#people eating tasty animals

[darkwood-sleddog]

I'm late getting back to this but invasive species anon who was sad about pigeons - I mean if they're causing problems for native species fair enough, I just think it's sad we abandoned them and it's come to this. I hope we can be as humane as we can with them - same as cats in Aus/NZ - roaming cats are pretty unequivocally hugely harmful to an ecological system that evolved completely separately, so much as poisoning etc is unpalatable, sometimes it comes down to minimizing damage.

I mean I personally don't know much about the impacts of pigeons on native fauna and the environment, but I do enjoy them as a critter, they're fun to interact with and I'd hope that we could keep responsibly kept domesticated (non feral) aviaries going.

I would personally be cautious about poisons though for invasives as poisons also impact native fauna, some of which cannot take the hit/risk etc, as well as responsibly kept domestic animals who may come across it or pick up a poisoned animal by accident.

I think people overall really struggle to deal with the conflicting morality that comes with how we need to deal with invasives. They are told to be compassionate to animals which yes, we should be, but we also need to think and act very decisively for the planet at this time because the "buffer" time we had where we knew these things were causing problems, has been largely wasted with incredibly slow action or straight up inaction. Being able to capture and home cats that can be is a great sentiment, but that one method used alone is not the action that is needed right now.

[artificialcaretaker]

I feel like my almost instantaneous attachment to Chief is in part due to the hyper specific concept of both being a POC and having an anxiety-based disorder. Cuz like let’s think. Is it REALLY paranoia if you’re personally aware of the fact that both historically and in current time, people just deadass DON’T LIKE YOU?? Is it REALLY overreacting if you realistically can’t fully trust the majority of the people around you?? At what point can I reason with myself that my brain is inherently dysfunctional and is constantly in panic mode and when can I acknowledge that the reason I’m terrified of something or someone because they might ACTUALLY hurt me?? Who am I supposed to trust knowing that the people societally put in place to protect DO NOT want to protect me?? Can I stay inside forever?? Can I lock myself in one place and never leave again?? Wait goddamnit ethic parents don’t play like that I’ve gotta actually have a life.

Maybe his character wasn’t meant to be read in such a way, and regardless it’s not like he’s gonna resonate with me completely cuz like. I’m black. We’re comin from different perspectives here. Idk what I’m sayin man he’s just my guy and I love him and I really need to look for more media with severely anxious individuals who AREN’T being weirdly infantilized or romanticized so that I can salivate over them and murmur “Literally me……literally me……” while violently gripping a pencil to draw them. Lol lmao.

[wispstalk]

Some writing advice for hunting, bc I see a lot of hunting scenes in fantasy that make me itch. More under the cut. Don't read if you're sensitive to blood-and-guts discussion or animal death.

Finding game:

- I don't hunt much these days bc I don't feel like getting my ass out of bed at shitfuck o'clock every weekend during the season. Which you have to do, because much of the time you come home empty-handed. Successful hunts come about when you're out there often.

- You don't really have to be a good tracker to hunt, but you do have to know the basics of your prey and you have to be able to interpret the landscape even if it's unfamiliar. It's less likely a tracker is looking for "bent blades of grass" or whatever and more likely they are noticing game trails, sheltered areas where nests and burrows are, a spot of thick vegetation which would indicate a water source.

- Scat and footprints are useful too ofc but to varying degrees. If I'm hunting deer it's just confirmation that they're in the area; more often I use knowledge of their habits to actually find them. If I were hunting something elusive and solitary like a cougar I would pay more attention to the tracks but that's also a reason people hunt with dogs!

Actually hunting:

- Bows are not the only hunting weapons, though would be most common in ur typical medieval fantasy type setting. Spears and lances, slings with stones, and clubs would also be used. And knives and swords but in this hunter's opinion, FUUUUCK that.

- Lung shot is a quick death. Heart shot and head shot too but that is much harder. Other shots might mean tracking a wounded animal as it runs away. This is where things like broken twigs/bent grass are especially telling, and ofc blood. Small game bleed out faster and won't get as far but you might spend quite a while running after an elk shot in the flank.

- This highly depends on the prey but hunting often involves more sitting around than people realize. I bring a small pad for my booty ass bc sometimes you'll spend hours in a strategic spot waiting for the game to pass by. Also hides (the shelter, not the skins) are a thing and most hunters would consider shelter-building an essential skill.

- Hunting seasons are not entirely a modern convention -- there are better times of year to find different animals. But there would be less concern, historically, about killing animals during the breeding season than we have today.

- Even when I was hunting regularly and more confident, I got a huge adrenaline spike EVERY time I had an animal in my sights.

Big game:

- A deer has a lot of meat on it and though it's not a bad thing to leave a carcass for scavengers, your party of two or three adventurers probably will not go to the trouble of hunting deer unless they have some nearby place to cache, preserve, or trade what they can't eat before it spoils. Are they leaving it behind or do they have some way to take full advantage of such a large kill?

- If your character gets a large game animal they're probably going to field dress it: deal with all the blood and guts on site, then quarter it so it can be packed back to the campsite or whatever. My dad is a big burly mutant man and he cannot carry a deer by himself. You can carry game on poles or horseback too but field dressing is pretty typical in a situation where u can't just fling it in the back of the truck and hang it at home.

- I grew up eating bear and when it comes up I'm often surprised how many people don't know that people hunt bear for meat. It's tasty imo, especially makes a good sausage

- I can hunt deer alone, though company is nice. I wouldn't attempt hunting something more dangerous by myself. Large animals especially are better taken down as a group effort. In the TES context for example it would be kind of insane to hunt horker alone. Not that some folks wouldn't try.

Small game:

- A character who subsists mostly on hunting is going to be eating a lot of small game. They are probably going to use traps and snares in addition to actually going out on hunts.

- Look up "rabbit starvation." Small game is often (but not always) lean and going without fat for a long time can cause serious health issues.

- I joke that you don't hunt turkey, you just go get one. Game birds are kind of stupid. I plan a deer hunt, but I have gone out and shot grouse on a whim.

