titania right now, and there’s no way around this? Let’s make puppy eyes just incase, maybe that helps.

One more personal fav panel. There’s SO MUCH in this look. They’re on a threshold, about to become something else on Vivi’s behalf. Because they love him so much. They’ve instantly become friends because they don’t want anything from each other, just the company. Feo Ul’s such a breath of fresh air for Vivi, a new hope in a new world, where he’s (comparatively) a nobody, where people still have the potential to love him for who he is as a person. This’s why our crimson pixie gets so much screentime.

Vivi really said XD

The next few episodes wrap up the Il Mheg arc, and focus on good vibes and celebration. ShB follows a rollercoaster formula where it makes you smile at something nice and sweet only to whack you in the face right after, and I’m trying to do the same :3c

As always, thanks for reading~

[eastwindmlk]

Day 17 of @jilytoberfest is brought to you by exercise and Lily being cheeky. Prompt: “It’s cute when your face gets red like that.” Word count: 384

James was sure that it could not be that difficult! Lily always looked so relaxed when she did the yoga exercises, something that he often admired from his spot on the bed. He’d more than once cheekily suggested that she shouldn’t be afraid to get rid of the loose shirt and joggers she usually wore on the colder mornings.

Today, he was lucky that the sun was shining and it was too warm for the baggy outfit she had donned several mornings in a row now. Still, he made the joke and that is how he ended up in… Sideways Dog? Praying Grasshopper? He could not remember what the pose was called, all he could think of was how he was very much not relaxed.

Lily on the other hand looked fine as she switched her weight from one leg to the other and peeked at him from the gap between. She made it look so easy while he groaned and grunted, dragging his torso to his ankle and not even coming close.

“Just breathe, love,” Lily instructed him and demonstrated yet another, deep breath. Like he didn’t know how to breathe. Actually, maybe she had a point, maybe he had forgotten how to. It sure felt like it.

It wasn’t until they were in corpse pose, flat on the ground, something he managed quite well. “That was fun,” James said breathlessly, too winded to be sarcastic. “You do this for fun? I am starting to wonder if you’re not a bit of a masochist.”

Lily laughed and from the corner of his eye he could see her roll to her side, her fingers sliding up his arm and making him shiver. “Really? That is what makes you think that? I thought the spanking would have made that clear,” she said and James could feel his face get impossibly redder.

James sputtered, wanting to say something to save his dignity but before he could utter a word her lips were on his and his dignity be damned.

When she pulled away, he chased her lips for another fleeing brush before collapsing back onto the mat. “You should try yoga more often,” Lily suggested and he rolled to his side to look at her curiously.

“Why?”

“It’s cute when your face gets red like that.”

[rad-roche]

do you have any mod recommendations? other than romanceable nick lol

exposing my mod list is a real 'please don't tell anyone how i live' moment because it, top to bottom, is all just pretty little outfits for gloria, furniture, or very small changes to nick that i like. gameplay? story additions? those sound interesting, i wonder what those are like. my toxic video game trait, consistent across absolutely everything, is i can play a 5fps mess if it means i get to snap pretty pictures

now of those categories...

SAD WOMAN DRESSUP GAME FEATURING AN RPG OR WHATEVER:

Caliente's Beautiful Bodies: you know it you love it, and there's a nevernude option should you desire. i always forget what i have installed, so i made sure to get the nude one so i could nod appreciatively when a modded outfit failed to load. it's my present to me. got rained on? had an argument? never fear. glussy is here.

Apocalypse Attire

Commonwealth Cuts

Dave's Poses

Looksmenu

Mirrored Vanilla Scars

Eyes of Beauty

Photo Mode (even if you have absolutely no interest in the cc stuff, this thing is a godsend if you ever want to take screenshots)

Cigarette In Mouth

Handmaiden - the outfit in that picture. comes in other colours, too!

Concealed Armors

HOUSE FLIPPER: IS IT STILL MIDMOD IF IT'S THE FUTURE

Creative Family mods. you can't install these like you would the rest, so pay close attention to the instructions, but the quality on these is unmatched. creative clutter, do it yourshelf, modular kitchen, they're all really, really good if you like decorating player homes.

Building Budget Extender

Dino's Decorations

Global Stash

Just Some Rugs

MadKea (this thing adds 500+ items so if your computer has a hard time with fo4, give this one a skip unless you don't mind waiting an age for menus to load)

PlaceEverywhere

Reversed Workshop Highlight (gets rid of that annoying green glow! godsend!)

Workshop Plus (completely reworks workshop; lets you clone items, save layouts to layers, float around buildable spaces, undo/redo. it's hard to overemphasise the usefulness of this if you plan to build)

SO THERE'S THIS SENIOR CITIZEN

Companion Accuracy Boost

Companions Go Home

Alternative Synth Eyes

Nick Valentine Robot Voice (it makes nick sound as if he's talking through a speaker. it's subtle, but i really dig it)

Valentine's Revolver

Valentine Jaw Sync

Settler and Companion Dialogue Overhaul (makes npcs seem more 'aware' and much less likely to make repetitive comments)

Delay Nick's Quest (only allows Long Time Coming to trigger after you complete Gilded Grasshopper; a lot of his location-based dialogue remains open instead of him defaulting to brooding about the tapes and that long, hard quest)

I'll respect your wishes and not mentioned critically acclaimed Fallout 4 mod Romancable Nick Valentine, which can be found here. I will, instead, mention this adorable one where you can marry him, which I assume is keeping in the spirit of you specifically asking me not to mention them. Now go forth and play your wildly overambitious otome game

[raayllum]

One thing I noted watching The Dragon Prince is that the intro splits the same continent in half with the elves/humans so they started with the same amount of magical animals/plants each. There’s still some magical animals the human side but their presence is far, far reduced comparatively so do you think that’s specifically because of dark magic harvesting leading to more “normal” to our eyes species dominating?

