Unc Salt aka. Dash

One year ago today, on May 14th, I left my abusers with my head held high. And to be honest, I didn't know what to say today. It's an important day but how do you put that into words?

Abuse is one of those things that everyone thinks they know. They know the symptoms of domestic violence. They know to look for the signs. But abuse comes in many forms. For me it was emotional and psychological abuse; something corrosive hidden under the surface of a straight A, perfect, student. But I think people knew. People knew when teachers had to let my coaches know to tred lightly around him. People knew when I would shake at my phone lighting up at his messages. People knew when I would drag my feet to overstay my welcome or cry and scream when I was surrounded solely by the comfort of my team. People knew, but what are you supposed to do without the bruises to show for it? Abuse also looks like someone standing by. Someone allowing it to happen because the attention just feels so nice. But that one isn't really my story to tell because she never did stick around for me.

But one year ago today, I left. I looked him in the eyes, and left. I was fortunate and am fortunate to not have been alone for this act of bravery either. One of my oldest and best friends stood beside me as I moved, as he yelled, as the physical manifestations of his and my diffrences bloomed at our feet in the form of salvia and lavender plants amidst a dry and dull garden.

Many many more friends and my few remaining family all showed their support in their own ways and to list them all we would be here forever, but I simply do not have the words to describe how greatful I am to every one of them. These are things and people I am fortunate to have and something I know not everyone does.

This transition was terrifying but I had never felt more relief when we finally drove away from that house. For the first time, I was free. This year has been full of ups and some dramatic downs. To say I've been faithfully no contact would be a lie; however, I stayed firm in my stance and only answered him once with a polite and respectfully long worded "fuck off." This year has been great! But it's also been hard. I faced struggles and still face struggles. I came to terms with some things about myself... Kinda... And I am now 100% unapologetical to the space I take up. I'm healthy and happy and even with the things that have gone terribly wrong this year I would still do it all over again.

Because now, I get to *live.*

May 14th is my liberation. And if you have one too, I encourage you to celebrate it, to see just how far you've come. If you too have liberated yourself but have long since forgotten the day, then I offer to share my day too and for you to take it as your own. If you're still waiting for yours, hang in there; there is light and joy on the other side, and we cannot wait for you to share it with us.

Something ancient

Something new

Something free and something abused

Something wild

Something pinned

Something more

Something twinned

Something desperate

Something vile

Something scared and something fragile

Two of faces

Two of heart

Vash: House Centipede due to their friendly but skittish nature. These cuties are fucking terrifying to witness however are the most docile of the class Chilopoda and are solitary insects that only really "charge" at people because they seek safety and think youre a big rock to hide under (much like a dashing blond we all know who likes to live solitary and wants safety). Though for a member of class Insecta I would assign him as a Mayfly for his Mayfly monologue as well as Mayflies are ANCIENT in fact they're so old they're part of a specific group of insects refered to as Palaeoptera which includes Damselflies and Dragonflies and denotes insects unable to fold their wings! I think the aquatic parallels are good for Vash also! This is because we do see that plants themselves are aquatic and, drawing on some of the extra characterization we get in stampede and stargaze, the twins seem perfectly content in water. However it is only the nymphs/larval stages that Mayflies spend in the safety (more or less lmao) of water. In their adult forms they're out of the water and onto their business as an adult. For our dear vash he is no longer with the safety (again more or less) of his family and carries on as an adult to finish his mission before he too may rest (whether you note this as his passive suicidal ideation or that he doesn't have to worry about Knives anymore that's up to you though the mayflies adult life is very short lived).

(whether you note this as his passive suicidal ideation or that he doesn't have to worry about Knives anymore that's up to you though the mayflies adult life is very short lived).

Knives: Another Centipede friend! Honestly I'm not sure which one but I would put him under some sort of Giant Centipede. They're giant, aggressive, and carnivorous which fits Knives' character well. However they are some of the few arthropods with true brood care, eventually sacrificing themselves so their offspring can live on. Within the story, Knives tends to be self sacrificial as much as he is selfish. His goals, while primarily exist to protect his brother, he extends to the rest of the plants as well. For class insecta I dub him a Purple Emporer butterfly. He's a beautiful man but very dangerous. Purple Emporer butterflies are one of the very few types of butterflies that can and will feed from carcases and have shown carnivorous behaviors.

Zazie: This is another really easy one because they are buge(ish) but Zazie is specifically a Rocky Mountain Locust. These Orthopterans are incredibly unique because they are one of the, if not the only, major agricultural pest to have gone completely extinct (their extinction was so sudden that we don't know for sure what happened and can only theorize. Personally I subscribe to the notion that overhunting buffalo killed them since the buffalo were not there to tear up the ground anymore they had difficulty/inability to lay their eggs. Though this is only one of many possible theories!). Now out of all the bugs to be a locust is a no brainer, they spend most of their lives (sometimes even all of their lives) solitary though they can trigger under the right conditions into their gregarious forms and swarm (fun fact! Locusts in their solitary and gregarious forms look different, usually in coloration but they also have other small physical differences from species to species). Through Zazies behavior we see that they act independently but also as a swarm the same with the many types of worms. Plus! With a character so unique it would be a shame not to make them one of the most unique and mysterious insects in history.

