#im just so exhausted of seeing Black children be fucking hunted at this point

[wakandamama]

Now that I'm sitting here thinking about it, why ain't there 100 bands on Zimmerman's shit? Someone shoulda made him chalk lines day 1 of the acquittal.

Emmet Till, Latasha Harlins, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Aiyana Jones, Ma'Khia Bryant, all the Black children's who names are loss in the Mass amount of them dead. From the babies tossed into swamps by slave master to poor Ralph Yarl who has to suffer for the rest of his life because some evil white bigot who was proably in post card picnic in his youth decided him being lost in his neighborhood was cause enough for a death sentence.

If they feel bold enough to kill innocent Black kids with no justice for the lives loss. Welp, we should be bold enough to correct that shit🤷🏾‍♀️ they obviously only speak violence and it's time we speak they language to get the fucking message across atp.

#rant #im just so exhausted of seeing Black children be fucking hunted at this point #killed with no justice #given no peace in life then mf want to get mad at Black people if we dont beg for their justices #they love the 2nd amendment so much lets give it to them #atp violence is the only thing these monster fucking respond too #blacklivesmatter #Black Children matter #whites AND non-Blacks dni yall opinion will never be needed on this topics #antiblackness

[aetherarf]

omg im love w your blog!!! 😭😭😭 (you won me the moment you said you like heavy angst bc i LOVE it. 👌🏻) can you write something angst with childe, zhongli, kaeya ​​and diluc where the reader finds out shes pregnant and is happy and excited to tell her partner but he doesn't take it very well? as if the baby was going to spoil his plans or they were not comfortable with the idea. (and yes, please, you can exaggerate the sadness if you want)

> and as im a lover of sad and painful things, if you can skip a time later where the reader loses the baby and how they would react to it. (It's ok if you don't want it!! I'll love what you can give me!) anyways, have a nice day and be safe!! 🥺<3

Of course! However, I'm going to have it be AFAB!Reader, and using gender neutral language... not everyone who can get pregnant is a girl, you know? Plus gender neutral language can refer to anyone ever.

But ty for your kind words, and here you go <3!

[[ WARNING: ANGST, PREGNANCY, MISCARRIAGE, INJURY ]]

[[ Summary: You're pregnant! And you're so happy to be bringing a little bundle of joy into the world with your lover... but they aren't so happy. Worse still, it turns out that little bundle of joy never get to see the light of day, not even for a moment.

Total Word Count: 2'521

Childe Word Count: 680

Diluc Word Count: 809

Kaeya Word Count: 528

Zhongli Word Count: 504 ]]

Childe

When he had come home, there was a meal cooked, his favorite alcohol, and you were dolled up, dressed up to look perfect--He could tell you were preparing something. Seeing you standing there, back to him, he walked over and wrapped his arms around you, resting his head on your shoulder,

"So, what's the occasion? Or are you just so madly in love with me you have to spoil me?" He teased. You grabbed one of his hands, pulling it down to your stomach, leaning back a little bit into him--his eyes widened before you spoke, and you confirmed the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind-

"You're going to be a father."

In a fit of excitement, he scooped you up, holding you close and pressing kisses to your face, nuzzling up to you in excitement--"I'm gonna be a daddy!" He chirped, "Oh, oh, if it's a boy we're calling him lil Ajax, promise me he'll be my little Ajax Junior?" He asked, excited.

Through the night, the two of you had already been gushing out with countless ideas, about names, about the possibility of twins, more than a few crass jokes from Childe, until the two of you went to bed...

And when you were sound asleep in his arms... he was given a chance to think.

And it hit him.

He was not only making you more of a target to anyone who despised the Fatui, or himself personally... But...

Was he ready to be a dad?

He was gone all the time.

Was he... ready...?

His excitement turned to dread. Only after the initial shock, did he realize that... no, no, this was awful.

As quietly as he could, he sobbed into your shoulder, desperately trying to not wake you up. He was... terrified.