Processing:

- Draining blood, skinning, plucking, butchering, dealing with all the bones and guts, storage and preservation: pretty time consuming and involved. It's a good excuse for social activity.

- The moneyed classes likely would not process their kills themselves, unless they're doing some kinda randyll tarly masculinity flex for the symbolism. Kitchen staff or a local butcher would handle it.

- A good skinning knife is kinda wide and short. Some game knives have a rounded tip which keeps it from puncturing the skin in case of accidental slippage.

- Skinning is done with a light hand bc puncturing the digestive system means you've poisoned the meat. I will say it is less difficult than I expected it to be the first time I tried it.

- We don't eat a lot of offal in the US but a deer liver, for example, would be considered prime meat by many and eaten first. Bear, walrus, and seal liver contain toxic amounts of vitamin A and would be thrown away.

- I've been told every animal has enough brains to tan its own hide, but I think there are some exceptions. It's definitely true of deer and elk. With small animals like rabbits it's hardly worth the effort of getting the brains out and other things can be used but brain tanned leather is soooo soft and nice.

- Hides and pelts are useful and valuable and would be kept or traded if circumstances allowed. You can tightly roll a hide to keep it from drying out before tanning, or you can freeze it, basically indefinitely. You can also air dry it once scraped clean and soften it later, which is what fur hunters would most likely do for efficiency's sake. Tanning is also so so so fucking gross imo. Really slimy process, and tanneries REEK.

That's all I can think of for now and this is already hella long but the takeaway is that it is generally a pretty involved activity and more impactful on lifestyle than I usually see depicted. So there ya have it

[thatsdemko]

Monaco lover - d.ricciardo

masterlist

requested: n

pairings: Daniel ricciardo x fem!reader

summary: with Daniel not racing, he begins to find new hobbies with his wife.

warnings: established relationships + fluff

a/n: only right I post for daniels bday!!

the basket in his hand is beginning to get heavier by the second, as you keep adding fresh fruits and vegetables from the little local farmers market.

you’re more than hours away from the loud music, busy streets, and the infamous Monaco circuit. your new home is a perfect escape from the city of formula 1.

it was Daniels decision to move away from the big lights and party animals after he no longer had a seat on the 2023 grid. he wanted a reset on life, and there was no perfect way to do it than far away from the cameras.

“you think we have enough to feed everyone?” you look at the overgrowing basket in his arms. leaves of lettuce and kale are hanging out brushing against his thighs as you walk up and down the slow streets.

“more than enough.” he assured you with a chuckle. it’s been weird to have Daniel home so often. you don’t hate it, formula 1 once took the man you loved and wore him down into a shell of himself. now away from the McLaren and happily in a reserve seat for Red Bull, you can begin to see that smile brighten everyday.

“well then let’s go home and wash everything, I’m starving.” you loop your arm through his and let him lead the way to your car, one he knows he won’t get caught or stopped in.

it’s not hard to be recognized, he’s had neighbors stop him while mowing the lawn or gardening with you, but they mostly respect your space unlike the people of Monte Carlo, where the flashing of cameras never stop.

“what are you going to eat first? those strawberries looked really tasty.” he sets the basket in the back seat, before opening your passenger door planting a sweet kiss to your lips.

“I was thinking about those peaches, but now that you say the strawberries, I might have to join you on that.”

“not if I finish them first.”

—

you can’t tell if he’s bored or if he genuinely enjoys cutting the grass, gardening, and the small town farmers markets. you know there’s a certain thrill he’s missing, and maybe he does all these things to occupy his mind of the itch to get back.

but right now, he’s deep into a conversation with your neighbors about the lawn and your backyard garden. he’s showing them the vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers he’s planted like they are his children.

it’s weird to you, to see him this way, because all you ever knew was Daniel ricciardo, the racer of fast cars. now he’s the friendly helpful neighborhood hand.

“so you and the misuses are going away next week? where to?” you watch Daniel mock the man’s stance, hands on his hips nodding along as they walk to the backyard.

“just Miami, we shouldn’t be gone for too long.”

“Miami? what are you doing down there?” he asks, quizzical look taking his face. the perks of being away from the chaos of Monte Carlo, meant not everyone in this little small town knew Daniel. and that included your elder neighbors who loved you both dearly.

“just some work stuff, nothing crazy.”

“I thought you were unemployed?”

Daniel laughs, you can hear it from where you sit on the couch, “it’s a lot more complicated than unemployed.” and it truly was, while Daniel was bringing home the big bucks from not driving for mclaren, he anxiously awaits an opportunity for a Red Bull seat this season. some say unemployed delusions, Daniel calls it optimism.

he shakes his head, “you kids these days, you keep me on my toes.” he pats Daniels shoulder, “make sure you two come over later for dessert, okay?”

“oh we wouldn’t miss it.” Daniel waves him off before going inside to find you still wrapped up in the blankets, but this time wide awake with a smile.

“you have fun with your friend?” you sit upright crawling onto your knees to meet him for a kiss. he just laughs wrapping his arms around your neck and pressing s kiss to those lovely lips he calls home.

“I hope when I’m older I turn out to be just like him. tan, happy, and always making dessert.” he laughs a little hoping his future turns out like that. he’s already got the most perfect wife, and soon enough he’ll have the most perfect little family.

“he does make some stellar desserts. his wife is lucky, I wonder when my husband will start making me desserts.” you joke recalling when Daniel attempted to make boxed brownies, and somehow burnt them to a cracker.

“I’ll just stick with growing you fresh fruit and veggies, how about that?”

“I’ll take it.”

[turtlesandfrogs]

Ok, now I'm really concerned that how to prevent rats isn't common knowledge like I thought it was. So, to anyone whose parents/guardians/adults didn't teach you, here's the basics of prevention*:

Rats, like you, need three things: food, water, and shelter. If they don't get these things, they don't bother sticking around. Access to food is probably the biggest draw, and the one you can do the most about.