I’m fairly surprised there isn’t a visibly established livestock industry’s for magic animals too (that way say your lunar moths can be renewably hatched each year, or a sheep population equivalent kept etc).

You seem very immersed in much of the lore so thought it’d be fun to at least pose as a query.

I think there's a few different things here to consider (that we'll probably never get a definitive answer on) but this is my best guess + what we do know about how dark magic operates:

Both regular animals and magical creatures can be used for dark magic. We know this because we've seen human blood be used in a couple of spells, Claudia puts grasshopper goop in Soren's mouth (2x08), and then later uses the deer in its entirety to undo Soren's paralysis.

That said, it does seem that magical creatures are more potent and preferred for dark magic spells. This makes sense - while you can use the life essence of anyone/anything for dark magic, creatures with magic inside them (any arcanum) are inevitably going to have more to "squeeze out" than a non magical creature would.

With that in mind, I think canon gives us a few answers and subtextual clues.

The most important one is something Viren refers to 2x05 (which has haunted me ever since), in which he cites that, "After centuries of fighting amongst ourselves, the five human kingdoms finally found balance, an era of peace." The Book 2 novelization gives a little more information about this period on conflict, explaining that "The first summit of the Pentarchy had been held centuries ago, and it had brought an end to the Mage Wars and created the modern order of the human kingdoms" (Ch17).

We don't know, of course, if this is precisely the same period of time. Maybe by helping to imprison Aaravos (and presumably disposing of the last king of Katolis), the Orphan Queen likewise helped put an end to the mage wars. Maybe she only came on the scene centuries after the mage wars! Who knows. "Held centuries ago" could mean three, which matches up with the Orphan Queen / Aaravos imprisonment timeline (and no more mister startouch elf preying on mages) or it could go back closer to 700-800 years. We'll just have to wait and see if we ever get more details!

Regardless, the Mage Wars and the fact they were likely fuelled by dark magic, since it was humans fighting amongst themselves, might answer why we see so few (known) magical creatures in the Human Kingdoms other than maybe glow toads: mages went after the most potent magical ingredients during the fighting, and reduced those numbers to virtually nonexistent or extinct.

I would imagine before the Mage Wars / even before Xadia split, maybe, more magical creatures were held and domesticated as livestalk. (Elves certainly do keep some animals as pets, such as Janai's flying hot cat, though I'd expect something like a Moonstrider to maybe have evolved as a sort of hunting companion.) However, humans on the eastern side and elves on the western side were likely forced to abandon any farms / communities they had in regards to animal care when the Exile / Schism happened. Information and resources might've been lost, as animals on one side of the continent were likely different compared to others, although some humans (who already lived in the west) and some elves (who already lived in the east) wouldn't have had to have moved.

That said, I think the simplest and shortest answer is just that there's not a lot of mages within TDP's world. For each group of people, we see a lot more warriors or diplomats than mages and they don't seem to regularly be employed in the military of kingdom we've seen, Sunfire or Pentarchy troops or otherwise. We can also guess that in the Pentarchy due to the specificity of the ingredients needed, sometimes, that Katolis by virtue of being closest to the Border would be primed to have the most dark mages and dark mage traffic / travellers (although I've HC'd that Evenere due to its isolation has a fair bit of lingering magic more than say Del Bar or Duren). But due to the amount of knowledge and ingredients required to seemingly do most dark magic spells, as well as the toll it takes on the body, I think it makes sense that most people wouldn't have the interest, access, or ability to pursue that kind of path when there's plenty of others that are less gruelling / easier

Magic is everywhere, and small pieces of magic (like Ruthari's moon opals) are everywhere, but outside of the specific skillsets of each primal (Moonshadow illusion spells and forgery, maybe cooking, forgery and healing for Sunfire elves) it doesn't seem like magic is something they readily depend on for food or livestock in their day to day lives. And if that's not the case for the majority in Xadia (only used in times of crisis, etc), I can see that need plummeting in the Human Kingdoms simply because it takes a lot more time/energy to maintain than might be necessarily utilized because of the low demand

This was all long winded speculation and hopefully mostly coherent. If you're interested in more deep dive worldbuilding thoughts I'd really recommend some of @kradogsrats stuff as it's great and a lot more eloquent / all encompassing tbh

[blubushie]

