Fluffy rearing

Why do the adult stages of insects have short lifespans?

Most animals can't reproduce, and most don't even develop the organ systems to do so, until almost the end of their development. Many mammals are actually rare freaks for their ability to start reproducing as little as a third into their lifespan, and keep reproducing over and over until they die; it's an extreme and radical survival strategy we evolved that comes with some pretty severe trade-offs, in that we have high energy demands and require so, so much food in proportion to most other organisms, not to mention all the ways those reproduction systems can take on illness, malfunction or hurt us. Other animals like birds and reptiles and various fish opted instead to reach adult size as fast as they can, build the reproductive system, and then just take it easy: they live a long time and can mate more than once, but they don't do so constantly and don't make that many young. The MOST common strategy in nature, basically the default norm is to devote most of your life just to eating, growing, and storing resources in your body, then "spend" all the resources you can on reproduction, giving so much of your energy to your babies that it actually kills you. The upside is that this is why most animals make hundreds or even thousands of young in one go, which better guarantees that at least one will survive. Salmon and octopuses are two of the most famous non-insects that do it that way, but so do thousands of other mollusks, fish, members of the various "worm" phyla and others. Many insect groups hyper-streamlined this, so they have a larval stage that's just an eating machine, like caterpillars and maggots, possessing only the bare minimum anatomy they need to keep on eating and growing and nothing else, usually incapable of even traveling from the same food source they were born on. They then use up all of this stored energy to create a body that is perfect for perpetuating their species, including more mobility (such as wings) to spread their population further. Insects exhibit almost every variation there is, but many insect groups hyper-streamlined the basic method so they have a larval stage devoted to non-stop eating, like a caterpillar or a maggot, devoid of any anatomy that does not help it collect all the energy it can as continuously as it can, then use up that energy to build an equally dedicated mating form, which may last only days or weeks because it even gave up the ability to eat as it devoted as much of its body as possible to making those babies in that one big go. There are still many exceptions including insects like cockroaches who mirror the mammal strategy of mating over and over for a relatively "long" adult life, or insects that still only mate the one time, but still at the end of a fairly long adult life that continues to eat and store energy. The most extreme exception to this might be aphids, which continuously develop clone offspring and give live birth to them for their entire life, by which I mean some aphids are born already pregnant with their first clone. These actually still go through a normal mating process too, though, when a winged male finds them near the end of the year, and then they die after laying proper eggs that can survive the winter. The non-stop clone babies are just so that one female has even higher odds of mating with at least one of those males, because now there's 10,000 of her for him to find. To understand basically everything in nature you just have to understand that: 1: life forms actually work like video game characters in that they constantly "farm experience" (nutrient energy) they have to spend on their unique spread of stats and abilities (every body part and system comprising them) 2: every life form evolves as if the only goal of that entire game is to generate offspring and increase the odds of their survival, literally no matter what must be sacrificed.

Heeeyy, I'm back with a new Helluva Boss opinion post thingy

Okay so, the Mammon episode- it was alright I guess? Tbh it didn't strike me as super awesome or anything, it's just kinda there?

Anyway, let's talk about it a little bit!

So I wanted to start off with Mammon himself, I'm gonna be honest I don't hate him but I don't like him either. I'll admit I do actually like his voice, I'm sure y'all might find it annoying but I dunno, I like his accent and the way he talks is kinda funny. His design tho? Eh, it could use some work.

For instance, his eyes are weird, like every time he was on screen my first thought was always: "Wow, he looks like Robin from TTG". I also hate how he's shaped like your typical "fat" character from cartoons. But for some reason they decided to give him skinny arms but a round body. He's weirdly disproportionate, which is disappointing because they definitely could make a better plus sized character design. But oh well, knowing Viv, she wouldn't even try.

I will admit his true demon form is kinda cool, except that I actually thought he was going to be a caterpillar or something but he's a spider? I swear, Viv has some weird design choices.

Moving on, the episode was cluttered as hell. It had way too much stuff in it, which made the episode feel eternal. Not only that but the episode has 4 songs.. FOUR FUCKING SONGS- When will Viv realize that not every HB episode needs a song? Like is this shit an animated series or a fucking musical? Make up your mind Viv-

Anyway, I'm glad this episode focuses on Fizz, but his character did feel a bit off in certain scenes, but aside from that everything else was fine. (I found that scene of Fizz talking to the deaf imp child while using sign language to be very endearing).

Alright, I'mma point out a few other things real quick:

Ozzie's relationship with Fizz is absolutely adorable and I love them so much. However I don't understand why they portray their relationship as a bad thing? Like, fucking Queen Bee is dating Vortex (who's a hellhound, and they are a lower class than imps) and nobody says anything and she's a sin- so why can't Ozzie do the same??

I also happen to noticed that Fizz and Mammon's relationship is similar to Angel Dust and Valentino's- I just hope they don't completely butcher my boy Fizz, because he's the ONLY character I genuinely like from this god awful series.

Edit: I find it outrageous that Fizz apologized to Blitzo in the previous episode for the accident and claims that yes, he was affected by it but he's gotten over it. Yet here, he's super insecure about it and seeks approval from Mammon. It doesn't make sense- I swear it's like the characters are evolving backwards (as in the character development just resets and they act like nothing happened).

I also just wanted to say that this character made me feel super uncomfortable throughout the episode (which I guess is the point, but honestly they didn't need to add him.) Like, was it really necessary to include this Reddit mod, Discord user incel with an obsessive personality to the episode? He doesn't really contribute much other than to probably trigger people who have dealt with some form of harassment like this, and to make Fizz look super helpless so that Blitzo can defend him.

Blitzo didn't contribute anything to the episode, they didn't need to add him either. Like we get it he's the main character but that doesn't mean he has to be in every fucking episode doing absolutely nothing other than saying a bunch of curse words or shooting someone.

In conclusion, I didn't like this episode that much. I was expecting more to be completely honest.

Sorry if this post was a little long- I wanted to write more stuff but I don't want to burden y'all with reading a lot of shit lmao. Anyway, that's all, love ya <3

I don't have a story to for them yet, but I wanted to write this down so I don't forget: my One Hundred and One Magical Pistols setting has an animal called Cyclic Cats.

They externally look much like earth/regular cats (which also exist in this setting), except their fur always has red/orange patterns in it, though sometimes they're mostly black and you can only tell them apart from regular cats by the redness of their toebeans.

They have the same diet and attitude to humans as regular cats, but their life cycle is very different: they're not born live, they hatch from eggs. These eggs are usually hatched within their parents' old skin.

See, Cyclic Cats molt. They shed their old skin when they reproduce. The original cat lays a sort of caterpillar cacoon and the shed skin will be attached to it. After a few days, the cacoon breaks and a kitten (looking much like a kitten of a regular cat, but not a newborn: they're about the size of a newly weaned kitten) will hatch from it, but this isn't the offspring of the cat: it's the same cat, just reverted to kitten form. If the cat laid fertilized eggs, they'll hatch from the body of the shed skin. They'll appear similar to their parent, but smaller and more like a newborn regular-cat kitten.

