#nature really likes crabs

[ketrinadrawsalot]

Decapocember Day 4: The infraorder Anomura is full of decapods called crabs that aren't actually crabs (brachyurans are true crabs). Carcinization led to many of them becoming crab-shaped. One feature common in anomurans is that two of their appendages are significantly smaller than the others, making them look like they have eight limbs.

[pawphin]

long ramble in tags tldr: kindness rules

[segemarldoodles]

¿Pero por qué?

[cherrymoonvol6]

.

[aarongenuity]

Nobody:

Not a soul:

My narrative at some point for some reason:

and then the fucking psychic crab people got here and then, then it was a real shitshow!

[homunculus-argument]

I'm fascinated by the logic of those Return To Nature "your ancestors would be ashamed of how weak you are" kind of dudes. Like you really think that? You think that your ancestors would see you, being nobody's slave and nobody's serf, survived into adulthood, reaching 30 while still having all your teeth, having never had a child you didn't want or buried one you wanted to keep, never had to starve through the winter wondering how many of your kin will be alive next solstice? Like do you really think they would hate you for not having suffered like they suffered?

I mean I know mine would, but they were a bunch of bitter and petty crabs in a bucket who would seethe at the idea that someone else had better luck than they did, without ever getting the chance to ruin it out of pure spite. No idea what you did to offend yours.

[sixteenseveredhands]

Shellback Crabs: these crabs create their own shields out of clamshells; they have semi-membranous bodies that can be pressed into the contours of a shell, producing a suction mechanism that holds the shell in place

The members of this genus (Hypoconcha) have a series of unique adaptations that facilitate this kind of camouflage behavior. Many of the Dromiidae crabs (e.g. hermit crabs, sponge crabs, shellback crabs, etc.) are equipped with a specialized pair of legs that enables the crab to hold a shell, sea sponge, and/or ascidian against their body, but shellback crabs also have a flexible, semi-membranous body that can be tucked more firmly into the contours of a bivalve shell, producing a suction mechanism that keeps the shell firmly locked in place.

The body of the shellback crab is also covered in a very fine layer of hair-like structures called setae, and when the crab presses itself against the shell, these membranous "hairs" can take on an almost translucent appearance, particularly around the margins of the crab's body.

I recently posted some photos/info about some of the crabs in the genus Lamarckdromia (which belongs to the same family) and as I was doing the background research for that post, I was just kind of mesmerized by all of these weirdly adorable crabs that seem to exist within the Dromiidae family tree. Each genus has its own unique adaptations that allow the crabs to use specific materials for camouflage -- some of them use living sponges, clamshells, ascidians, etc.

And I could not stop laughing at the little faces on these crabs. They've all got the same bemused/indignant expression...as if some random asshole has just walked up to them, shoved them over, and announced to the entire ocean that there's a crab hiding beneath that disguise; as if that actually happens to them quite a lot, and they're getting really sick of it.

Sources & More Info:

Crustaceana Monographs: Comparison of the Shell-Carrying Behaviors of Desmodromia, Conchoecetes, and Hypoconcha (the relevant info is on page 191)

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources: Shellback Crabs and their Larval Stages (PDF)

South Carolina Public Radio: Shellback Crabs

Again, I don't normally feature crustaceans on my blog...but I really couldn't resist this one.

[cryptotheism]

How many languages do you speak?

You are always talking about alchemist that lived all around the world in very differente time periods. And you have mentioned several times that there's a ton of numerology hidden in their texts, counting syllables and letters of certain words and paragraphs. So one would assume you need to read them in the original language it was written, right?

That's a really good question! As with most really good questions, the answer is "kinda, it depends!"

So! Most alchemical texts are written in some form of coded language, but the nature of that code depends on the era and culture the text is being written in. Depending on how its written, modern scholars have a lot of different tools for cracking open alchemical esoterica.

Most ancient Greek/Byzantine texts are written in postclassical Greek. But, they're often written in dense philosophical prose. The reader needs to be familiar with the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and the early Neoplatonists, to make sense of them. Luckily for us, people have been studying postclassical Greek for nearly 2000 years. There are many excellent translations into English.

Late Egyptian alchemists wrote almost entirely in pictograph code. Not as in hieroglyphics, mind you. Egyptian alchemical recipes often made use of custom character sets and symbols that represented alchemical concepts. (One famous example, the Formula of the Crab, uses a complex diagram that looks like a centipede to represent a particular gold compound.) These are damn near impossible to read without expert help.

At the same time, Jewish and Syriac writers of the era could get by on the fact that not everyone could read Hebrew and Syriac lol. The language barrier itself acted as a sort of copyright system for protecting their ideas. Luckily for us, many of these texts were preserved and translated by medieval Arab scholars!

Speaking of Arabic, once you hit the Islamic Golden Age, the amount of alchemical literature increases by a factor of ten. Thing is, the Islamic Polymaths weren't all that interested in obscuring their work. The Islamic Golden Age was all about copying and translating older works, and compiling them into big textbook/dictionaries. They're not intentionally encoded, they're comparatively easy to read once you get a good translation. Thing is, you gotta know your Neoplatonism. Medieval Islamicate scholars love Neoplatonism.

Then we get the reintroduction of alchemy to Europe around the 10th century. What you get is about 400 years of monks painstakingly translating medieval Arabic into Latin. A lot of these texts are very well preserved, and have good translations into English.