The Spanish Dancer sea slug, native to Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea. It can grow up to 25cm, though some reports from the Dead Sea clock it in at 40cm. It is a luxuriant red colour with an orange-yellow underbelly and a splotchy red line cutting across it. A specimen measuring ~90cm in width was found on Australia's west coast (Hey, that's where you live!). 'Pangolin' originates from the Malay word for 'roller', which is 'penggulung'; this is because it curls up into a ball and uses its hard scales as a shield when threatened. All eight species of pangolin are under some kind of threat and are protected under national and international laws, two of the eight are critically endangered (do NOT try to make these the centrepiece of your project, they're elusive and endangered). Puffins can flap their wings ~400 times a minute and can fly 88km an hour (!?). Their beaks also change seasonally-- they are a dull grey in the winter and become their more iconic orange in spring, most likely to attract mates. Black-footed cats are considered the most deadly species of wild cat with (a cute little face to die for) a hunting success rate of 60%, compared to a lion's rate of 25%, which is lower than that of a domestic cat's, 32%. The black-footed cat's rate is second only to African wild dogs at 85%. The plant genus Rafflesia, known as the Corpse Flower is capable of Horizontal Gene Transfer, a behaviour documented in bacteria that has only recently been discovered in plants. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant that steals genetic material from its host and nearby plants, merging it into its own genetic code and using its proteins to sustain itself. Once it is grown, the flower continues its parasitic behaviour and emits a foul stench likened to corpses, used to attract pollinators like carrion flies. Humans have been unable to cultivate Rafflesia because the method with which its seeds germinate, let alone infect a host is still unclear. Ant-mimicking spiders have evolved to resembles ants, complete with their extra set of legs disguised as antennae. Most ant-mimicking spiders have unique abdomen and body structures that resemble an ant without any closer inspection, but many have more nuanced methods of deception. Some species can even mimick ant pheromones and behaviour, a huge crux in how ants identify each other, making it easier to invade ants and prey upon them. The Hercules Beetle is one of the largest flying insects measuring up to 7 inches long, when including their horn, and almost 2 inches wide. The horsehair worm is a parasite that preys on grasshoppers, crickets, and some beetles and are found in water or wet areas. They are, simply, a worm capable of squirming in and out of intricate knots and formations, a capability which makes multiple worms of great lengths capable of taking over one host (there's videos out there of researchers tying them into knots of increasing complexity and tightness, fascinating stuff!). After the laid eggs have hatched, the worm forms a protective cyst around itself and waits to be consumed by a suitable host. The cyst them dissolves and allows the worm to eat itself out of the digestive system and feast on its host's innards (I love parasites...). Once it has taken its fill, it has matured and it exits the host to lay its eggs and repeat the process. Horsehair worms pose no threat to humans or animals outside of its host pool, so their presence simply indicates and abundance of or dead crickets in the area.

The oarfish is also nicknamed the 'Doomsday Fish' due to its presence being a sign of destruction to come-- 20 oarfish allegedly washed up on Japan's shores just before the Japan 2011 earthquake. Whatever the case, oarfish reside deep underwater, in the Twilight Zone, so seeing them at all is strange. They are long, ribbon-like fish with bulging eyes and red spines that swim vertically through the waters, using its shimmering skin to camoflague itself by blending into the dark and the rare patch of light. Sand vipers have their located located on top of their heads to better see out of the sand they bury themselves in for hunting purposes. This is also why a suitable substrate is important if you want to care for them. They also require more open space than hiding spots in their enclosure, unike other species of snake. Sand vipers also prefer higher temperatures and require basking in temperatures of around or even greater than 40 degrees Celsius (I've always wanted a pet snake). Peregrine falcons can dive down towards their prey at a speed of 320km/h and quickly strike their neck with their talons, killing their prey in the fraction of a second. This has been caught on video, and in many of them there is only a quick, black blur before the prey drops like a stone onto the ground, suddenly lifeless (eerie and impressive!). Ragdoll cats were first bred by Ann Baker in the 1960s. They have a large, weighty build with long, think fur. They often have blue eyes though they are born mostly white, their unique markings darken over time to a deep brown. The horror game Outlast was modelled after the Richardson Hotel in Buffalo, New York, which had previously been an insane asylum. You'd go into an insane asylum if you weren't a coward (joking). Axolotls (like from Minecraft) are salamanders that, unlike most salamander species, never transition to land. They remain aquatic into adulthood. They are native to only one area, Lake Xochimilco, Lake Chalco, and its surrounding smaller bodies, located in the Valley of Mexico (it also has a relative that resembles a wyrm dragon, very similar sans legs and larger, but I couldn't remember the name <\3). The Megasoma elephas (Elephant Beetle) has been used in a Pentagon-sponsored university program where electrodes were inserted into elephant beetle pupae, allowing for some remote control of the adult beetle's flying behaviour (developing technology, I guess...). Habitat destruction and the use of the male adult's head as jewelery charms have contributed to its decreasing population, though they are not considered endangered. The emerald cockroach wasp paralyzes cockroaches using its venom then drags the body to its burrow. There, while the cockroach is still living, the wasp lays its eggs directly under the cockroach. The entrance will be blocked off to prevent early escape. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feast on the cockroach's bodily fluids, then its non-vital organs, keeping the still-alive bug kicking it for as long as possible, then, the growing wasps eat the rest of the cockroach, thus putting an end to its miserable life, and emerge through the cockroach's chest, splitting it in half, then dig out of the burrow to repeat the cycle (I love parasites...).

[Animal Fact Anon. Uh, are you a hunter trying to starve me out into the open? Because you're driving me wild! Happy Valentines day, xoxo, I'm not actually hitting on you.]

1. Horsehair worms freak me out

2. I've seen an oarfish when I was at sea! It was dead though :(

3. On the topic of the relative to axolotls "sans legs", were you maybe thinking of caecilians?

4. Oml I love parasitic wasps!! My favourites are spider wasps :]

Thank you for the facts animal anon!! Happy Valentine's Day!!! <3

[hype-old-posts]

this is gonna be a bit of a vent, but i just gotta let it out

yknow how if a puppy or a kitten is lost near your house, you'll usually do what you can to help it out? you'll leave out food or contact someone who can care for it or if you're lucky enough even keep it

but if you find a bug (native, not invasive) like a moth or a beetle or a grasshopper, you'll usually kill it, right?

if you find a wild animal (again, native, not invasive) roaming around where you live, you'll want to have someone capture it or even kill it, right?

who gave us the right to do this? why are we as humans destroying the world around us bit by bit?

you didn't kill it for food, you didn't kill it for safety. you killed it because you didn't understand it.

did you know that there's only one species of snake that is dangerous to humans where I live? and yet I've seen one getting stabbed for simply stumbling into a rural house

did you know here only two species of spiders actually do pose a threat to humans? and yet every time someone sees one, they scream and want it dead immediately

did you know bees, even honeybees (that are considered somewhat an invasive species where i live) are so important to our surroundings that without them we'd go hungry? and yet everyone is only worried they might get stung instead

who gave us the right to take their lives? they might not be intelligent, but you can't prove they don't have consciousness. how would you like if your life was suddenly ended, for no other reason than because someone didn't like you? or was erroneously afraid of a threat you didn't pose?

it's stupid, honestly. if it were humans it'd be murder, but since it's just bugs, just pests, who'll miss them?

i will, even if no one else will. I'll mourn them for being misunderstood.