These hatchlings are blind like regular cats, but don't feed of their parent, at least not directly. Cyclic Cats aren't mammals, there's no milk. Instead the parent will chew up food and give it to their hatchlings, much like how baby birds are fed. This'll usually included the parents old skin, as they'll eat it to avoid wasting the food.

Anyway, slightly weird reproductive strategy aside, Cyclic Cats are much like regular cats in terms of ownership. They enjoy living around humans (especially because we feed them) and have long been a part of many human activities: they're a quintessential part of any brewery, bakery, or farm, as they help keep mice away from the grain and hops. They don't get along with regular cats, with both sides being territorial, but it rarely causes direct violence: both types of cats tend to avoid each other's territory, presumably through smell.

If keep alone or they've been fixed, they'll molt every couple years, while fertile Cyclic Cats will usually molt & lay eggs once a year, usually in the early winter. Their litters are usually only 1-2 eggs, though egg caches as large as 5 have been reported.

Their lifespans are longer than regular cats: 20-30 years for wild/outdoor cyclic cats, 30-40 for domesticated indoor cyclic cats.

Their distribution is slightly different: although both types of cats are domesticated and live with humans (even outdoor "wild" cats being descendants of domesticated cats), Cyclic Cats are more common in cities and largish towns, while regular cats are more common in farms and small villages. It's not known why this is.

In general conversation (in Unity, the most common human language) both cyclic cats and regular cats are just called "cats". When it's necessary to distinguish which type of cat they are, the two species are called "milk cats" and "cyclic cats". In the religious language of Old Tower, there's no singular word for both types: milk cats are written feles, while cyclic cats are murikeps.

Oh yeah, one final thing: cyclic cat gender is complicated. Traditionally they were considered a single-gendered species but it's now believed they have either two or three genders. It's basically impossible to tell their gender externally, as they don't have external genitalia. They reproduce sexually (through cloacal kissing like many birds) and any of the genders can be the "mother". Usually when two cyclic cats mate only one will become pregnant, but double pregnancies are not that rare. All two or three genders can mate with the other genders.

As for what the genders are, it's tricky. One theory is that it's male and female: males stick to "home" areas, defend it from other animals, and raise the young. Females travel farther and tend to bring food back, while males catch "vermin" animals entering the home.

The other theory states that "male" and "female" are meaningless labels for cyclic cats (especially given that both can lay eggs) and there's actually three genders: parents, soldiers, and hunters. Parents are more likely to lay eggs, and always stick to the home. Soldiers stay closer to the home, but will wander a bit to catch vermin and fight other animals getting too close to home. Hunters travel farther from home, primarily to catch food, and will avoid other large animals rather than fight them.

There is also a less accepted theory that this isn't a gender thing at all, and it's more based on ages: hunters tend to be younger "teenage" cyclic cats, then parents are mature adults, with soldiers being the elderly cats.

They've got some compelling evidence in terms of their observations on cyclic cat ages and their lifestyles, but it's hard to tell the ages of cyclic cats (they turn back into kittens every year or three!) so we only have their word that they tagged then properly and are correct about the ages. More research is ongoing, as always.

How will tsum tsum malleus react to yuu tsum tsum or how will Malleus react to yuu tsum tsum snuggle up against him

I hope I understood your request correctly. Enjoooy~ (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

Well, was it very unusual for a fairy to first be one of his narrow circle of "knights"? Suddenly he brought this "thing" called tsum with a striking similarity to Sebek himself. And now he sees exactly the same small rounded creature similar to his human friend? It's intriguing~

Oh, this tsum is all charm. Despite all the very impressive difference in size and strength, tsum tsum Yuu is not afraid to climb on his leg, shoulder, palms, and comfortably settle down like a bird in its favorite nest. Seeing this little one in his palms was definitely the best event of the whole day. It seems he hears Sebek's screams somewhere …..or is it a squeak from confused Yuu? Tsum tsum Yuu definitely doesn't mind his company and enjoys spending time. Malleus was pleasantly surprised that despite these tiny legs and arms, tsum tsum Yuu does not lag behind him by one of his big steps. Lilia felt sick from laughing and he literally cried when tsum tsum Yuu first began to "climb" on Malleus' leg, as if a caterpillar was trying to conquer a high branch. However, other students of the hostel swore that they thought that tsum tsum would be burned. Because of Draconia's very focused gaze. In fact, the prince was just worried that tsum tsum might fall and get hurt. After all, he was tall for them. And didn't want a "little friend who looks like a human child" to be seriously injured in one way or another.

Malleus melted when this little one snuggled up to him as if they had known him all they life. And he is not one of the strongest magicians in the twisted wonderland. It was definitely appreciated on all points how tsum tsum Yuu were soft. And Malleus had a tiny trace of tsum tsum Yuu's nose on his cheek due to the fact that tsum fell asleep and buried their noses right in his face.

Malleus Draconia also received the following achievements:

He felt tsum tsum Yuu's cheeks. Lilia persuaded him to do this, and now she will try to remember this feeling for the rest of her life. Malleus now thinks that tsum tsum Yuu is filled with marshmallows or something elastically soft. a new quest - Someday he will try to touch the Prefect's cheeks.

The cutest handshake from tsum tsum Yuu and their little paws or hands. They are not sure which term fits exactly here. Malleus laughed softly that it only took his index and middle finger to make a handshake.

Tsum tsum Yuu climbed on his horns. They caught clothes on one of the horns and had to ask Lilia to take off the poor guy.

Malleus' cap from tsum tsum Yuu uniform was fearlessly stolen. Now he knows that the Prefect can be mischievous from time to time. It was funny to watch tsum tsum Yuu trying to get into it like a cat gets into a small box Tsum tsum Yuu examined his staff with a spinning wheel with interest. Malleus thought it looked like a hamster with a wheel. He didn't mind~

Tsum tsum Yuu was like a little snorting hedgehog when Malleus noticed that tsum tsum Yuu noticed the next tricks from the duo of Adeuce. Swears at them even in this form.

Once tsum tsum Yuu bit Sebek because he pulled their paws too hard trying to "free the Young Master" Sebek had to put a plaster on his finger, tsum tsum Yuu brought him some cookies in the form of a dragon and lightning as an apology. Tsum tsum Yuu are always very not satisfied when they are disturbed because of other people's problems. Malleus notices this when Tsum tsum Yuu quietly hides behind his cloak on his back in these cases. Once tsum tsum Yuu stole Director Crowley's top hat in some incredible way. Stuffing in all the soot and the remaining coal from the fireplace from the dormitory of Diasomnia. Malleus is still wondering what made little tsum tsum Yuu so angry about Director Crowley.

Aaaand tsum tsum Malleus and tsum tsum Yuu.

Two cute little tsum tsum. True, one can break through all your bones despite his "innocent charm of the tsuma" Guess which of these two can do it. ~

Tsum tsum Malleus brings tsum tsum Yuu various pebbles or old things that can be found in the ruins. Tsum tsum Yuu brings different leaves, buds or small beautiful stones to ask tsum tsum Malleus about them.

Usually tsum tsum Malleus sits next to tsum tsum Yuu and they talk about something among themselves a little bouncing. Sometimes Tsum tsum Malleus rides tsum tsum Yuu on his back. Sometimes the opposite is true.