He had not known terror before, because this was not something he could kill and be done with.

Desperately, he tried to delude himself into thinking everything would be okay, to keep a smile on his face. When you called him out for his oddness, he confessed only a fraction of the truth, "I guess there's just.. a lot of feelings going on, you know?" He asked, the shrugged to himself. "I just need a little time before I'm settled with the idea."

He wasn't sure if he'd be okay with it at all. He felt like a child himself... Could he raise anything without destroying it? Even his own siblings... he stayed away just to keep them sane. He was nothing but a danger to them. He couldn't neglect his own child...

One day, he came home...and you weren't there. Probably just doing something on your own, he didn't really care, just sort of minding his own business, doing some cleaning since there was always something he could at least polish up when trying to burn time.

And there was a knock on the front door. He opened it, and there was a panicked Fatui messenger.

"Your-Your, uh, partner. They-They got into a bad fight, and they were... hospitalized."

Never had he run so fast in his life to find you. When he saw you, you were covered in bruises, black and blue, and a few bandaged cuts. He sat beside your bed, holding your hand, "... Talk to me," he pleaded, unable to hide his cracking voice.

"It's dead," you said, weakly. He shook his head, not understanding,

"What do you mean?"

"I'm... okay. But... Ajax," you whimpered, looking at him, having already cried every tear out of your body, "Our baby."

It hit him.

"I got hit in the stomach."

"Oh... Oh no, babe, love... nono..." He tried to hug you as best as he could without hurting you...

But... was it bad of him to be relieved? He knew this would happen... he knew you were in pain, but... he'd rather have an unborn infant he had never met die compared to a child he held and loved.

He'd still stay there with you, but he only wished he could fix it. Not everything could be killed with brute violence.

Diluc

"Diluc... I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father."

Diluc's face paled. The first thought that hit his head was his death, leaving you and your currently unborn child to suffer alone... or worse.

He couldn't be a father, he-he... He wasn't mean to be part of a family. He lost his father, his mother, Kaeya... Even the Knights, that at one point he could have called family, have left... Or he left them, knowing that he simply couldn't exist around them.

Your once ecstatic and happy face fell... Sure, the two of you only, idly, had spoken about the possibility of children... and you didn't mean to get pregnant, but you wanted a child.

It seems Diluc did not exactly share your feelings.

"I'm going to bed," he said, standing up suddenly, feeling like he was about to fall over.

"Is this news... really so horrible?" You asked, no small amount of pain... and he sighed.

"I... don't know how to deal with it. I need time to think."

You knew it was a big thing... you'd give him time. After all, in the end, Diluc was a good man. He did the best he could and took care of those he cared for, even if he didn't want a child, he would take care of them... and, of course, you.

The next day, he was no better, he looked at your sleeping form, your stomach, and from pure distress and terror, he had left to go to the bathroom, just to vomit pure acid, trying to hide how tears poured under the guise of being sick, of being in pain.

How could he be a father?

The next few weeks were tense, and his gaze would linger on your stomach...

By the end of the first month, he set his hand on your stomach... with a small, vulnerable smile.

"I'm excited," he finally said, rubbing your stomach that was barely any larger than normal... "I'm afraid, but... I'm excited for our baby."

You cried, and he did too, holding each other as you cried. Exciting, concerning... hopeful, there was so many emotions, but in the end, you slept happily.

Things would be okay. Diluc would make a family he couldn't lose.

Each month, Diluc would fuss more and more. He desperately tried to help when you were sick, from morning sickness, giving you massages when your body was aching from the new weight, the new life inside you.

Whenever he was sitting next to you, or lying beside you, especially as your stomach grew, he always had a hand on it. On the fifth month, when he felt the baby kick, he looked at you with a smile wider than you had ever seen before, excited like a young child getting its first toy.

He spent the next two hours pressing kisses to your rounded belly, whispering to the baby as though it could hear him.