[illuminaryart]

Sketch for an ink and watercolor commission. This is too big in every dimension for my specs, current sketch has the bird's feet tucked in a little more, hind wing pulled down a bit, and the body and tail more parallel with the frame. This gave me enough room to move my grasshopper over to the left a bit, fully filling the space. The current pose is more of a chase than a hopping up from the grass like I'd intended, and maybe not quite species-appropriate -- bluebirds aren't known for the chase. My goal was to show off the bird's coloration without being austere about it. Bluebirds are often drawn perching nobly on things and I wanted to portray a little more of a scramble. May have to tweak things a bit more -- I do like the jump shown here a little better than what's currently on the table but I'm not sure how to fit it without changing the specs, which will likely increase the price to frame it by a lot. It could fit decently in a 7x7 square as-is.

[anonymoosen]

SCREAMING AND SQUEALING AND SQUAWKING AND KDKING MY FEET RN AHHDHSHDJSJJ IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MY WHOLE LIFE SCREEEEEEEEE IM JUST GONNA SAY- THANK U SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS TRYING UR BEST TO UPLOAD ON TIME! LIKE THIS WHOLE THING WLD TAKE ME A SHMILLION YEARS TO DO- ANYWAY, REACTION TIMEMEMEEMEEE- (IM PUTTING A READ MORE CUZ ITS SO LONG AND CRAZY HELP-)

(U DONT HAVE TO READ IT- ITS JUST ME SPILLING ALL MY CRAZY FANGIRLING NOISES FOR THIS COMIC DISJJDJ)

*ZIMHALES* THEY. ARE. SO. GAY. KDKSKKSKS IM SCREAMING LIKE STAHPPPP THEYRE TOO PRECIOUS FOR ME AND THEYRE SUCH ADORABLE BABIESSSS RAAAAHHHH THE LIL HEART ON THE WAFFLES LIKE- STAHPPP I LOVE THAT DETAIL SO MUCHHH IT RLLY SHOWS HOW IN LOVE DIB IS DKSKKDKSMD THEIR BLUSHING FACES NEVER EVER GET OLD TO ME

LIKEKEKE THE EXPRESSIONS ON THEIR FACES WITH THE SWEAT DROPS ARE SO CUTE AND ACCURATE FOR HOW SOME PPL FEEL NERVOUS AROUND THEIR CRUSHES- DIB IS AVOIDING EYE CONTACT FROM ZIMMY BOI AND THATS AN ADORABLE DETAIL!! AND LIKE I LOVE ZIMS EYES SO FRIGGIN MUCH THEYRE SO BEAUTIFUL AND SHINY DJSMSMS ALSO I LOVE HOW SORTA COMFUSED ZIM LOOKS WHEN DIB PASSES THE WAFFLES TO HIM LIKE- HES LIKE “WHYS HE DOING THIS?? *CONFUSED GAY NOISES*”

DIB IS SUCH BF MATERIAL FOR CONSIDERING ZIMS “ALLERGY”-

AND ALSO TOMATO DIB MY BELOVED RAAAHHHHH HES SUCH A CUTE NERVOUS DORKY BOIII!!

BONNIE. U MADE THE GIRLS LOOK SO FRIGGIN PRETTY AND COOL AND PRECIOUS AT THE SAME TIME LIKE DKEJEJJEMS THEYRE SO FRIGGIN COOL KSWKKSSKSK I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE GAZ’S HAIR SO MUCH LIKE I THINK UR GAZ DESIGN MIGHT BE ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITES IF NOT THEEEE MOST FAVOURED ONE EVER

AND ALSO TAKKKK AHDHSHJS SHES SO ELEGANT AND COOL AND ADORABLE STILL WEARING THE CAT HOODIE PAJAMA AHSJSJJSJSMS I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- HER EYE SHAPE AND SHARP EYE LASHES ARE ALWAYS SO COOL TO ME

JDJSJSJSJS HAHAHAHA HE DIEDED I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- U ADD SO MANY DETAILS TO UR COMICS AND ART ITS SO ADMIRABLE!! THE DEATH POSE IS SO CUTE AND FUNNY HERE HEEHEE

TSUNDERE GRASSHOPPER MOMENTTTT #9929283828282!! JDJSJSJSJSMS OKAY SRSLY THO I LOVE HOW TAK WOULDNT ADMIT THAT SHE HAS GROWN FOND OF THE MEMBRANES AND MAYBEEEE EVEN ZIM AND OF COURSE, GREW POSSIBLE FEELINGS FOR GAZ! THIS IS SUCH A WHOLESOME AND PRECIOUS COMIC AHHDHSJDJSJD (OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE ROBOT DIEDED- IM STILL CURIOUS ABT THAT!!)

AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE MEMBRANE SIBLINGS BEING GAY AND MESMERISED BY THEIR ALIEN CRUSHES JDJSJDJ THIS IS SO CUTEEEEE- THEY DEFINITELY WLD BOND OVER THEIR SHARED INTERESTS FOR THEIR CRUSHES IN THE FUTURE!!