Rats eat the same foods you do, and the same food that most pets eat. You don't want them to have access to this food, so:

Don't leave dirty dishes laying around, the smell will attract rats. Don't put leave dirty dishes in your bed room, or under the couch, or in your car, or whatever. Dishwashers are great, but if you don't have a functional one, and you're low on energy/executive function, at a minimum cover your dirty dishes with soapy water instead of leaving them out. Rats can't eat soapy food.

Work to minimize food waste, because the smell of tasty food in your compost or garbage will attract rats.

Don't put food scraps in your indoor garbage unless your garbage can is rat proof. Take it outside asap, to a rat-proof bin.

When composting, if you're composting food that would be attractive to rats (grains, fats/oils, dairy, meat) it's best to: bury the food down in the center of the pile, try out bokashi composting, or have a rat-proof composter. Generally people do tell you not to compost dairy and meat, but I do know that some people do it anyway.

Keep your grains & legumes in rodent proof-containers. Glass jars, metal trash cans, etc.

If you have dogs, put their food away at night. If you have birds or other animals that eat a seed-based diet, then it pays to make their food/enclosures inaccessible to rats as well. Cats are rat deterrents so leaving dry food out for them is probably the one exception.

Clean up spilled foods immediately.

If you have fruit trees (like those apple trees everyone has that were planted 3 or more decades ago) and notice that something besides a deer is eating them, it's really best to pick all the fruit. You probably can't eat it all, so giving it away is a good option. Compost the rotten/icky ones fallowing the advice above, or dig a hole and do some trench composting.

Rats also need water, which is another reason to make sure you don't have any leaks anywhere, and to not leave beverages out in open containers.

Beyond that, thoroughly looking around your house, inside and out, to make sure there's no access points. Vents can be covered with wire mesh, holes the size of a dime need to be patched (because mice exist, too). Keep vegetation clear from around the base of your house, and make sure there's no trees or shrubs growing close enough to your house that a rat could make the leap to your roof. Keep an eye out for tunnels near your house's foundation, because they will tunnel underneath.

Also, while I'm at it, for the love of your house's structural integrity, DO NOT store wood piles against your house. Termites people!!!

And yes, there's a reason why cats are such a common pet. Not only do they hunt rats, the very smell of a cat is enough to deter rats. Do not just get a cat for rat prevention though, only get a cat if you're going to provide it a good home and are able to take on the additional care tasks without over extending yourself. Getting a housemate that comes with a cat is a great alternative to getting your own cat (and I'm only halfway joking).

*because prevention is much easier and much less terrible than dealing with an infestation. Prevention is so, so, so much easier than getting rid of them, particularly because once they're there, they'll start eating other things that wouldn't have been enough by themselves to draw them in.

[milkywayan]

tfw you see some stupid post that paints medieval peasants eating just plain grey porridge and acting as if cheese, butter or meat was too exotic or expensive for them, and have to use all your inner strength to not just reblog it with an angry rant and throwing hands with people. so i will just post the angry rant here

no, medieval people did not only eat grey porridge with no herbs or spices, they had a great variety of vegetables we dont even have anymore, grains and dairy products, not to mention fruits and meats, all seasonal and changing with the time of the year. no, medieval food was not just tasteless, maybe this will surprise some of you but you can make tasty food without excessive spice use, and can use a variety of good tasting herbs. if you'd ever tried to cook some medieval recipes you would know that. medieval people needed a lot of energy for their work, if they would only eat fucking porridge all of the time they would get scurvy and die before they could even built a civilisation. they had something called 'pottage' which was called that because it was cooked in one pot. you could leave the pot on the fire and go about your day, doing stuff and come back to a cooked meal. they put in what was available that time of the year, together with grains, peas, herbs, meat etc etc. again, if you would try to make it, like i have with my reenactment friends, it can actually be really good and diverse.

dont confuse medieval peasants with poor people in victorian england. dont think that TV shows what it was really like. dont think that dirty grey dressed people covered in filth were how the people looked like.

they made use of everything. too poor to buy proper meat? buy a sheeps head and cook it. they ate nettle and other plants we consider weeds now. they foraged and made use of what they found. hell, there are medieval cook books!

most rural people had animals, they had chickens (eggs), goats (milk and dairy), cows (milk and dairy), sheep (milk and dairy) and pigs (meat machine), and after butchering they used ALL THE PARTS of the animal. you know how much meat you can get out of a pig, even the smaller medieval breeds? the answer is a lot

if you had the space you always had a vegetable garden. there are ways to make sure you have something growing there every time of the year. as i said they had a variety of vegetables (edit: yes onions are vegetables, for those who dont seem to know) we dont have anymore due to how farming evolved. you smoked pork in the chimney, stored apples in the dry places in your house, had a grain chest. people could go to the market to buy fish and meat, both fresh and dried/smoked. they had ale, beer and wine, that was not a luxury that was a staple part of their diet.

this post ended once again up being longer than i planned, but please for the love of the gods, just actually educate yourself on this stuff and dont just say stupid wrong shit, takk

[yxami]

I was thinking of a harpy eagle man, just a stupid idea. I honestly intended it to be way shorter.

description: yandere harpy hybrid, macaw hybrid reader, gender neutral reader, predator and prey dynamic, he was mean at first then turned into a big soft giant as much as a yandere with possessive tendencies can have, my favorite animals are cats, penguins, dogs, and monkeys, what about you guys?

Koa has yet to find a mate, seasons have passed and he can’t help but grow more and more saddened with no mate. He has tried to court other female harpy’s but they all seemed intimidated by his size, preferring a mate with less scary looks. He was big, young, and had white hair with prominent gray highlights. Maybe it was also his talons, or his big brown eyes that always seemed to glare at something.

He didn’t understand why he was deemed unfit for a mate. Weren’t harpy’s supposed to go for a big mate that could protect the nest? His heart hurt every-time he was shunned for trying to court a potential partner.