When tsum tsum are completely exhausted, they can be found as two small buns wrapped with each other. Tsum tsum Yuu is usually embraced, tsum tsum Malleus does not mind in principle.

Would you be willing to like, info dump about your Troll pupating headcanon that appeared in your Between AU? Just elaborate on how it works and such?

YES. Putting this under a cut because it's moderately long

Okay okay so. I don't know why but trolls are like. Little bugs to me. So I want to give them a few small bug traits, make them little creatures.

And pupation seemed like the most fun way to do that. A pupa is an insect's life stage where they undergo metamorphosis between larval and adult forms. In real life, most pupation involves larval structures breaking down while adult structures like wings develop—in that case of caterpillars, the bug sees itself liquified during the process (while still retaining memories of pre-pupation! neat!).

Of course, in canon, we see baby and child trolls all the time, and they're not that different from the main characters. So troll pupation isn't as drastic as it is for most real-life insects in my headcanon; rather, it might be better described as spedrun puberty.

So. The headcanon itself. At about 12 or 13 years of age, a trolling will start to experience a surge in appetite and drop in metabolism. I'm not entirely decided yet on whether the cocoon is something that they build up over time from spun/shed hairs, or if it's something more instantaneous formed directly from their hair—though I'm leaning more towards the latter.

The troll spends most of their pupation asleep. Body structures don't need to break down to the extent seen in real-life insects, so while some semi-drastic changes do happen (genitals develop and become accessible, though they won't be fully functional for a few years yet; hair lengthens and becomes stronger + able to shift color and length; new adult teeth, fur, and claws grow in), the troll remains pretty much intact the entire way through the process.

When they emerge, the troll isn't actually a full adult yet; though most of the major changes have been ticked off, it still takes a few years of regular growth before they can be considered fully mature.

A big thing about pupations is that trolls are adaptable. And I headcanon Pop Trolls to be one of the most adaptable genres (since pop is literally defined as "whatever's popular," though the genre itself has a few defining features), though all trolls pupate regardless of genre. So trolls that are under a lot of stress or caught in unusual conditions may find themselves emerging from their pupations with new features outside of what's normally expected. These adaptations aren't super drastic—for example, a Pop Troll raised by Techno Trolls wouldn't emerge with the exact same structure as a Techno Troll; rather, they'd get webbed paws and bigger lung capacity (maybe bioluminescence if they're lucky) at the most. Lost limbs can occasionally be regrown during pupation if the injury was recent enough, and most scars will fade during pupation.

So why does Branch pupate at fifteen in my headcanons? Simple: he's gray. The lack of color is more than just a signifier of his disposition; it has direct physiological consequences with regards to Branch's growth rate and metabolism. His troll endocrine system released the necessary hormones to induce pupation late as a result. Hormones being what they are, it's possible for a fully-colored troll to have a delayed or even early pupation, but such deviation tends to be rare.

In the Between AU, Branch loses his tail at roughly thirteen years old. When he pupates about two years later, his body adapts to the whole "living with creatures twenty times his size" situation, and instead of regrowing his tail his hips and legs shifted to accommodate the new balance.

tl;dr my troll growth headcanons are a mix of mammalian (human) style puberty and buglike metamorphosis; trolls speedrun their puberty in a hair cocoon

Today's bug: The Giant Leopard Moth!

The Giant Leopard moth is actually... a tiger moth (family Arctiidae)! And like many tiger moths, they have some interesting traits.

For starters, tiger moths have EARS. I couldn't get a picture because, well... you'd have to rip their wings off to see them! The ears are right behind where their wings start. It's believed the ears let them hear bat pings, giving them a head's up and some time to escape before they become bat food.

Most tiger moths also have abdominal 'tymbals,' which let's them make sound in a way similar to a cicada - though, it's more of a squeak than a scream. This squeak helps them avoid bats by effectively jamming a bat's echo-location - cool! ...However, Giant Leopard moths can't seem to squeak at all. Perhaps bats simply don't eat them enough to necessitate such an adaptation?

As another form of defense, when threatened, they'll curl their abdomen down. Many moths do this, seemingly just as a defensive position, but in Leopard moths, the bright colors may tell predators that they taste bad. Or simply confuse them.

Their larvae, sometimes called Wooly Bears (not to be confused with the more common Isabella Tiger moth), also have bright colors that you can only see when they curl up. While not poisonous, it's believed they also taste bad.

The larva's spines are not irritating or sharp, but rather designed to make them hard to grip. Pushing a spine pushes the caterpillar away, which due to them being covered in them, actually results in them feeling almost "slippery" to hold!

Giant Leopard moth mating is a long and tedious process, taking much longer than many other moth species. It may take a whole 24 hours for two adults to mate! The male, which is notably larger than the female, may also rub against the female's wings enough to cause scale loss (as I believe to be the case in this photo), which hinders her flight ability.

All-in-all though, this is a seriously beautiful moth. They can be found from the bottom of Canada, following the East coast through the Americas, all the way down to Panama. I would rank their rarity to be on-par with the Luna Moth - common enough to see maybe once or twice per Summer if you really look, but also very common in certain regions!

Like most medium-to-larger sized moths, they're pretty docile and it's not hard to let one onto your hand. The best way to do this is to gently slide your finger under their legs from the front, more "suggesting" that they get on, rather than forcing them to.

I highly recommend this moth. Super adorable (like all moths), but also striking at the same time!

(All photos taken by me).

Ayooo, on another person's notes & views on the Corpius/Z-57 topic. I do like the 'different stages in their life' take on it, but here's another~ Just plain old evolution. Like Darwin's finches. One could theorize that they have the same ancestor, but developed differently due to where they migrated and live. Confusion arises with Ghavoran & Artaria though, 'cuz of Corpius' presence in both locations, in-game & in pictures etc. It's a very wild thought as a whole + where would Z-57 hail from?

If they're different evolutionary strains of the same species, it probably wouldn't be too far-fetched for their territory to overlap a bit. The experiment's four-clawed feet look like they're adapted for climbing or grasping, so if the shell/etc is natural, maybe they live in trees? The best I can think of is that both subspecies could share Ghavoran as a territory, but Corpius lives on the ground while Z-57's theoretical wild type cousins hunt and breed up in those massive trees.

I think a lot of their differences might boil down to genetic tampering, but the hard part in answering either of these ("evolution or life stages?" and "natural or genetically modified?") is figuring out what is genetically modified/indigenous to this or that regional species/a Feature of juveniles vs a Feature of adults. Everything from the way their jaws are shaped to the shape and size of their eyes, plus the bigger differences like the shell/stinger combo vs the naked back and scorpion tail. Those are all things that come into play.