By the sixth month, was when it happened. The two of you were talking, standing in the kitchen as you talked about what to make for dinner, and you felt it-Water flushing from you, soaking your clothes and making a mess on the floor. Diluc stared at you, shocked, and you felt the worst pain in your life--

"Diluc," You half collapsed in his arms, "I-I think I'm in labor," you said, with no small amount of horror.

It was supposed to be three months, but Diluc didn't question that, even if he was aware something very, very wrong. He brought you all the way to the Cathedral, and the Sisters, too, were in shock when you had told them. Moved to a back room, away from prying eyes, Diluc didn't let go of your hand as you tried to push...

For hours, you sat there, tears in your eyes, "Diluc," you sobbed, weakly, "I'm so tired."

"You can do it," he reassured, "I promise you, you can do it."

Finally, the baby was out. However, the sisters had taken the baby somewhere, you and Diluc sitting there, you exhausted, and Diluc terrified. Finally... Barbara walked in, tears in her eyes.

"... Your baby is dead." She said, "I'm sorry for your loss. Would you-Would you like to see them, or..."

You only began to cry, weakly.

"No," Diluc said, not wanting to look at the corpse of the child he failed to father, "But... can the Sisters arrange a burial?" He asked, trying to stop himself from losing it. Barbara nodded.

"Of course," She said, "I will leave you two be." She walked off, leaving the room as she tried not to cry for your loss.

He held you, and you both sobbed.

Once again, the Family that Diluc could never have, one he fought for with tooth and nail, was taken from him again.

At least he still had you.

Kaeya

"Fucking paperwork," he grumbled, detesting how everything had an absurd about of work to do. No wonder they were always overworked...

He'd rather be, who knows, hunting some monsters or getting some time off, sitting in the Angel's Share with you on his lap...

Huh.

That sounded really nice right about now.

Just as he returned to his work, ceasing to think of you, you knocked on his office door and practically burst right in, an excited look on your face.

"Oh, what's got you so happy?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and he grinned, watching you walked around his desk, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I have some news~" You said, in a singsongy voice, and he tugged on your hips, pulling you onto his lap. "So, tell me, don't make me wait with baited breath, I'll probably suffocate," He teased, sweetly.

You tugged him close, speaking in a low whisper right into his ear-- "I'm pregnant."

He was glad you weren't looking at his face, with the horror on his face. He was able to put on a mask of excitement, as fake as it felt, when you leaned back, looking at his expression, and he held you close, pressing his lips to yours.

"I'd say let's go celebrate, but I guess you can't have wine anymore."

You huffed, "We can celebrate in a different way."

In the end, the two of you went to the Angel's Share, the two of you deciding to keep it a secret for a little longer.

That night, while you cuddled up to him, he lie in bed, unable to close his eye, staring blankly...

Terrified.

As time passed, you had hit halfway through your second month. Kaeya still insisted that you keep it a secret-- "It's more fun if some people have a suspicious feeling, and then it's so exciting when you do tell them."

He was just too afraid to tell the world thus far. You had mostly agreed, but you were excited... you wanted to tell.

"I want to talk about this more," you admitted, "But I need to get a check-up for our little baby," you patted your tummy gently, and he pressed a kiss to your temple,

"Alright," he dreaded that conversation, "You go be safe."

"I will."

He sat silently, on the bed, blankly staring forth. What was he supposed to do...? To even think?

He was so scared.

He was able to hear you before he saw you, hear the sounds of your sobbing, and as he turned to see you, you jumped into his arms, openly crying. Somehow--he could tell your stomach was... smaller. If only a little.

"You were right to not tell anyone," you whimpered, weakly. He gently rubbed your back,

"What do you mean?" He asked, softly.

"I... I had a miscarriage."

He felt elated, but also so, so terribly guilty.

But he knew, with everything... It was for the best.

"I'm so sorry," he said, softly, holding you close, "Tell me--what can I do to make this better?"