Then, around the late 14th century, European entrepreneurial alchemy kicks into high gear, and THIS is where we get all those fancy numerology encoded alchemical texts. Renaissance alchemists loved themselves some puzzles. This would be fine if they were all just writing in Latin, but the printing press meant they could write in any damn language they please. You get a lot of French, German, Dutch, Italian, and antiquated English alchemical texts, and they can be a bitch to read without help.

BUT the introduction of the printing press also gave us something useful: cheap picture books! Late renaissance alchemists loved writing in word games and coded metaphor, but they also loved including esoteric diagrams. And the thing about esoteric diagrams is --if you know your stuff-- you don't need to speak 15th century french to read a picture. Which isn't a replacement for reading the original translation, not even close, but the explicit purpose of these images was to prove to other alchemists that the author knows what they're talking about. So if you can read them, you can get a damn good sense as to what the text is about.

This was fun to write so I'm gonna plug my patreon if you wanna see me write more about alchemy.

[xlillyle]

I'm really in love with the idea of teen SKK falling for each other in mundane moments because the world they live in is so crazy and filled with violence and death that when Dazai breaks into Chuuya's apartment on their day off and finds him finishing cooking his favorite crab meal he can't help but feel like struck by lightning as he stares at the two plates that Chuuya already put out.

But the craziest thing is how while he is surprised by the fuzzy feelings, they don't feel unfamiliar.

Not in the way that he was in love before, he wasn't, but because it feels so normal to look at Chuuya and be filled with warmth and smiling like an idiot.

(Obviously, he has to complain about there not being enough crab and the slug's table being chibi-sized to make up for it.)

But Chuuya isn't any better even if it takes him a little longer, he feels even more ridiculous with it because there shouldn't be anything endearing about waking up next to the damn mackerel in his own bed when he went to sleep alone last night.

And yet he knows that he still had his work clothes and shoes on, but Chuuya is only wearing socks and not his coat anymore and his blanket is put over him so that he isn't freezing and he thinks suddenly that maybe he could get used to this.

The thought hits him like a train and he sits up in shock and while it's stunning him, it also feels like he is reading an old book he forgot in the back of his shelf.

The feelings flooding through his veins aren't new, he couldn't say when they became so familiar, but they feel as natural as the blood within him.

(Obviously, he has to kick Dazai out of his bed and yell at him.)

I just love the idea that they both fell for each other silently and got so used to loving each other that it was as natural as breathing to them, but it sneaked up on them one day in an innocent moment of idyllic domesticity in this violence-filled world they are navigating through.

[veronicawildest]

NAKSHATRA SERIES: OBSERVATION FROM DIFFERENT NAKSHATRAS (SEGUNDO)

(Disclaimer: If you get butthurt on my other observation just blocked me and move away from me. This observations is from the celebrity i've observe and my social circle. Just take this like a grain of salt)

PUNARVASU

The trait that I love about Punarvasu is their resourcefulness. It makes sense because of the Vimshottari Nakshatra of Jupiter. They are also very giving.

(Unevolved) Punarvasu are fake. When they're talking to you, they act like a goody two shoes type of boy/girl, but when you're gone, they talk behind your back. They don't like confrontation (very passive). Also holier than thou (This only applies if you're UNEVOLVED, otherwise don't get butthurt).

Punarvasu are also people-pleasers. They want to have a "goody-two-shoes" reputation. (I can't fully describe it, but if you get it, you get it). A primary example that I'm going to give is Elon Musk (Punarvasu rising). The way he acts and presents himself in public. He just wants to be likable, but clearly, the public hates him.

Punarvasu are smart and they will show you that through their actions (I mean actions, for example, problem-solving activities)

PUSHYA:

The casting stereotype of this nakshatra is a hippy vibe. Just like in animated movies, Matilda (from Angry Birds Movie played by Maya Rudolph (Pushya sun)) and Brooke (from Ice Age: Collision Course played by Jessie J (Pushya moon)).

Pushya isn't as auspicious as it is portrayed in the Vedic astrology community. You will go through some hardships and heartbreaks that will make you easily susceptible to mental health issues. (I have this placement so this comes from my experience).

I observed this from other Pushya natives that they're just plain and simple, not glamorous but classy when it comes to their appearance. Just simplicity and vibes and natural.

I've seen on Twitter Vedic discourse about Tikshna Nakshatra getting all the hate, Ashlesha getting all the hate, not Pushya. I have a Pushya placement on my luminary, and I can tell y'all that's not true.

Examples:

Jennifer Lopez (Pushya sun) gets hated for getting all the benefits of being a celebrity when she's just allegedly stealing (I've also read this through Twitter).

Selena Gomez (Pushya sun) is hated for having this victim mentality complex and being "obsessed with Justin and Hailey."

(DISCLAIMER: This isn't my opinion on these certain celebrities, but I've been reading and seeing them on Twitter)

ASHLESHA

Despite being a Mercury-ruled Vimshottari nakshatra, Ashlesha doesn't speak too much.

I've seen Ashlesha males acting like sigma males, but they're funny. This is the nakshatra that embodies the "tropical Leo archetype," the archetype of funny, center of attention, fashionable, and dramatic.

Ashlesha either love all the attention or hate it. Mostly it's a mixture of the two. That's why the center of attention archetype for Tropical Leo.

Claire Nakti just conducted a survey on YouTube, but the leading people on Instagram (having the most followers) have Ashlesha placements. Selena Gomez (Ashlesha Venus and Mercury - still prominent because it conjuncts the Sun, which is her luminary), Kylie Jenner (Ashlesha Sun), and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ashlesha Moon).