Now Koa was just sat in his own nest, empty and alone. He was still in his prime young age, but if this continued on, he would be too old for a mate by then! Harpies mated for life, what if there was no more available people by the time he gets the chance?

His wings showed discomfort with that idea, having no mate was like a doomed fate of death. His feathers puffed up to keep him warm from the cold winds, he scanned around. Maybe he could find something to eat to distract his mind.

He swooped down onto a much smaller tree, looking around for a tasty snack. He found something much better when he set his sights on you. A colorful bird, one that was enjoyable to eat. A macaw!

You were destined to be a whole meal! He hadn’t eaten a macaw in awhile, they were such delicious things to feast upon when harpy eagles found the chance. Especially the macaw hybrids that held a lot of fat on them. You didn’t seem to hold any at all now that he looked at you intently. Such a small little thing.

He focused his sights on you, making sure there was nobody else that hungrily stared at you like he did. He wasn’t totally hungry, maybe he could save you for later. He just wanted to fill his stomach with something other than his anxious worries for a mate.

Koa swiftly flew down, picking you up with his talons by your arms. You immediately yelled, your striking wings tried flapping to escape. You squirmed and writhed but his grasp was ultimately too strong. You cried that you were too young to die! What a pathetic sight.

He threw you into his nest, making sure to pin you down right after. He scanned your eyes that were frantic, looking everything for a chance to escape. Now that he got a good look at you, you were pretty. A little too pretty.

He had you in his lap now, observing your wing size and how much meat you had on your body. Clearly not a good meal for a big bird like him. You were very bright, like you were begging to be eaten in such a deep colored forest.

You whimpered and sobbed, just awaiting your destined fate to die. But it still didn’t happen, after a few minutes, your head started to pound from all the crying you did in such a hasty manner. So you just sniffled and stayed quiet. Letting him grab and measure you.

“Are you- gonna e-eat me?” You sputtered, unable to stop the sniffles that kept interrupting your words. You didn’t want to die, you were still young, yet to find a mate! Now you were in a harpy eagle’s nest! And he looked so scary, he had you tense and anxious.

“Hmph, you looked bigger from a far sight but.. you’re rather small.” Koa examined you as if you were something unintelligent like a bass! “And how am I supposed to eat such a pretty thing like you” He made sure his last sentence wasn’t audible. He just thought you were actually very cute. You were a bright thing, perfect for being a mate. But you were a macaw.. that was supposed to be his prey.

“And I’m young! I still have yet to find a mate. I have a lot to live for!” You argued for your freedom. Why would he kill you when you were destined to live longer. You weren’t even a meal for him, at most you were a snack! Was it worth killing you for just that?

“That’s cute, you know what..” He held you up by your sides, observing how you nervously looked down at him. “I think I’ll keep ya’!” He smiled, a smile that didn’t ease you at all. It wasn’t soft or kind, it was the type of smile that yelled ‘I’ll let you live for a few days and tease at your death until I ultimately kill you’

“Keep me? I’m n-not a pet!” You squirmed under his grasp, just to be brought into his lap again. He didn’t want you slipping out afterall! He would easily catch up to you if you did end up flying away but he wouldn’t want to risk other predators seeing you.

There was no nearby harpies anyways but who knows? There was always a chance something might take you away when you’re such a noticeable thing.

“You’re like.. a little budgie! Yeah! I might keep you after all!” Koa brought you close to his chest, wrapping his wings around you. You were so soft! Softer than his feathers could ever be. His feathery tail wagged at your acceptance in the embrace, you weren’t even fighting!

“Just don’t eat me.. okay?” You worried about your safety. You recently got kicked from your own nest from a bigger macaw so that’s why you were out in the open. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t eat you? If you gained his trust and his friendship then he wouldn’t want to eat you!

This was probably your mind clinging onto hope that the biggest predator in the forest wouldn’t gobble you up. Especially when you were such a tasty snack for harpy’s. You were always raised with a trusting nature so you just hoped it would help you survive.

“Hm, I guess I won’t. Are you going to try and escape?” He eyed you down, letting go of you to test if you would go and frantically fly away like an idiot.

“No! I won’t, I just.. don’t want to die. I got kicked out of my nest and I didn’t know what to do. I knew I was bound to get eaten but I’m helpful! I promise!” You argued even though he already decided to keep you.

“You were kicked out your nest? You still lived with your parents?” He titled his head, how young were you? He couldn’t be eyeing you up if you were still a chick! That would be awful.

“No, I got kicked out of my nest! My own nest I built to find a mate but some stupid macaw took it over” Your feathers ruffled up in anger, still remembering how she threw you off just because you had made such an ideal nest.

So this meant the two of you were relatively close in age, both young and filled with energy, looking for a prosperous mate!

“Hah! You were just worrying about your life and now you’re upset about your old nest?” Koa laughed, chest rising with each laugh he made. He found it humorous how quick your frightened mood turned into a relaxed one.

“Well it was a good nest! And it took me so long! It was the perfect space and—“ You kept rambling on about your life and the amazing nest you made. You didn’t even realize you were rambling until the sun started to set.

“Are you hungry? If you really were out all day with no nest then you likely didn’t eat anything” He pat your head, brushing down the frazzled hairs. You leaned into his touch, finding it comforting with all the stress you went through today. Even though he was the cause of half of it.

“Super hungry! I can help catch some mice! I’ve gotten better at it since I’m really quiet” You flapped your wings in excitement, quickly getting up to help him.

“No, you stay here. I’ll find us something to eat.” He pat your head once more. Towering over you once he got up, his strong physique was right in your face and you looked away to be polite.

“I want to help though! If I’m going to stay here then I want to pull my weight!” You were always a stubborn one, even if it meant it got you in some troubles with your parents.

“Hmm.. I suppose, just stick beside me. Don’t think about wandering off, you don’t know what types of predators lurk around” Koa was pretty hypocritical for being the biggest apex predator. And being the species that would often feast upon yours. But he was nice! And he decided not to eat you, that’s good..?

