imagine we make contact with an alien species that’s like, vastly technologically superior, they could fucking kill us in a single shot if they really wanted to
and this species has never eaten salad before. and we show them salad and they eat it and they’re like holy living fuck this is tasty. and suddenly they’re offering us huge houses with all kind of advanced technological shit and incredible medical care and all the amenities and everything, with the only condition that we keep making salad for them.
and like, salad isn’t even hard to make. grab some plants, dump em in a bowl. it doesn’t have to be fancy salad, they’ll fall all over themselves for the most mediocre salad in the world. we can make so much salad that we’re practically drowning in it, even if we eat some of the salad ourselves. and in exchange we’re protected from danger, we have great living conditions, it’s basically paradise compared to life on earth
imagine
now realize that this is what bees have done to us
This is an interesting question. The knee-jerk reaction I was taught to respond with is “NO”. The real answer us more complicated than that. To start let’s define cuddly:
That’s not super useful. Let’s try defining cuddle:
Okay, that’s better.
Thats a more clear definition I can work with. So the full question here is:
Can raptors be attractive to holding close for warmth or affection because they look soft and round?
With question unpacked this way, I would generally answer “YES”.
Now I have two conflicting answers…
So let’s argue both sides and see if that helps.
Evidence pointing to “YES”
Raptors are made if feathers and feathers are soft and warm.
Raptors can control these feathers and make themselves very round.
Raptors are inquisitive animals with deep features when viewed from the right angle.
Supporting evidence:
Supporting Evidence for “NO”
Hawks are made of talons and sharp parts
Hawks are wildlife and in no way domesticated
Hawks eat cuddly things
Hawks typically do not like being touched
Supporting evidence:
In conclusion:
By definition, hawks and other raptors are cuddly. They can be soft and round and warm and invoke the desire to touch or hold. BUT! They are the dangerous, off limits kind of cuddly. Their softness is reserved only for their own enjoyment and that of their offspring or occasionally other members of their species.
Mabel Pines chose love over fear and bet the whole universe on the word of a con man and won.
Mabel Pines didn’t get the summer romance she was looking for but in the end she was okay with that because she learned to love herself.
Mabel Pines thinks that every woman she meets is beautiful, including herself, and if you don’t understand how radical that is you’ve never been a twelve-year-old-girl.
Mabel Pines met a creature she idolized and it told her she wasn’t good enough and she punched it right in its smug stupid face.
Mabel Pines was terrified of growing up because of everything she might lose, and the narrative didn’t blame her or break her for feeling that way.
Mabel Pines cared more about friends and family than magic and mysteries and not only did the narrative validate that, her scrapbook ended up being the most important object in the show.
Mabel Pines is glitter and sweaters and cheesy pop songs and blurry group selfies and the biggest smile in the crowd and she’s also so, so, so much more.
This isn’t a “your fave could never” because those are weird and needlessly combative, but look, I know what kind of narratives girls get. I thought that my fave could never. And then she fucking did.
Beetles actually have folding wings and it’s really cool.
Sometimes you just gotta write mini NSFW scene descriptions for your fren before bed, y’know?
Atricial baby birds:
Naked with Mouth -> fluff with Mouth -> awkward feathers with Mouth and also Legs -> mostly coordinated feathers with Legs and Wings -> adult (mostly Wings)
Precocial baby birds:
Fluff with Legs -> awkward feathers with Legs -> mostly coordinated feathers with Legs and Yelling -> adult (more Yelling)
BettSplendens Tumblr Evac 