MAGHA

If you have Magha in your big three, you're egoistic as fuck (for me egoistic above on other nakshatra). Napoleon has this Nakshatra on his sun. The new TikTok hype about King Baldwin IV (played by Edward Norton, Magha sun).

It's hard to differentiate Ashlesha and Magha because of the Gandanta point (and other Gandanta nakshatras):

- Both private

- Romantic (because other nakshatra of Leo gets all the credit of being romantic, but not Magha; they're romantic too)

- Both GREAT at their stuff/profession/talent

But to tell them apart is Ashlesha says, "I don't give a fuck," and they do give a fuck (because of the Crab cancer symbolism, it really makes sense why they put up a facade because of the shield) when Magha says nothing and literally doesn't give a fuck. They won't entertain. Yes, they're sensitive, but mostly they really don't give a fuck.

I don't get the hype of "Ketu nakshatras are not on social media. They don't usually use social media" on Vedic Twitter. Magha (Ashwini and Mula too) are active; they just don't interact or have private accounts. Ketu is exalted in the sign of Scorpio (investigating, lurking), and y'all think that they don't use social media? Joking, for real.

I still emphasize that Magha nakshatra individuals have sleeping problems. One of the Magha moon actors (in my home country) opens up about having sleep apnea and having a near-death experience. (Also, the beauty queen Magha sun talks about a near-death experience). It's common for them to experience the "Their soul is leaving the body while sleeping" phenomenon and meditation.

The impact of the death of loved ones for Magha is crucial. It's a sign that something significant will be happening or transforming for better or for worse. The best example that I can give is Megan Thee Stallion (her family).

[starlit-typewriter]

Genshin SAGAU, Creator of Teyvat, but not Humanity Part 6

Thank you to everyone who liked and commented, it really kept me motivated!

Warning for mild self harm, nothing graphic. There are no depressive feelings associated with it.

Warning for Spoilers up to 4.6

Masterlist | Prev Part

~~~

You’re honestly not sure how long you’ve been sitting in the beautiful meadow, enjoying the scenery and the sounds of nature. 

You spent some time staring at the glowing yellow flowers, admiring their soft silken petals. 

You also spent some splashing around in the small river nearby. Its crystal clear blue water lets you see all the way to the bottom. 

The singing of birdsong echo through the beautiful meadow, providing a beautiful atmosphere. 

It’s probably been some time now since you’ve arrived, as the sun is starting to set and the sky was getting dark.

Well, it’s no fun sitting in a dark meadow, you reasoned, may as well see if you could find someplace to sleep. 

You wander over to the gigantic tree that stood as a centerpiece to this meadow and started to investigate its roots to see if there were any nook-worthy spots.

To your surprise you found, well it’s not a nook, but a cave.

Even better!

You scoot your way down, mindful of the steep incline. 

In the back of your head you realize you should probably be panicked about the fact you’re in the middle of nowhere, alone and with nothing, but its only the back of your head, which means the front part that actually makes the decisions is happily powering on. 

At the back of the cave, is not a wall of rock and dirt, you know like you’d expect the back of a cave to be like, but rather a glowing wall of golden symbols.

There’s also a strange energy behind the glowing wall that’s beckoning you closer.

That voice in the back of your head is outright screaming about how insane this whole situation is, but again as we’ve already established, it’s the back not the front. Therefore you reach out to touch the glowing wall of golden symbols.

You expect nothing to happen, because it’s a wall and you’re just touching it. But something does happen, to you, not the wall. The wall is fine, at least you think it’s fine because you can’t see it anymore.

Instead you see this gigantic underground cavern with a giant round rock in the center, surrounded by other large tall rocks and what looks to be a golden fence surrounding the aforementioned round rock.

Then the round rock starts to move.

Update, that is not a rock it is a living thing that looks like a rock.

You think it might be making some kind of sound, but there’s all of a sudden a loud buzzing in your ears that you can’t get rid of.

You shake your head in hopes it’ll do something, to no avail. Actually it makes it quite a bit worse, since you now have a bit of a headache.

You would like to investigate the creature that was once the large round rock so you start to move closer.

As you do the buzzing in your ears and the pounding in your head gets worse, but you can’t seem to stop your feet from moving you closer to the center. Or really your entire body because it would be weird if it was just your feet moving you closer when your entire body is trying to get away, that would probably look like a weird fusion of a tug of war and a crab dance wouldn't it.

Oh you’re at the golden gate now.

At this point your head feels like it’s splitting open. But your hand moves to touch the golden fence, only for it to shatter into golden sparkling particles. 

Before you can process what just happened, the round rock creature moves towards you at a speed that your brain honestly can’t comprehend due to it being in debilitating pain.

It doesn’t run you over or attack you, but rather it nudges you gently with its snout.

Dragon

The word went unsaid.

Yet it echoed in your mind nonetheless.

They’ve never met a dragon before, not do they know what one should look like. 

But now, looking into the topaz eyes of this creature, you knew in your heart of hearts that they were a dragon.

He was also talking to you.

You couldn’t understand what he was saying.

But you can sense his pain.

You can sense anger, rage, helplessness, fear

And

Relief

Your vision is suddenly filled with glowing golden particles.

The world seems to come alive with energy as it pours into your body.

Flashes of scenes and people run through your head.

These scenes, 

No

These memories.

They’re 

Yours?

But,

Also his?

Azhdaha.

His name falls from your lips as your weakened knees give out.

That was his name,

He was dying

Eroding

But, he still remembered his history

His kin

His family

He gave you his memories,

His powers

And in doing so,

It killed him.

But awakened you.

Glittering tears dripped off your fluttering eyelids as you struggled to wrap your mind over what happened.

Flashes of a history you never knew,

Memories of a family you never had.

Images of a swirling cosmos, dancing around your form. Joy, curiosity, freedom

An orb of golden light, zipping around you like a beloved pet. Fondness, concern, excitement.

The shadow of a large flying creature passing overtop you. Awe, pride, trust.

A pair of desperate golden eyes, apologetic and pleading as a searing pain overwhelms you. Betrayal, pain, hurt, hurt, huRT, HURT.

A sharp, sickening, burning pain fills your body as you fight the urge to cough blood.

Eons upon eons of pain and anger and betrayal crashes into you, bringing you to the floor.

There’s screaming, and pain.

Sounds of something crumbling and falling are but whispers in your ear as they’re filled with the sound of your pounding heart.

Your eyes burn with tears as you lay there.

Your tears stain the earth in front you.

Laying there on your side, you can feel the softness of the cool dirt, and a slight breeze in the air.

It was silent

Not a single birdsong nor the sounds of trickling water to be found.

Your heart bursting with more emotion than they could bear.

How could anyone live like this?

Every moment, every action, every thought is wracked with agony and pain.

All you could do was curl up in a ball and hope it all fades.

Little by little it does.

The fear, pain, panic, and sorrow are all stripped away.

Seeping into the cold hard dirt beneath you, replacing you with a familiar sense of numbness.

You breathe, feeling nothing

This is why you were so calm, you realized.

Even as you got transported to a foreign place, got threatened at sword point and lost all your belongings.

You knew that there was something wrong with your mindset, but you were so calm that you didn't think to question it.

But now, with the dried tear tracks on your face, you realize.

Something is very very wrong with this place.

It's like something or someone is constantly pumping you with a sedative, urging you to not focus on things that make you unhappy.

Even now, a part of you is trying to forget what just happened, to go back to wandering through the flowers.

To close your eyes and ears to the horrors and memories of the past.

No

No, you can't forget.

Azhdaha died for this.

He died to give you a chance at remembering.

You dug your nails into your skin until you felt it split open and something wet trickle out.

The pain helped ground you.

Helped you remember.

With all that swirling around in your mind, you had many questions.

Where am I?

What happened?

Why is this going on?

But the central one remains clear.

Who are you?