Was the shell given to the experiment by putting scorpion monster DNA in a blender with a bug's DNA, or is this an evolutionary adaptation? And if it's natural, how old is this animal and where does it live, because a shell like that is something I would expect to see on a juvenile if this animal is a predator; the babies could use a buff like that to help them survive to adulthood. If it's of reproductive age and the shell is natural, does it form so the animal can survive until it bangs and dies? Are they like moths? Eat like a caterpillar, achieve metamorphosis, then make a mad dash for Corpius Tinder so you can wait for a hot hunk of meat to lay eggs with and subsequently die as the moths do? Did Quiet Robe raise this wiggly little worm guy until he was old enough to use OkCupid For Beasts, then take the knife to him? Where was Raven Beak during all of this? Did he order this experiment to be done, or was this a personal project for Quiet Robe while Big McChicken was dealing with re-planning the Metroid situation (if Z-57 is indeed a genetic experiment, Raven Beak having an interest in it would track; Dairon is a Mawkin bio-research facility, Quiet Robe is probably not the first scientist to work there, and genetic modification seems right up Raven Beak's alley a la Metroids)? Is it a "he"? Where the hell does this thing even poop from?

Also of note: Corpius is absolutely built, while Z-57 has little twig legs with hardly any beef, but that could also be attributed to a life spent growing up in a lab and maybe/maybe not getting the right amount or the right kind of exercise. Corpius moves around by dragging its weight around with those legs, so of course those muscles have seen some work. Z-57 also has six of them to pick up the slack, so there's a lot to consider.

And that's just scratching the surface: that's only a fraction of the whole picture for the arms debate. We haven't even started talking about teeth.

I went off on a tangent there, but both of the asks related to this post brought good ideas into the fray. I appreciate that you took the time to articulate!

Jazzy Animal Stuff

A group of platypuses is called a paddle.

When referring to multiple platypuses, you can also say platypus, platypi, or platypods.

Since platypuses are such weird creatures, people originally assumed platypuses sweat milk. (They do not)

Platypuses have a poisonous gland which means they can be venomous.

pigeons have a special feather that makes a funky noise when they fly, to alert other pigeons of possible danger nearby.

there are blue bees called blue carpenter bees. The honey they make is a similar consistency to peanut butter. They live alone and aren't very aggressive. They don't make wax

Bees dance to communicate

Bees breath through their skin and drown in the rain.

Bees fight invading wasps, not by stinging them, but by aggressively hugging them until they overheat.

Beehives are usually made facing east so they can get the sun to warm them up in the morning.

Female bees get rid of male bees by starving them and dragging them out of the hive while beating them.

Female bees kill drunk male bees

Bumble bees live in the ground

rosy maple moths don't have mouths, and the adults die in a matter of days. The larvae have a venomous sting!

Comet moths have a mouth and guts, but neither work so they only survive for a week.

The Arctic woolly bear moth is the longest living moth, and can live for up to 7 years in the wild.

Luna moths have scales on their wings that reflect light

rabbits are not rodents, but lagomorphs.

They don't have toe beans, so if you shave their feet their basically just walking on bone. Don't shave rabbit feet

snub noses monkeys sneeze in the rain due to their upturned noses.

Luna moth caterpillars deter predators by making clicking noises and regurgitating a gross fluid as a warning.

The North America Walnut Sphinx caterpillar can scream at a volume of 80 decibels.

jellyfish are the longest living multicellular organasim on earth.

ferrets like to be swung. I wrote this last year, I'm not quite sure what this means.

the babies are born so young they don't even have fully formed faces.

They are absolutely miniscule, and the only real feature they have are claws to cling onto the mother's nippels for milk.

Around 30-40 of them are born at the same time, but only 4 of them survive. The mother eats the babies that die off at the beginning.

They got their name from their ears, which go bright red.

cats mimic the sounds of their prey sometimes, like chirping at birds when they're trying to hunt them.

snails can sleep for up to 3 years.

giraffes have the same amount of vertebrae as humans.

horse stomachs are the same size as a football and their stomachs can explode if they eat too much.

Horses die really easily. This can be from lying down for too long (their lungs collapse) running for too long (heart faliure) breaking a leg (you have to kill them if this happens).

Horses sleep standing.

Horses have an almost 360° field of vision.

Horses are just really weird. My friends wonder why I'm scared of horses, but the face of a medium sized horse is like. A third of my dad. Ans my dad is t a l l.

pika's are not rodents, but lagomorphs, which make them more closely related to rabbits then mice.

They are also known as 'screaming hares' since they make a screaming noise.

Also I'm like. 90% sure pikachu was based off of a pika so. Say hi to your cousin pichaku.

seagulls can feel grief, happiness and guilt.

There is a small claw halfway up their lower leg that let's them sit on high ledges without falling off.

Both seagull parents take care of their eggs.

Seagulls can drink both fresh and salt water.

There are around 50 types of Seagulls.

Seagulls are extremely smart.

I love seagulls.

fantasy micro fiction #1

"I'm sorry, they just don't teach you these things in school."

"What...you STABBED me!"

"Yeah, well, its not like there sword safety 101 is there."

The two children stood in a court of curiosities - Uriel had been an urchin not a month prior, before Master took a shine to them. Turns out, Uriel had something of a magical aptitude.

And what was the first thing every child was want to do when given free reign in a vault of magical artifacts? Show them to their friends, of course.

"I think I'm bleeding." Nuck said. "There's something wrong, Ur."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't!" Uriel said.

"No, there's something wrong. I feel funny."

"C'mon, I can just put this back and Master won't know the diff-"

Uriel had merely tugged the blade away when Nuck yelped.

"Don't be scared, I know how to put it back right."

"That SWORD did something to be, Ur. Something BAD. What kind of sword is that??"

"I dunno."

"The plaque, what is it say on the plaque!"

"Lets see..." Uriel trailed off. "Soulbinder."

"SOULbinder?" Nuck yelled out.

"Yeah, soulbind-"

Nuck couldn't hold his form anymore, and the sword couldn't hold its appetite any longer - Nuck was sucked inside the sword with barely a sound.

Uriel dropped the sword, the clang ringing through the vault.

"Shoot." Uriel said. "Master must've heard that."

And heard it he did.

Master appeared from a wisp of smoke, cloak pulled out to his sides as a bird of prey.

"You were playing with the artefacts again." He shouted.

There was no hope in hiding it, Uriel knew. The scene spoke for itself. But the sword did not - and Uriel wouldn't make the situation worse for themself.

"Yes, master." Uriel said.

Master eyed the sword, and he knew which one it was - for Soulbinder was entirely unique, not only in its coloring or edge - but its name marked along the length of the blade, plain for any to identify it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me, little one?"

"Um..." They bit their lip. "No, master."

"Fine." I'm casting a locking spell on the case, when you become master of this house you can right your own wrong."

"I don't know what you mean, master."

"Mhm." Master grimaced. "You'll need to transmute a hundred caterpillars into butterflies to atone for this."

"Ah, I hate that." Uriel said. "They do that on their own."

"That may be." Master said. "But I bought them today, and I don't want to wait. We're magicians."

Some Time Later

Dust covered everything in the vault, and not because Uriel had forgotten his daily chores - but because three-thousand years had past, which would add a coat or two to any surface.

Uriel, the same size as they were all those years ago, but much more wrinkly, went up to the old case that housed Soulbinder.

Without effort they broke the spell lock. He lifted Soulbinder out of its prison, and Uriel could instantly feel the revulsion eminating from the blade.