“Got it!” You happily waited for him to fly down so you could glide along side him. It was a rare sight to see a prey flying beside a predator without being killed.

The two of you were able to scrounge up lots of things! Well.. he got the bigger portions like mice, rats and some lizards. While you were able to fetch some delicious sweet berries, and some apples you found. It was a healthy diet but the meat would balance it out!

He chuckled at your beaming eyes when you caught a little mouse hiding in a berry bush. The two of you brought all the catches things in the nest, he was quick to kill the mouse you had in your mouth.

“Well, look at that, my first hunt with someone and you caught berries” He tried hiding his smile that he knew you would be squabbling about.

“I caught a mouse too! That’s good right?” You looked at him for approval, it was your first hunt along side someone that wasn’t your parents. He adored your ask for assurance.

Koa pat your head, silently approving with a simple nod. You were happy you pulled your weight! It would be awful to be freeloading in his nest. You wondered how long he was going to “keep” you. Did he want to be roommates? Or was this just temporary until you made a nest?

You chewed on some juicy berries, finding it easy to bite through the skin with your sharp teeth. It was similar to him chewing on a rat before gulping it down like a simple seed. You paid no attention to the bloody sight of him tearing apart the largest rat he caught.

After the two of you ate, you were sleepy with such a full belly. You ruffled up your feathers, providing a warm feeling around your skin, ready to go in a deep sleep. You curled up on the other side of the nest, away from the food area and what you assumed to be his sleeping place.

He titled his head confused, were you not going to sleep next to him? Koa knew the two of you weren’t mates but it would make more sense to sleep near him so he could protect you. Or does he just want to feel your warmth?

You blinked, looking at his confused stare, did you do something wrong? Were you actually in his sleeping space?

“What’s wrong?” You shyly asked, nervous that you did in-fact do something wrong.

“You should sleep next to me, I can’t protect you if you’re that far away” He opened up his arms, making it sound like you were miles away. When in reality, it was just a few feet away, and he just wanted to cuddle with your soft feathers along with the comfort your body gave.

“Oh, okay!” You casually agreed with his reasonings, believing he was thinking more logically rather than emotionally.

You snuggled up in his lap, easily sneaking your way into his grasp. He rubbed your squishy cheeks as you looked up, finding your quick embrace cute. He wasn’t thinking about making you his mate.. No way, he just wanted to have company. So what if you were a smaller bird and normally supposed to be eaten by him. It’s not like the society of his species ever accepted him.

Koa laid down, spooning you while he wrapped his arms and wings around your plush body. You quickly dozed off with the comfort of his body cupping yours. It was soothing to finally be in a nest and have some company after being alone. Loneliness was something he was escaping as well.

Maybe the two of you were much more similar then both of you thought. Was it so bad to be trusting of each other? It’s not like the two of you would be able to become mates! … right?

[gazingdoggy]

i think that many therians and otherkins are too concerned about being canonical to their kin/theriotype. like for example "i always feel like i am a horse but im not really sure bc i dont like running and dont eat apples and carrots" or "can i be a terrier if im not that energetic and dont really like children?"

like listen. animals are not all the same. if you ever had few animals of same species (at least mammals and birds) you saw that they had different habits, different moods, different preference. even dogs of same breed, even sibling dogs can have very diverse personalities. and not all of them are typical. sometimes theres terriers that dont very active, greyhounds that dont feel like running, anxious labradors, aggressive spaniels, carefree sheperds and so on. maybe theres not too many of them but they exist. it happens and its normal thing. and they are still terriers, labradors and so on.

animals have personalities. and of course they have preferences. you know, humans are also animals. many humans love berries, its perfectly normal and common, berries are healthy and tasty food for them. but some people just dont like fruits, they dont want to eat them, dont like their taste (or texture or whatever). the same goes with different animals.

you always can explore yourself and your kin, its actually encouraged and good thing to do. but if you are sure that you are some specific kind of hound (or any other animal) then you are one and dont feel guilty just because you dont behave right as it described in wikipedia. you are a living animal, not a sample.

[transmutationisms]

@annevbonny yeah so first of all there's the overt framing issue that this whole idea rests on the premise that eliminating fatness is both possible and good, as though like. fat people haven't existed prior to the ~industrial revolution~ lol

more granularly this theory relies on misinterpreting the causes for the link between poverty and fatness (which is real---they are correlated) so that fatness can be configured as a failure of eating choices and urban design, meaning ofc that the 'solution' to this problem is more socially hygienic, monitored, controlled communities where everybody has been properly educated into the proper affective enjoyment of spinach and bike riding, and no one is fat anymore and the labour force lives for longer and generates more value for employers

in truth one of the biggest mediating factors in the poverty-body weight link is food insecurity, because intermittent access to food tends to result in periods of under-nourishment followed by periods of compensatory eating with corresponding weight regain/overshoot (this is typical of weight trajectories in anyone refeeding after a period of starvation or under-eating, for any reason). so this is all to say that the suggestion that fatness is caused by access to 'unhealthy foods' is not only off base but extremely harmful; food insecurity is rampant globally. what people need is consistent access to food, and more of it!

and [loud obvious disclaimer voice] although i absolutely agree that food justice means access to a variety of foods with a variety of nutrient profiles, access to any calories at all is always better than access to none or too few. which is to say, there aren't 'healthy' or 'unhealthy' foods in isolation (all foods can belong in a varied, sufficient diet) and this is a billion times more true when we are talking about people struggling to consume enough calories in the first place.

relatedly, proponents of the 'obesogenic environment' theory often invoke the idea of 'hyperpalatable foods' or 'food addiction'---different ways of saying that people 'overeat' 'junk food' because it's too tasty (often with the bonus techno-conspiricism of "they engineer it that way"). again it's this idea that the problem is people eating the 'wrong' foods, now because the foods themselves are exerting some inexorable chemical pull over them.