~~~

“-ao”

“-iao, please!”

The adeptus turned his head at the call.

While not many people knew his name, there were still times when those who didn’t know better used his name in vain. 

Either those who weren’t sure who its was connected to, or those who didn’t care.

But this one was different.

It wasn’t full of arrogant confidence that he wouldn’t hear.

Nor the simple curiosity of an irritating scholar.

This one was full of fear and panic.

From a familiar voice.

Summoning his adeptal energy he focused on that call, and willed himself to disappear.

The next moment he opened his eyes, it was to a sight that made his blood run cold.

The Traveler, usually so strong and bright and full of life, collapsed on the ground, their flying companion panicking.

He raced over, senses on high alert for any nearby enemies.

“Xiao!” The flying pixie shot over to his side, her hands twisted into her clothing in stress.

“What happened,” he demanded, checking over their body for any wounds or abyssal energy, but could find none. All the while Paimon blabbed helplessly about how they were just walking like normal when they dropped like a stone for no reason.

The conqueror of demons pressed his ear to their chest to see if he could hear a heartbeat.

Thankfully it was beating strong.

He moved over to their head, to examine their breathing and check for head wounds.

He cradled their body in his lap and he looked over their skull for any bumps or wounds.

Unbeknownst to him, as he was checking over this head, the Traveler’s eyes snapped open.

They sat up rapidly, almost hitting Xiao’s chin in their frantic panic.

“Azhdaha,” they breathed, scrambling to their feet and taking a couple of shaky steps.

The Yaksha leaped forward to catch them as they swayed.

The Traveler blinked at their savior.

“Xiao?” They breathed, their eyes glassy and unfocused.

“Are you ok,” he asked gently, trying not to spook them in their disorientated state. 

They blinked at him slowly, before pushing themselves upright. They seemed to be focused on something in the distance.

He shook them slightly, they startled at the contact. They turned to face him, the glassiness in their eyes fading slightly.

“We need to check on Azhdaha,” their tone showed no room for argument.

Xiao had many questions he wanted to ask, but, well.

The Traveler is never this serious. Only a couple times before have they seen them with this look on their face, that was always in the heat of battle.

He wanted to argue, but he knew that they wouldn’t ask like this without cause. 

Not to mention they’d probably go investigate without him if he didn’t agree. 

He exchanged looks with Paimon, who whilst still looking understandably stressed, seemed to to know better than to argue with the Traveler in such a state.

So he nods in agreement, offering his hand to take them to Nantianmen.

In a swirl of Adeptal and Anemo power, the three disappeared.

~~~

As the trio raced towards the base of Mt. Hulao , they noticed an issue.

A glaring issue,

The biggest landmark, the proof of Azhdaha’s sealing. 

The crystalline tree that became the dragon’s tail.

It was gone.

It also seemed that they were not the only people who came to investigate.

A handsome gentleman in a brown and gold suit stood at the edge of where the tree used to be.

At the edge of a giant crater.

“Lord La- Zhongli,” the Yaksha breathed, stalling to a stop behind him.

The man in question turned at his call, his gaze tired as it swept over the three of them. 

“What happened,” the Traveler demanded, walking up to him.

He sighed, seeming very old and tired.  “It seems that Azhdaha has passed on.”

There was a moment,

“WHAT!” Paimon’s shriek echoed through the meadow.

“But, I thought you said that the energy from ki-” Zhongli raises a hand, interrupting her tirade.

“A normal death would result in a backlash that would level the entirety of Jueyun Karst, that is true.” He turned back to the edge of the crater, “But this is no normal death.”

The four of them peered over the edge of the crater.

A small bedraggled figure lay there in the center, their white clothing stained with dirt and soot. 

“It seems,” he breathed, “that they’ve given their energy to someone else before passing one.”