"I don't know, I don't know," you sobbed, broken and weak.

For now, he'd just hold you.

Zhongli

With a wide smile and bright eyes, you told him: "I'm pregnant!"

Zhongli gasped in surprise, for a brief second, he was only pleased, his hands almost touching your stomach... then he recoiled, pulling back, hesitant... And he looked down and away.

"... Love," he said softly, "You are aware I am still an adeptus." He said, gently. You didn't understand,

"Of course, but... there's Ganyu, and Yanfei, they're both half-adeptus, half-human... Isn't this fine?"

He was quiet for a moment, sighing. "Yanfei's and Ganyu's adeptus parents were mammals. I... Was not-You understand, I was one a dragon of the earth, correct?" He asked,

"Of course, I wouldn't forget anything like that."

"Normal half-adeptus children already have problems, but one who is a dragon..."

He looked away, thinking.

"Are you sure you're not just afraid? It's okay to be afraid." You reassured, reaching out and holding his hand.

He was not afraid.

He was simply certain. The idea-The idea of having a child, a little bounding bundle of joy that would giggle as he tickled them, seeing their beautiful, adorable little smile that held features of you and himself...

How idealistic. But he had endured tragedy before, and he will endure it again.

This will only be another agony. If, perhaps, he was in his original mating season, having gone through it delicately how it was meant to, rather than pure chance and accident... Then there was hope.

He pressed a kiss to the back of your hand.

"Perhaps I am."

The days passed, and he would admit, he was shocked to see that your menstruation cycle had stopped--oh, period. People called it periods more commonly. Good to know.

And your stomach grew, you demanded him to touch your stomach, of which he would not argue, listening to your hopeful words.

You felt a pain in your stomach--naturally, you would be in pain.

You had left to go get it checked, to see why there would be pain, and what issue there would be for your child.

Alone, he curled up in bed and sobbed, unable to save you from this tragedy, sobbing pathetically in desperation, where no one, not, even you, could see his pain.

You did not come back that day, but you returned the second, pale and sickly, with bandages around your stomach. You collapsed into your arm,

"They... they had to do an emergency surgery," you wept weakly, too exhausted to sob, "It was... dead... and hurting-killing me."

He nodded. He knew this.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, softly, "I'm sorry, love."

"I just... I just want a family... Something to call my own."

Zhongli was quiet for a moment. Both of you had time before his original cycle would come in line...

Maybe-maybe, through an odd union of human and dragon, you could give him this family. But it would be a long, long conversation, and you would need to wait well beyond your wounds.

Oh, but your pain... how could he endure.

He would have to find a way.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #childe x reader #zhongli x reader #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #kaeya #diluc #childe #zhongli #angst #angsty bark #pregnancy tw #bark writes #request #anonymous #// ended up being sorta short but #// the more ppl you request #// the shorter the wor k will be #// this took me #// so long

[inexplicifics]

Figured I saw how you liked peeps putting their own flair into your universe so thought id actually sit down and join in, because ive had Thoughts about my own self insert in your universe already so why not share! Anyway heres a bullet list about them, Purnella of the Crane School!

first off gen. trivia—

-Was fifteen and fresh from their trials when Ciri was brought to Kaer Morhen

-Was one of the late comers to join the Warlord, since word is slow coming when you’re at sea without a sorcerer or xenovox

-Has a sketchbook filled with ink sketches of all the various creatures theyve come to know in their experience, and they use these illustrations to narrow down what a victim has seen because You have No Idea how little ‘It looked like a giant snake with pointy teeth and white eyes!’ narrows it down when it comes to sea creatures. They use the ribbon their best friend gave them as a bookmark in it.

-All cranes love gadgets. This is common knowledge. But the amount of different and unique devices Purnella uses is insane even by their standards— harpoon gun, crossbow with a grappling hook shot, pistol rounds that explode into a net when fired to easily take down and entangle targets without wounding them, and their favorite— a little wrist mounted hooking/trolley device that lets them navigate ship rigging like a zipline.

