imveyrgay

Walnut was born in a species-recovery breeding program in the 1980′s.  The program had crane chicks hand-raised by human volunteers, and at that time they did not fully understand the measures necessary make sure that the chicks do not imprint on humans and retain their identity as cranes.  

As a result, her keepers believe, Walnut does not recognize other cranes as members of her own species.  

It has not been proven that Walnut killed her previous suitors; however, there is a persistent rumor in the white-naped-crane-conservation community that she did.  

Because this species is highly endangered, and the gene pool of the captive population is small, it’s pretty important for the survival of her species that Walnut A) mate, and B) not kill a bunch of other cranes.  

The actual name of the keeper is Chris Crowe.

They both arrived at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2004.   

Walnut immediately began paying special attention to Chris--and ignoring the eligible male crane in a nearby enclosure.  

Walnut initiated their courtship, performing the opening moves of a mating dance.  

Chris realized that if he reciprocated the mating dance, it might be possible to artificially inseminate Walnut with her participation and consent.  (The process normally involves restraining the bird.)  

It worked!  

Chris and Walnut have had five children, who were raised by other crane couples at the facility--sometimes the biological dad and his mate--both because it’s unclear whether Walnut would accept the chicks as her own, and because Chris is not equipped to be a Crane Dad.  

However, the Institute provides her with artificial eggs to sit on, and Chris takes his turn looking after them.  (This would not work with real eggs because he can’t sit on them properly, but Walnut seems to feel that he is on the job if he just stands over them.)

she has not been PROVEN to have killed her exes, but there is a PERSISTENT RUMOR (really officers she's simply DEVASTATED, she sobs, wearing a new feather boa unfortunately resembling her most recent deceased husband)

His name is Chris CROWE. (Mrs. Walnut Crane-Crowe?)

the mental images of a whole human man learning and performing the crane mating dance, and "sitting" on artificial eggs so she thinks he's performing his duties as a husband and father (and apparently OBJECTS if he does not?)

"chris, buddy, you gotta marry the possibly-murderous crane lady for the GOOD OF THE SPECIES." (alternately: "chris, my man! good news! we found you a very interested lady! She's 36, she's very spirited and independent, she holds a very important and rare status in her society! ...Is there a downside? WELL...")

when confronted with multiple opportunities to allow uther to die—or to actively facilitate that outcome—merlin consistently intervenes to preserve him. this cannot be dismissed as mere aversion to killing. merlin does not simply refrain; he acts, repeatedly, to save a man engaged in the systematic persecution and execution of magic users. notably, the prophetic framework does not clearly prohibit uther’s early death. on the contrary, figures such as Kilgarrah explicitly advocate for it. merlin’s refusal, therefore, is not obedience to destiny but a choice to maintain a political order that is actively harmful to his own people.

the prophecy itself is articulated as a shared destiny: arthur and merlin, together, are meant to restore magic to albion. yet merlin systematically reconfigures this partnership into a unilateral arc in which arthur appears as the sole agent of restoration. this is not simply the byproduct of fear, though fear is certainly operative. it is also an exercise in control. by withholding his identity and suppressing his role, merlin ensures that the burden of revelation—and the attendant risks—never materialize. in doing so, he fundamentally alters the structure of the prophecy, converting a reciprocal relationship into a hierarchical one in which he operates invisibly, orchestrating outcomes without accountability.

his treatment of other magic users further complicates any claim to moral consistency. merlin does not merely defend camelot against clear antagonists; he adopts a preemptive logic in which potential or hypothetical threats to arthur justify intervention. this frequently manifests as sabotage, manipulation, or lethal force directed at individuals whose primary “crime” is existing outside the narrow parameters merlin deems safe. the ethical framework here is stark: the value of a life is contingent upon its relationship to arthur’s well-being. in effect, merlin reproduces the exclusionary logic of uther’s regime, albeit in a more selective and individualized form.

this logic extends into the curation of arthur’s public and private identity. merlin repeatedly interferes in contests, conflicts, and political situations to secure favorable outcomes for arthur, thereby constructing the image of an infallible and divinely favored king. these interventions are not neutral acts of assistance; they shape the narrative through which arthur is perceived, both by others and by himself. consequently, arthur’s legitimacy becomes, in part, an artifact of merlin’s unseen labor. merlin is not merely supporting the future king; he is actively producing the conditions under which that kingship appears natural and deserved.