~~~

Masterlist | Prev Part

This one is a little shorter, but I just had to end it here, its such a perfect cliffhan- I mean ending.

Again, the next couple updates might take a while, but I promise I'm trying my best.

My askbox is always open if you have any question, concerns or just wanna chat about Genshin.

Behold, the taglist!

@bunniotomia,@lucid-stories, @ymechi, @chocogi,  @ra404, @ash1, @esthelily, @tottybear, @mmeatt, @quacking-simp, @reemthetheme, @universallyenthusiastsage, @resident-cryptid, @fantasyhopperhea, @thedevioussmirk, @etherisy, @naynayaa ,@mel-star636, @chericia, @aithane, @mmeatt, @xrosegorex

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Thinking about Heaven and Hell and how Heaven has vastly more resources at its disposal. When Hell wants to spy on Aziraphale and Crowley they have to send an actual demon Upstairs with a physical camera and zombie henchmen to take one (1) picture. When Heaven does it they can effortlessly pull receipts on all of human history without leaving the C-suite.

And that’s by design, isn’t it? Because Heaven is not the good side, they’re the victors. They won the war. They kept the executive floors, literally and metaphorically, and Hell got kicked down to the crappy basement.

Hell is defined by scarce resources and the behaviors an environment of scarcity produces. It’s shitty and dark and crowded; everything is old and broken and frustrating to use. Scarcity engenders infighting, scrabbling for resources because there isn’t enough to go around, backstabbing and deal-cutting and shoving down anyone weaker than you to get a slightly better position. Taking out your anger over your shit conditions and what you lost on human souls and on other demons alike. Demons are crabs in a bucket, constantly pulling each other down. (And, like the crab metaphor, their situation is manufactured. Crabs do not naturally occur in buckets. Someone put them there.)

We see that Gabriel, separated from the memory of his power and privilege in Heaven, is not fundamentally an asshole. The assholery is instilled by the system he lives in. In the same way, we don’t really know what any of the demons would be like outside the system of Hell. Beelzebub experienced the most modest amount of friendly camaraderie and understanding and decided it was worth risking everything for. Crowley, who has spent the most time outside the environment of Hell of any of them, is not vicious and cruel toward humans the way we see many of the other demons being. And it’s not because he’s special; it’s because he’s been able to spend time in an environment where his compassion and kindness and admiration for humans can breathe a little when no one is watching.

I highly suspect that the structure of Heaven and Hell and their current relationship to Earth and humanity (and Aziraphale and Crowley) is not going to survive s3 intact. There is simply no way for Aziraphale and Crowley and Earth to be safe and free from metaphysical threats with the system the way it is now.

There are several ways I could see this resolving, but the most metaphorically rich and theologically bananapants option would be…something that permanently heals the rift between Heaven and Hell.

Not undoing the Fall so that it never happened. That can’t be done on a societal level any more than on an individual one. The war still happened; the damage was still done. But some kind of mutually agreed disarmament. A radical redistribution of ethereal resources. Taking down the metaphysical border wall. Unrestricted fraternization between demons and angels who are really more alike than they are different. Maybe abandoning the executive floors and the basement entirely, and meeting…somewhere in the middle.

[ddarker-dreams]

Redamancy.

Yan Scaramouche x F Reader.

Warnings: Yandere themes and unhealthy relationships. Word count: 1k.

“You scowl too much.” 

If anyone else were to speak to Scaramouche, Sixth of the Eleven Fatui Harbinger in this way, they’d certainly be reduced to a pitiful pile of ash on the ground. Perhaps he’s thought about subjecting you to this fate, once or twice. That number could very well have been bumped up to three times if the indignant air he currently regards you with is to be considered. 

Then again, no one aside from you would get to experience this deceptively domestic scene. You sit beneath a canopy, branches free from winter’s thaw hastily preparing buds to herald in spring. Scaramouche holds your thighs captive, the soft flesh serving as his pillow. Indigo locks splay out against and tickle your skin. 

“There’s a lot to scowl about,” he replies, though he makes an effort to relax his tense facial muscles. The contemptuous smile he gives makes his previous expression look benevolent in comparison. “I’m stuck dealing with a fool of a woman who’d probably wander off a cliff because she was too busy admiring the clouds.” 

“Clouds are meant to be admired.” 

“Case in point.” 

“You make it sound like I’m chained to you with iron shackles, though,” you raise your ankle (notably shackle free, imagine that), drawing his attention and ire. Your sarcasm never fails to rile him up. He never seriously tries to put a stop to it, however. Such is his capricious nature. “If I’m such a bother, why not let me wander off the cliff?” 

Scaramouche grits his teeth. “Because…” 

There’s a pause, then, weighty and tangible. You know what he both wants and fears to say. If he were any less of a coward, he’d fill the aromatic air with truth, rather than engaging in his usual sidestepping. He’s so proficient at the act you swear he could moonlight as a crab. This mental image earns a barely contained giggle from you, one that further sours his mood, if such a thing were possible. 

Knowing you as intimately as he does, he correctly assumes that he’s the unwitting source of your amusement. 