ANYWAY AHDHSHSJ THEYRE SO PRECIOUSSS- AGAIN, I LOVE THE BLUSHY FACES SO MUCH- AND HOW GAZ OPENS AND WIDENS HER EYES AT THIS LIKE-

AND ALSO ZIM AND TAK BEING FERAL IS SO CUTE AND FUNNY DHSJDJEJJD

PART 25 pages 112 - 115

Next pages ->

<- Previous pages

☆First pages☆

COMIC SERIES

Ko-Fi ❤️

[shmowder]

SCREAM oh nooo I'm not ready 😱 I am going to remain incarcerated 😱 Patience, grasshopper!! Do you know how many screenshots I took of her in two different hairstyles this past week, cycling through countless poses, only to arrive at the conclusion she should actually be using hairstyle #3, which happens to be the first one I used when I first made her Sim, rendering all the work I did in between pointless?? There is such a thing as too many choices!

Depending on her expression and also her hairstyle (which makes her look different enough that it matters to me) I want to make her primary traits different things. Earlier I was like ykw my OC will not be shy and tender for once she will be snobby and ill-tempered and ambitious - then I look at other pictures and realize she is a sweet little lamb after all. As if a person cannot contain multitudes.

It's really reassuring to hear that OCs don't have to be consistent or set in stone. I barely know where to begin but your questions will give me some guidance. If I don't make it by the time your submissions close I can always send them in an ask. Yes I am a victim of overthinking, why do you ask? Also, that's really cool about Sol! It makes perfect sense that some of her inspiration came from the sun.

Ohh that last line about your inquisitor. Nice. I like that you're not afraid of creating characters that aren't stereotypically good or likeable.

At the very least I will send pictures! In due time. For now, a little preview (that does not include any of the three hairstyles that caused me so much agony). Plague doctor's assistant, leech handler extraordinaire. I'm thinking she gets sent to ToG for whatever reason and has to prove herself as THE plague doctor. I may be in danger of making her too much like Daniil but I simply don't know atm; anyway:

While I was reading your ask, I thought "no way she actually looks like a sweet little lamb–how could someone in a plague doctor mask look anything but menacing?" Then I unhid the image to view it and-

Oh my god, she is a sweet little lamb, ouch my heart. Her cute little peak, the polite stance, that wonderful hat. I adore her, i would kill for her–please ask me to kill for her. I will. She is already THE best doctor in town in my heart. Move aside Vurakh and Dickovsky! I need my leeches treatment!

Don't worry about making her too much like Dankovsky. Just claim that Daniil is the one actually copying her. Plus, Yulia is already the agreed upon Daniil copy, and she is well beloved by the fandom–hell she might surpass him in popularity with lesbians.

[sohannabarberaesque]

Some notes from the Character Convocation vis-a-vis Braham Pie Day

For a Central Minnesota town of just under 1,800 population, Braham has managed to become especially famous for pie--and credit the Park Cafe downtown, popular with tourists heading to the North Shore via a legendary shortcut involving Hwys. 65, 107 and 23 in large measure, itself known for its pies and coffee, for providing the impetus for the annual pie celebration held annually on the first Friday in August and swelling its population several fold.

Originally intended to be held in 2020, but suspended owing to the coronavirus pandemic itself forcing suspension of the celebration that year, Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound, convocation planners par excellence when it comes to fellow Hanna-Barbera Funtastic types, decided to bring it there this year for another mix of character gathering and public "meet-and-greet" most ideally timed for just before the Minnesota State Fair. And what could turn out being better timing than following an underwater initiation ceremony relaunching the Peter Potamus' Travelling SCUBA Par-tay as Peter Potamus' Magic Divers which saw Snagglepuss and Huck initiated as honourary members and the Hair Bear Bunch recovering from bear mating season in the north woods, among other coincidences?

Braham Pie Day isn't exactly all about pie: There's also an arts and crafts fair which the Laydeez of Hanna-Barbera especially found fascinating and a softball tournament attracting its share of interest. Not to mention the crowds on Main Street, with plenty of meet-and-greet opportunities to pose for selfies and exchange conversation with fans. As for the bands, The Banana Splits passed through with their road trip of redemption (and entering some banana creme pie in competition, which may not have won in competition) and the Cattanooga Cats' Kitty Jo entering her "typically Southern" chess pie (which received a special recognition from the judges considering its novelty, in particular the use of white and yellow cornmeal) and peach cobbler.

Other entries from The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera in competition were huckleberry pie from Clementine (who else?), forest berry pie from Cindy Bear (representing Jellystone Park, encompassing blueberries, raspberries and loganberries), several Dream Pie variations (encompassing, as everybody knows, Dream Whip whipped topping mix and Jell-O instant pudding mixes; at least three entrants used sugar-free pudding mixes and received special recognition), Magilla Gorilla entering a twist on banana cream pie with vanilla wafer crumbs mixed into the cream mixture, Wally Gator offering an exceptionally tart key lime pie (using fresh-squeezed key lime juice and fat-free sweetened condensed milk), Snagglepuss and Hair Bear each proffering grasshopper pie and Sheena from The King's clique fixing up some French silk pie, even adding the chocolate curls on top. As well, Maw Rugg, Punkin Puss and Clue Club's Dottie entered various other fruit pies.

In sharing some banana cream pie with with some lost-touch fans (how else?), The Banana Splits' Bingo, along with a selfie or two, acknowledged that having their good name dragged through the muck (so to speak) with the horror-film variation was just too embarrassing for them to take sitting down; hence, going on road trip for as long as necessary hoping to have their name and image cleared for once.