"You recognize me!" Uriel said. "After all these years. Astounding. Here I was, fearing you might not, after all I'm clearly the MASTER magician these days."

The sword was silent.

"First of all, I'm so sorry - turns out there was a sword safety 101. And 201, 301, all the '01s. I never went to school. I was embarrassed about it. Second of all - you're welcome! For getting you out, that is."

The edge of the blade grew sharper.

"Don't look at me like that, Nuck. How many of us would so dearly wish to be a sword! Its quite a popular fixation, I'll have you know. But not to bury the lead - I can't get you out. Not because I can't, I'm the most powerful magician you see. But, you're dearly needed. Or more accurately, a fully charged Soulbinder is. And your soul's the charge."

Soulbinder was waiting for Uriel to so much as knick their finger on the edge.

"Its a very important task. You should be honored." Uriel said. "I need you to save the world."

---

Just a fun little dribble! Need to take a break writing my novel, so figured making random little stories shooting from the hip without any kind of editing might reignite the creative juices. I'll prob write all sorts of little stories like this, good little exercise!

My Passion Project

No prompt this week – free write on what you are thinking about!

For this week, I want to share some more about my passion project which I also briefly mentioned some weeks ago. This will be in 2 parts because I have so much I want to share!

 I raise monarch butterflies! I got into this about 5 summers ago, when my high school co-op had me take a training course on how to safely support monarch populations in raising them. After the training, we were cleared to start raising them on the farm where my co-op was taking place. Next to the farm was a massive milkweed meadow, where we would find countless monarch eggs and caterpillars to take back to the barn. At a certain point in that July, we were overrun by monarchs and were running out of space in the barn. We still wanted to be able to take them all in, so us 4 co-op students started taking the excess monarchs home and building support structures to keep them there. You might be thinking, well if you were finding so many, why the need to help them along? Doesn’t the high abundance of eggs mean the population must be alright? Well unfortunately not. In the training I received, they told us only a few out of a hundred eggs would be lucky enough to make it to the butterfly stage. After that summer’s experience, I was sold!

 I worked on the farm another 2 summers after that one, and raising the monarchs just became my summer routine. I built an enclosure out of some spare wood and window screen and planted a bunch of milkweed in my backyard (common, swamp, and butterfly, though the butterfly didn’t take as well). I also planted some native flowering species for the monarchs and other pollinators, such as black-eyed susans, joe pye weed, echinacea, and hyssop.

I separate the caterpillars by instar, so that caterpillars of the same size and appetite share a container. I avoid overcrowding and usually won’t have more than 4 in one container for the first couple instars, and no more than 2 per container for their last couple instars. Once they get to their last instar, I move them out of the container, and into the enclosure. The enclosure is equipped with a few hefty stalks of milkweed for the final meals. When the caterpillars have had their fill, they will climb to the ceiling and choose a comfy spot to form their chrysalis. They attach themselves with a silk material, and assume a J position, which lasts for 2-3 days. Once they’re ready, they begin to straighten out and start a pumping motion. Within a few minutes, the caterpillar has disappeared and only the chrysalis is seen! If you have ever seen this happen, you know how amazing and quick it is! I wait for hours and hours to catch a good video, go inside to grab a quick drink and bam! It has happened by the time I come back. Luckily, I have caught the process many times so I can tell you how the pumping motion begins to peel off their skin to reveal the chrysalis underneath. Essentially, the caterpillar forms the chrysalis inside their body while they hang in the J position, so that when the time comes to turn, all they do is push their skin up and off. Enchanting! They’ll spend about 10-14 days in the chrysalis, but I have noticed that they will emerge faster if there’s been a heat wave (just an observation, I obviously don’t do any sort of manipulation). When they emerge, they look a bit deformed with a chubby body and crumpled wings. This is because all the fluid they are about to pump their wings with is being stored in their body. They’ll spend around 8 minutes pumping their wings, and the next thing they do is put together their proboscis. This structure acts as a tongue, and it is in 2 pieces when they emerge from the chrysalis.

If you wish to follow along/see more about my monarch adventures, feel free to follow my Instagram account which is dedicated to my monarchs @madelinesmonarchs  😊

In the off season, I post about other insects now and then!

Take a look below at some of the photos and videos I have taken over the years!

To be continued!

Joe Dispenza

Last night I had the strangest experience, quite frankly it has given certain new age or magical traditions credence. 

So I was having some negative thought spirals around 3:00 am last night and after tossing and turning for about half an hour I decided to get up and smoke some weed- 40 mg, when my standard stiff dose would be between 80 and 95 mg.

It came on pretty strong compared to what I expected from the dosage and I was lying in bed thinking about infinities, and the unbelievable size of such a number, or how mathematics can use infinities as tools within certain frameworks, or how infinities can be different relative sizes. This coincided with a feeling of being unimaginably small and realizing that when I’m judging other people I really am not that different, and complicit in many of the same problems as everyone around me. I also realized that I’m actually probably a pretty run of the mill normal person who may not exactly make history.

Additionally I had newfound understanding of the way that our infrastructure mirrors the body and how roadways mirror the circulatory system even in these sprawling “stroads” that I love to hate.

The real experience came after this, I was sort of on autopilot and just started doing this meditation that I learned about in Joe Dispenza’s book “becoming supernatural.” The technique I learned was to try and undulate the body along the spine to create these paristaltic waves (like a caterpillar) that allegedly move energy from the sacrum and the root chakra up the spine to the crown chakra, in order to energize the pineal gland. 

Allegedly the pineal gland can metabolize different forms of serotonin- at night it produces melatonin which can be metabolized into 5-HTP and DMT. Melatonin is supposed to be at it’s highest concentration in the wee-hours of the morning. 

So I felt this energy building up in my root chakra and started pushing it upwards, using my hands like laser beams to concentrate energy, and I thought of blessings for each chakra in the chest as I drew energy up the spine to my head, where I had tactile perception and a visualization of a growing orb of light. Unbelievable.

What followed between4 and 5 am, I can barely put into words, but I had a delirious out of body experience where I was perceiving very loud music while being simultaneously was lying on my side of the bed and sitting at the foot of it. I saw my blue-tooth speaker on my dresser was not on (it wasn’t even actually there) so I realized that the loud music I was hearing was an extreme auditory hallucination, which turned into repeating gibberish voices. I remember seeing fast moving geometry in the air and patterns of eyes, my body perception was morphing and i was thinking that my cat’s water dish was on the pillow beside me. I can’t remember most of it but it was a long intense trip that was much stronger than the peak marijuana buzz that happened at 4:00 am. Anyway it seemed like some sort of wacky conversion of brain chemicals actually happened after this meditation, and that the stuff in the book actually works.

I got up at 5:30 am and ate some jam and bread thinking about this and feeling absolutely shook. The book shows how this ancient Egyptian eye symbol is a cross section of the thalamus and the pineal gland, and I think of all these New Age folks who are obsessed with the Egyptians and claim supernatural power, or that there is “stuff they aren’t telling us.”  If this Hermeticism stuff is real, I’m absolutely baffled. 