this is inane for multiple reasons including the failure to deal with access issues and the fact that people who routinely, reliably eat enough in non-restrictive patterns (between food insecurity and encouragement to deliberately diet/restrict, this is very few people) don't even tend to 'overeat' energy-dense demonised foods in the first place. ie, there is no need to proscribe or limit 'junk food' or 'fast food' or 'empty calories' or whatever nonsense euphemism; again the solution to nutritionally unbalanced diets is to guarantee everyone access to sufficient food and a variety of different foods (and to stop encouraging the sorts of moralising food taboos that make certain foods 'out of bounds' and therefore more likely to provoke a subjective sense of loss of control in the first place lol)

but tbc, when i say "the solution to nutritionally unbalanced diets"---because these certainly can and do exist, particularly (again) amongst people subjected to food insecurity---i am NOT saying "the solution to fatness" because fatness is not something that will ever be eliminated from the human population. and here again we circle back to one of the fundamental fears that animates the 'obesogenic environment' myth, which is that fatness is a medical threat to the race/nation/national future. which is of course blatant biopolitics and is relying on massive assumptions about the health status of fat and thin people that are simply not borne out in the data, and that misinterpret the relationship between fatness and illness (for example, the extent to which weight stigma prevents fat people from receiving medical care, or the role of 'metabolic syndrome' in causing weight gain, rather than the other way around).

people are fat for many reasons, including "their bodies just look like that"; fatness is neither a disease in itself nor inherently indicative of ill health, nor is it eradicable anyway (and fundamentally, while all people should have access to health-protective social and economic conditions, health is not something that people 'owe' to anyone else anyway)

the 'obesogenic environment' is a liberal technocratic fantasy---a world in which fatness is a problem of individual consumption and social engineering, and is to be eliminated by clever policy and personal responsibility. it assumes your health is 1) directly caused and indicated by your weight, 2) something you owe to the capitalist state as part of the bargain that is 'citizenship', and 3) something you can learn to control if only you are properly educated by the medical authorities on the rules of nutrition (and secondarily exercise) science. it's a factual misinterpretation of everything we know about weight, health, diet, and wealth, and it fundamentally serves as a defense of the existing economic order: the problem isn't that capitalism structurally does not provide sufficient access to resources for any but the capitalist class---no, we just need a nicer and more functional capitalism where labourers have a greengrocer in the neighbourhood, because this is a discourse incapable of grappling with the material realities of food production and consumption, and instead reliant on configuring them in terms of affectivity ('food addiction') or knowledge (the idea that food-insecure people need to be more educated about nutrition)

there are some additional aspects here obviously like the idea that exercising more would make people thin (similar issues to the food arguments, physical activity can be great but the reasons people do or don't do it are actually complex and related to things like work schedules and exercise doesn't guarantee thinness in the first place) or fearmongering about 'endocrine disruptors' (real, but are extremely ill-defined as a category and are often just a way to appeal to ideas of 'naturalness' and the vague yet pressing harms of 'chemicals', and which are also not shown to single-handedly 'cause' fatness, a normal state of existence for the human body) but this is most often an argument about food ime.

[one-vivid-judgment]

I feel like Joongi is THE weird guy of the Ichigang. He may look like the most normal, but he is absolutely NOT:

He goes to Hawaii and spends two days wearing thick ass black clothes and a raincoat before someone tells him to go change, but still hates convertibles cause "they get hot when you're at a stoplight". He gets insecure over pimples. He knows he is hot shit and is obsessed with his physique to the point that he sees a chicken and immediately goes 'chicken breasts'. His boss puts him on souvenir duty whenever he travels anywhere. He wants to buy Macadamia nuts for everyone in the Geomijul. He once swam up a whole river upstream. He loves animals. He almost fell for a parrot scam but forgot his wallet so he just smiled and left. He gets super passionate about video games and comics. He once climbed up a whole mountain to get mushrooms for cooking. His hair is silver ash, not white. He thinks building sandcastles is an art and has mastered it. He had an existential crisis cause he forgot to return a DVD before leaving Japan. He can do perfect math. It took him four years to start singing karaoke around his friends. He warns others that the food is hot yet he eats it himself and gets shocked that it is, indeed, hot. He suggested taking out the shampoo and washing his hair in the middle of a gale. He then remembered all the hair care he needs to do and decided against it. He talks to himself at Revolve and goes "People around here are so muscular... You're great Joongi Han! Don't you worry about that!", "I saw some Macadamia nut chocolates on the way here. Man, they looked good. Maybe I should've bought them... No, surely I will find something better. But they looked so tasty...". He once suggested going full power on a static bike to generate electricity. 

TLDR: Joongi is my little weirdo and I love him so much.

[what-even-is-thiss]

i've been reading some of your arguments for why you wouldn't be vegan and just wanted to point out that you have a lot of fallacy in your arguments. might want to do a look in there to make sure you are stating your morals/prose properly, and aren't using any arguments that can be easy to shutdown. appeal to tradition. appeal to futility and the argument that personal pleasure(taste etc) allows us to do what we want to others without consent to their bodies is a moral issue i don't think you align with but i could be mistaken. a lot of people who enjoy sex don't rape for example.

i also liked the taste of animal flesh and organs but realized my personal pleasure i got from consuming them pales when it is placed against the value of someone's life and what they have to endure for me to get that on my plate, it's easy to have a disconnect when you don't know. health, animals, earth all benefit from a plant based diet. a plant based diet can feed more people for cheaper, helping to end hunger.

you can say you cook "more vegetarian" but i implore you to continue your growth and align your actions with your morals and continue to strive for a plant based diet in the future. you don't seem like a cruel person but i could be wrong. i've been vegan for 15 years and i cook so many amazing meals and can tell you from experience you don't have to limit yourself to oatmeal. if you have time to watch/listen id implore you to check out gary yourofsky "the most important speech you will ever hear"

good luck to you on aligning your moral values with the actions you take daily/what you pay for.

Okay. Do you say these same things to vegans that wear cotton? That also kills a lot of animals. Like a lot of them. It hurts entire ecosystems.