Meanwhile, the Cattanooga Cats' Kitty Jo had to explain (and repeatedly) that chess pie has nothing to do with the game of chess, to begin with; "actually, it's more of a corruption of 'pie chest,' where pies would likely be kept until ready for serving." She also acknowledged that the cornmeal and vinegar were to prevent mold and spoilage from prolonged storage.

The Inevitable Tom and Jerry Chase Item: Passing through southbound from the Twin Ports via the legendary Braham Shortcut just as the crowds were arriving in the morning, becoming rather exhausted to the point of stopping at a convenience store to the south of town--and Jerry managing to exploit Tom's having a breakfast sandwich, hash browns and coffee to gain a two-mile lead.

[lonleyghostpostsart]

Okay, but Just because Gwens design was a cat doesn’t mean Ben’s lucky boy design HAS to be a cat. there are other types of lucky animals. especial green ones. I added the cat in there too cause even though I wan’t to explore other options, cat Ben is cute. the other two being grasshopper/cricket, and a frog. 

Frogs:  “ In Japan frogs are a symbol of Good Luck, and the Romans believed that to have a frog would bring good luck into the home. ... The Greeks and Romans both associated frogs with fertility and harmony. To the Egyptians the frog is a symbol of life and fertility, as well as rebirth or resurrection. “

Grasshopper: “ it was believed that grasshoppers can bring happiness and wealth. They are usually associated with money as well. Today a grasshopper is usually perceived as a lucky symbol all over the world. It symbolizes not only abundance and wealth, but also freedom, balance, creativity and peace.

Crickets:  “ Crickets are considered good luck in some Asian and Native American cultures. Crickets have played a strong role throughout Chinese, Japanese and Native American cultures as a symbol of good fortune, vitality and prosperity. ... In addition, crickets are valued as watch dogs and as natural clocks for timing a good harvest.”

Cats:  “ According to many Feng-Shui professionals, black cats are great luck around the house. ... It's believed that while they are not bad luck at all, black cats do ward off dangerous spirits and bad luck, so having one around the house is good luck. However, it's only good luck if you keep the cat healthy and happy. Also the Ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet resembled a cat and was the goddess of joy, love, protection, dance, music and, of course, cats. Cats, which were quite popular in ancient Egypt, were considered her sacred animal. “

[itsyourstarboy]

Streamer!Honey Headcanons Pt.4

First Part Next Part

It’s been over a month I’m so sorry 😭😭😭 it’s here now, and there are some things that didn’t make it into this post, but that just means more parts!

—

Guy started showing up on stream more often than he did in chat. Though, to protect his privacy, he wears sunglasses and a face mask.

Every time he seems to have a different set.

A face mask with a smiley face, or maybe it's rainbow colored, or (his favorite) a pizza pattern. Sometimes he wears one that is plain black with a small heart in the middle (honey likes to kiss the heart but not on stream ofc).

As for the glasses, I made this post talking about those ;w;

Every time he buys a new pair Honey has to go in and change out the lenses for darker ones so no one can see his eyes. They are very particular with Guy staying anonymous, they care about his safety more than they care about anything.

And unless he's willing to carry pepper spray and a pocket knife with him while he works, he is not allowed to show his face.

He loves how protective honey is, he thinks it's the cutest damn thing.

—

The first time he showed himself, he and Honey had planned it beforehand. In the middle of their stream, he knocked on the door.

Honey made a big show of faking a dramatic gasp, and saying "whoever could that be??"

They open the door, and Guy steps in like 💃💃

"Oh my god, is that the Guy??"

Guy T-poses, "it is I, The Guy."

Chat lost their shit.

MY BOY ITS HE

GUY REVEAL [NOT CLICKBAIT] *EMOTIONAL*

Oh my 😳😳

HOT DAMN

loOK AT [HONEY'S] SMILE IM FUCKING SWOONING

beautiful beutiful butiful BETTYFUL BOOOOOYYYYYY

WHY HE DANCING LIKE THAT

DAMN HE GOT CAKE

Guy had quite the ego boost after that…

—

Sometimes while sitting next to them on camera he'll slowly start to lower his face mask just so Honey will hold his face "to keep the mask on".

♡♡♡♡♡♡

Honey looks to their right to see Guy eyeing them while slowly lowering the face mask. They roll their eyes and huff, practically throwing their controller onto the desk in front of them. They take Guy's face in their hands, squishing his cheeks, and give him a hard glare.

It goes on for a few seconds, Honey's intense gaze boring through him. They lean a bit closer and their forehead presses against his, never breaking eye contact.

"Stop doing that shit," they say in a low voice that makes Guy's knees feel weak. "Please," they add quietly, and all he can do is nod.

—

The fanart increased, and this time it wasn't weird because people had more of an idea as to what Guy looked like.

Guy still thinks it's adorable, and he has taken to finding ways to share this incredible art with the world in many ways.

He likes to print out the pictures and hang them on the fridge.

He calls the people in chat his children.

Or, at least, he did until they started calling him daddy…

Now they're just his chaos squad.

—

Guy made a second Instagram account to post on without showing his face (as if he ever even posts on his personal acc)

His stories are… interesting

First there's a picture of a grasshopper he found outside with the caption "look at this dood", then you see a really blurry photo with the caption "ASGFKDGFGSJ HALP ITS EVIL".

He posts little videos of Honey 🥺

They're chilling on the couch, their legs draped over Guy's, and he turns the camera towards them with a cat face filter.