(this is just part one btw;;)

(ok heres part two)

now further plot slash backstory because im incredibly hyper-focused on character plots

-Early childhood was spent in an orphanage after being dropped off there as an infant, matron was never certain but most assumed they were born under a black sun

-Matron was always very strict when it came to chores, telling them if they dont make themselves useful , shell turn them out on the streets alone. Was probably never truly serious, but Purnella assumed she was and internalized the idea that ‘If I make myself useful, I get to stay with my friends/my school/the crew/etc’

-As a result they overworked themselves to the point of exhaustion for years, until they actually got sat down by Triss for it when the sorcerers joined them in the keep.

-Had a best friend named Shiloh, a elven girl who also lived in the orphanage (this is literally just my oc from dragon age inquisition, ive put a version of her and cole(a canon character from da:i) into quite a few diff medias because im unhealthily attached to them both. purnella is already my self insert im being self indulgent already so why not) who gifted her a little lilac ribbon the day they left after being ‘adopted’. Shiloh calls them Purnie. Shiloh also once taught them how to fold paper into shapes that look like various animals. no this isnt a joke about paper cranes what are you saying—

-Was ‘adopted’ by a noble who fancied himself a scientist and wanted to discover what makes the children of the black sun dangerous, as well as figure out if theres any distinct sign that someone was born under the black sun in general

-As a result, even before becoming a witcher they were covered in scars from multiple experiments. the main one being scars from a procedure more similar to a vivisection or autopsy than an actual surgery(they were ‘lucky’ enough that the bastard was rich enough to have proper medicine because he damn well wasnt properly trained)

-His manse laid on a seaside cliff, and when he had a Specially Important Visitor interested in his ‘findings’, Purnella was able to free themselves from their cell and launch themselves through a window, over the cliff, and into the sea

- cough cough it was stregobor the visitor was stregobor

-Purnella woke up on a ship, where theyd been pulled aboard after the crew had noticed something floating in the sea water

-This boat had a crane witcher on it, resulting in Purnella eventually being taken ‘under his wing’ as a trainee.

-Shiloh eventually shows up at Kaer Morhen to entreaty the White Wolf to help her avenge her friend, who never ended up visiting her again after being adopted by a man who has gone on to experiment and murder Several More children of the black sun since then

-Tbh Purnellas mostly just happy to see Shiloh and learn that she remembered them, and should probably be worried about the situation but is mostly just! rlly happy!!

—also side note shiloh had No Idea their friend purnie was actually Alive! and There!! so shes extremely happy. also she grew up to become someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of veterinarian medicine and animal trivia, so she ends up staying at the keep as their trusty vet along with her boyfriend cole who isnt actually human, hes a garkain, but hes shy and kind and helpful and doesnt hurt anyone and im Refusing to separate Shiloh and Cole in Any Universe i put them in, and so there

is this all an excuse to have them hunt down and go to war with/murder stregobor? yes because fuck him— and i cannot stress this enough— in the face with a chainsaw covered in pissed off hornets.

anyway im a big fan and keep coming back to this series for more so i hope you liked this slash wasnt annoyed by the ramblings;; have a good day!

Purnella sounds like a delight! I am extremely pleased to know you're having such fun in my sandbox.

(I couldn't figure in how to copy over the picrew but Purnella looks great!)

#questions answered #fic of my fic

[rimurutempest]

finally we get to my research paper, which i hated and think i did a garbage job on, but it’s DONE and i got an A, so i dont really much care. also credit where credit is due, i wouldnt have gotten anything done at all if my husband @koinuyasha hadn’t started this for me, though i then butchered and rewrote most of it, he gave me a useful skeleton to work with!