“I can’t stand you,” he grumbles. Whether it’s to you or himself, you can’t decide. “Truly, I can't.” 

“Then hand me over to someone who can.” 

There’s a flash in his eyes then — otherworldly, malicious — he disregards composure like a snake abandons shed skin. He rises in a flash. Inhumanly cold fingers take your chin captive, bringing you closer to him, his delight in the ease with which he can manhandle you evident. Always the type to go for grand gestures, this one. His theatrical outbursts befit his moniker. 

Scaramouche grins, beset with an onslaught of bitterness akin to a black hole. It draws in and swallows anything unfortunate enough to be nearby. 

“You just love testing my patience, don’t you?” 

If you feared him, maybe you’d tremble, but you don’t, so you are still. It’s likely that you should fear him. He is volatile, a mess of contradictions too complicated to untangle, a vessel who fills himself with acrimony, the same way humans must with air. He delights in it and considers it his birthright. 

Your smile is not without kindness and that’s what bothers him most. 

“Come, don’t pout. I have no intentions of being complicit in whatever havoc you'd wreak if I was with another.” 

His eye twitches at the pesky word ‘another’. The mere thought of this faceless, nonexistent being having the audacity to lay claim to you, even in the land of fantasy, has his nostrils flaring and jaw tightening. You can see the ripple of muscles beneath his synthetic skin. He’s a wonder, this proprietorial doll, who can exalt and condemn you in the same breath. 

You are mine, and mine alone, his eyes seem to scream, and I’d sooner end the world than exist in it without having you for myself. 

“You really do scowl too much,” you reiterate your opinion from earlier, gently, almost sweetly. Whatever spell Scaramouche was under temporarily breaks, or perhaps he’s held prisoner to a new one, far more agreeable if not equally dangerous. “Your face is too pretty to always be frowning.” 

You enchant him by running your finger over his lower lip. It trembles by your command. His eyes go lidded, a lovelorn haze obscuring the former tempest. He can never decide if he wants to destroy or devour you. For someone like him, he can’t do one without the other. His love for you is a death sentence, despite the immortality that should’ve never belonged to your mortal body. 

It’s you who kisses him. 

He temporarily forgets himself. The arrogance, the hurt, the fear that you might slip between his fingers should he ever relax his hold. You find him foolish in that regard. He can have you in the palm of his hand if he likes, and you know he’d like that very much. There’s nowhere else for you to be. Not when he’s seen to the fact himself. 

Scaramouche melts into your person, returning your kiss with rapture, drunk on the way you offer yourself to him. He makes a deep, breathy noise, willing you closer, demanding total subservience. You let him have his way. Civilizations could rise and fall in the seconds that follow, and he’d pay them no mind, too absorbed with savoring your temporary connection. 

It is what he lives for; what he'd kill for.

His fair skin is flushed when you part. From the apple of his cheeks to the tip of his ears, he’s painted in a color from your palette. The pigmentation suits him. Red is the color around his eyes, of his longing for you, and of what would spill across the land should you ever part. 

“There,” you whisper, as if it were a secret meant for him alone, “That look suits you far better.” 

He wants to deny it — you can tell by how his grip tightens — but he remains uncharacteristically quiet. If he gets to delight in you, it’s only fair that you can occasionally delight in him, he supposes. 

Such is your capricious nature. 

[lissrissye]

𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔲𝔞𝔤𝔢 !?~

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ synopsis : ADA members love language. physical touch, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, and gift giving. which one is their love language?

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ warnings and notes : includes Osamu Dazai, Nakajima Atsushi, Edogawa Ranpo, Doppo Kunikida, Akiko Yosano, and Miyazawa Kenji x F!Reader/ A!Reader. Also, SOME OF YOUR GUYS USERNAMES ARE SCARING ME 😰)

ੈ✩‧₊˚ genre : romance, fluff, safe for work

太宰 ᴏꜱᴀᴍᴜ ᴅᴀᴢᴀɪ ? 治

Dazai’s love language is definitely physical touch. He’s frequently whiny and pouty whenever you aren’t pampering him, even if it’s just for a moment. He doesn’t let you do you paperwork, so you’ll most likely have him on your lap as you work or vice versa. He doesn’t want to let you go.

The only time the detective would give you some space is if you really insisted it, you need to use the restroom, or if you are on a mission without him. Of course, he still throws a small dramatic, playful tantrum, but he reluctantly lets you go in the end. However, if you aren’t doing anything important in the restroom, like washing your hands in the restroom or anything that you don’t really need much privacy for, Dazai would be embracing you from behind with his chin on your shoulder, watching you do whatever you’re doing.

•·.·'ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ'·.·•

You were cooking in the kitchen, preparing Dazai’s favorite food, boiled crab. You were actually quite the chef, and naturally, feet moving quickly and hands moving efficiently. You were placing the crab in a huge pot for it to steam, but shivered slightly as a pair of familiar cold, bandaged wrapped around your waist. Of course, it was your brown-haired lover, Dazai, pestering you even as you cook. He was extremely clingy. It’s only been a few minutes too. —“Be-ll-a-do-nn-a~” He whispers sweetly in your ear, distracting you as you cook. His favorite thing to do. You sigh, muttering his name softly with slight embarrassment. You were a bit flustered, you couldn’t lie. It showed on your pink, blushing face too. There was no excuse for it. Dazai teased you about this all day.