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Been getting a lot of ppl asking about caterpillar risotto metamorphosis so thought id toss out this concept for metamorphosed moth ris! In the bug au risotto is unable to metamorphose due to physical stress (mostly due to fighting as an assassin) so he stays a caterpillar but still thought itd be fun to design another form for him \o/

design notes under cut! vv

I loosely based caterpillar Ris off a tomato horn worm so following that he’d most likely become a moth! His bug lower half of his body and wings are soft and fuzzy while his legs are hard exoskeleton. The human parts of his body are about the same size as they were when he was a caterpillar so for the most part he’s just not as long bodied and has tall legs! Also with the au I imagined there being two main body plans for bug people: a more biped two-legged body like Illuso, Ghia, and Gelato, and a taur multi-legged body like Melone, Forma, Sorbet, and Risotto. Sine Risotto had a taur body as a caterpillar he’d also carry that on in his moth form sooo moth taur (Bruno is also a moth but he is a biped moth). 

Dad!Constantine AU: Rhiannon

first one shot in my Dad!Constantine AU but there is plenty more of this to come so enjoy and make sure to tell me what you think :D

"John? What's that? Is it a tool to help us practice today? John? Is tha-”

Constantine couldn't help but chuckle at the string of questions coming from behind him. He began to think about how less than a few months ago the little girl would barely say a word a day…now he can’t get her to ever shut up.

He turned around and looked down at the tiny figure that sat cross-legged on his rug, who only looked back up at him with confusion in her huge purple eyes. Unlike the ancient power that was leaking out of her, the child in front of him looked exactly as harmless as you'd expect a 7-year old to look.

With her dark-plum hair unevenly clipped short to reach her chin and choppy bangs to cover the red gem on her forehead, it really gave you the illusion that she was a normal human child. And John liked to pretend that the terrible haircut helped achieve a more ‘innocent’ look and in fact, better hid her demonic origins…but that was probably just his only defence against his conscience that nagged at him for not going to a professional.

But hey, she was the one that begged him to cut off her originally waist-length hair and he gave it his best shot with the tools at his disposal—which happened to only be a pair of kitchen scissors, an old magazine for reference and a faded ruler for 'accuracy', but at least Raven seemed happy enough.

He felt his lip tug as he remembered how she had childishly bobbed her head left and right in the mirror afterwards; enjoying the liberation of short hair.

It seemed Azarath’s refusal to cut her hair off was the only thing the kid seemed to dislike about the place.

In fact, she had thrown a near fit when John recommended they ditch the tattered white Azarathian robes he had found her in when he pulled her from the depths of hell. He looked at her current outfit and noted that she seemed to have grown quite comfortable with the human clothes given to her.

She currently donned a large purple knit sweater and a pair of baggy jeans with flowers sewn on the legs. They were probably in style twenty years ago and weren't even her size but John had limited knowledge on where to find children's clothes(or about children in general) and assumed she'd just 'grow into them someday' when he had chosen them from a local thrift store.

Again, as long as Raven liked them.

"This, my little angel, is a music record," he held up the square packaging to her and made a show of sliding out the large disk inside, "This plays music. They allow music up in that Azarath place of yours or just prayers?"

"In Azarath? No, not really," John noticed whenever that cult of her's was brought up, she'd always lower her tone and look down at her fingers as if apprehensive of speaking wrong of them—John didn't know why though, they sounded like a bunch of wankers to him, "Azar said that music is a distraction that would only disrupt my mind by causing me to feel...feelings."

John felt the melancholy in the air as she spoke. It was rare she shared anything; for a kid, she was pretty secretive and John couldn't help but push to know more about his new ward, "And that's a no go, ey?"

"Only for me." She seemed almost smaller now, trying to hide deeper in her baggy clothes—maybe that's why she never pushed for more accurately sized clothes, "The others would sometimes gather to sing mantras in the courtyard as that’s the only type of music allowed but during those times Azar would always put me in the highest tower so I never really heard anything but muffles.”

John sighed.

Sometimes he didn't know if those quacks in Azarath wanted to actually raise Raven or terminate her but the more he learnt, the more he found the answer leaning towards the latter.

He crossed the living room in one large step and kneeled to be face to face with the little girl who stared up at him, nervous, "Listen, angel, I don't know much about Azarathian chants but I do know...", this time he allowed the girl to touch the record—though gently, "Fleetwood Mac. The best band in the world."

"What makes them so special?", Raven asked softly as she marvelled at the disc in her hand; holding it like it was a precious treasure.

John smiled— something he found himself doing a lot of since the arrival of this certain hellspawn. Plucking the records from the girl's small hands, he stood up and reapproached the player he was standing by, "Let me tell you a little secret in the magical community, love."

He placed the record on the player before dropping the pin and quickly turning, excited to see the reaction on the girl's face. Raven just looked confused, her mini caterpillar eyebrows scrunching up on her forehead as the guitar intro began.

"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night And wouldn't you love to love her?"

He plopped onto the floor next to Raven and turned to her, "You hear her? Like a voice from heaven, innit?"

The little girl just nodded, probably unsure of the right answer.

"Takes to the sky like a bird in flight And who will be her lover?"

"Her name is Stevie Nicks and she's...one of us," He made a gesture of pointing between both of them to symbolise his point, his smile growing as her amethyst eyes twinkled in interest, " The 'White Witch' we call her but non-supernatural's don't know nothing about that, all they hear is the music but we, we can truly hear her."

"All your life you've never seen Woman taken by the wind

Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win?"

Taking her tiny palms in his, he instructed, “Now I want you to focus on your inner soul.”

She obediently followed instructions, letting her eyes fall closed and she instantly shifts to focus mode with an expression as still as a statue.

"She is like a cat in the dark And then she is to darkness

She rules her life like a fine skylark And when the sky is starless"

Through her delicate skin, he could feel her once-raging magic begin to ease from the form of a ceaselessly pouring tsunami to simple irregular waves in a vast ocean.

"Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win? Will you ever win?"

See, with Stevie Nicks being a witch herself, it only makes sense that some of her magic got laced inro all her music. Magic that had the properties to almost soothe one's magical core and opened up internal gates that were causing a blockage in one's being.

Similar to meditation. Just a whole lot more fun.

John simply didn’t believe in all that meditation stuff that Raven so pliably relied on and if he was going to take her in, it was his duty to teach her the many other ways she can control her abilities.

"Rhiannon Rhiannon Rhiannon Rhiannon"

"I can feel it...I can feel what she's saying." Raven's voice was so soft that John almost didn't catch what was spoken.

Suddenly there was an intense spike in the calm aura that's once surrounded them. He felt the hands in his grasp tense as her once still expression drastically changed.

"She rings like a bell through the night And wouldn't you love to love her?"

Her small face was soon blown in full panic. Sweating like bullets, her already drained of life skin seemed even paler and the strength she used to struggle suppressed what a child of her stature should be able of achieving but John made sure to hold tight.

"She rules her life like a bird in flight And who will be her lover? All your life you've never seen Woman taken by the wind"

"John I don't like this! I...I can feel too much... make it stop!", Her eyelids shuddered as she seemed to be forcing them to stay shut.