Prompt/Parameters:

Research paper for LIT 241 (Horror and Supernatural Fiction) Urban legends exist in varied forms from crime stories (the Choking Doberman) to the supernatural (Don’t say Bloody Mary three times while looking into a mirror).  Such legends tend to have “really happened” to a cousin of a friend or a friend of a cousin. For you research paper, you need to pick a famous urban legend and explore the origins of it.  Some legends may have unclear or multiple origins.  You would do well to use a process of elimination to find an urban legend with at least one potential origin. Just as the horror novels, short stories and movies we’ve been studying this semester tap into real life fears, so do urban legends.  In your research, explore the societies in which these legends began (focusing on the time period and the geographic locations). You may also want to see how the legend was modified in varied other times and locations.  Basically, you want to examine the connection between the urban legend and the culture in which it began.  The structure of your paper should run as follows: 1. Retell the urban legend in your own words. 2.  Present the history of the legend’s origins. 3. Analyze the connection between the urban legend and the society/culture in which it began. The paper should run 750-1000 words.   Use 12 point Times New Roman font. It is due by 6:15 pm on November 25, 2000. Cut and paste your paper into the body of the email.  Don’t send any attachments or links to websites like Googledocs. You need at least three credible sources (not Wikipedia) for the origin of the urban legend. Follow MLA rules for citations and bibliography. NOTE: I DID NOT DO THIS, I WAS PASTING IT IN A DAMN EMAIL, THIS IS STUPID.

this whole project was ridiculous, urban legends never have three whole ass credible sources, what a bullshit fucking specifiation, im still so damn mad about this. i could have done so many other more interesting subjects if not for this absolute horseshit restriction. fuck you, prof.