You and your suicidal boyfriend were off for the day. What did you do that entire day? Well, Dazai kind of just followed you everywhere. You went to run some errands and purchase some groceries, etc. Dazai came along, skipping beside you happily as you grab something up the shelf. He loved humiliating you in public, so he lifted you up when you struggle’s to grab hold of the food at the top of the shelf. Silly Dazai being his goofy self.

中島 ɴᴀᴋᴀᴊɪᴍᴀ ᴀᴛꜱᴜꜱʜɪ ? 敦

Atsushi’s love language would probably be acts of service. He was just a pure and innocent angel, he loved doing things for you. You were always appreciative of him and usually rewarded him with a kiss, a hug, etc. He would do anything either way though, he doesn’t need anything in return, but damn, those kisses or hugs you gave him in return was surely a bonus, and he wasn’t complaining at all.

The poor weretiger just couldn’t explain how he felt. The warmth he feels inside and the fluttering in his stomach makes him go slightly red. Whenever he does something for you, he thinks about you during the process. He normally has thoughts like, —“I wonder what y/n is doing right now~..” or, —“I want y/n to tell me about her day…”

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙

You just back from a tiring case. Atsushi was home earlier than you because you decided to investigate one last crime scene for the night. You groaned, dreading the idea of having to cook because you were already worn out and absolutely exhausted. However, a delicious aroma met your nostrils. You walk to the kitchen, noticing Atsushi preparing a bowl of ramen for you. He was putting some extra protein in it. With a smile, you pressed your soft, pluno lips against his forehead to show your gratitude, thanking him. Atsushi literally melted, shyly smiling as he avoids eye contact and turns a soft, cherrry red.

江戸 ᴇᴅᴏɢᴀᴡᴀ ʀᴀɴᴘᴏ ? 川乱歩

Ranpo’s love language is words of affirmation, hands down. Yes, he loves all the praises everyone else gives him for being a literal genius, but when you praise him, it’s completely different. It would make his ego skyrocket, and get him immediately excited and cocky. He would usually smirk at you playfully. He craves all the compliments you give him, he literally feels like he needs it to live.

—“C’mon, praise me some more~” Your genius lover insists all the time. He would accept “thank you” or any words of gratitude or appreciation. Whenever he does something for you, even if it’s as small as fetching you some water or paperwork, he’d ask for a compliment in return with an arrogant smirk plastered onto his face, his eyes screaming mischievous.

.⋅ ۵ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ ۵ ⋅.

You were on a mission with your childish lover, Ranpo. Of course, you didn’t even get to do anything as your emerald-eyed boyfriend already cracked the entire thing already. You were a bit irritated at him since you did practically nothing, but his intelligence did save a lot of time. —“Good job, love~..” You praised your beloved, making him slowly turn his head to you and open his eyes. That’s how you know he enjoyed the words that escaped your lips. Then, he gets overall playful and flirtatious, teasing and pestering you for more.

国木田 ᴅᴏᴘᴘᴏ ᴋᴜɴɪᴋɪᴅᴀ ? 独歩

Kunikida’s love language most likely would be quality time. In his green notepad, he has his usual schedule, however, ever since you got together with him, he had “free time with y/n” written in his notebook. He even highlights it because it’s the part in his day that excites him the most. Of course, your idealist darling would want to see and spend time with you, even if he is a workaholic.

Even on a busy day, even if Kunikida is occupied for the current few moments, he will always try to clear out his schedule just to spend some time with you if you really desired to be with him. He loves your company, you loved his. If he can’t find a time to spend even just a few moments with you, he’d most likely apologize and try to make it up to you somehow, if it’s treating you to dinner or a shopping spree of some sort. He actually loves when you ask things of him since he gets to be in your presence during these moments.

.·:*¨༺ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ༻¨*:·.

You wanted to go shopping for some clothes. (makeup if you want to substitute it, anything you want!) Kunikida was honestly quite the simp for you, so he drove you there and followed you around a bit possessively. He suggested things in the mall that he felt like you would like, and he ended up purchasing what he suggested for you most of the time because he knows you well. Yes, he paid for you as well, he didn’t mind it and actually wanted to buy you things. That enthusiastic expression and bright smile on your face was enough to make butterflies in his stomach flutter, as if he were some teenager falling in love. He felt humiliated, but he was just overalls sweet and romantic. I a good way, of course.

与謝 ᴀᴋɪᴋᴏ ʏᴏꜱᴀɴᴏ ? 野晶子

Yosano’s love language possibly could be gift giving. She knows you oh to well, so she knows exactly what to gift you. It’s frequently out of the blue too, sometimes elegantly and cleanly wrapped with a glittery ribbon or top like a Christmas present, sometimes in a bag with wrapping paper in it, sometimes just not wrapped at all. Really, the doctor’s presents for you are just unpredictable, but they were so cute and always, and I mean always, an object you wanted or talked about. Yosano couldn’t lie either, she loved how you were so grateful for all her gifts.

If it’s any special occasion, such as you and Yosano’s anniversary, your birthday, Valentine’s Day, then you should expect plenty of gifts. The thing is you fail to catch her wrapping anything for you despite the amounts of presents she wraps for you, so she was stealthy and flexible with it as well, always finding a time to wrap when you’re away.

•,¸,.·’ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ'·.,¸,•

It was Christmas… and you know Yosano on Christmas. She overdid it completely. All the presents under her tree were mainly hers for you. She was like a mom too, since she records you each time you open her presents.

宮沢 ᴍɪʏᴀᴢᴀᴡᴀ ᴋᴇɴᴊɪ ? 賢治

Kenji’s love language has a high chance of being acts of service. With his ability, undefeated by the rain, or in simpler words super strength, he usually helps you carry anything you need, provide support to comfort you if you needed it, etc. he doesn’t care what it is, you can always count on him.