Continuing to wiggle in his grasp, the magic concentration in the room got thicker and thicker making it harder to breathe but this was exactly what needed to happen and John knew this. So even though her hurting voice made his heart shatter, he had no choice but to steel his resolve in the face of her cries and just hope it will pay off, “John!? John, please….DAD!”

John didn’t know what hurt more, the way her demonic magic was stabbing him like shards of glass in his skin or the pain in her voice as she called him the title he never in his life thought he’d be referred as.

"Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win? Will you ever win?"

“This is all your magic, angel, you got to feel your magic. Can't just lock it up, this is all you,”, he gritted his teeth while he was explaining, and filled with some unknown determination, he spat out a phrase he normally tried to avoid, “you have to trust me.”

Raven’s eyes flew open at that, revealing the orbs of amethyst that were wetting with tears. Her little mind struggled to wrap around the statement John had just said and for a moment she just stared at him. It felt like the longest moment of John’s life because he knew her empathic abilities could see the nervous wreck he truly is and he worried that would dissuade her.

For a second there was no action.

"Rhiannon Rhiannon Rhiannon"

Until, much to John’s surprise, she nodded, “ok…I trust you.”

And John could literally feel the truth in her words as she stopped struggling in his hands and started to return back to the focused zone she had been in before.

This time though, her eyes were open and staring straight at him but John found himself not minding.

“Good.” John took on the role of closing his eyes as he began to concentrate.

"Taken by taken by the sky" "Taken by taken by the sky" "Taken by taken by the sky"

He wasn’t going to just burden a 7-year-old with whatever destructive sorcery that was sealed in her small body, it was his job as her teacher and her…dad to try and guide the freed magic back to her core.

But for that, he needs to concentrate real hard.

The moment John could feel air moving in his lungs again, he knew he had succeeded. Opening his eyes up, he was met with the same pools of purple still staring.

“So, how’d you feel?”

"Dreams unwind Love's a state of mind Dreams unwind Love's a state of mind"

That was when Raven finally broke eye contact and instead looked down at her fingers, not in nervousness but this time in amazement, as if she could see the magic in her fingertips, “I don’t know…tingly.”

This time Constantine let a deep genuine laugh escape his throat at her childish choice of words, “That’s good, means your magic is finally spreading. If you ask me that’s a better option than keeping it all sealed up.”

Raven tilted her head to the side, once again confused.

Constantine didn’t blame her though, her little head was probably going through something similar to a whirlwind at this point.

After all, in her first few years of life, she had lived a life of nothing but restriction and then he spawns from nowhere finds and brings her from hell, seals her oh-so scary father in said hell and then begins to dismantle everything she’s ever been thought to believe in, in the first place.

Must be a lot for a 7-year-old to bear.

Luckily though, Raven is 7 and they aren’t known for dwelling on things for too long.

“Do you have any more songs like that?” She asked, now focused on the player that stood in silence now that the record had reached its end.

John smirked at that, “Oh plenty more of where that came from and we aren’t gonna stop at just Fleetwood, we got some Zeplin, Rolling Stones and…”

Raven just nodded, again, not knowing the right answer and simply letting herself be ‘educated’ on all things that John Constantine had to offer.

In her opinion, this was far more fun than her old teachings.

yes I got the Stevie Nicks is a witch from ahs coven, so expect a lot more supernatural TV crossovers in this AU cause they're now my obsession

On the corrupted!Steven theory...

So, originally when I mused on this yesterday I was just playing around with random possibilities.

After combing the series for info about corruption, though, I’m mildly spooked at the increased potential for this to... perhaps be a thing? I’m not saying that this is what I for sure believe will happen- to be honest, I’m not even sure Crewniverse would go this direction at all- but just for funsies, let’s see what kind of “evidence” or “foreshadowing” exists that might support this potential story path in the context of canon.

(EDIT: 10/7/19 

I honestly no longer think this creature is a worm at all whatsoever, it’s either more akin to a horned caterpillar or potentially has limbs. Either way we can see so little right now that it’s hard to tell. I’m not editing the rest of this post because I want it to exist in its original form- but do keep this in mind reading the rest! XP)

1) The design of this worm creature.

Let’s start simple. Let’s start tangible. 

For future reference and simplicity, I will be henceforth be referring to this creature as... “Wormy Boi.”

So, let’s see what we’ve got here. I’m definitely not the first person to point out this fella’s pink nature, and the jarringly human-like nose they’ve got. (Compared to other corruptions, which have had distinctly non-humanoid features.) In the photo above, we also have Wormy Boi sporting glowing pink eyes, which then send out a flare of pink light/energy. So, seemingly a powerful entity.

If you watch the short segment before they sit upright, you’ll see that Wormy Boi is super, super big. They’re in the background, but BOY do they loom. The shadows cast upon them especially push that sense of size. They’ve also got a whole bunch of spikes on their back and framing their face.

So, then. What evidence could be made for this being a corrupted!Steven, as opposed to some other run-of-the-mill monster?

Steven Universe Future is a limited series, described as ‘tying up loose ends.” To me, as a viewer, it would make far more sense for the antagonists/conflicts to deal with big concepts that have already been established since there’s such a limited amount of time we have left with this world. Introducing a completely alien species in the last act of the show would feel offbeat from both a writing and a viewing perspective. Corruption- on the other hand- is something we don’t have full answers to yet.

We don’t see any gem, yes- but Steven’s gem is- of course- on his belly. If this theory were to be true, that would translate to the gem being on Wormy Boi’s underside, far out of our sight in this shot, due to how massive they are. As an addition to this, not showing the gem gives an air of mystery to this creature’s true nature- which makes it seem like there’s something surprising to discover here.

A corrupted diamond would surely be MASSIVE. Also, very powerful. The beam of pink light hints at Wormy Boi being quite a powerhouse.

The spikes on Wormy Boi’s back and around their face highly resemble rose thorns. We all know how much the Crewniverse loves their rose symbolism, and design wise, this aspect would make a lot of visual sense for a corrupted Steven. Running off of that:

The face/nose shape and the five horns on this creature’s head give off a very Steven-like silhouette. 

The nose, of course. The face has a very Steven-like shape to it, overall- although noticeably more angular and sharp. The mouth is reminiscent of the Watermelon Stevens’ mouths. And as for the horns, there’s five of them positioned equidistant around their face, just as Steven’s hair is always formed from five lil’ bumps at the same positions.

Okay, moving on.

(Read more under the cut!)

2) We do not yet understand the true nature of corruption.

“I guess it’ll take more than a kiss to heal damage from the Diamonds…” -Pearl, Monster Reunion

Corruption is still- bafflingly- a huge mystery. The Gems we’ve watched the CGs bubble since season one have been healed, yes, but there are still many gaps in our understanding of it. With Steven Universe Future’s promise to address some lingering story threads, it would make sense if corruption was on the plate for further discussion. So, what DO we know?

We know it’s something the Diamonds can do. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to require all four diamonds. Three of them together were able to cause all the damage to Earth. There’s also no statement made that more than one Diamond is required to cause effects like that. 