Honey makes eye contact with the camera and sticks their tongue out a little bit anD THAT LIL BLEP WITH THE DOODLE CAT EARS AND WHISKERS WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE GUY FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM ALL OVER AGAIN

Before the video cuts off you can hear him make a little gasp and the caption is "I love them"

Fans think this confirms their relationship until they see Honey's story has a video of Guy in the kitchen humming the macarena—and half ass dancing to it—while making pizza rolls with the caption "if there was a zombie apocalypse, he would die first", and it makes them think maybe not…

—

Ever since Guy's debut, he joins chat less often (much to their disappointment), but what Honey doesn't know is that this was all part of an elaborate plan cooked up by none other than their menace of a boyfriend.

He wanted to spoop them. That's a harmless little prank, right?

WRONG

Honey has the most VIOLENT reactions when they get scared, you DO NOT want to be on the receiving end.

But nooooo, Guy just wants to be a little shit.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

Honey was playing The Mortuary Assistant. It's one of the few games that actually scares them from time to time, because of how unpredictable it is.

It was quiet, Honey wasn't really talking with chat. They were invested, double checking everything to make sure they were burning the right body.

Chat was basically left unsupervised, like a small child lost in the McDonald's play place.

Why do the feet have jiggle physics

✨realism✨

wouldnt the bodies be stiff tho? rick-a-morris or something?

RICK A MORRIS?!?!??!?

It's rigamortis, sweetheart

Ihatethisgameihatethisgame

EW EW NO GET THAT LIPLESS NO EYELID HAVIN ASS OFF MY SCREEN

WHY IS IT NAKED

Boy out here looking like salad fingers 🥗☝️👅👅

I’d smash ngl

Hi [Honey] <3 hope you're having a good day xoxo

That does not look like salad fingers

🌝✨rUstY💫🌚 💦🦴spOOnS🦠🥄

Baby girl got some mommy issues 😘💝😚

Lmao same 🤣😂😆

R u ok?

No :')

Can't have mommy issues if you never had a mom 😝😝

PLEASE-

Y r u joking abt this?? 😢😢

Where are the therapist people in chat?

Laughter is the best medicine ☺️☺️❤️

There they are

Alright, now everyone say 5 positive things about yourself

No

What if we don't?

I SAID 🔫🔫🔫 EVERYONE SAY 5 POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF🔫🔫🔫

HoneysHeaven: hello :)

Still no

GUY

GUY

MY GUUYY

BABY BOY BABY

HELLO 👋👋👋👋👋

HE HAS RISEN

GUY

PRAISE JUGULAR

HoneysHeaven: shh 🤫

EEEE

shh?

Ooh we be sneaky now

Y shh?

HoneysHeaven: everyone keep [honey] distracted I'm gonna spook them >:)

OOOH OK OK

SHHHHH

Oops

Pranky time 😈😈😈

Spoopy scary skeletons

Go Guy Go

On camera, you can see Guy verrry carefully open the door. He sneaks in, ever so gracefully, only tripping over himself a maximum of two times.

Despite his few hiccups, he managed to get in without Honey noticing (somehow)

Y'know that meme picture of Jason Momoa sneaking up on Henry Cavill? Yeah, that's what it looks like right now.

Honey was in the middle of a sentence when Guy pounced on them.

He wrapped his arms around them from behind and went, "BOO!"

Honey yelped and swung an arm behind them.

They've never had any training, but like… they've got a pretty damn good right hook…

They punched Guy in the face.

He fell to the ground, holding his nose, and laughed out a groan in pain.

JESUS FVCKING CHRIST

NOOOOOOOO

LMFAO 🤣🤣🤣🤣

GUY NO HIS FACE IS BROKEN

I KNEW THIS WAS A BAD IDEA 😭😭😭

Honey immediately realized what they'd done and a hand flew over their mouth. They were kneeling next to Guy within seconds.

They cupped his face, "holy shit, are you okay!? Let me see-"

Guy's glasses had been punched off his face, but since he was on the floor, Chat couldn't see.

He had tears in his eyes though he was laughing and saying he was fine.

Honey felt so fucking bad.

"No, Honey, I'm fine really. You don't have to- no! Oh noo, Honey don't cry!"

They weren't crying, they were just… teary.

A lot just happened all at once. They got scared, and they punched their boyfriend in front of around 200k people, and they're pretty sure his nose is broken. Leave them alone.

Guy pulled off his face mask, revealing his bruised, bloody nose. Yeah. That's broken.

Honey's eyes were full of so much guilt, you'd think they murdered someone's puppy.

They did.

Their puppy.

They said sorry so many times, they sounded like a broken record. They held Guy, with their face buried in the crook of his neck, mumbling apologies, before finally coming to their senses and turning off the stream to take Guy to the hospital.

He wasn't mad at them. Of course he wasn't.

But Honey was mad at themself, because how could they ever hurt Guy like that!?

He insisted it was fine, that he understood it was a reflex, and that he shouldn't have scared them (because he knows they react violently).

Regardless, Honey sucked up to him so much while his nose was healing, let me tell you.

They babied him, they coddled him, they waited on him hand and foot.

Guy hated that they felt so guilty, but he was getting so much love and affection, so…

He wasn't even that badly hurt, these two are just dramatic

—

After that little fiasco, Guy's account now has a special alert to let Honey know that he's in chat (so he doesn't go do something stupid like that again).

At first the sound was a little ding noise, but then Guy changed it.

Now it starts playing the jaws theme.

[irlcats-bracket]

bracket 1 FINAL BATTLE

RUSTY versus PRISSY

RUSTY

Rusty used to be a stray and then he had An Accident and now he has three legs (he had been living at a vet's office for a month when submitter adopted him). But he's doing great! Submitter taught him how to climb stairs and built him some steps out of cardboard boxes so he can get on their bed whenever he wants. They think he could be anywhere from 6 to 12 years old, it's hard to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To their pleasant surprise, he does not mind wearing a harness at all, which is good because he still loves the outdoors. He often gets his ear turned inside out while bathing and weirdly prefers dry food over wet.