There’s no way to buy stuff in our current economy that doesn’t hurt somebody or something. I know how to cook tasty and cheap and mostly healthy meals for myself and the easiest way to do that is with pre-cut veggies, eggs, and the occasional poultry.

Yeah I’m wasting plastic. Yeah I’m eating animals. Vegans eat almonds and quinoa. Those are bad farmed at an industrial scale.

Being an omnivore is natural and I don’t feel bad about it. If you look me in the eyes and ask me if I could kill a chicken the answer is yes. I’ve done extensive research on how to do it safely, actually. If the apocalypse comes I’m raising hens for meat.

Also comparing animal agriculture to rape? Couldn’t find literally anything else to compare it to? Really?

[yanmaresu]

Can I ask sirens or mermaids come in packs or groups what if siren!Yuu decides on welcoming her siren side and join a pack or group of siren and feels safe as her pack is ranked 1# most powerful siren group/pack the group has a strong reputation and strong power to protect each other especially weak and fragile pack/group mate so there is a chance they that siren!Yuu will be protected and they have a little cottage in the human world!! Where they can hang out and chill in the sea that is where they sing like I know this is too oof I just want fluff for siren! Yuu ok ;-; because that baby needs some friends that can protect her their theme song is definitely "Birth of Venus"!!! It's too much but make fluff for here for a bit please🙏🥹🥹

ok first of all thanks for the song it's very good, it's now part of my family's playlist.

Second! The mc is actually half siren jsjs I'm not sure if I posted it before but the tragedy of the mermaid mc was that they were left behind by their bank for being too weak compared to all their siblings who were full sirens, mc also got hurt in a hunt and that's when their bank decided they didn't want the little one dragging them down. Mc was abandoned and had to survive on their own for a long time. That's why they fell for Leona and let themselves get caught in a net, because they admired the way the pirate ship worked together and there was no distinction between the stronger humans and those who may have been considered weak because they lacked a leg or hand. Something that would definitively get you kicked out of your bank in the sea, was seen as normal on the ship. The leader even lacked an eye and still looked so sure and fierce while commanding everyone. The mc admired Leona and wanted to be part of something desperately, they thought maybe those humans were different, those humans may accept a boney and afraid thing and not abandon it. We know how that ended.

But for the fluff, I didn't write it nor draw it but sometimes I think about it in the middle of the day. The mc is supposed to have a very happy stay with the Pomefiore trio! Leona's ship gets arrested after a very bad storm that weakened them, and most of their stuff was confiscated or sold in the black market, including the mermaid mc. Here's where most of the timelines divide, but in the pomefiore one, Rook buys the mc at an auction and takes them back home to Vil, who's working hard to finally surpass Neige in the theatre/opera house. Rook suggests that a mermaid might be the perfect singing teacher for Vil, and Vil while not convinced feels pity for the traumatized person brought to her who is too afraid to go back to the sea, and decides that as long as mc helps her get better at singing, teaches them that charm able to captivate everyone, she will provide them with a roof over their heads and three warm meals every day.

The mc eats their first warm meal when dining with the pomefiore trio, it was so tasty that it made the mermaid shed tears. They never thought it would become a normal thing for them with time, that they would learn to cook it, nor the effect it would have on their body. When they see the first belly roll form on their body while bending the sight makes them feel so weird but also so grateful. The mc discovers what a book is, and they hate reading but are fascinated with watching pictures of different animals and biomes on land, they are particularly fascinated with ants and bugs. They feel pride for the first time, not only for themselves but also for Vil whenever she perfects any singing lesson. The mermaid mc starts dreaming of being able to walk and bake every day to give people a warm treat, and sharing what they have with Vil, Rook, Epel, and those who don't have a family.

The problem is that the mc fears soon they will no longer have anything to teach Vil, and fear returning to the sea + Neige isn't happy about mc's involvement in Vil's life + Azul is looking for MC in land </3

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Sorry for asking but,do you have any headcanons for Souya himself?;)

Yeah! These are my Angry hc's :)

Angry has bandaged up rival gang members after toman beat them before

He's very good at hide and seek, wins everytime.

One of the things that annoys him about Smiley is how long he takes in the bathroom (Smiley always takes extra long perfecting his hair)

Angry doesn't actually know how many plushies he has (he can remember all their names though)

Once, Angry got so sick and tired of always having to take care of their injuries that he "quit". He lasted five minutes before he felt too bad and came back.

Angry has to put extra effort into hiding Smiley's birthday presents each year (Smiley always goes looking for them). Because of this Angry has become an expert in hiding things.

Angry will take care of hurt animals as well as people, for example if he finds an injured bird he will nurse it back to health before letting it go.

Actually didn't realise he smiles so much when eating something tasty, not until someone told him.

Loves plants and gardening, has a little vegetable patch he keeps.

Angry and Sanzu became friends just because of how much Smiley and Mucho hang out.

Enjoys going to the aquarium often

In the bad toman timeline, he was still in toman but was a lesser member instead of an executive. (Smiley wouldn't let him get him promoted or too close to the danger)

He likes to go on peaceful rides by himself sometimes but his favourite ones are the ones with Smiley.

The band was completely his idea, he actually asked a whole group of people but Kazutora, Mitsuya and Akkun were the only ones who wanted to do it.

Is better at talking to girls then Smiley

Sometimes gets nagged at my Smiley for leaving mess around their shared areas.

He occasionally purposes loses games so Smiley doesn't sulk

Sleeps through his alarm often (smiley will throw a pillow at his head if he's too late)

He was the "easy one" when the twins were babies, being the quieter, more behaved baby.

Usually gives a plushie as a white day gift to his partner

And finally he really likes giving his partner quick kisses. On the cheek to say goodbye, on the forehead after a long day, quick peck on the lips to say thank you, it's his favourite form of affection. 