Wolfwood: He reminds me of a Carrion Beetle. These are also another insect with brood care but theirs is slightly strange. They collect decaying matter from a corpse to take back to their burrows to feed their young but also to hatch their young. I think that morbid care for others is perfect for Wolfwood because that is exactly what we see him do. His violence is out of care and protection. His work is disgusting and dirty but just like the dear carrion beetle there's more to it than meets the eye.

Milly: Another divergence from class Insecta we have Milly as a Jumping Spider! These guys are incredibly sweet and intelligent creatures which if that doesn't describe Milly right off the bat I don't know what does! Her character is aloof but shown time and time again to be very smart but people often overlook that for whats on the outside, same with Jumping Spiders. I also just think they're adorable as well as they're incredibly sociable which definitely fits her. And for her insect (so I'm at least consistently on brand) she is a White Lined Sphynx Moth! These are absolutely massive moths that are frankly just gorgeous as well. Due to their size and flight behaviors they're often initially confused with hummingbirds (same with other species of hawk moth). They're very gentle to hold and sweet, same with the spiders. They have a sweet tooth since they mostly feed on nectar which is just another cheeky comparison to our dear Milly. (I love her so much and I love these arthropods 🫶)

Meryl: Katydid hands down. Loud and can pack a little bite. I'm leaving hers purposefully vaugue because there's an argument for her to lean towards the common broad-wing (ever seen a green buge video? Those guys) or a carnivorous katydid (look closer to grasshoppers (they are part of the same order, Orthoptera: Crickets, Katydids, Grasshoppers, and Locusts)). Meryl is persistent and pushy, much like a Katydids behaviors/chirp. However, she can also get right down to business and hold her own when need be, much like their predatory variant.

Legato: Oh Legato, honestly he was also one of the most tough ones to identify but I think he's a Monarch Butterfly. Monarchs are some of the most instantly recognizable insects, they are often used to teach us from a young age of the importance and beauty of an ecosystem and maintaining it. Of course these Lepidopterans are also notable because they are poisonous if accidentally or purposely ingested. An insect desired for its beauty and used by others? An insect who at its very core is toxic and flaunts that toxicity with the very thing that makes it beautiful? Oh Legato, are you not the monarch of this tale? Did you not orchestrate it just so? Besides, there's something poetic about a monarch terrified of being consumed and an emporer that so readily devours the flesh that both wage war side by side.

(TO BE EXPLICITLY CLEAR I AM NOT CALLING KNIVES PREDATORY TOWARDS LEGATO I AM DRAWING A COMPARASON BETWEEN THEIR MOTIVATIONS AND INSECTS 🙏)

Midvalley: Midvalley the Hornfreak? More like Midvalley the Cicada. My argument here centers mostly around music as the cicada song is my favorite insect song by far but unlike a lot of other noisey bugs their songs hold an incredible amount of power! Male cicadas are the only ones who produce sound and band together to make those sounds both as protection against predators and to call for mates. Though within enough proximity and depending on the type of call as well as amount of cicadas present, their songs can be incredibly disorienting towards humans and under the just right conditions can cause minor hearing loss. I think it's only fair to associate the music man himself with an insect that also uses its music to protect itself! (This is also the only true bug in this list. While most if these unless specified otherwise are Insects, true bugs are only members of the order Hemiptera).

Elendira: Tough tough decision but ultimately I think ground nesting Yellowjackets or really any Yellowjackets is a good insect for her. Besides that their modified ovipositors make for a pretty nasty and reusable sting (#girlpower), they're very social aggressive predators. Elendira is an incredibly tough opponent and very headstrong. She's loyal to her "hive" in a way that reminds me more of the wasps than any other hymenopteran. Also! She doesn't give up easily, very similar to what happens when you piss of a hive of wasps.

LR (as one bug): If I were to assign these two just one bug it would be a earwig. These common insects look pretty intimidating and often terrifying due to the shape of their cerci (specifically the males, female cerci don't look as much like pinchers). However for the most part they are harmless and those cerci are for showing off and holding mates. But it is that really intimidating figure they cut that reminds me so much of the boys. Don't get me wrong the boys are certainly dangerous but as we learn about them more and more and see nuance in their actions they also can be both sweet and gentle.

Livio: Livio the European Mantis! Honestly, this is in part because of his weapon being the double fang and mantids distinct forelegs. These guys are also tough cookies but easily able to be handled when careful and not being aggressive towards them! They're intelligent critters as well and can be real sweethearts, just like Livio! But they're still incredibly good and effective predatory insects!