PROPAGANDA

breaking: semi-feral baby learns to cuddle, becomes addicted to laying on my face

and here he is chillin on the patio with me!

vote for rusty #1 best at sticking out leg

when i first got Rusty he could not go up stairs... but he could go down, so he would get stuck at the bottom of them and meow for help. Of course he also hated being picked up and carried up the stairs.

but now he just goes ZOOP up the stairs doing audible damage to my carpet the whole way, which is so valid of him because i hate carpet on stairs

and something that is not quite propaganda for rusty but important words from rusty's human nontheless

For this semifinal I am going to do a different kind of propaganda.

Next time you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider getting an older animal or one with special needs, if you are able, or even just a shy, timid one. The reason my vet friend came to me about Rusty was because cats like him are usually overlooked in shelters. It wasn't just his injury--behaviorally, it was like he didn't know how to be a pet. For about three months he spent 95% of his time sitting in one spot, doing nothing, mostly indifferent to human attention. And now, after less than two years, he is super active and follows me to bed every night for cuddles. There are so many pets like Rusty who just need somebody to give them a chance, and give them time. If you can be that person, it is the most amazing thing to see what they bloom into!

Thank you for reading my spiel, now here is a picture of Rusty sleeping in the cat equivalent of a T-pose for some reason:

PRISSY

If she's quiet she's either sleeping or somewhere she shouldn't be. Or Both. Openly favors submitter, tolerates others. Very autistic cat: anxious of bad noises, very picky eater, kneads with her right paw out for no reason, must walk a circle around the room before going somewhere, has Specific eating spots for mealtime, etc. She probably knows more English than she lets on. Disobeys authority when she's bored or hungry. Loves the outdoors but she needs her pretty pink harness or she'll run; her favorite activity is playing with grasshoppers. She's a little brat but you can't help but love her when she squeaks at you.

PROPAGANDA

As you can see, she likes tight spaces (it's the 'tism -u-). She has access to larger, roomier sleeping spaces, but she always gravitates to places where I can't understand how she could possibly be comfortable. That round thing in the top right pic? She sleeps on top of that for the night even though a whole leg falls over the side. We've debated getting her a bigger one, but I don't think she'd like it.

She is also a lover of people food; we tried not to get her used to it, but somewhere along the way she broke down our walls. Whenever I snack on cheese puffs on the couch, she's always gotta get up in my face to try to get some of that delicious cheese dust, going so far as to stick her big face in the bag right in front of me while I'm holding it. And if you've got salmon, she will go nuts. I think salmon is her favorite food with cheese as a close second. ...but she'll also beg for chicken nugget.

[Image description: a photo of OP sitting at the dining table over a plate of chicken strips and ketchup, OP on one side of the chair and holding a piece of bitten chicken and Prissy sitting on the other side of the chair with one paw on the table eyeing the bitten chicken strip. OP's face has been painted over with a black spot.]

As for speaking English, I've caught her saying Hello and Mama clear as day, and is working on pronouncing Outside and Water (I mean it, just from her tones and "syllables" of her meows, it's like she's trying to speak).

Sorry for the spam, but she really is that photogenic. And also sorry for the stuff on my bed, but my legs were injured at the time and needed extra support. While they were injured, I also spent a lot of time on the couch, where Prissy frequently sat by my side and especially on my lap. Now that I'm better and not sitting there anymore, she now claims that specific corner of the couch as her own; she's even stolen that spot from me when I get up to do something really quick.

I've also trained her to hop on my lap when she wants to eat, instead of jumping on the table, but at the end of the day she still does what she wants lol. She's always been by my side, from the first day she got here at 3 mos. old and took a nap on my lap right in the hallway.

[sweetstrawberrymilk]

funny story: i took one look at your beautiful response and ooh-awed over it for like thirty minutes straight thanks so much but then i just never responded and suddenly it's march? unforgivable behavior my friend because you have been a helpful lil angel on my shoulder guiding me.

first, can i just say: DANNY PHANTOM???? the boy from that one cartoon i haven't watched since i was knee-high to a grasshopper and munching on fruitloops during slow saturday mornings??? also, the ladybug girl??? lmao is there a bat kwami that bruce somehow got his hands on during his training montage please tell me there's a bat kwami—and a robin kwami too actually for some reason i'm absolutely cackling at the thought; how would bruce and damian activate them WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE TO SAY and the poses i'm sorry i can't i'm crying. crossovers are the best man i swear.

and hmm, actually i scrap my energy drink bug, it's now squashed under a book somewhere. tea somehow makes it funnier i can't explain it. kicking butt and sipping chamomile, that's what tim drake is doing guys. give this boy his 8 oz earl gray 1 tps honey 1/2 tps brown sugar 2 pumps lavender 3 pumps cream cup of tea w/ice.

anywho, thank you for the warnings as well as the helpful tips/pieces of info! you're the best actually, put it on a plaque.

okay, so nobody laugh but i recently learned that there was more than one robin??? like, as in batman’s sidekick??? looks a bit like a traffic light, THAT lil guy??? apparently there are many and i’ve just been living under a rock up until a couple of months ago and honestly idk what to do with this information because the deeper i dig the more i find. nothing is as it seems, and most pressingly of all none of them appear to be okay. one seems like he’s holding on by a thinning thread, another one apparently became a crime lord for a time, another one just gives off the same energy as that one kid at the back of the class who chugs energy drinks and never knows peace, and another knows how to use a sword. a SWORD, people. he’s, like, ten. he is an infant with a murder weapon. oh, and apparently there was a blond girl one for a second???? guys please i’m spiraling GUYS—