In Legs From Here to Homeworld, Blue and Yellow Diamond weren’t actually aware the corruption was something they were capable of producing. They seemed to assume they obliterated the Gems on Earth. Corruption is then, even a mystery to them. That’s... odd, isn’t it?

Pearl states that it’s “something nearly impossible to describe.” Garnet goes further to say... “It’s sorta like... if MC Bear-Bear didn’t tear the fabric of his arm, but the fabric of his mind.”

"A sound… A song?” There’s a lot of association between corruption and music.

It causes Gems to lose touch with their usual forms, instead warping into a more outwardly "monstrous” version of themselves that appear to be “just a bundle of fight-or-flight reflexes and survival instincts.” As seen by Centipeetle in Monster Buddy and Monster Reunion, it appears as if corrupted Gems try to regenerate with their original forms if unbubbled, but are simply not in a state where they can maintain that.

As seen with Jasper in Earthlings, extreme emotional distress very much seems to speed up corruption’s effects. This is less of a stated fact and more of my read on that episode, but I believe it to be an important tidbit, especially since Garnet states that corruption’s damage is mental rather than physical, at least at its core. This can also be seen in Monster Reunion with how Centipeetle’s partial healing backfires when she remembers the trauma of being corrupted and reacts strongly.

Now, when it comes to healing corruption, Steven tries to heal Centipeetle himself, and does make some nice progress... helping her regain a hold on herself as he treats her with love and compassion and understanding... but it’s ultimately not a healing that can occur in isolation, helping her on his own. She needs more support before she can heal from this corruption to a state where she can truly be herself again.

And that eventually comes in the form of the other Diamonds. So, all four diamonds can help relieve the corruption if they help these Gems all together. 

3) How could this theory potentially fit into the story anyways, you nutter?

Well, here’s the part of this post where I make some broad conjectures. I honestly am shooting fish into a barrel here because again- we know barely anything about how corruption actually happened initially, and my thoughts are very jumbled. Please forgive me.

"I don’t really know how the corruption works. It’s like they’re sick. They don’t remember who they used to be.” -Steven, Gem Hunt

So, corruption seems to be a mental ailment of Gemkind, turned manifest. It also seems to have a deep connection to a Gem’s emotions, with Centipeetle growing smaller and slightly calmer upon feeling more secure in Steven’s presence, and corruption speeding up as Jasper grew more and more emotionally overwrought and self-deriding about herself. 

When it comes to the Diamonds and how they perhaps caused it originally- without fully realizing- we know that at least Blue and White have abilities focused on causing others to act in certain ways. Blue has sway over one’s emotions, and White has a knack for forcing her thoughts and self upon others. (I’m not sure how Yellow’s ability would play in here.) Mayhaps, mixed with their grief and guilt and anger, their power simply pressed all of that hurt emotion onto all the Gems on Earth in one whole fail swoop...? Tearing their minds in the process of it all?

The question I still have, though- is whether a single diamond could produce effects like this. And whether a diamond could turn that ability on themself.

Could Steven accidentally corrupt himself? Why might that happen?

Well, let’s look at our boy here. 

He’s got a wide circle of support at this time in canon, but notably, he’s notorious for bottling up his emotion and not letting others in to help him- instead dropping everything to help them with their problems. Just to name a few examples (a few):

The Test. He feels betrayed and hurt at the Gems for a moment about the way they’re babying him with the rigged test, but instead of admitting the hurt he feels about the scenario, bottles that up to help them feel more like good guardians.

Joy Ride. He opens up to the Cool Kids about deep, incredibly troubling stuff that’s long been on his mind, but he’s never once talked about it with his family.

Mindful Education. The perils of bottling one’s emotions is literally the whole plot of the episode. The kid has a full out sobbing breakdown while he’s plunging to his death. Connie gets through to him a little here, but later episodes show that the resolution we see here is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Steven’s internal issues. 

Storm in the Room. Externally, Steven tries so hard to put on a guise of content and positivity, but once alone in Rose’s room feels safe enough to let the full brunt of his emotional trauma come out in an almost explosive manner. Geeze, get this kid some hugs. 

Gemcation. Steven actually fails bitterly on putting on his customary smile in this episode, simply because the weight of his problems have become such an impossible burden to him. When the other Gems are trying to help him open up, he isn’t immediately responsive to their efforts. 

What’s Your Problem? Amethyst spends the whole episode trying to cheer Steven up and find out how he’s doing, and instead Steven downplays his own feelings on the matter and ends up helping her sort out her own emotional issues.

So to sum: Many an Emotional Issue, a chronic tendency to avoid outwardly addressing said issues in favor of helping everyone else instead... and to avoid accepting other people’s help.

Even if he’s surrounded by all these people who love him, the fact of the matter is that Steven still feels as if he has to face his own inner demons alone.

Now, let’s look at the lil’ teasing synopsis that was given for Steven Universe Future:

“After saving the universe, Steven is still at it, tying up every loose end. But as he runs out of other people’s problems to solve, he’ll finally have to face his own.”

Blatantly sounds like we’re gonna finally get some addressing of Steven’s emotional state, now doesn’t it?

4) A concept on what could, theoretically happen

“Maybe… it IS a guy in a monster costume. I don’t mean literally, silly! What I mean is... there might be a conscious Gem still inside there, somewhere. What if the monster is turning back and forth into its original form? If it is, it might not be as corrupted as we think! There might still be a chance to save it!” -Steven, Gem Hunt

Suppose Steven- by some as-of-yet unknown means- ends up accidentally corrupting himself. His sorry emotional state only further amplifies the effects of this corruption, and makes it really hard to retain control. Wormy Boi as a form could be like... all his inner demons made manifest, a metaphoric mirror into his current mental state. But- as he is half-human- he’s not entirely unaware of what’s happening. Perhaps... as the quote above could be sneaky foreshadowing for... how he’s turning back and forth between this corrupted form and his normal form. 

He likely wouldn’t want everyone to see him like this, doesn’t want everyone to visibly know the sheer depth of how much he’s hurting. But just like the corrupted Gems were only able to be helped in community, with the support of the CGs and the Diamonds in preparing the fountain, Steven can’t fix this on his own. 

He can no longer face the dark alone.

At some point, everyone has to take a brave step. Reach out. Accept help. 

Steven’s helped so many people, and surely he deserves that same love and care in return, too.

And perhaps, when he’s eventually healed from this- and has gotten the opportunity to be open with his family and friends about the hurt he’s facing- he’ll be left with “corruption scars” as well. I think it’s an important thing to address, that no one goes through experiences like these without lingering effects. Stuff stays with you. Healing is not always linear. But life is a continuous journey, and with the support of people who love you surrounding, you too can make a change... can continue to live to the fullest at every moment possible.

I think the above would be a lovely moral for Steven Universe to tackle in its last run of episodes, no matter how they approach it- daft corruption theory or not.

Now, in the end- a reiteration. This is just a wild theory. I’m not trying to be any authoritative voice saying that this is for sure what will happen, because in reality I have no idea what Crewniverse is cooking. However, I do think it’s fun speculation, and I am kinda spooked at how well things fit. 

Whatever happens, I’m sure it will make me weep like a baby, though. Hoh boy. Grant me sanity in these coming months as we wait for answers.