[stjernehiimmel]

ever since writing the bf felix hcs, ive thought about doing them for all the members....... a banger idea imo

random bf skz headcanons.

bang chan:

he's often busy, but texts you a lot during the day and night, to make sure you're okay.

whenever he's not busy, he's cooking homemade meals for you. you always tell him how he's spoiling you by doing this, to which he smiles (totally showing off those cute dimples on purpose.)

you two would definitely wear cute matching tshirts and hoodies.

you absolutely love to ruffle his hair, especially when he's got his natural curls. he doesn't get why you like his hair so much, but he thinks it feels nice when you run your fingers through it.

lee know:

soonie, doongie and dori all love you. it kinda makes your boyfriend jealous (but don't worry, it goes both ways.)

you often go visit cat cafés together and pet cute kitties, totally making minho's beloved cats jealous when you come home and they smell the stranger cats on your clothes.

sometimes he says the most random and kind of unsettling things at random times. while others would find him weird, you respond in the exact same way, totally enabling each other’s chaotic and random vibes.

the things you two talk about make no fucking sense sometimes.

he says he likes watching movies by himself, but you've definitely seen his slight smile when you say you want to join.

changbin:

he'll gladly flex his muscles for you if you ask him to.

all jokes aside, you two often work out together. imagine you trying to do a pull-up and you find it difficult...

he'll come help by lifting you up by your waist 🤭

whenever you don't work out or go out to eat together, you watch either really shitty or good horror movies.

it's always a 50/50% chance if the movie is good or not. usually it's changbin choosing what you're gonna watch and he has a tendency to choose kind of cheesy and bad ones.

but in the chance that it's a good, scary one, he'll hold you close so you don't get scared.

hyunjin:

you can definitely expect to be a model - or at least inspiration - for his paintings. he always tells you that you're beautiful and that he wants to paint something that reminds him of you.

other times you both have chaotic energy and go terrorize the public with it. like that time hyunjin wanted to record a video of you dancing the choreography to lalalala by a fountain and then you proceeded to slip and fall into the water by accident. he has never laughed that much before in his life (after making sure you were okay, of course.)

you’re both total drama queens, but that’s what makes the two of you so good and funny together.

sometimes, however, you have to remind your boyfriend to not side eye people. mostly because you’re scared he might get airfryed… again.

han:

most of the time you two just chill and lay around, occasionally showing each other a funny tiktok you found.

and then at other times you will go buy snacks and drinks, then put on a good anime and cuddle close under a cozy blanket.

✨ just introvert things ✨

whenever you have both decided you've been inside for too long, you'll go for a long walk to get fresh air. sometimes you'll even stop by a café and get a coffee (and maybe a slice of cake you can share too!)

and then back you go to chilling 🥹

felix:

he'll definitely bake brownies and other tasty things for you.

he looks expectantly at you as you taste what he's baked for you. don't upset him 🥺

you'll often play video games together.

felix tends to be a bit of a nerd in the games you two play, but you think it's cute. especially when he's secretly built something special in minecraft for you (probably from a build he saw on youtube)

you and felix go shopping for clothes as well.

he'll wait patiently outside the changing room while you're trying on clothes. and if you're ever in doubt about something, you can ask for his opinion.

seungmin:

coffee dates. always.

he gets very excited about grabbing a coffee with you. often he'll have a small gift with him.

you two always take cute selfies together.

you can definitely expect him to be the one to take the best photos of you. he's talented!

he's super quick to notice when you're feeling sad or angry. and he'll do his best to cheer you up again.

in:

you go on marvel marathons often. even though you've probably watched all the movies over 10 times.

he likes cooking, so you two do that a lot together. although, he often ends up breaking something... he's a bit clumsy.

he just (nervously) laughs about it while you're scolding him though.

you always end up forgiving him. you can't be mad at that smiley face.

you two will also just lay around and shop for clothes online, showing each other what you're planning on buying.

[bellyasks]

ok. Fantasy-Themed Stuffing (& some bloating) Prompts

Your character finds themself in the home of a polite yet pushy vampire who wants to feed them a nice big dinner before taking a drink. The vampire isn't sure how much mortals typically eat, though, and doesn't believe your character when they say they're full, insisting that they keep eating and providing more and more courses.

Your character IS the vampire, and, after asking around to find somebody who's willing to lend them a vein, they discover that a lot of people are more than eager to let a vampire nibble on them. So many people, in fact, that your character finds themself quickly running out of stomach space once they meet. They have a nice crowd of people who are desperate for a bite, though, and they don't want to disappoint.

After getting lost in the woods, your character stumbles upon a colony of mischievous fairies. The fairies hear your character's belly rumble--they've been wandering around for hours with nothing to eat--and decide to have a little fun with them, stuffing them silly until they can't take another bite and then some.

Your character IS the fairy, and on one of their daily adventures they find themself in a garden full of ripe fruit. Being a sneaky little thing, they stop for a snack, overindulging on a fruit that's bigger than they are until they're too stuffed to move, let alone fly away. Weighed down by their distended belly, all they can do is hope that the gardener will be a good sport.

Your character meets a friendly giant who insists on inviting them in for dinner. The giant's house is enormous compared to your character, and they can barely see over the edge of the table. The plate of food before them is massive; even taking your character's size into account, the giant has far overestimated how much their belly can hold. Still, they don't want to be rude and refuse the giant's hospitality.

Your character IS the giant, and they've been asked to take care of some enormous dreadful animal who's been terrorizing a nearby town. They slay the animal and are set to give it to the townsfolk, happy to think that it will feed them for months, but as it turns out, the beast's flesh is toxic to just about everything but giants, leaving your character to eat it alone.

Your character befriends a mermaid who offers them a specially designed air bubble to wear so they can go on an adventure together. The bubble is not without side effects, though--while your character can breathe just fine, their stomach is bloating up with the magically reinforced air.

Your character IS the mermaid, and they happen upon a school of tasty fish just around lunchtime. Not wanting to let them get away, they zip around and snap up the fish as quickly as they can, eating far too many in their haste and swallowing a lot of water in the process.

[hollowboobtheory]

I guess for me the reason predator movies like shark movies or jurassic Park or anything else is I simply do not believe any animal wants to eat people that badly. we just aren't that tasty.