deception is central to this process. merlin’s secrecy exceeds what is necessary for survival and becomes structural, governing his relationships with virtually every significant figure in his life. by monopolizing knowledge of the prophecy, of magic, and of the true stakes of various conflicts, he positions himself as the sole arbiter of action. others are denied the capacity to make informed decisions, including arthur, whose ignorance is both protected and enforced. this asymmetry of knowledge consolidates merlin’s power, even as it isolates him, and ensures that alternative courses of action are never meaningfully considered.

over time, there is a discernible shift in merlin’s ethical sensibility. early hesitation gives way to increasing decisiveness; moral conflict is not resolved so much as it is bypassed. actions that once required justification become routine. this is not character development in the sense of moral growth, but rather a narrowing of perspective. the horizon of acceptable action contracts until it aligns almost perfectly with arthur’s preservation. the question is no longer whether something is right, but whether it is necessary.

in tandem with this, merlin effectively limits arthur’s agency by controlling the information available to him. the possibility that arthur, if fully informed, might make different or more just decisions is consistently foreclosed. merlin’s silence is not passive; it is an active constraint on arthur’s moral and political development. by denying him the truth, merlin ensures compliance with a future that arthur himself has not freely chosen, thereby undermining the very ideal of a just and enlightened ruler.

finally, it is significant that merlin’s actions rarely coalesce into a broader effort to challenge systemic injustice. despite his power and proximity to the throne, he does not organize, advocate, or build alliances on behalf of magic users as a collective. his interventions remain episodic and selective, oriented toward immediate threats rather than structural change. the liberation of magic is deferred to a future moment that never fully arrives, perpetually subordinated to the more urgent task of safeguarding arthur.

The law says he should report it to his father. It’s what he’s been trained to do, short of eliminating the threat himself. Arthur’s hand goes to his sword out of habit when he sees Merlin and magic, but he can’t do it. Something holds him back—he can’t see Merlin die. Not by his hand, not by his father’s command.

He doesn’t trust magic though, not yet. Everything he’s learned or been told about magic is that it corrupts. So he watches Merlin for signs that his friend is different/ out of character. (Merlin’s the same as ever, quippy, a terrible but loyal servant. It seems like nice and day: good man, evil (?) sorcerer.) He wants to find out Merlin’s thoughts on magic, but he’s scared; scared that he’s lost Merlin to magic. (Scared that maybe, just maybe that his father is wrong. Scared that it would change everything.)

The space becomes unspoken; Merlin seems to pick up on something, though Arthur’s been careful not to let Merlin know what he knows. He starts asking Gaius questions about magic, nothing to hint at Merlin, but about Camelot before the purge. He knows it’s pointless to ask Uther. Arthur isn’t sure if Gaius knows about Merlin, but Gaius did confess to Aredian. He was sure it was to protect Merlin, even if it all turned out to be planted evidence. All that to say, Arthur was sure the conversation about magic would stay between him and Gaius, and not get back to Uther. (He asks how people learn magic. Gaius also mentions that some few people are born with magic. There’s an odd glint to Gaius’ eyes when he says that; Arthur isn’t sure about what, but now he has to wonder about magic, and Uther’s crusade.)

He still isn’t certain about magic, but now he’s certain about Merlin. Merlin isn’t evil, so maybe not all of magic is bad? But he’s still keenly aware that Merlin is in danger every moment in Camelot. If anyone else had seen Merlin do magic… He starts to panic when Uther mentions magic at dinner, wondering if Uther somehow knows—but then Merlin would already be arrested or sentenced to death. Instead, his servant seems entirely unaffected, hands completely steady when he serves Arthur wine. Merlin notices Arthur’s gaze and raises a questioning eyebrow, so Arthur quickly returns to the conversation. But he does end up eyeing Merlin again; Merlin doesn’t appear frightened at all. But then, he’s been in Camelot for a while now. (How long has Merlin been practicing magic?)

Now Arthur wants to know everything. He wants to ask Merlin questions. He knows Merlin has always been oddly secretive and he’s certain this is why. He’s also hurt that Merlin hasn’t told him. (By now, though, any anger has cooled; he knows exactly why.)

________

You will be remembered as a hero. ________

PUT YOUR LIMBS BACK AND HOLD THIS INSTEAD

Just have to keep drawing until u realize u r actually not that bad

"This is an LGBT safe space. Of COURSE I fully support individuals who identify as transgender and their right to self-determination! I just think that transitioning is a very serious choice and should be heavily regulated. And there could be a lot of harm in exposing cis children to such topics, so we should be really careful about when it is appropriate to mention trans issues or have too much trans visibility."