Your pure loved Kenji loves to help you out whenever you ask, and he even looks forward to it. He finds interest in supporting you with anything. A part of him loves physical touch, so his love language is a bit of both. He can’t tell if he likes physical touch more or acts of service. He just wants to do anything for you.

*+:｡.｡ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ｡.｡:+*

You were sitting on a couch in the Armed Detective Agency, (ADA), taking a break before you interrogate a suspect for a case. That was until Dazai swung by, attempting to flirt with you again, despite knowing you’re already in a relationship with Kenji. He has a rose in his mouth and his charming signature smile as he grabs your hand, stroking it. —“Oh, belladonna~ would you care to double suicide with m—“ The detective is cut off by your blonde beloved abruptly throwing him in another room by the arm. Kenji does this with an innocent bright smile, as if nothing happened. —“What are you doing, Angel?~” He asks casually.

I apologize if there’s a few spelling mistakes. Also, thank you for 100 likes on my “they get jealous of your plushie” post!~ 💗

[frickityfrackityfuckingshit]

Listen I LOVE the humans are space orcs thing, but imagine.

Humans are space crabs.

Like sure, there’s some really different looking aliens out there, with different ways of communicating and reproducing and stuff. But like. Being a human is just generally a good way to become the intelligent species on a planet. There are just human-like things everywhere.

“Our ship has 3 humans and 5 kraleex” Hendt reminded the human, Jane.

“What? No the ship has 2 humans, 2 splaids, 3 kraleex, and a loktad.”

“Agh, you all seem to tell each other apart but you look the same to me.”

“Kristopher is literally ORANGE AND 7 FEET TALL.”

“You’re beige. And Lance is uhhh.” He paused as he rooted around for the human sweet in his head. “Caramel. That’s practically orange.”

“Seriously humanity had some fucked up shit going on, you’ll probably offend Kristopher if you call him a human to his face.”

“Didn’t you convergently evolve?”

Jane sighed.

“Yeah but like- humans are pretty naturally aggressive. Loktads are quite peaceful, that’s why they took so much less time than us to advance. He’ll see it as an insult.”

Handt shifted uncomfortably.

“Humans are very useful in difficult situations. Despite your size and lacking in physical strength many of you have great problem solving skills. Your roots are nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Yeah because compared to other pentadactyly we were very distrustful of our own species and formed smaller groups. We had to be stronger as individuals.” Jane was starting to get a bit frustrated about giving this history lesson. Handt should have been given a briefing on human-like species, but the Strokt were know for their ability to pick up on skills, not knowledge.

Thankfully, they nodded slowly.

“I will refrain from calling Kristopher a human. I can see how this may hurt him.”

Jane let out a breathe of relief when he retreated. She couldn’t even remember the original argument. But at least Handt would now be less likely to offend one of their crew mates.

[xx-j4nu5-c4t5-xx]

tw: mild description of blood (it's not that bad I swear)

Large info dump about Sims aliens and their biology and stuff (it's well past midnight and I got bored)

So I have my own ocs that I've been working on for a while but I've moved them into the brain basement for a while to fixate on these stupid little pixel guys from 2004. Anyway one of them has blue blood because I thought it would be funny, and now I'm a firm believer that the Sims 2 aliens have blue blood.

My only reasoning for this is that having red blood in a green character feels... weird? Like, your skin is not one solid thing. It's like a million translucent layers stacked on top of each other with stuff between them. Like a lasagna. That's why, when you put your hand over a flashlight, it glows red; the light is passing through your skin and all the stuff in it (notably, blood vessels).

Human skin, by default, is a yellow-ish white, like dandruff. It gets color from the blood vessels and pigmentations in the layers of the skin. This is why tattoos work, why melanin alters your skin color, and why your face can blush red, among other things. If alien skin is the same white, you'd need a shit ton of green pigment to balance the red from the blood, which would make them look kinda weird and muddy color-wise. If the blood is blue, though, everything runs smoothly. Yellow/white-ish skin + blue blood = mint green.

Though it only exists in weird animals like horseshoe crabs and some spiders (I think), there is a kind of blood that naturally comes in a sky blue color. This is because it contains hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin, using copper instead of iron. Hemoglobin uses iron to bond with oxygen and move it somewhere, and turns red in the process (like rust). When copper is oxidized, though, it turns that bright, Statue of Liberty ass turquoise color. This makes the hemocyanin blood into this blue raspberry looking concoction.

(Hemocyanin also completely messes with the biology of a creature; it is not interchangeable with hemoglobin but let's suspend disbelief for a second. For the vine.)

Anyway, enough rambling. I think the aliens are blue blooded. This makes them look more natural when I draw them, and it makes the hybrid Sim-aliens more unique and less "normal guy but green". This also affects everything that your normal blood would affect though, so I have to keep in mind that their everything is blue. Veins in the eyes, eye bags, injuries and scars, body tissues (like the mouth), blushes, sunburns, bruises, basically anything that would normally be purple/red/pink in a normal human is teal/blue.

Hope y'all enjoyed the autism thought slop I just dumped on you. Most of this info is stuff I read on Wikipedia or just a surface level understanding of human anatomy. Don't quote me on it + feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, all of this is headcanon nonsense, there's no objectively right or wrong answer. I'm just a nerd and love having really excessive lore explanations for the creative liberties I take. If you like your aliens red-blooded, I dig it. I just find it personally less of a headache on my end to go this route.

I really need to go to bed have a great night folks