Eyes that Shine, Burnin' Red: Tracking the Black Dog and its Many Tales           Have you ever woken to a feeling of being watched, only to feel your heart skip at what look like strange, glowing eyes staring back at you from the dark corners of your room? Have you perhaps felt a pressure on your chest? Something standing in your room, breath ghosting over your face, as you find yourself unable to move? Unable to even look away from the beast or cry out for help. Even if you try, you can't scream, and when you finally can, the creature is gone...? Perhaps instead you've found, when walking alone in the dark, you can hear the jingle of keys echoing at the peripherals of your senses, but no one is around? Perhaps it has occurred to you that, rather than keys, the jingling might be the sound of dog tags. You might look out of the corner of your eye to catch sight of bristling black fur, glowing red eyes, hot, steaming breath, and large, sharp, white teeth in the inky black shadows of the night. No matter how fast you might go, it always seems to follow just on your heels until, suddenly, it disappears without a trace, as if it had never been. Maybe you've even wondered to yourself, while passing by a graveyard at night, that what you see prowling between the gravestones, or glowering from up in the church's steeple, might just be a large, lurching black beast of a dog? It has looked at you with those glowing eyes, hovering in the deep darkness, hasn't it? You have felt that shiver run up your spine, haven't you? Pushing you to walk faster, doubling your pace and deciding not to cut through the old churchyard after all. Maybe at some point, when the weather was chaotic and terrible, you took refuge under an overhang, lightning crashing out in the distance. You might, in such a situation, see a figure loping across the field before you, hoping it doesn't notice or care about you, hoping it doesn't come your way. It probably looks like it has a destination in mind, but it is not easy to shake the feeling of dread such an experience could inspire). Late at night, do you ever hear sounds echoing from the deep in the woods, so you can't help but wonder: Are those just a bunch of mannerless geese honking, or do you hear some ghostly hounds baying in the distance in actuality?           There are many stories about the Black Dog, a frightening but benevolent messenger at its best, and a harbinger of death at its worst. The origins of the Black Dog are muddy, as is the case with any good urban or local legend, with it seeming to stem from Welsh, Norse, and Greek origins in most of Europe, while the Celtic and Germanic origins are the prime candidates for the British legends. In the Welsh Mabinogion cycle, the Cŵn Annwn are spectral hounds associated with the otherworld, what with being the hunting dogs of Arawn, god of death and the afterlife, the coming of which meant death for whomever saw them.1 To the Norse, Garm was a mysterious beast, sometimes equated with Fenrir, sometimes attributed as Hel's guardian, and sometimes said to be to wolves and dogs as Odin is to the Gods.2 In ancient Greece, we find Cerberus, the three headed dog who guards the underworld as a menacing figure to most wouldbe interlopers or escapees.3 Hellhounds are present in various Germanic mythos, and Celtic stories feature the goddesses, Epona and Nehellenia, who are accompanied by dogs. Most stories stem from England however, with many tales told about a presence or creature presumed to be the Devil themself taking the form of a Black Dog. Though this creature can often shapeshift into other creatures such as, but not limited to, a donkey, a goat, and often a cat, the figure of an imposing black canine is a popular choice. A few specific, named examples include Black Shuck – a malevolent spirit said to have attacked two different churches and killed at least two people, the Church Grim – a black dog buried to stand guard over churchyards, and The Skriker – sometimes visible as a big, black dog with huge paws that make large sloshing sounds when they hit the ground, though other times believed to be entirely invisible, that wanders about screeching hauntingly. All of these creatures share commonalities in appearance as large black dogs, often described as having glowing eyes, that are associated with death or the devil, and often seen late at night and, in cases such as the Black Shuck, especially during fierce thunderstorms.4           Western Europe has the most stories of the Black Dog, British societies especially. England, of course, has a long and complex history with religion and superstition – with which are tied many legends of some variation of the Black Dog. There is also another piece to the puzzle that we can examine: the simple fact that there are several stories originating during war times, when people would wake – or even just remain awake late at night or into the wee hours of the morning – to see these beasts in their bedrooms or stalking about their homes. We may posit that, for some of the legends of the Black Dog, this could be attributed to a combination of sleep paralysis and hypnogogic hallucinations, as some of the stories are as simple and brief as a a child seeing a dog rushing into a their room and disappearing before they were even able to scream.5 There are also tales of the dog, as mentioned previously, attacking churches during thunderstorms and appearing during the flashes of the lightning strikes, accompanied by the menacing rumble of thunder cracking in their wake. We do in fact have some recent research to look to which has led some experts to believe that there is a chance thunderstorms might cause hallucinations – ball lightning, for example, may in fact be a type of group hallucination when and where it occurs, as there has been little by way of credible evidence for it being a natural phenomenon.6 The effects of religion and the weather of the area cannot be dismissed, the influences of which making it understandable that there should be so many stories of devil dogs and spectres skulking about places of worship during inclement weather. What with people, during the times these legends cropped up, taking ill even more readily than today, and it being more likely they should die of illnesses that seem relatively harmless now, it is also unsurprising that they were frequently seen as omens of death. Similarly, there are stories which originate from periods of extreme stress, such as war and famine, of children – and even some adults – seeing these animals when they could not rest at night in their bedrooms and frightening them during what seems likely to have been cases of sleep paralysis, commonly believed to be symptom of exhaustion and anxiety, among other things.7

1 http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/Cŵn_Annwn)

2 https://norse-mythology.org/garm/)

3 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cerberus)

4 https://www.thesuffolkcoast.co.uk/articles/the-legend-of-the-bungay-black-dog)

5 http://www.simonsherwood.co.uk/blackdog.htm)

6 https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18918-mysterious-ball-lightning-may-be-a-hallucination/)

7 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sleep-paralysis)

Please allow me to reiterate, this is my worst writing since high school and I hate it viscerally, please don’t fucking give me literally any kind of con crit, I know how much of a flaming pile of shit it was, I had to bullshit it enough to get the grade and I know what lit/writing profs like, which is hot garbage. They love hot garbage, and this prof most of all.

#back to school adventures #art is a breeze #i shudder to put this in my art tag but fucking whatever #black dogs #hellhounds #barghest #black shuck #etc #sleep paralysis #mass hallucinations #ball lightning #urban legends #flaming dog shit